What
a great day.
Managed
to catch some great sets by Coopah, Plow, Coriander Helen & Kev
(with a typically understated finish to his set).
Later
on Paul Newman was charismatic and mighty fine despite joyfully
flouting the 'no-covers' rule. Mike Authentic was great, I really
like his stuff. Loved Pes's set too, bloomin' great voice.
Top
job by Chris going above and beyond as always.
I
enjoyed playing the Carden/Lawson set, trying to include the jollier
songs and avoiding melancholy as much as possible.
J
WO (our musical director and member of the Tea Monkeys) ON
KIAJAROOVAH:
You
were definitely the loudest band on the day! Loved what I saw of your
set, Hux exploring the room behind the stage mid-song and the young
kids who walked in, grimaced, covered their ears and left were the
highlights.
KEVIN
HEWICK:
While
not as pretty a setting as Castle Gardens once again the Beltane
Spring Fayre Group had an overall triumph with a superb event that
had so much happening it was impossible to take it all in. The
college became a haven for all sorts of goings on - I turned round
one corner into a Viking, then discovered an art gallery, then saw a
drumming session going on in another room..brilliant scene all
over..loads of kids getting their faces painted, very mini-Glasto..
I
got to follow two rappers and then two lady belly dancers in the
theatre - most apt!
Some
hoodies looked like they were going to lay their urban angst on me
but left after my first song.
I
then had a total blast on that big stage. Thanks to everyone who came
in to check it out including
Kiajoovrah
were masterful noise manipulators, they weave the most intricate
riffs you can imagine and have a wicked sense of timing.
Red
Star Radio were confident and melodic and had a few heavy moments
too, their stage sound was crystal clear, likewise for the looser
vibey session from The Tea Monkeys.
Carol
Leeming suprised me with her poetry and drumming thing, yet another
side to her, and The Wheel did a nice crowd pleasing folkie thing to
finish things off in the theatre.
I
managed to dash out and catch bits of Ogum, Mike Authentic, Pes and
Jodie Monroe with Rai Studley in the marquee - all seemed fine there
too.
Full
circle as I first saw/met Rai at Beltane Fayre last year..
Anyway
- top day, tip-top!
JOHNNY
ON J WO OF THE TEA MONKEYS:
The
only thing wrong with your performance was you weren't loud
enough!!!! . Still one of the most enjoyable Tea Monkeh (ed: this
is Leicester pronunciation) gigs I have seen.
JOHNNY
ON KIAJAROOVAH:
I
caught the last two songs of yours and I really wished I had seen the
whole thing. Really great sound you had as well - that is an ace
auditorium for listening to a band in.
RAI
STUDLEY:
Well
done J Wo - that was a great day!
I
saw the lovely Josie, Coopah (great first gig hun), caught some of Mr
Plow's excellent set from the tent of Beer (Banana Bread Beer ...
mmmm), then there was the ever wonderful Kev (god, what an ending!),
Mike Authentic, Paul Carden, Pes and Jodie .... a whole day of
musical goodness (and still i missed far too many peeps i really
wanted to see).
Then
there was the tree meditation, dancing old people and other random
gumf.
PES:
The
bit that went wrong for me was finding the beer stall almost
immediately. The hair-of-the-dog drink of choice was a turning
point...
However,
because of beer and smoking, I missed quite a bit of the theatre
stuff - namely Kiajaroovah, which was the one that I made sure I got
in for Hewick, once more, played excellently, and the choice of
singalong from the kid on front row was perfect for the song played
(?). Great unruly finish - bloody 50 year olds and their energetic
crazy behaviour tired me out just watching. VERY nice venue.
Saw
most acts in the tent, except for Rai, Josie, and especially Coopah
which I am a little disappointed with myself for missing. Heard very
good things so DO ANOTHER GIG SOON.
Mr
Plow, as usual, sounded perfectly placed.
Paul
Newman (flouting the 'no covers' rules - however, I reckon I'm the
only person who completely ****** up the 'no swearing' policy within
five seconds of having a microphone in front of me...) was very
talented.
Mike
Authentic was great, especially under the circumstances, and needs a
better sounding guitar, because the actual songs were great and a
nice upbeat change from some of the melancholic dross (I use the term
in the nicest possible sense) that a few decided to play.
The
Carden/Lawson collab is definitely working. Shame that I was the only
person who sat and watched it (not including the bar staff, who
really seemed to enjoy it). Paul's vocal is ridiculously good, and he
is definitely one of the better class of songwriters in the acoustic
range. The addition of twin mouth harps is a surprisingly subtle
touch, too. Recommended. Again.
The
girl with the glasses (?) was a brilliant performer, but her song
choices seemed under par with her playing ability. Very nice voice
though.
Me?
I got dark clouds the moment I picked up my guitar. Cheers to Chris
for the rearranging of the PA and a real nice sound. Do you outclass
everyone at any event you attend? Yes. Well done.
Mr
Wo, and everyone else who organised it this year, nice job. Move it
back to Castle Gardens if possible next time.
VERITY
(lead singer of the Flaming Aces):
that
was a cool day, with some very different entertainment to what I was
expecting which included these belly dancer type people, jesters and
some R n B boyz 2 men type urban performers!
think
I only properly saw Mr Plow to be honest, who was great! and my
highlight of the day was Caeden Flaming Ace and Tommy Falling Leaf (ed:
musicians' kids) chasing each other round the tent
laughing at each other that was soooo sweet.
also
was well funny - me jet caeden and ferris were gonna go watch
Kiajaroovah (coz thought they were doing an acoustic set) but then we
opened the door and were hit by a wall of sound Caedens face went
like this >>>> so unfortunately had to give
it a miss !!
MR
PLOW:
I
really enjoyed playing to the crawlers & toddlers in the tent,
and the adults too I suppose...
Skills
to J. Wo for keeping a watchful eye on events. Merryn's Tommy Coopah
were, for a first gig, on the money.
I
was disappointed that the Kiajarooviah guys weren't louder; and Red
Star Radio were quite good from where I was stood.
JAMES
(DIRECTOR OF RAIN STUDIOS, NOTTINGHAM:
I
must admit to snickering a little when hearing Ploweh sing a line
like 'the whores in the gutter' or similar, whilst allowing him sen a
nervous glance at the row of face-painted toddlers beaming up at him!
CHRIS
THORLEY OF RED STAR RADIO (ALSO STAGE MANAGER, MARQUEE):
From
a technical point of view, the Marquee PA was better than expected,
being plenty loud enough, and the battery lasted all day! A bit more
information would have been useful to cope with the requests for the
variety of stuff people were trying to play through it, and the other
system in the main hall. something for next year maybe.
Because
I was involved in the Red Star Radio set I can't comment on all the
performers, but those I saw were very good, with a single exception.
Standing
out for me were Josie Parr, because the last time I did sound for her
it wasn't under ideal conditions, and Tracy Teirnan.
I've
never had to follow belly dancers onstage before..
But,
like the Beltane Fayre last year you reallly can expect anything when
you play these Leicester Pagan Alliance happenings.
Moat
college has never seen the likes of it before from Viking
re-enactments to the Charnwood Goddess Temple, a sacred space that
can be created "where ever it is needed"..
I'd
just flown in from the extraordinary coup of getting the last two
tickets for McFly in April at Leicester De Monfort Halls - my daugher
is a huge fan of theirs ..but that meant missing Merryn's new Coopah
Acoustic Collective who I gather made quite an impression on the
crowd. I'm very flattered that Merryn regards the likes of myself,
Jack Bomb and Mr Plow as his inspiration for Coopah.
A
quick pep talk with Sylvesta the Jester and then I blundered into the
theatre into the middle of Orchestra Navrang's concluding piece of
Gujarat pop..
A
couple of spare to the point raps from BKC and Gold Blend, a few
wiggles from the aforementioned Lapis Lazuli dancers and I was
launching into "Run to where only a woman can run"..to a
bunch of hoodies taking the pee..great..
..but they soon left the
scene and other more appreciative types came in including Pesley,
Paul Carden, J Wo, Nos, Mr Plow, and Mary Jayne complete with
screaming kids - but after a couple of numbers she had to make tracks
with a shrug as one of her charming infants suddenly decided to
"sing" a very loud screeching song of his own bless 'im..
There
was a particular row of half a dozen women I knew not who watched and
listened most intently and laughed in the right places throughout,
nice one.
I
declared myself to be "on a stage big enough for my ego at
last", very true, I had loads of space, I on floor level and the
seating raised in tiers, an arrangement I rather like..
I
took a few risks including concluding with only the second ever
performance ever of "Rock 'n' Roll Tantrum", diving on my
detuned guitar on the floor in the end, repeatedly shouting something
along the lines of "I'm fifty and I'm nifty".."The
Tantrum" as it will be hereafter known is already turning into a
freeform vehicle for improvisation and general off the cuff
antic-ry..
It
was all very in the mode of The Criterion set on Thursday, lungs very
open, a bit of a folk punk/punk folk thing going on..I'm just very
sorry I can't ride the crest of this wave again at Birmingham Adam
and Eve tonight (18th), having to cancel doing that was/is a drag.
The
rest of the afternoon I was able to take in theatre sets from
poly-harmonic feedback kids Kiajaroovah, now Plow bass-ed indie rock
from Red Star Radio, splifftastic blue eyed reggae from The Tea
Monkeys, poetry and drumming from Leicester legend Carol Leeming and
folkie crowd pleasers The Wheel. I also darted outside and caught
bits of Ogum, Mike Authentic, Pes, Jodie Monroe and Rai Studley in
the marquee..just a totally cool scene, cool people, cool music and a
real spirit to it all, a mini-Glastonbury in downtown Highfields no
less.. :)
