I've seen those Castle Walls before. C Duncan visits Norwich 'again'.

Go Norwich! For a small provincial city we sometimes punch above our weight when it comes to live music. Thanks to some great independent venues (the dreaded O2 venue stranglehold has not yet reached out to Norfolk. In fact, it's all we can do to get a mobile phone signal at all in much of the county), I can proudly say that in the last year I have been able to see 6 out of 12 of last year's Mercury Music Prize nominees play in Norwich.

To be fair, Florence and the Machine and Slaves were at Radio 1's Big Weekend, which doesn't come to Norwich every year, but Slaves did play at our beloved Owl Sanctuary not so long before. Wolf Alice re-visited the UEA, Gaz Coombes graced Open, and the lovely Eska and SOAK gigged at Norwich Arts Centre. And now, to make it seven, Glaswegian bedroom maestro C Duncan brings a live band to NAC in a show originally scheduled for February of this year.

It is a Sunday night, and we are not always good at getting to venues in time to see support acts, but Essex singer-songwriter Kevin Pearce has played here before (he supported Scott  Matthews a couple of years ago), so knows what to expect. He peers into the dark void and thanks us for coming to "tonight's intimate performance". He introduces each number, and laces each one with a dry comment that might have come straight off the page of an Alas Smith and Jones routine. Come to think of it, if you morphed younger versions of Mel Smith and Gryff Rhys Jones into one, the result would look not unlike Kevin Pearce. I actually like his voice (which can alternately sound like Cat Stevens, James Skelly (The Coral), and Wild Beasts' Ben Little), and his material, especially the up-tempo Lucifer the Landlord, and the new single Maria Come Home, really justifies further listens. A cover of Amy Winehouse's Back to Black, is jaw-droppingly beautiful. I check the shrapnel in my pocket, though, and decide that another pint takes precedence over buying an album off the tattooed lady on the merch table.

Kevin Pearce

Even though I have heard the album Architect a gazillion times since its launch last summer, I still wasn't quite sure what to expect from a live show. Bedroom opuses from multi-instrumentalists and computer whizzes can occasionally transfer on stage into exercises in controlling tape loops and samples. Either that or, in spite of assembling a talented band, the live sound disappoints when compared with the familiarity of the recorded product. It's almost a no-win situation.

Also, I am slightly caught off guard when the band come on stage, and I initially mistake the shorter and slimmer figure of keyboard player Finn McCardel (who does not look unlike earlier press photos of 'Mr C') as being the main man. In fact, it is the sleeveless jumper-clad guitarist in the middle who welcomes us and launches into Say, the familiar opening track from the album. Not that I am the only one who is confused tonight. Mr C (no, fuck it, let's call him Christopher), Christopher is convinced that he has played Norwich before, supporting Lucy Rose last year. It takes a brave, and confident, Finn to put him right.

I am glad to say that the auditorium has, by now, filled out, and we are treated to an audacious live run through of nine out of the twelve tracks from Architect, each one transcribed beautifully into a score for keyboards, guitar, bass and drums. The vocal harmonies are gorgeous, re-awakening all those review comparisons with Fleet Foxes, and the little string of lights along the front of the stage does almost create a rustic woodland ambiance (if you ignore the giant album cover projected to the rear). Yes, the purists will spot differences between the live show and the recorded versions, but it would be a harsh critic who tried to claim that they were less complete for having a couple of layers peeled away or re-imagined. There is one slight hiccough when a laptop does not synch properly, but it was far less painful than the two jokes proffered by way of a diversion. Otherwise, the entire set is seamless, even if the arrangement of I'll Be Gone By Winter sounded awfully Christmassy for mid-April.

A cover of the Cocteau Twins' Pearly Dewdrops-Drops is sandwiched in by way of a personal tribute, and two new tracks, Do I Hear? and I Lost are also found room for. Old B-side Castle Walls is offered by way of a closing encore. Something by way of a landmark for C Duncan and Co to look out for as a reminder on their next visit to Norwich?

http://www.kevinpearcemusic.com/
https://www.facebook.com/kevinpearcemelodies/?fref=ts

http://c-duncan.co.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/mrchrisduncan/

(This review also appears on Outline Magazine's website at: http://www.outlineonline.co.uk/music/live-reviews/c-duncan-norwich-arts-centre )

The Railsplitters of Colorado play Norwich Arts Centre - Bluegrass grows in the Norwich Lanes

Abraham Lincoln's nickname was 'The Railsplitter', a moniker coined during his campaign to become 16th President of the United States of America in 1860. The aim was to capitalise on Lincoln's humble beginnings, which he spent living and working on his parents' farm in Kentucky. Young Abraham would also be hired out to help neighbouring farmers with physical tasks like log-splitting and fence-building. Railsplitting is the process of splitting large logs down into smaller 'rails' suitable for use as fencing posts.

Eastern Kentucky lies within the Appalachian mountain range, forming part of the Appalachian cultural region, generally considered the home of bluegrass music. The Railsplitters are a bluegrass band based in Boulder, Colorado (not part of Appalachia), although only fiddler Christine King is Colorado born and bred. Ironically, she is the newest member. The rest of the band had descended on the Rocky Mountain state from as far afield as Mississippi in the South and New York in the East, before forming as a four-piece back in 2012. Two albums later, and The Railsplitters are on an April tour of the UK, culminating at the Shetland Folk Festival at the end of the month. Tuesday brings them to Norwich Arts Centre for the first time, and they are to perform a double set to a buzzing seated audience.

 

True bluegrass music, whilst originating in the Appalachian region, probably grew out of a mixture of Irish, Scottish, English and Welsh folk music brought across by migrant settlers.It later absorbed native American and, eventually, even jazz elements. Traditional bluegrass acts will keep to the original lineup of acoustic instruments - fiddle, five-string banjo, guitar, mandolin and upright bass (The Railsplitters' lineup) to which two, three or four part vocal harmonies are added. During performances individual instruments will often perform improvised solo 'breakdowns' whilst the remainder of the band provides accompaniment.

So those are the rules. The first thing we learn about The Railsplitters, though, is that they are not afraid to push boundaries, or even break the rules. Sometimes, as we are told during the introduction to Planted On The Ground, they manage to upset the purists, attracting the wrath of what lead vocalist Lauren Stovell refers to as the 'bluegrass police'. However, we are safe within the sanctuary of the ancient church setting of Norwich Arts Centre tonight, so they can break whatever rules they like. It will be fine by us.

In fact, they start with an old Ray Price song, Sweet Little Miss Blue Eyes, which owes almost as much to honky-tonk as it does bluegrass. They also throw in a few more covers, including Bill Henson's Lonesome Feeling and a guilty pleasure in the form of Buddy Holly's Oh Boy! (during which they don novelty specs purchased earlier in the day from the fancy dress shop in St Benedicts Street).

But it is their own material that impresses tonight. All four original members share songwriting duties, either individually or collaboratively, and it is the input of Leslie Ziegler (bass), Pete Sharpe (mandolin), guitarist Lauren and the wonderfully-named banjo-player Dusty Rider (who is also responsible for many of the instrumental arrangements and vocal harmony layouts) that puts the contemporary into The Railsplitters' bluegrass, and even sees them spinning off into completely new territories.

The remainder of the setlist is culled from their two album releases - highlights including Boarding Pass and My World from the eponymous debut, and Tilt-a-Whirl and The Estuary from the new album The Faster It Goes. Lovely crisp vocals from Lauren (combining elements of Emmylou, Alson Krauss and even a bit of Dolly Parton), beautiful harmonies throughout, and wonderful musicianship. Even a non-bluegrass purist (I'm more of an indie-folk man, myself) is going to enjoy the sounds these guys make.

Introductions, and between-song banter, are shared out evenly, allowing us to learn that 'Tilt-a-Whirl' is what we would call the 'Waltzer' at a funfair (hence the image of a swing ride on the latest album); British 'candy bars' taste so much better than their American counterparts that merch sales proceeds are likely to be converted into confectionery before flying back to the States; and that there is no need for the word 'Estuary' in Colorado.

Judging by how the CD's are flying off the table tonight at Norwich Arts Centre, there will be plenty of room for a secret stash of chocolate bars to be smuggled back to Boulder at the end of the month.

http://www.therailsplitters.com/

https://www.facebook.com/therailsplittersbluegrass/

Who Rounds Up The Sheepdogs After a Night Out in Norwich?

Proving that there is still a lot of love out there for good old guitar-based rock and roll as peddled in the 1970's by bands like The Eagles and The Allman Brothers and Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Canadian band The Sheepdogs have rounded up a roomful of music fans at Norwich Arts Centre tonight, all prepared to share in that love.

Formed in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan ten years ago, The Sheepdogs are currently touring to promote their fifth album, Future Nostalgia. After completing the UK dates they head off to Europe before returning for US dates starting on April 28th in New Jersey.

Tonight's gig at Norwich Arts Centre kicks off with some pretty hard rock in the shape of shape of Happy Coloured Marbles, fresh from their appearance at this year's Next Big Thing semi-finals. Essentially a three-piece from Norwich, HCM are not afraid to blow the bloody doors off when it comes to playing live. They brought a large crowd with them when they played at Open. Whether the softer rockers here tonight quite knew what had hit them remains to be seen, but I now love them. Edgier than The Bohicas, and tracks like Let Me In really set them up for bigger things in 2016.

Happy Coloured Marbles

Anyway, back to The Sheepdogs. I struggle to think of any other band named after a canine breed (the best I could manage was Fabulous Poodles from the pre-punk days of 1975), but when the shaggy-haired quintet take the stage it is immediately obvious what inspired the name. Any thoughts of this simply being an homage to the glory days of Hotel California are rapidly dispelled as the band kick off with Where Can I Roam from the latest album. This is original, expertly-played boogie rock, that comes complete with keyboard and guitar solos, summoning up the ghosts of decades past but ploughing a path that uncovers new stones to be turned along the way. There's even a trombone thrown in for good measure.

 

The Sheepdogs live at Norwich Arts Centre

Any band that plays for nigh on eighty minutes without showing any hint of pastiche or insincerity surely demonstrates a genuine love for what they play. And that is what makes The Sheepdogs such a rare treat in these days of tribute bands dealing in sets comprising covers culled from the back catalogues of the 20th century boys. This is the real McCoy, not in any way a 'slow train running'. Future Nostalgia is an apt predictive title for what they do.

Happy Coloured Marbles - https://www.facebook.com/happycolouredmarbles/

https://happycolouredmarbles.bandcamp.com/

The Sheepdogs - https://www.facebook.com/thesheepdogs

http://www.thesheepdogs.com/

DIY with Tigerclub in Norwich - a Grand Slam of a Night

I have to be honest. I'm here at Norwich Arts Centre tonight because of a free magazine. No, not Outline, that finest of gratis publications that confidently tells us where to go every night of every month here in Norfolk's fine and only city.

No, I speak of DIY, that essential monthly read for music fans nationally, or those that are too tight to part with hard earned cash for Q or Mojo, but do not want to rely on the opinions of the now 'free' NME with all its Topshop and HMV sycophancy. I know that DIY also has bills to pay, and they also embrace 'the hand that feeds' with their advertising revenue but, somehow, DIY seems to do it with more grace and style.

And, after treating us last year with a memorable Doc Martens gig at the old Owl Sanctuary last year in the company of Palma Violets, they are back in town again with a date on their 'Mapped Out' tour for up-and-coming bands featuring a double bill of Tigercub and Bellevue Days.

Unfortunately, not only is it a Saturday night, but the climax of the Six Nations rugby has meant that the France v England game is live on television. So it is a fairly small crowd that starts the evening as local band Marigolds take stage to kick things off. A young four piece who, unusually, position non-singing bass player Tom at centre stage, whilst vocalist Joe is confined to the shadows with his baseball cap deflecting the spotlight off his face. Their take on a familiar indie-surf sound is pleasant enough, and the playing seems competent. Perhaps the best number is the as yet untitled number which we are warned "could go horribly wrong". In fact, it turns out to be the highlight of their set, with fierce bass playing feeding the rhythm and lead guitars with dynamic effect.

Marigolds

Bellevue Days are from Croydon, which they helpfully inform us is in London. Obviously they have got us down as a parochial crowd. Now, without wanting to get into a spat over this, I'm not sure what typifies the 'Croydon sound', but their Sonic Highways inspired offering seems about as typically 'London' as Anglia Square. It's not that it's unpleasant, and the playing is punchy and tight, but it just doesn't awaken the Kraken or cut the Colmans for me. The new single Pepper Tea is probably the spiciest track on offer, but they still would benefit from a little more seasoning, and some more original recipes.

Bellevue Days

Tigerclub, by contrast, come out firing on all four cylinders, which for a threesome is somewhat impressive. Hailing from Brighton, and not afraid to growl as well as purr, this is more like what I had been hoping for. If you are going to carry a torch for grunge then do it unashamedly and rub some south coast salt into the wounds as you go. Tracks like Blue Blood show how to take a simple idea and make it your own - surely the gateway to success for any up and coming band.

 

Bathed in alternating lights of red and blue, punctuated with pinpoint shafts of white, the analogy of Brighton's sixties musical heritage is not lost on us tonight, but this is the same city that recently spawned both Years and Years and Royal Blood. And perhaps that is where Tigercub steal the advantage over Bellevue Days. To be a part of an incredibly varied musical scene opens the mind to all sorts of ideas and creativity. Perhaps Croydon is just that bit too close to London to carve out its own identity and express it musically?

https://marigoldsuk.bandcamp.com/album/marigolds

https://www.facebook.com/BellevueDays/
https://soundcloud.com/bellevue-days

https://www.facebook.com/tigercubtigercub
http://tigercubtigercub.co.uk/

Mick Flannery - A True Irish Gentleman at Norwich Arts Centre

We are indeed privileged tonight in Norwich. Mr Mick Flannery, singer-songwriter and former stonemason from Blarney (no, you couldn't make it up could you?) in County Cork, is playing a short UK tour of six 'intimate' venues. Last night was actually St Patrick's Day, so Mick was in London playing the Royal Albert Hall (well, the Elgar Room within The Royal Albert Hall but why spoil a good story?). Tonight we are at Norwich Arts Centre, the fans are mingling with the friends and family, and the Guinness is flowing. One couple have come up especially from Colchester, and are dismayed to find that their last train home leaves at 10.00pm. Flannery is not due on stage until 9.45. But more of that later.

Two singer-songwriters are supporting tonight. The first, Tilly Dalglish, is from Bury St Edmunds, and whilst she is still only 17 years old she has already spent one summer playing the festival circuit, including Folk East, as well as appearing in Norwich at The Bicycle Shop. Her voice is soft and gentle, and she picks delicately at her mandolin whilst she sings. Quite beautiful.

Pip Mountjoy from Yorkshire may be a couple of years older, but has not wasted any time in carving out a name for herself. After being supported by BBC Introducing she played Glastonbury in 2013. Her voice is stronger, and her guitar playing places her firmly into the 'folk' arena, yet she also has contemporary influences fighting just beneath the surface. Check out the standout track from her set The Killing Kind to see what I mean. 

Mick Flannery gets a warm welcome as he takes the stage to commence his set. The couple from Colchester are still here. After hearing of their predicament, hotel arrangements for Mick's family have been hastily re-arranged to free up a room, so no-one has to go home early, and everyone gets to see the full show. What a gentleman.

A couple of songs in and we can see why Mick Flannery's last two albums have gone straight to number one in his native Ireland. His gentle manner and amiable introductions are backed up with an incredibly rich and soulful voice. A lot of the songs are based on heartbreak and love, but there are also moments of lighter relief (literally in the case of The Small Fire). 

There are covers of songs by both Bruce Sprinsteen and Tom Waits, which give away some of his songwriting influences, but it is his own compositions that really tug at the heart. For those present tonight, myself included, who came out of curiosity rather than familiarity, we left Norwich Arts Centre feeling warm and enriched. And full of Guinness. 

https://www.facebook.com/Tillysmusic/

http://tillydalglish.bandcamp.com/releases

https://www.facebook.com/PipMountjoyMusic

http://pipmountjoy.bandcamp.com/

http://www.mickflannery.com/

https://www.facebook.com/mick.flannery.musician

Nice One Natty! - A Little Touch of Notting Hill Comes to Norwich

There's an odd thing about the Norfolk music scene, and I need someone to at some point explain it to me. In spite of having one of the least multi-cultural demographs in the entire country, and a reputation for being a bunch of tractor-driving inbreds, ska and reggae music is hugely popular in the county. Whether it be our own home-grown bands like Killamonjambo and Dumbfoundus, or visiting acts like The Wailers, UB40 and, more recently, Nubiyan Twist, if there's one gig likely to sell out in Norwich it will be the reggae or roots bill.

Somebody once told me that it all goes back to the days of the Foundation Sound in West Runton in the late 70's, later transferring to Norwich via Anglia Square, but I know that Great Yarmouth also had a vibrant ska scene and welcomed UK acts like Madness and Bad Manners to the seafront in the 80's and 90's. As a teenager growing up in neighbouring Lowestoft in the early 70s  I remember several of my Levi Sta-Pres, Brutus and Doc Martin wearing friends encouraging me to listen to anything and everything released on the legendary Trojan label.

Either way, Californian born but North London bred musician Natty (or Alexander Akiloe Philip Modiano to give him his real name) is going to be well happy that tonight's visit to Norwich Arts Centre has sold out, especially immediately before visits to the more ethnically diverse Bristol, Nottingham and London. That's right boy. Narr-wich is ready to skank.

But first up, starting her support slot to a mere handful of the audience present, but fresh from her well-deserved third place in this year's Next Big Thing competition, is Norwich's own Maya Law. From the roller-coaster ride of the finals at Open to the coalface of playing the gigging circuit, this is unfortunately the reality of plying your trade as support act to the big names. You are the warm-up, filling in time whilst the audience arrives and tanks up in the bar before coming through for the headliner.

I am pleased to report, though, that by the time she finishes her set the auditorium has filled up considerably, and she gets an enthusiastic and appreciative round of applause. It's not the best set she's turned in, but the experience will do wonders for her confidence.

Natty is preceded onto the stage by his four-piece band, who immediately strike up a laid-back rootsy groove. Natty himself is a diminutive but smiling figure in patterned baggy trackies and pastel top, with his dreadlocks neatly contained within a blue turban-styled headscarf. It is not long before the audience comes alive, singing back every word of his biggest hit from 2008, the beguiling 'Bedroom Eyes'. I'm not sure what he was expecting from a Norfolk crowd, but he seems genuinely taken aback by the reception, and by the fact that we haven't forgotten about him during the seven year wait for the follow-up to the debut album 'Man Like I'.

The rest of the set features tracks from the new album 'Release The Fear' - the likes of 'Street Lights', 'Stand Up In Love' and the new single 'I'm Alive', as well as older favourites like 'July' and 'Afrika'. It's a real mixture of ages in the audience, right down to a little lad in ear defenders, who can't be much more than three years old, right up at the front with his mum. The atmosphere is probably the nearest we will ever get to Notting Hill Carnival in St Benedicts Street, although still probably seems quite surreal for Natty and the band.

By the time the set ends it is already ten past eleven, and there is no encore, but quite clearly a dose of sunshine has been administered in Norwich tonight. Nice one, Natty.

As we say in Norfolk.

http://nattymusic.com/

https://www.facebook.com/nattyofficial

Wolf Alice - My Love is Now Cool

It's hard to believe, but it's almost fifteen months since I last attended a concert at the University of East Anglia's Lower Common Room (LCR), and that was for Submotion Orchestra. This is a venue that has soundtracked my entire musical life, from the prog-rock of Caravan, the ambience of Tangerine Dream and the folk of Steeleye Span n the seventies, through the alternative comedy of Ben Elton in the eighties, and the Brit Pop and Indie of the nineties and noughties. Nick Raines and his team brought to Norwich some of the biggest bands of the day, and the annual NME Awards Tour was always must-see date in the calendar, whatever it took to secure a ticket.

Now I'm not going to say that the LCR is no longer capable of punching above its weight, but these days with franchised chains of venues like the O2's mopping up entire tour schedules, and arenas creating demand for aircraft hanger performances, contriving spectacular stage designs and light shows to lull us into false appreciation for our inflated ticket prices, it cannot be easy being a student venue. Thank god that the UEA Students Union still has the flexibility of the Waterfront and Waterfront Studio to at least maintain the flow of new music in lower-capacity venues through this fine city. Unfortunately it does now mean that the LCR has tended to become a destination for dinosaurs, dance acts, and club nights. Even the NME (now a shitty giveaway rather than a serious mirror of musical tastes) doesn't even come any closer than Cambridge.

But I digress. I am back tonight to see a band who have become the darlings of teenage indie-kids over the last couple of years, Wolf Alice. Funnily enough, it was at this very venue that I saw them perform a disastrous set supporting The 1975 back in February 2014. After about three songs, a guitar packed up leaving Ellie Rowsell without an instrument, but free to leave the stage and provide vocals from the floor. Bass player Theo walked off stage apologising for 'being shit', but their attitude and swagger stayed with me. Let's hope they can exorcise those ghosts tonight.

First up are the intriguingly-named Bloody Knees. Reassuringly British in their looks and demeanour, they are a band that have been dipped into a packet of Grunge and emerged with a faint aroma of teen spirit. They have healthy skin, long-flowing locks that have been shampooed as well as conditioned, and jeans and t-shirts that have been laundered with care. If they ever did have a bloody knee, I'm sure that Mother and a Band-Aid would never be that far away. They are way too lightweight for Reading or Download, but heavy enough to frighten the picnicking families from setting up camp within the marquees at Latitude.

Bloody Knees

Crows, however, have a much meaner and darker agenda, and produce a swirling cloud of guitar and distorted vocals that is genuinely hypnotic. If Bloody Knees were a bowl of musical granola, then these guys are the over-salty porridge that Goldilocks would be well advised to leave on the table. Front-man and vocalist James Cox grapples alternately with two microphones (and sometimes both at once, like a pair of sonic Nordic poles) and pumps out lyrics that may be sparse on  melody but twist and contort in a monkey-man manner reminiscent of  Ian Brown. These are a band that really can expect to take a place on the bloodline of  corvine legends that goes back to Maggie Bell's Stone the Crows, and includes The Black Crowes and Counting Crows (but probably doesn't include carrion crooner Sheryl).

Crows

Wolf Alice take to a darkened stage, with guitarist Joff Oddie leading the intro astride a monitor at the front of the stage, before unleashing into Your Loves Whore. The stage lighting rig is modest, and there's a twinkling backdrop derived from the album cover of Your Love Is Cool. We seem to alternate between the cool of misty greens and the warm glow of incandescence, the latter melding with the orange t-shirt and black jeans of vocalist Ellie. The set runs through the by now familiar tracklist from the album, with a couple of numbers from the earlier EP's thrown in as well. In fact, the only track from My Love Is Cool which I don't remember hearing is Soapy Water.

The predominantly young crowd are in second heaven, surging and forming mosh circles when not waving arms in massed adoration. From my position of sanctuary adjacent to a pillar at the top of the steps (there's no way I want to be accidentally targeted as a suspected sad-act gig-groper), one thought keeps coming back to me. This is all lovely, and I'm glad all the instruments are working, and everyone's having a ball, but where are the new songs? I appreciate that life has been one frenzied whirlwind of promotion and accolades since the album was released, but it would have been nice to have been given some clues as to which direction the band sees themselves headed next.

 

After the formula encore of Turn to Dust, Blush, and Giant Peach, the house lights come on, and I make my way out of the LCR wondering if mine is the only love that has cooled slightly. They were good, they still are good, but where do we go from here?

https://www.facebook.com/bloodyknees/
https://soundcloud.com/bloodyknees

https://www.facebook.com/crowsband
https://soundcloud.com/crows-band

http://wolfalice.co.uk/
https://www.facebook.com/wolfalicemusic