I suppose it must have liberated my ideas about what a ’song’ could consist of: it didn’t have to involve singing. There were other examples of music with speech rather than song – the long spoken sections in The Shangri-La’s ‘Leader of the Pack’, Mike Berry’s ‘Tribute to Buddy Holly’, and then a whole slew of spoken country songs such as Wink Martindale’s ‘Deck of Cards’. Around the same time I had become fascinated by the sheer strangeness of Schoenberg’s ‘Pierrot Lunaire’, in which he pioneered the idea of ’sprechstimme’ – speech-song. More recently, of course, there’s the whole vast treasury of hip hop-poetry and music in a more visceral form. CONTINUE READING THIS POST >
Music: BRIAN ENO
Music: Review: Saturday at Wireless Festival
Festival season has well and truly commenced and Parisa Razaz headed to Wireless; London’s biggest annual live music event, last weekend. There’s no camping and as a result each of the three days has a distinct sound and crowd. Friday was pop, Saturday dance and Sunday rock. Wanting to avoid the drunken teeny boppers on Friday and to not be hung-over for Monday, Parisa went for Saturday… CONTINUE READING THIS POST >
Music: Judas Priest
The first thing that strikes me about speaking to the Metal God™ is the warmth of those dulcet Brummie tones. Greeting me with a hearty “Alright, mate”, I am at ease. With Rob Fucking Halford. CONTINUE READING THIS POST >
Music: Review: Beach Break Live
Eight hours of motorway driving, counting endless sheep, and mind-numbing attempts at pronouncing the road signs passed by and finally James Drakeford and friends arrive at what could have been mistaken as ‘the arse end of nowhere’… CONTINUE READING THIS POST >
Music: Songs From a Room
Sofar (Songs From a Room) is a global music movement consisting of a series of intimate pop-up gigs held in living rooms. It brings together genuine music lovers with modern day poets and musicians who write and perform their own songs. The idea occurred to friends Rafe Offer, Rocky Start and ‘Passion Ate’ Dave at a Friendly Fires gig where people were talking throughout the set. They believed that music should be treasured and really listened to and so decided to hold a small gig for friends at Dave’s flat in Kensal Rise. Two years after its inception Sofar gigs are being held in 10 cities across the world. I attended the latest gig in London on Thursday.
I was a bit apprehensive about what to expect. The email I received on Thursday, announcing the location, stated a strict start time and that we should stay for the entire evening and either clap, sing along or be silent while the music plays. That same evening myself and a friend found ourselves in North London, following small signs directing us through a labyrinth of industrial buildings. We arrived at a converted warehouse flat by a canal which was spilling over with people. After receiving a warm welcome from co-founder Rafe and pouring ourselves a drink, we sat cross- legged on the floor and the evening commenced.
Ex heavy metal rocker Steve Smyth opened the night on guitar with his soulful voice and muffled lyrics. His performance had an otherworldly element to it, only enhanced by the fact that he looked a bit like Jesus. Next up was the lyrical Rosie May who would trill pithy lines such as ‘people don’t want love, they want a plan’. After a short break Jake Morley, accompanied by John Paul on double bass and Harry Mead on drums, delivered a rhythmic set. Their eccentric combination of acoustic bass and the frontman playing the guitar horizontally in ‘lap guitar’ style captured the audience’s attention right from the start. The final act was The Joker & The Thief, consisting of drumming front man Dan Grabiner, Justin Gartry on guitar and kick drum, and Josh Elliott switching between the saxophone and accordion. They came across as a mix between a stand-up and a band, coming out with great lines such as ‘if your daddy didn’t beat you how can you be a success?’
By the end of the night the room was pulsating. Rather than the school-assembly hush that I had expected, the night had swung between genuinely enchanted, breath held, silence to calls of encore! The environment is relaxed, with some of the musicians sat on the floor or barefoot. It feels like you are amongst a group of friends, drinking and jamming. But what SoFar distils down to is the music. There is enough of a mix on the night to find that one song that truly resonates with you. The performers are real, inspirational and genuinely talented. You are guaranteed to form at least one musician crush by the end of the night!By the end of the night the room was pulsating. Rather than the school-assembly hush that I had expected, the night had swung between genuinely enchanted, breath held, silence to calls of encore! The environment is relaxed, with some of the musicians sat on the floor or barefoot. It feels like you are amongst a group of friends, drinking and jamming. But what SoFar distils down to is the music. There is enough of a mix on the night to find that one song that truly resonates with you. The performers are real, inspirational and genuinely talented. You are guaranteed to form at least one musician crush by the end of the night!
For more information or to join the movement go to www.sofarsounds.com
Sofar (Songs From a Room) is a global music movement consisting of a series of intimate pop-up gigs held in living rooms. It brings together genuine music lovers with modern day poets and musicians who write and perform their own songs. The idea occurred to friends Rafe Offer, Rocky Start and ‘Passion Ate’ Dave at a Friendly Fires gig where people were talking throughout the set. They believed that music should be treasured and really listened to and so decided to hold a small gig for friends at Dave’s flat in Kensal Rise. Two years after its inception Sofar gigs are being held in 10 cities across the world. Parisa Razaz attended the latest gig in London a week ago. CONTINUE READING THIS POST >
