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PLAYING OUT LOUD!
ARTICLES
GIG OF THE MONTH
SEASICK STEVE, SOUTHAMPTON GUILDHALL – FRIDAY OCTOBER
3.
 A
performer who has achieved international fame fairly late in life, Seasick
Steve, otherwise known as Steve Wold, plays his first gig in Southampton this
month.
Born in Oakland, California, Steve was only four years old when his parents
split up. An old man from Mississippi called K.C. Douglas wrote the song taught
him to play guitar at age 8. He left home at 14, to avoid abuse at the hands of
his stepfather, and spent many years living on the streets in the States. He
used to travel long distances by hopping freights as a hobo.
Before becoming a professional musician, Steve went through several jobs,
including travelling with carnies, and working as a cowboy. In 1960s he started
touring and performing with fellow blues musicians, and in the nineties he
worked as a recording engineer and producer.
Steve travelled extensively, living in 56 different houses in the 25 years of
marriage with his Norwegian wife. Recently, Steve has stayed in Norway after a
recent heart attack made him consider staying in one place.
After moving to Norway, released his first album, entitled “Cheap,” recorded
with a Swedish band called The Level Devils as his rhythm section. His debut
solo album, “Dog House Music”" was released in 2006.
Steve’s UK breakthrough came with his television appearance on Jools Holland’s
'Annual Hootenanny' BBC TV show broadcast on New Year's Eve 2006, where he
performed a live rendition of "Dog House Boogie" on the 'Three Stringed, Tranz
Wonder' and 'The Mississippi Drum Machine'. After that show his popularity
suddenly boomed, prompting Steve to say in an interview: !I can’t believe it,
all of a sudden I’m like the cat’s miaow!”
He has been well received in the U.K, winning the MOJO Award for Best
Breakthrough Act. In 2007 he was invited to a number of large UK festivals,
which resulted in him playing the most UK festivals out of any band in that
year.
Earlier this year, Steve played the Glastonbury Festival on the Pyramid Stage,
the Pet Sounds Arena at both Oxegen and T In The Park , the Obelisk Arena at the
Latitude Festival, the Pavilion stage at the Roskilde Festival in Denmark and
the Fuji Rock Festival in Japan.
DEADSTRING BROTHERS. RAILWAY INN,
WINCHESTER – SATURDAY OCTOBER 25
 This
alt country trio from Motor City, USA made a big impression on their last visit,
when they played a number of songs from their latest album “Silver Mountain.”
Now the Brothers are back with Kurtis Brothers on vocals and guitar, Jeff Cullum
on bass and vocals, E Travis Harrett on drums, Pat Kenneally on piano and organ
and Spencer Cullum on pedal steel, lap steel, dobro and guitar.
The Deadstring Brothers began in the autumn 2003 and since then, the band has
worked to develop their own take on the American Sound, drawing influences from
a variety of sources. Not unlike Exile-era Stones, Deadstring Brothers deliver a
menacing sound that draws equally on the melancholy of country ballads and the
abandon of rock and blues. The bands music is deeply rooted in the storytelling
and instrumental traditions of Hank Williams, Johnny Cash, and the American
Outlaw Movement, but is also informed by the song structure and understated
aggression commonly associated with Detroit bands.
Their haunting melodies reveal the influence of early 70s rock icons like The
Band and Gram Parsons and The Faces. Deadstring Brothers live performances have
the energy of guitar rock, but sophisticated arrangements, Hammond Organ and a
focus on traditional American music separate them from many of their Detroit
contemporaries.
The band has been touring steadily since the 2004 release of their eponymous
debut and have shared the stage with acts ranging from Shooter Jennings, Cat
Power and Jesse Sykes to Giant Sand, My Morning Jacket, Drive by Truckers and
the Mekons.
As with all SXSC presentations at The Railway there’s an excellent support act,
too. This time it’s The Good Time Charlies. Tickets for the gig are £8.
CAMERA OBSCURA, TALKING HEADS,
SOUTHAMPTON – SATURDAY OCTOBER 18
 Scottish
band Camera Obscura have been making music for over a decade, carried through
the ups and downs of various line-up changes and the tender pain of daily life
by the sweetly sad voice of Tracyanne Campbell. Their greatest achievement to
date is arguably the critically acclaimed 2006 album “Let’s Get Out Of This
Country.”
“Let’s Get Out Of This Country” showcased the band’s ability to produce quality
heartfelt pop that can sail unselfconsciously through six impassioned choruses
in “Lloyd, I’m Ready To Be Heartbroken,” alongside the stark, sweeping wails of
“Country Mile.” The album was made in Stockholm and was enhanced by the
production magic of Sweden’s Jari Haapalainen, who was more than qualified to
indulge the band’s enthusiasm for reverb.
The release of the album was supported by extensive touring through the UK,
Europe, North America, Canada, Mexico, Australia, New Zealand and has seen
Camera Obscura develop from a somewhat timid live proposition into a confident,
dynamic and charming spectacle.
The lineup of Camera Obscura is the aforementioned TracyAnne Campbell, who also
plays guitar, Gavin Dunbar on bass, Lee Thomson on drums, Kenny NcKeeve on
guitars and vocals, Nigel Baillie on trumpet and percussion and Carey Lander on
piano, organ and vocals. For more information on the band have a look at their
website www.camera-obscura.net.
BEX MARSHALL, EASTNEY RMA TAVERN,
SOUTHSEA – SATURDAY OCTOBER 25
 Hailing
from Devon, now settled in London to focus on music, Bex became a croupier at
the age of 18 and her travels took her around the world, dealing illegal poker
games in Amsterdam to hitch hiking around Australia, Indonesia, Europe and
America, and always with a guitar on her back, busking.
Her musical influences include Muddy Waters, Led Zeppelin, Joplin (Scott and
Janis) and Stevie Ray Vaughan. And being the product of two completely different
families, one blue-blooded landed gentry, the other Irish Romany's she had a
great live musical background growing up going to the gigs of her uncles, one of
whom gave her a 1963 Gibson Hummingbird when she was 11 which inspired her to
get serious.
.
Classical guitar playing was her first passion, then flamenco and country and on
to blues roots. Bex is a troubadour, telling her tales with humour and wit, a
musical inspiration which can change the mood of a cold audience to emotional
empathy and raucous interaction, in awe at her passionate playing and energy,
winning new fans at every gig.
Musically. Bex has been described as " An explosion of blue- hot acoustic roots
rock, poker twisted with a whipping of Bluegrass. Bex Marshall has character!
Her songs will show you that, an artist of jaw dropping talent, a guitarist with
a unique earthy melting pot of a voice.”
No doubt Bex will be featuring some songs from her latest album “Kitchen Table”
at the RMA Tavern gig. The album was reviewed on the record review website
www.fairhearing.co.uk who said: “There is a hint of the Waterson/Carthy about
her calm and knowing visage, but this material is far from Anglo folk – it’s
soiled and soaked in American bar and field influences. Playing insistently but
not scrubbing chords to death, there is an edgy attack to Marshall’s playing.
She’s a few decades late to open shows for Rory Gallagher, but more than a few
times there’s a touch of the Irish genius’s style about these songs and their
delivery.”
STATE OF UNDRESS, THE HUB, VERWOOD –
FRIDAY OCTOBER 3
 STATE
OF UNDRESS, THE HUB, VERWOOD – FRIDAY OCTOBER 3
State of Undress are a rocky rootsy 'fiddlesome' band from Dorset playing a
distinctive brand of original music. Their guitar-based songs interlaced with
violin plus drums and bass move from the thought-provoking and evocative to the
shamelessly foot-tapping. October is going to be a busy month for the band – in
addition to The Hub gig they are also playing dates in Cranleigh, Surrey,
Bridport, Dorset, and two gigs in Somerset. Details can be found on their
website www.stateofundress.com.
State of Undress have had a successful 2008. They started the year by supporting
Dave Cousins of The Strawbs at the Half Moon in Putney, and have played several
festivals including the Evolve Festival in Weymouth; the Luddenden Music
Festival near Halifax; and The Great Dorset Steam Fair in Dorset. And in between
tour dates, they will be working in the studio with Grant Showbiz, Billy Bragg's
long time producer, on a couple of tracks that will be released as singles early
next year.
In addition to all of that, they have just released their new live CD “Caught In
The Act! on Rosebud Records. It is available from all major record stores - HMV,
Borders and on-line retailers such as Amazon and Play.com.
State Of Undress consists of Charlie Rose, female vocalist, Alan Rose on guitars
and vocals, Samantha Jane on electric and acoustic violin, Malcolm Windett on
bass and Keith Fletcher on drums and percussion.
TILLY & THE WALL, THE BROOK,
SOUTHAMPTON – MONDAY OCTOBER 20
 TILLY
& THE WALL, THE BROOK, SOUTHAMPTON – MONDAY OCTOBER 20
Look out for a band from Omaha called Tilly and The Wall who are on tour in the
UK at the moment and play a gig at The Brook in Southampton later this month.
Tilly and The Wall formed in 2001 after the demise of several Omaha groups,
including Conor Oberst's Park Ave of which Neely Jenkins and Jamie Williams were
members. With leading vocals (and handclaps) from Kianna Alarid and guitarist
Derek Pressnall and keyboards from Nick White, the band gained notoriety for
substituting Williams' tap shoes for traditional drums.
Their first release, “Woo!”, was recorded in Conor Oberst's garage,
self-published, and distributed at shows around the Omaha area. The group
released a limited-pressing eponymous 7" on Rue Royale Records, followed by
their debut LP, Wild Like Children in 2004. It was flagship release on Oberst's
Team Love label and made with the help of Presto studios. “Wild Like Children”
garnered the band a substantial amount of critical acclaim and propelled them to
national tours with Bright Eyes, Rilo Kiley, and Of Montreal. In early 2005,
Tilly and the Wall became the first "band in residence" at Omaha's Bemis Center
for Contemporary Arts, using the Bemis Underground's Studio T to develop their
follow-up album to “Wild Like Children.”
In September of that year, they released “You and I Misbehaving” as a
limited-pressing 7" in the UK through indie label Trash Aesthetics. This release
picked up further critical acclaim as well as support from BBC radio broadcaster
Steve Lamacq. They have recently finished their first headlining tour to promote
their new album alongside David Dondero, Now It's Overhead, Wolf Colonel and
many other bands. The members have all been involved with other projects in the
Saddle Creek extended family, most notably Jaime and Neely as members of Park
Ave. with Clark Baechle from The Faint and Conor Oberst of Bright Eyes and Nick
White as one of the few constants on recent Bright Eyes records and tours.
The band is known for an exciting and collaborative live performance, creative
fashion choices, cute and lighthearted music videos, and a healthy dose of
optimism in every thing they do. They are particularly noted for having a tap
dancer in stead of a drummer! They line up as follows: Jamie Williams - tap
dancer, Derek Pressnall - vocals, guitar, Neely Jenkins - vocals, shakers,
bells, bass, Nick White - keyboards and Kianna Alarid - vocals, shakers,
tambourine, recorder, bass. Their latest album is called “Bottom Of Barrels.”
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SEASICK STEVE SOUTHAMPTON GUILDHALL
FRIDAY OCTOBER 3
DEADSTRING BROTHERS RAILWAY INN, WINCHESTER
SAT OCTOBER 25
CAMERA OBSCURA TALKING HEADS SOUTHAMPTON
SAT OCTOBER 18
BEX MARSHALL EASTNEY RMA TAVERN,
SOUTHSEA
SAT OCTOBER 25
STATE OF UNDRESS THE HUB
VERWOOD
FRIDAY OCTOBER 3
TILLY & THE WALL THE BROOK, SOUTHAMPTON
MON OCTOBER 20 |
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