Filling the void

Krasnyi's picture Submitted by Krasnyi on

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OK so I can't compete with you London types but a quick skim tells me the fllowing are playing this autumn at Birmingham's finest venue, the Hare & Hounds in Kings Heath, less than 5 minutes from my house: Keston Cobblers Club, RM Hubbert, Tunng, Lanterns on the Lake, Euros Childs, Sweet Baboo and Dutch Uncles. A short trip into town and at the Institute there's Everything Everything, Steve Mason, Public Service Broadcasting, Half Moon Run and Stornoway. And no clashes.

blackpumpkinhead replied on

Also Julie Byrne tickets for the wonderful Band on the wall in Manchester---absolutely stunning album,will be close to the top of my must see list.

smithers replied on

An intimate acoustic evening of songs and chat. Berated the sound man for some, possibly imaginary fault, to the point of humiliating him. Started several songs and then forgot or changed his mind, got drunker and more unintelligible as the night wore on, drinking brandy and milk, regularly replenished by his assistant. Some highlights, Seven Seas, Angels and Devils. Left before the encore, ho hum...

Expect Bill Callahan on Saturday will be a somewhat better affair.

Elizabeth McEvoy's picture Elizabeth McEvoy replied on

Seeing BC on Friday evening Smithers, so excited.  It seems like ages since he toured.

And yes, I am sure he will command our rapt attention. 

ray_rad's picture ray_rad replied on

he was bloody marvellous tonight

wasn't he, peridot?

and that was hands down the quietest audience i've ever been amongst

bless their cottons

peridot's picture peridot replied on

He was wonderful indeed, and great to see you there Mr rad.

It takes nothing away from Bill to say the audience was the star of the show. Thankfully nobody dropped a pin as I fear the "Sushes" would have been deafening.

Bill was rather dispirited by the grim British Spring (aren't we all). In his limited audience interaction he proposed that the grey skies could be offset by ladies sporting sky blue painted nails. 

Not sure if it's your colour Elizabeth?

 

 

 

Elizabeth McEvoy's picture Elizabeth McEvoy replied on

I will locate and apply.

Sounds like you both had a great time and Mr Callahan was on good form.

Thanks Smithers, really looking forward to it.....and I'm going to the Hockney exhibition at Tate Britain.

Life doesn't get any better!

 

Elizabeth McEvoy's picture Elizabeth McEvoy replied on

Well then...

BC was superb last night, best I've ever seen him. 

Lovely space and reverent crowd.

He played a brilliant spread of early Smog and more recent stuff. Worthy of particular mention were "Rock Bottom Riser" "Drover" and an incredible version of "Matty Groves".

But the highlight for me was at the end when he asked if anybody would like to request a particular song. I called out "Riding for the Feeling please Bill" and he smiled at me (!) and fucking played it!

My life is complete. 

peridot's picture peridot replied on

So glad to hear that it lived up to expectations Elizabeth.

I don't think we'll be blessed with the same reverent crowd in September. The best we can probably hope for in no drones!

 

smithers replied on

Fantastic gig last night, very quiet audience, lovely venue. Made me wish I was going to the other place, looking at the lineup in Rough Trade this morning, so much I'd like to see.

ray_rad's picture ray_rad replied on

anyone you know still need tickets?

i have two in the front block for dublin, but can't go now

he was amazing at the palladium last week

Slugger's picture Slugger replied on

Sorry Ray, I don't know anyone without a ticket who needs one. 

Last time I saw Bob, he hid behind a keyboard and was barely audible (suffering from a bad back I think). The venue didn't help (The Point Depot, Dublin- big and echoey).

The few YouTube videos/audios I've heard for this tour sound very promising. It sounds like the band are opening with an instrumental version of an Irish folk song "The Foggy Dew" (maybe it's an old American folk tune with the same general air) which should go down very well tomorrow night. Really looking forward to it.

peridot's picture peridot replied on

Returning to Bill C for a moment ... I've just seen that the other place, inspired by the intimacy of Hoxton Hall, will have him on the Garden Stage rather than the Woods, which is utterly wonderful news.

Mikey's picture Mikey replied on

Just got back from seeing the lowest pair at Abergavenny.  Thank you so much ChristieD for pointing it out for us.  What a treat.  Hope they come back to the uk soon.

Krasnyi's picture Krasnyi replied on

Saw Danish dream/noise-popsters, Lowly t'other night. Pretty good although maybe not sock-blowing-off good. Jane Weaver tomorrow and possibly Follakzoid on Saturday. Best recent gig however was the Birmingham Rockschool show in Stourbridge on Sunday where the two kids performed (When Doves Cry, I Predict a Riot, and Bad Medecine!) 

Chrissied's picture Chrissied replied on

Yeah, brilliant night Mikey. So good to hear just a guitar, banjo and two voices in harmony. I was thinking of making an announcement to see if anyone from the forum was there. Did have a vision of seeing them in the Walled Garden sometime in the future.

Chrissied's picture Chrissied replied on

if you like Dave Rawlings, Gillian Welch, The Watkins Family kind of music don't miss The Lowest Pair - I think they fly back to the States in a few days, but you can still catch them in Portsmouth (tonight), South Molton, Honiton, Exeter and Bristol.

Mikey's picture Mikey replied on

Riley Walker was excellent last night in Bristol (Thekla).  Playing with a band who also provided the support (called Health and Beauty, worth checking out).  Sounded really good with the band and played a good long set.  

blackpumpkinhead replied on

Leftism tonight--can feel young for a night though i will probably feel ninety in the morning.Then Manchester leg of Dot to Dot festival next Friday--mainly for Josefin Ohrn,Mystic Braves and Slow Readers Club--12 hours of bands across about 20 venues for £12--done it a couple of times,such a good day.

smithers replied on

Last night at the Coronet. Not a bad evening, longish set, maybe could have trimmed 15 minutes. My first, and presumably, last visit to the Coronet, due for demolition I think.

smithers replied on

Last weekend, didn't quite hit the heights of last year's with King Khan but enjoyed Cale Tyson, young Texan country singer. Barrance Whitfield and the Savages provdided an hour of stomping r'n'b. Guadalupe Plata, excellent pysch blues from Spain. John E Vistic lso fine, a fantastic version of John the Revelator.

Intended to go and see Melt Banana this evening but sold out unexpectedly....

peridot's picture peridot replied on

Astonishing performance from Arab Strap at Primavera Porto tonight. Doubt there'll be anything to beat it over the weekend.

Green Man has denied us this too long ... sort it out for 2018 guys.

 

peridot's picture peridot replied on

It certainly is. I'm looking a bit prawn like after the beach today but it cools a little in the evening, which is just perfect. 

As much as I love the Brecon Beacons, it's nice to have a 0% chance of rain forecast for a festival weekend.

Wakestock replied on

I used to go to its big brother in Barcelona every year, but eventually gave up as it got a bit too expensive to do, and I found it increasingly difficult to handle the punishing schedule staying up so late for three nights! Porto does sound lovely though. 

peridot's picture peridot replied on

Yes, I don't think I could survive Barcelona ... Porto is a good subset of it, in a lovely setting.

Mind you yesterday damn near finshed me off and i find recovery takes longer as you get older. I'm just about re-entering the land of the living now.

Got to see First Breath After Coma, Pond, Whitney, Angel Olson, Sleaford Mods, Nikki Lane, Swans (2hr set!), Skepta (yes really), King Gizzard, and the last 15mins of Cymbals Eat Guitars, all of which I enjoyed immensely.

 

Krasnyi's picture Krasnyi replied on

Whitney and Girl Ray at Mam Roux's last night. Jeez, was it hot?!

Girl Ray were lovely and well worth catching at GM if you haven't seen them before. A bit gauche and nervous but none the worse for that.

Whitney were bloody awesome. 18 months of touring the album has really paid off, what a tight rocking band. 10/10.

Mikey's picture Mikey replied on

even better than the walled garden last year?  That is one of my top green man moments.

need to ask, were they all sober this time?

Krasnyi's picture Krasnyi replied on

they seemed pretty sober and even declined a bottle of gin masquerading as water thrown up to them by the audience

I sawthem in the walled garden then again a few days later at the Hare & Hounds but this was the best one yet.

peridot's picture peridot replied on

They were stone cold sober at Primavera, although it was an early evening slot.

I had caught part of the WG set last year and it's not really my thing but this was a tight and flawless performance that I enjoyed a lot more that I expected to.

I can't take to Girl Ray though - first saw them on the Rising stage in 2015 and twice since in support slots. Just doesn't do anything for me I'm afraid.

Less than eight weeks to go now - that void is closing fast.

jonjhargreaves's picture jonjhargreaves replied on

Posted before, but if you're going to get post GM withdrawl, then Seachange in Totnes, Devon following weekend might help:

FRIDAY
BLANCK MASS, JAMBINAI, ALDOUS HARDING, DANIEL BRANDT & ETERNAL SOMETHING, LOWLY, CHRIS FORSYTH AND THE SOLAR MOTEL BAND, MASAYOSHI FUJITA, VENN, WILL STRATTON, MICHAEL CHAPMAN, GRUMBLING FUR, HOLLY MACVE, DOUGLAS DARE, VIRGINIA WING, TELEPLASMISTE, THE HUNDREDTH ANNIVERSARY, DEATH AND VANILLA, MAI MAI MAI, WOVOKA GENTLE, LUX HARMONIUM, TINNEDFRUIT, W. H. LUNG.

SATURDAY
TEMPLES, JANE WEAVER, RYLEY WALKER, JULIE BYRNE, NADIA REID, PIXX, AMBER ARCADES, HEY COLOSSUS, H HAWKLINE, GIRL RAY, THE PROPER ORNAMENTS, SEX SWING, GULP, JIM GHEDI, ILL, THE ORIELLES, TREMBLING BELLS, MODERN STUDIES, EARTH RECORDINGS PRESENT 'AVOCET REVISITED', SEAHAWKS, RATS ON RAFTS, TOURISTS, BRAZEN HEAD.

All for £55 and included is Gold Panda launch party on Thursday night

ray_rad's picture ray_rad replied on

fuck

i really want to go to this

but mrs rad would be using my intestines to hold her stockings up

that avocet thing thing is going to be the GM special guest, isn't it

peridot's picture peridot replied on

Have a word and get them to shift the dates next year jon :)

There'd be a lot of us heading that way if there was a bit of a gap between this and GM.

jonjhargreaves's picture jonjhargreaves replied on

SeaChange is a new festival run by Drift record shop in Totnes- only 1000ish tickets spread across 6 venues (4 music).  Very smartly run and cheap (town festival), so no price hikes on food and beer. As you can see I'm very keen to ensure it continues as I can't easily get elsewhere - Green Man is my one big expenditure of the year.  

To give you an idea, last year saw Nathan Salzburg, Joan Shelley and YTK back to back in a church, James Yorkston live in a real ale brewery to just 20, BC Camplight, British Sea Power on top form, Bo Ningen and Richard Dawson and an early hours Rival Consoles and a fair bit more.

I know the venues are prebooked for next couple of years on this weekend, so unlikely to move.

 

blackpumpkinhead replied on

Bluedot festival was just about perfect again this year-already have tickets for next year.No taking the piss but off to see ZZ Top tonight.

kingphilip's picture kingphilip replied on

Mekonville was pretty fantastic this weekend (despite some dodgy weather and limited food options).  The Mekons were wonderful, in all their different incarnations, Will Oldham superb, doing a Mekons tribute set - which clearly moved Jon Langford, and the Mekons and Will together, one of the most joyful things I have ever seen (featuring a re-enactment of the first Mekons gig WO ever saw, including audience fight and resulting set-list rejig).  WO clearly having the time of his life.     

ray_rad's picture ray_rad replied on

fuck, that sounds great

saw will (solo) at the union chapel a couple of days before - and it was one of the best shows i've ever seen him play

his one hour billing for mekonville just didn't seem worth the trek out there for the weekend though

but looks like he did a bit more than was advertised

did he play more than once?

kingphilip's picture kingphilip replied on

He played first on the Saturday night - when he did the tribute set.  Mixture of Mekons songs, Will songs (where he talked about Mekons influences/parallels) and covers, interspersed with lots of chat about his relationship with the Mekons and their music over time, their influence on his song writing, seeing them live and later playing with them.  Very thoughtfully done, with Jon Langford commenting the next day how touched he was.

Will (and his wife) then stayed around for the Sunday, when he joined the Mekons for a good chunk of their final set of the weekend.  This included the re-enactment of the New Orleans Tipitinia gig from 89, when a fight broke out in the audience during Lost Highway, and the Mekons restarted with Help me Make it Through the Night to calm things down (but this time with Will singing rather than watching).  It was a very special show (and weekend as a whole).

 

  

ray_rad's picture ray_rad replied on

ah - thanks for the rundown

kind of wish i'd made it to this now!

(though it was actually impossible...)

really sounds fantastic

i'm going to paste your write up onto the arise (will oldham) list if that's ok?

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