Ponchos, Tom Petty, and Toasters - An Evening with Lone Twin at Norwich Arts Centre

Anyone who has visited Norwich Arts Centre since the beginning of this month will have seen the exhibition of photographs featuring internationally renowned performance artists 'Lone Twin' celebrating their 19 years together (why wait for a 20th anniversary? That would be far too conventional!).

The images of Gregg Whelan and Gary Winters tell the story of a unique partnership that has seen them building a boat out of donated timber as part of the 2012 Cultural Olympiad; giving their comic timing the ultimate challenge - reciting the same joke and punchline non-stop for 12 hours whilst unable to hear one another; and a one month bike ride followed up each evening with a show to relive that day's experience. In the interim, they have become involved with everything from street dance to theatre shows.

Their current tour is a re-working of  'True West', the classic Sam Shepherd play of conflict between two brothers, set in the kitchen of a house in 1970's California. Having been performed on Broadway and having featured such legends as John Malkovich, Philip Seymour Hoffman, and Randy and Dennis Quaid, Lone Twin have now re-worked the script into what they deferentially refer to as a 'cover version' of the original play.

After starting the tour in Bristol and Guildford, Lone Twin moved on to Norwich Arts Centre, and they performed 'True West' in Norwich last night. Instead of taking a travelling company of supporting actors, they recruit a small team from the staff at each venue. After a single rehearsal session, they take to the stage along with Gregg and Gary in that evening's performance. I was part of that team last night.

Just over a week ago I had been asked if I would be interested in becoming involved. Four out of the five available places had been taken by house staff, and an e-mail had then gone out to the Arts Centre volunteers to fill the final space. I realised that the role required some singing, but was assured that this would probably be drowned by a loud backing track, and was only required to be up to 'pub sing-a-long' standard. On this basis I agreed, and put down my name. I was given a five or six page synopsis of the play outlining the sections in which 'The Table' would be involved - mostly spoken lines delivered in unison, but also with a couple of choreographed sequences, and a short rendition of the Tom Petty song 'Runnin' Down a Dream'. We were given YouTube links to videos for these.

So, yesterday morning we met Gregg and Gary, and Sonia their technical director, for the first time for a three hour rehearsal session. I won't give too much away about the show, but we would be on stage for the whole duration of the performance. Most of it was fairly straightforward, although I was a bit concerned about the singing. Yes there was a backing track on Sonia's laptop that we would be singing to, but our voices would also be picked up by on-stage microphones. To make it even more nerve-wracking, I would be stood next to Lydia who, as well as being part of the Arts Centre team, is a singer in local bands, and has a very good voice.

Rehearsals seem to pass off without major trauma, and the critical part seemed to be making sure that we timed our delivery to come in together, and at the right moment. We agreed to meet back at the venue for six o'clock, with the performance scheduled for 8.00pm.

Upon returning in the evening we found that one of our number had been called away, so we were down to four instead of five. Unfortunately for me, it was one of the male voices that I had been relying on to 'hide behind' that would now be missing from the actual performance.

A final run-through of the re-jigged script left us with time for one quick drink in the bar before taking our places backstage with Sonia. By now we sported our azure-blue ponchos, complete with trademark 'Good Luck Everybody' cloth badges.

The next hour flies by in that surreal suspension of time and place that anyone familiar to live performance will recognise. Despite having to concentrate intensely on the script, I remained sufficiently relaxed to be able to enjoy the on-stage perspective of Gregg and Gary's performance. It also allowed an appreciation of just how well they had adapted Shepherd's script to suit their own interpretative and slightly monotone delivery. The laughs came only in the right places - it is, after all, a traditional narrative rather than a comedy.

At the end we take our bows, and I remember just how much I enjoyed those euphoric adrenaline rushes all those years ago in university drama productions. However, for me this time the singing was a lifetime first. As the audience may have been able to tell, I had never, ever previously sung in public, and I had not told anybody just how nervous I was! Yet, if I have taken anything from the last twelve months since giving up work as a pharmacist, it is how important it is to experience anything and everything that comes your way. So a massive and sincere 'Thank You' to Lone Twin, for helping to break my vocal seal!

The next performance of 'True West' will be when Lone Star roll up at Cambridge Junction on March 5th. It is an inspired production, and I am sure that the staff of The Junction will also step up to the mark, and hopefully have as much fun as we did. I would certainly recommend going along if you are around in Cambridge that evening.

Just watch out for the toasters!

Photographs taken from Lone Twin's Facebook page HERE

Lone Twin's website HERE

Young Guns (...Having Some Fun!) at The Waterfront - The Tilting Sky and Accelerator Showcase

Norwich promoter and good all-round musical egg Craig Hill had been careful to attach a rider to the publicity for this night of young local bands - yes, there is already a Buckinghamshire band that goes by the name of 'Young Guns', and no, they are not appearing as part of The Tilting Sky's showcase at The Waterfront tonight. Instead, 'Young Guns - Norwich 1' was featuring, in conjunction with 'Accelerator', Community Music East's development programme,  a taster night to highlight five young bands currently honing their skills in this Fine City.

 Five bands for a fiver? What did I have to lose?

Comic Book Ending

Good advance ticket sales meant that the upstairs Studio at The Waterfront was already full (plenty of friends and family at the back whilst the young crowd administer encouragement from the front), and rock four-piece 'Comic Book Ending' were already on stage. Frontman Jack Steel has already mastered the authentic low-slung guitar posturing to look the part, and the band is bristling with confidence. Watch their videos on YouTube here if you haven't seen them live.

'Perfect Mistakes' are a three piece, with vocals shared between drummer Ben and guitarist Marcus. Bass player Ollie does what all good bass bass players do best - watches everything and keeps the bassline going. Nice bit of harmonica playing from Ben, and Marcus does have a really interesting voice, with lots of potential. Although they were offering free EPs on the night, they do have tracks  on their Bandcamp page here if you failed to snaffle one.

Marcus of 'Perfect Mistakes'

'Lobster' are a band that are making a lot of noise at the moment - well, with a line up of eight plus a  loose collective of extra musicians on whom to call as well, what else would you expect. You may have seen them busking on Gentleman's Walk, and you may have spotted tenor sax man Dominic Trevor performing with local samba-funk-rock band 'Rabo de Foguette' when they played a sold out night recently at Norwich Arts Centre. 'Like' them on Facebook here and check out there video performances from The Birdcage last year.

Lobster

Bolstered by the vocals of Molly Holdom, Lobster's set includes their own compositions sandwiched between soulful jazz-funk interpretations of classics like Al Green's 'Let's Stay Together' and Stevie Wonder's 'Isn't She Lovely'. So much talent on one tiny stage, these guys are Norwich's very own 'Uptown Funk'. They even throw in a limbo competition as part of their set. No extra charge!

Amazon Blu

'Amazon Blu' played Norwich Arts Centre for the 'Montagues and Caplets' album launch last July, then rocked The Mash Tun in October as part of Norwich Sound and Vision. This time they are back to celebrate the launch of their own EP, available through Bandcamp here . Citing inspiration from Kate Bush and Lily Allen, but compared by others to Tracey Thorn's old band Marine Girls, 10,000 Maniacs, and The Secret Goldfish, this all-girl trio has already carved out a name for themselves all the way from here to London. Subtle melodies, assured delivery, and still only in their teens.

The Mondegreens

Headliners and final performance of the evening came from The Mondegreens, a four piece indie band featuring Oliver Jordan on vocals, Fred Garrett-Stanley on guitar, Gabriel Gifford on bass, and Jan Shelley on drums. They headlined a showcase evening at Epic Studios last July, and now they are back headlining the Waterfront. Find them on Facebook, or grab a track  here on Soundcloud.

All five acts are a tribute to the young musicianship in Norwich, yet it has to be said that The Mondegreens have a tightness in their playing that only comes with hard work and committment. They are deserved headliners tonight, but graciously invite Lobster back on stage for a final collaboration - a rumbustious version of Beats International's 'Dub Be Good To Me'. This is jam-hot!

The Mondegreens and Lobster - 'Dub Be Good to Me'

Rae Morris at Norwich Arts Centre - 'Unguarded' but not Unplugged

There was a definite buzz of anticipation as I checked in for my volunteer shift last night at Norwich Arts Centre. It was not just the fact that evening had sold out in advance - that often happens, especially if a popular band is hosting an album launch, or there is a charity fundraiser. No, this was the palpable air of expectation that is obvious when a star in the ascendancy arrives in town. It is also accompanied by a spate of  last-minute telephone calls from disappointed fans desperately hoping for  a returned ticket. Queues will start to form well before the doors are due to open, and the photographer and press passes have all been eagerly snapped up.

The cause of the excitement was 21 year old singer-songwriter from Blackpool, Rae Morris. Having spent several years touring, and having supported the likes of Bombay Bicycle Club, Lianne La Havas, Noah and The Whale, Tom Odell and George Ezra, Rae was finally back on the road to promote her own debut album, 'Unguarded', which was released at the end of January and reached the top ten in the album charts.

As soon as we opened the doors at 7pm the first ticket holders were already waiting to come in. We had our lists of advance ticket sales from SeeTickets, Ticketmaster and AXS, as well as our own box office and the UEA Students Union to search through, and it was interesting that this event had brought many first time visitors to the Arts Centre. This was the final night of a twelve night tour that started on February 1st in Liverpool and had taken in Glasgow down to Brighton, as well as London and Birmingham. Most nights, like this one, had sold out.

Support act for the night was Fryars, stage name of 24 year old Benjamin Garrett from London. His first album was released back in 2009, but he now has the follow-up, 'Power', to promote. Although I was not able to abandon my front of house post to see his set, I could hear that his set of self-written electonic pop songs justified a proper listen at some point. It also transpired that he had co-written one of Rae Morris' tracks on 'Unguarded', and would re-appear during her set to duet on 'Cold'.

By half past nine most, if not all, of the audience had arrived, we had managed to sort out returned tickets for a couple of lucky punters, and pass on the cash to the appropriate returnees, so I was allowed to cash up (not difficult on a sold-out gig, as we had only sold a handful of advance tickets for upcoming gigs - the rest of my duties had been checking tickets and stamping hands) and take my place in the auditorium just after Rae Morris had taken the stage.

Although it was fairly packed out, I managed to weasel my way to a spot at the front of the stage next to the right hand speakers, so ended up with a pretty good view. Supported by guitar, second keyboards and drums, Rae performed most of the set from her electric piano, although she had played a grand piano at the Electric Brixton gig (the Arts Centre does have one - she only had to ask!). When she comes from behind the keyboards to perform a couple of the more up-tempo numbers like 'Closer' and 'Morne Fortune' a few of the audience at the front respond with muted dancing of their own, otherwise it is the usual well-behaved and appreciative mix in the hall, although there is one small group who still want to chat throughout most of the set.

Rae Morris and Fryars duet on 'Cold'

Fryars, as predicted, returned to duet on 'Cold', and after returning to the stage after 'Love Again', Rae gives us 'Not Knowing' and the excellent 'Under the Shadows' for an encore. She certainly did not disappoint, her lovely long curly hair and jungly jumpsuit cutting a petite but stylish presence on stage, taking the trouble to thank us all for supporting the record, and expressing her pleasure at ending the tour in such a beautiful venue (although everyone, quite correctly, says that!). Her voice is a mixture of Ellie Goulding, Florence Welch and Lorde, and whilst the whole set has been pretty much all electronic, it would have been nice to hear her play the grand piano, or try something a little more acoustic. But that is really just me being picky.

I did not buy the album from the merch stand, choosing instead to pick it up at the excellent price of £5.99 on Amazon Prime, including a free AutoRip MP3 download, once it became clear that there was no 'meet and greet' chance to obtain a signed copy.

All in all, a good night, and hopefully the Arts Centre will have gained more than a few repeat visitors on the strength of their experience this evening. After all, it is Britain's Best Small Venue!

Slow Club at Norwich Arts Centre - Mutual Love and a 'Complete Surrender'

The Obelisk Stage. Latitude. 2014. Friday lunchtime. First act on. Not necessarily the preferred slot for any band, but at least there should be some bodies through the turnstiles, past the bag-searches and making their way into the arena. Last summer, having made my way unusually straight towards the Obelisk Stage, basking in the Suffolk sunshine, there was a cracking band that opened the Friday proceedings with a presence and confidence that immediately won me over, and played to a sizeable and appreciative crowd. That band was Slow Club.

 Hailing from Sheffield, long-term friends and musical partners Rebecca Taylor and Charles Watson were just about to release their third album, 'Complete Surrender'. Fleshed out with Avvon Chambers on drums, and with Fyfe Dangerfield guesting on bass, Slow Club gave most of us a first taste of how the new songs on the album would sound, and we were not disappointed.

Now, six months later, they are touring, again as a four piece but without Dangerfield on bass, and concentrating on a batch of smaller more intimate venues before a homecoming at the end of the month in Sheffield. This, the second date of the tour, brings them to Norwich Arts Centre.

Taylor has already been tweeting her new-found love for Norwich, and one of her first comments to tonight's audience is her desire to come and live in our Fine City, followed by a tongue-in-cheek offer of £20 a week to rent a room in someone's house. If that doesn't win over the undecided in the hall, then nothing will.

It is soon obvious that the purpose of tonight is to showcase the songs from the new album, songs that again take the band in a new direction after the folky pop of 'Yeah So' and the experimentation of 'Paradise'. Three years later and the result is 'Complete Surrender', a simpler, more focused set of songs that ably demonstrate their individual talents but also their strength as a vocal harmony band.

We only get one number from 'Yeah So', and apart from 'Two Cousins' (as one half of the encore) they only play two songs from 'Paradise'. In contrast, all but one of the tracks from 'Complete Surrender' are performed, starting with the melodic lyricism of 'Tears of Joy', and ending with a bonus acoustic rendition of 'The Pieces', performed guerilla-style from the main exit doors of the auditorium. A lovely touch.

The evening is a triumph, not only for the band, but for us, the audience. We have been flattered and thanked, we have had our city and our venue praised, and we have been entertained, not just played to. There has been a connection and enthusiasm between us that is sometimes missing from bands that have been around long enough to become weary and cynical of touring. Even when Rebecca completely loses her place in the sensitive and personal solo rendition of 'Dependable People and The Things That I Am', the incident is laughed off like a fluffed Karaoke, before recovering and completing to rapturous applause.

A quick mention, too, for the support band 'Happyness'. a three piece from South London that go down well with the Arts Centre crowd tonight with their set of breezy indie-pop numbers. There is a risk that they might have lapsed from our consciousness by the end of the evening through no fault of their own. I certainly made a point of visiting their social media pages once I got home. An interesting name for a band, and I would love to see them supporting Peace. Peace and Happyness - perhaps the ultimate double bill?

Two Years On - Leddra Chapman Back at Norwich Arts Centre

It is almost two years to the day since I last saw Leddra Chapman at Norwich Arts Centre. She had just finished her second EP, 'The Crowds and the Cocktails', and although it was not yet officially available to download, we were able to buy physical copies that night. The debut album, 'Telling Tales' had been released three years earlier, and had received airplay by Terry Wogan on BBC Radio 2, especially the two singles, 'Story' and 'Summer Song'. The Independent had described her soprano voice as 'pitch-perfect acoustic pop', and she had been taken on as an ambassador for both Quicksilver and The Body Shop.

Fast forward to 2015, and Leddra is back in Norwich, older and wiser, but we are still waiting for the release of the follow-up album. She is supported, and accompanied on stage, by Lee Broderick, who coincidentally also played support last time around.

Broderick has grown as a performer since I last saw him, and his songs of missed love and angst sound more Nashville than Liverpool. He also has an album out soon.

Lee Broderick

Interestingly, there are a high proportion of Leddra fans ('Leddies') in the audience that seem to know all the old songs, and are politely receptive to the new ones. National fame and fortune may still be tantalisingly close, just around the corner perhaps, but keeping a loyal fanbase is a solid foundation on which to build.

The new songs convey an element of confession, anger, bitterness, and even cynicism. Leddra still flashes the trademark smile, giggling and chatting between numbers then goading us into choreographed sing-a-longs, but for a singer who built her name on an upbeat and positive message there is a melancholy that seems to catch the audience out. It as if we have pigeon-holed Leddra into the 'happy box', and seem reluctant to want to buy in to her pain and soul-baring. 

No doubt we will see more of Leddra Chapman in the next twelve months. She intends to spend the year touring, and has her eye on the festival circuit. It will be interesting to see how the new album is received by a fresh audience, whilst the 'Leddies' may still be hanging on to 'Summer Song' and 'All About You'.

Fifty Shades of Grey and Pink - Caravan at Norwich Arts Centre

The trouble with getting old is that it happens to rock stars too. Their compositions may have been immortalised and manipulated via remastering and digitalisation, vinyl re-issues may even recreate the sounds as authentically, if not better, than the original release, but will the passage of time still see justice being done when the band are still performing live many decades later? Who are these grand old men on the stage performing those iconic sounds of my youth? The music is familiar, yet the faces, whilst looking authentic, seem much more 'lived in' than I remember from last time around.

The reunion produces a stark reminder of the passage of time, like being re-introduced to those distant uncles and half-cousins that you only meet intermittently at weddings and funerals. But in the case of classic bands on tour, one or more of those 'uncles' have themselves moved on, replaced by credible, but nonetheless substitute 'family'. They may still look familiar, with that tell tale visage of a career spent in bars, studios and auditoria, but any hint of  recognition is by then just a coincidental resemblance to that aging uncle or battered album sleeve.

But does it really matter? If the music is authentically re-created or re-interpreted before an appreciative live audience does it make an iota of difference if the stage is fronted by all, some, or none of the original band members? Hence the popularity of tribute bands. Whilst there is still no 'Trip Advisor' style star-rating system for tribute bands (and I have seen some pretty scary versions over the years) there are a credible number that have taken 'resurrection' to a higher art form, usually where there is still a) a huge public demand to see a legendary act perform, and b) no realistic chance of  the original band members reforming to tour under their original name.

Caravan were never my favourite band ever, or even of the Seventies, but I will always hold them in a special affection. I discovered their music almost by accident, introduced it to two of my friends who in turn, were awakened by the Caterbury Rock and made the pivotal decision to go off to study at the University of Kent after A-Levels. That is some responsibility that I to have to bear.

Like I say, I wasn't a huge fan. Apart from the one album, I never bought any more of their releases. I found the schoolboy humour in titles like 'Cunning Stunts', 'Girls Who Grow Plump in the Night' and 'If I Could Do it All Over Again, I'd Do It All Over You' slightly incredulous, and as an aspiring  serious prog-rocker I was duty-bound to be awe-inspired by a bare-chested Keith Emerson drilling knives into a Moog synthesiser live on stage, or Peter Gabriel wearing silly hats and singing about lawn-mowers. But 'The Land of Grey and Pink', released in 1971, was, and still is, one of my favourite albums of all time, and one which has never left my collection since.

I bought my first copy in a secondhand record store in Lowestoft whilst still at sixth-form. It became a defining album of my teens, something that I was proud to put on in the sixth-form common room, knowing that someone cool would always come up and ask me what it was. When I tragically sold off  my vinyl collection in the mid-eighties, having been hyped by the Tomorrows World team into buying a compact disc player, I was relieved to find that Decca had given it an early transfer to digital. I rushed to buy what I hoped would be a sharper, clearer, cleaner version. Like a lot of old analogue recordings this one, too, illustrates why audiophiles have remained so loyal to vinyl. Whilst it was gratifying to lose the multitude of crackles and pops from years of careless handling, and the incessant background rumble from not having changed my stylus regularly enough, my digitally transferred replacement copy did not hit me in the nuts with anything like the same power and force that the worn and scratched vinyl copy was capable of.

Caravan took to the Norwich Arts Centre stage last night to a 'mature' audience, in which I include myself, forty two years after I last saw them play at the University of East Anglia. That night was supposed to also feature prog-folk group Renaissance, and I was gutted when we arrived at the Lower Common Room to be told that, unfortunately, the road crews could not fit both bands' equipment onto the stage. Renaissance would, therefore, not play, but Caravan would step up and perform a double set.

Norwich Arts Centre stage is probably about one tenth of the size of the UEA stage. Thanks to forty years of advances in microprocessors and the advent of solid-state hard-drives, what would have half- filled an articulated lorry in 1973 will now fit into a keyboard that one person can carry. Accordingly there is no problem with the support act not being able to play tonight.

Matt Woosey is one of those musicians that has built up a reputation and following by hard work and gigging. Since 2008 he has released seven albums of his own songs, has toured the UK and Europe (including in 2009 a tour of 100 gigs in 100 days), has played at Ronnie Scotts in London and has received praise from the BBC's Paul Jones and Tom Robinson. Whilst having fingers in both the acoustic and folk pies, he is primarily a bluesman. For some unknown reason blues artists find it more difficult than most to break out of their genre and become mainstream. Perhaps blues fans are too possessive and unwilling to share their shining stars with the rest of us? Or is it that devotees of the blues consider themselves a higher lifeform, and their musical taste is not for sharing or consumption by the hoi-polloi or commercially successful?

Matt Woosey

Either way, it seems strange that an artist that was apparently voted 'Solo Artist of the Year 2014' by 'Blues Matters' magazine, and 'Acoustic Artist of the Year 2014' by 'Blues & Soul' magazine, is booked to play support to a 70's psychedelic prog-rock combo, and then the following lunchtime playing a Norwich pub. It's a strange world, but if you want to widen your appeal, introducing yourself and your cajon player as 'bringing the average age of the room down a bit' seems a risky tactic, one which is repeated later in his set when he quips, "I bet you lot are now taking a lot of different drugs from when you first saw Caravan".

You can probably tell that I was not particularly won over by Mr Woosey, but I have seen and heard a lot, lot worse. His voice was clear, but not particularly distinctive. The guitar playing was heavily blues driven yet reluctant to surrender to the folky vibe more appropriate to an acoustic performance in that time and place. Dave Small on his drumbox seemed more willing to accommodate us, with the result that I now want a Cajon drumbox to add to the collection of musical instruments that I cannot and do not play.

The sight of the members of Caravan shuffling onto the stage reminded me that it is no longer just the stars of the 1960's that are performing whilst drawing their pensions, but now also the prog-rockers of the 1970's, and even some of the punk-rockers that followed them. An introductory anecdote about Pye Hastings and Co's previous night's appearance at  'The Great British Rock & Blues Festival' at Butlin's in Skegness, involved electronic keycards and getting locked out of their chalet. It had an unmistakable whiff of 'Last of the Summer Wine' in its delivery. We knew then that there would be no tales to regale us with tonight of smashed television sets or Grimsby Groupies.

Pye Hastings

The lineup of Caravan has changed many times since Pye Hastings, cousins Dave and Richard Sinclair and drummer Richard Coughlan conceived the band back in 1968. Hastings has been a constant presence ever since, as was Coughlin until his death in 2013. The Sinclairs individually dipped in and out over the years, although Richard has not appeared with them since 1992, and Dave not since 2002. In their place now are Jim Leverton who has played bass since 1995, and keyboardist Jan Schelhaas, a member since 2002. The new boy on drums is Mark Walker, but the fifth member, a long-term addition back in 1972 on guitars, violin, flute, spoons and mandolin, is Geoffrey Richardson. So that means two out of the four that I saw back in 1973 are back here tonight.

My pleasure from their set came from hearing again the three tracks from the iconic 'In the Land of Grey and Pink' album. Even without Richard Sinclair there to sing his own composition the memories came flooding back with 'Golf Girl'. A faithful rendition of the title track reinforces just how much music technology has progressed, not just electronically, but in being able to recreate sounds clawed out of those giant analogue synthesizers all those years ago. A shame that we couldn't manage the same in replicating Sinclairs's gargling vocal refrain. Instead we are goaded into contributing crass finger-to-lip noises, a bit like a cheeky grandparent encouraging the baby to blow raspberries. Regressive, not progressive. Luckily we get a glorious version of 'Nine Feet Underground' later in the evening, and the previous tomfoolery is instantly forgiven.

Apart from one track from 'For Girls Who Grow Plump in the Night' the rest of the set is made up with songs from the latest album 'Paradise Filter', from 2013. Which is absolutely right and normal for any touring band to do. The trouble is, I didn't particularly rate any of the new songs as being much better than mediocre, which is a view that loyal fans of the band will probably want to take issue with. I, after all, only ever bought the one album, although the last one I listened to properly, 1976's 'Blind Dog at St.Dunstans', still had plenty of new ideas to contribute. 'Paradise Filter' seems to add further evidence to Galenson's theory that artists are either experimenters or conceptualists. Experimenters build their skills over the course of their careers, whilst conceptualists will lose creativity once they have adequately expressed their ideas. I felt that, whilst the songs of 'Paradise Filter' were pleasant enough and inoffensive, nobody appears to have anything to say. Certainly not enough to make it worth saving one of them for an encore.

A bit harsh, perhaps, but to listen to the classic old tracks, where else am I going to find a Caravan tribute band? And don't say Haven Holidays. Or Butlins.

Old Souls Return to Norfolk - James Veck-Gilodi at Norwich Arts Centre

The first solo tour is always a landmark for any frontman. Fielding the inevitable questions about splitting up. The expectations of the loyal fans. And ripping away the safety net that the band had usually been there to provide.

But, when is a solo tour not a solo tour? When you tour with another band member (obviously). And that is exactly what James Veck-Gilodi (frontman of West Norfolk rockers Deaf Havana) is doing, playing a series of dates, as a side project, to showcase new songs alongside keyboard player and guitarist Max Britton. Seven dates in, having started in Birmingham and arriving from Manchester after a sold-out night in Glasgow, Norwich Arts Centre is as close to a homecoming as these two boys are going to get, before setting off again for London, Bristol and Southampton. And it is an expectant full house that awaits them here tonight.

First up, though, is 18 year old YouTube sensation, and singer songwriter Harry Seaton from Kings Lynn, taking the stage to a hall that continues to fill as he starts his set - gentle honest songs of adolescent life and angst. 'A Song About My Life' is one of the most heartfelt of these, with just a tiny bit of anger and frustration in the delivery, bringing back memories for old 'uns like me of exactly what those teenage years were like. For a cover, we are treated to a lovely version of Paramore's 'The Only Exception'. Lots more cover videos online, but it's the original compositions that show his real promise.

Harry Seaton

Kate McGill is another singer songwriter using the internet to reach literally millions. Her cover of Adele's 'Someone Like You' has so far received over four million hits on YouTube, and writes her own songs as well. Now she has teamed up with Daniel Broadley and is performing as 'Meadowlark'. They were signed to the awesome Believe Recordings (James Vincent McMorrow, Breton, Public Service Broadcasting), and released their debut EP, 'Three Six Five', in May last year. Having toured with Coasts in the Autumn, they are now treading the boards as support to Veck-Gilodi. With a contemporary confidence, and even shades of The XX at times, Broadley has added another layer and dimension to Kate's voice and songs. If you haven't seen them together live then you are in for a treat. Norwich was treated to songs from the EP, as well as the next single 'Eyes Wide', due for release next month. Watch these fly.

Meadowlark

Which brings us to Norfolk-boy-made-good Mr Veck-Gilodi himself. Lots of enthusiastic home support here tonight, obviously, and the evening is a triumphant departure, showcasing the new songs like 'Holes', 'Coffee' and 'Sleep', and introducing each one with garrulous confessional candour. James certainly wears his heart on his tattooed sleeve. Whilst we must all envy the life of a rock star at times, these are the flip-side accounts of loneliness, emptiness and self-doubt that accompany many a creative journey. Max Britton is an integral part of the show, and foregoes joint-billing with good-humoured banter. He does, after all, take songwriting credits on some of the songs. Deaf Havana fans are not denied their loyalty, and an acoustic version of 'Kings Road Ghosts' is a reminder of just how much the band had matured by the time 'Old Souls' was released in 2013. But it is the new songs that won over new fans like myself.

James Veck-Gilodi

The final song of the set, 'Seattle', summed up perfectly the promise and challenge of  replicating success Stateside whilst touring and supporting a big name. 'Seattle' paints a very different picture from getting your kicks on Route 66. Which only goes to show. However much you hate the town you grew up in, there's really never any place quite like home.