Category: The Cuff

Words by John Noblet

Can you remember those World War II soldiers who, isolated from the rest of their army, hid on a deserted island and didn’t realise the war had ended, decades after everyone else had finished fighting?

Sometimes music scenes work like that – the media declares something to be over, but a small crew continues with the genre; ignoring its declared death, with the fashionable music scene, in turn, ignoring them.

This is undoubtedly a good thing in my opinion. In Birmingham, if you’re in the right place at the right time it can feel like Two Tone never ended. The latest manifestation of this is in front of me tonight at the Wagon and Horses, promoted by Subvert Soundsystem, with relative new comers Malarkey coming on like the delinquent children of The Beat – multi racial line up, culture clash approach to songwriting, varied selection of haircuts (bald head, mohican, corn rows, Sideshow Bob afro) and a pervading cheekiness.

Malarkey’s vocalist, Juggernaut, is a pure joy to watch. A large man of Jamaican descent with deep, Ragga inflected vocals (think somewhere between Buju Banton and Ragga Twins) and a ridiculous amount of stage presence. Guitarist, Kyle, contributes lead vocals on some of the songs, his guitar playing showing the influence of 90’s Grunge bands, fitting in dirty, sloppy riffs alongside the ‘cha cha cha cha’ guitar that so many Ska influenced bands get stuck with.

It’s a strange mix but it works. Malarkey’s distorted guitar and reggae MC aspect is bound to draw comparisons with Skindread, but at present they lack the MTV polish that’s so prevalent in the latter. But tonight’s slightly chaotic feel is also probably due, in part at least, to the drum kit refusing to stay in one place (a brick is found, and then another, but in the end the bassist has to stand on it to stop it sliding about).

Next up tonight is Hip Hop collective Dantanna, who with four MCs, one female singer, two brass, drums, guitar and a magical-music-box-that-does-all-the-other-bits, pretty much cover the Wagon & Horses‘ small stage.

Alongside Malarkey, Dantanna are part of the small circle of bands orbiting Daylight Robbery studios in Hockley, and are led by Hip Hop svengali/ageing Superhands, Dan Skins – who this evening wears a strange red blanket with a green children’s hat and spends most of the night playing tambourine in a corner of the stage, effectively Bezing himself in his own band.

There have always been some good ideas in Dantanna (musically, their chosen approach of Soul backing and high energy rapping is a pretty effective combination) but tonight is the first time I’ve seen them really start to capitalise on them. The variety that comes from having five vocalists means you can do a lot to hold people’s attention, and for most of their set they work this strategy well; the entertainment factor of seeing them all constantly bouncing around up there is high.

Dantanna have also developed a solid sense of onstage chemistry, and the clowning around feels natural rather than choreographed – at one point two of them finish a song whilst rolling around on the floor together, seemingly not dropping a lyric. The act isn’t entirely perfected yet, there’s some talking over each other between tracks which causes confusion, but on the whole tonight’s audience is impressed.

Finishing up the evening is China Shop Bull, a Leeds based band who have been winning over audiences both in the UK and Europe with their Rave/Ska/Hip Hop/Punk crossover. And although they’ve been around for years, China Shop Bull have received almost zero press attention, which says more about the inane nature of the modern media than it does about their music.

Tonight the first few songs seem a little flat, and I’m worried they’re going to disappoint. Interestingly, the spark that eventually ignites the fire is a spontaneous jam that only occurs when the bassist breaks a string – sounding initially like it’s made up on the spot, then morphing into a song of its own accord.

About two thirds of the way through their set, China Shop Bull play their version of the Dead Kennedy’s ‘Holiday In Cambodia’ which instigates a mass sing-a-long, and although their early track, ‘Sandblaster’, may be lyrically out of date (does anyone blast weed with sand any more to make it heavier anymore? Answers on a postcard…) it definitely has a good effect on the audience, who by this point are looking particularly sweaty and deranged.

And with the occasional attempts at crowd surfing, which turn into lads carrying their mates around on their shoulders whilst everyone else bobs about with silly grins on their faces, overall it’s an incredibly fun night. One of the reasons why this small army of misfits keeps getting booked is that they’re absolutely great for dancing to, with their mixture of groove and aggression appealing to a surprisingly wide range of people.

Great though the lineup is, the venue deserves some credit here too. If tonight had been held in one of Birmingham’s more mainstream venues, with their higher bar prices, low quality booze, overzealous security staff and corporate sponsorship agendas, I feel a lot of the enjoyment factor would have been taken away.

The Wagon and Horses‘ combination of 80’s old man front bar and marquee full of nutters out back, is a winning one for me. And those who are either too timid or too snobbish to give it a go are missing out. Long may it continue.

__________

For more on China Shop Bull, visit https://soundcloud.com/china-shop-bull

For more on Dantana, visit http://www.dantanna.co.uk

For more on Malarky, visit https://www.facebook.com/MalarkeyBand

 

For more from Subvert Soundsystem, visit https://www.facebook.com/SubvertSoundsystem

 

For further listings from the Wagon & Horses, visit https://www.facebook.com/wagon.horses

Words by John Noblet / Pics from www.sleafordmods.com

When the economic downturn started a few years ago, it bought out a naive hope in a certain class of music fan. It was thought that recession, coupled with the tightfisted spite of a Tory government, might bring angry music with a strong penchant for social comment back into vogue.

As the more observant amongst you will have noticed, this totally failed to happen, the major labels instead focusing on serving up an appalling mixture of fairly meaningless ‘Nu Folk’ and ‘Indie’, as well as the usual bland pop for school children. The rest of popular culture followed a similar path, as if there had been a secret communal decision to ignore the gradual disintegration of our country by any means necessary.

So with this is mind it wasn’t really that surprising when, sometime late last year, Sleaford Mods started making a lot of people sit up and take notice.  Their music is a brutal mix of minimal beats and angry, half rapped, half shouted vocals that struck a chord with a lot of people; and for those of us in the Hare & Hounds crowd who haven’t seen them before, there’s a lot of anticipation riding on tonight.

Opener ‘Jolly Fucker’ kicks into gear and it immediately becomes apparent what an incredibly intense performer front man Jason Williamson is. Any fears that the live show might not match the harsh impact of their recordings are quashed within seconds as Williamson shouts into the microphone, every word a punch to the throat.

It can create a strange effect in the audience member, a mixture of intimidation and fascination. I’m jammed up against the tiny knee high stage, roughly five foot away from the man, and I catch myself staring at him in a manner which I would never allow myself to normally. Hell, I don’t usually stare that intensely when I’m watching any kind of performance.

From where I am at the front I can also get a good gauge of the audience’s reaction by turning my head, which is an interesting exercise. Some of them look a little bit scared, others mouth along to every word, and a few are beaming from ear to ear with the kind of dumb glee usually reserved for small children on Christmas day. However all eyes are focused on the stage.

Williamson has a small repertoire of on stage gestures whilst singing, which include feigning masturbation and compulsively touching his head. In the instrumental breaks he walks around the stage, back straight, slightest hint of a strut, radiating menace and tension, occasionally stopping to do blow an obnoxious raspberry at the audience. At one point I genuinely think he’s going to spit into the crowd.

At the back of stage is the other Sleaford Mod, Andrew Fearn. As the man in charge of the beats, most of his work is done behind closed doors. Tonight he mostly stands at the back of the stage, steadily working his way through three cans of Red Stripe, making sure the backing tracks keep coming – occasionally pulling on an e cigarette and staring into the audience with a slight grin on his face.

Fearn is dressed in the decidedly un-modish outfit of grey tracksuit bottoms and a Rambo t-shirt. The use of the word ‘mod’ in the band’s name does not relate to slavish devotion to a finickety subculture, but is indicative of the thier class consciousness. The concept here is ‘mod’ as a way of working class people bettering themselves without assimilation or compromise – I’m reminded of the definition of mod being ‘clean living in difficult circumstances’.

Sleaford Mods’ website describes their music as ‘punk-hop for the working class and under’. There’s no way this kind of anger and disgust would be considered socially acceptable in middle class circles, unless when being described to a psychologist whilst lying on a  leather couch – as a person from the middle classes who regularly experiences feelings of anger and disgust, this makes their music particularly appealing to me.

And then there are the lyrics. A colourful selection of rants aimed at the many horrors of modern life in modern day England, they’ve been discussed elsewhere in great detail. Completely lacking in pretention or politeness, Williamson has what appears to be a limitless store of great one liners such as “Brian Eno – what the fuck does he know?” The lyrics skirt around the beat in the verses (though never ignoring it entirely) often switching to an easily chanted phrase on the chorus, giving us all an opportunity to shout along. A good example of this is the tune ‘McFlurry’, taken from last years’ album Austerity Dogs (chorus – “MCFLURRY!!”).

There’s a varied selection of targets here, from numbskull bully boys on ‘Urine Mate’, dick head managers on ‘Fizzy’, vapid, trendy music on ‘Showboat’ and the aforementioned pseudo food stuffs. It seems they particularly hit a chord with the material on the never ending down pour of mundanity that is most modern work places, a subject returned to on the closing ‘Wage Don’t Fit’. When Williamson announces it as the last song of the night, there’s a huge collective pantomime groan from the audience, but the man shakes his head. “Nah mate, got work in the morning” – it’s about the only between song banter we get all night.

You’ve probably already got a good idea of whether or not you’ll like Sleaford Mods from what I’ve written, and they’re a band who articulate their ideas so clearly your assumptions are probably right. However, they’re also band which, like it or not, I believe we need right now.

A little bit of nihilism and rage can be a healthy thing sometimes, evidenced by the throng of well wishers that hang around the stage to shake Fearn’s hand after Williamson disappears into the backstage area.

Break out the tippex and pass me my old leather jacket, the angry fuckers have a band to believe in once again.

_______

For more on Sleaford Mods, visit http://sleafordmods.com

For further listings from the Hare & Hounds (Kings Heath), visit http://hareandhoundskingsheath.co.uk

Words by Jonathan Glen

Performed by Gabriela Montero & the City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra / Conducted by Michael Seal

Tonight the Symphony Hall is witness to a duel between two great Russians. The City of Birmingham Symphony Orchestra (CBSO) is joined by Venezuelan-American pianist Gabriella Montero to take on Sergei Rachmaninov’s stirring 1901 Piano Concerto No. 2. It comes in stark contrast to Dmitri Shostakovich’s devastating 5^th Symphony that rails against Josef Stalin’s oppressive regime during the 1940’s. But to prove there is at least variety in the CSBO’s repertoire, Shchedrin’s light-hearted take on Bizet’s Carmen is added to complete an eclectic night.

Beginning with Bizet/Shchedrin, the sleepy, wistful opening soon gives way to Hispanic splendour. The piece exudes passion yet Shchedrin’s influence keeps the tone playful. Romantic themes unfurl, if only briefly, as this bombastic suite teases out the iconic moments from Bizet’s original.

Percussion is also key to this Latin affair, contributing significantly to the comical conclusion. Conductor Michael Seal is a man who seems to feel every moment of every movement but still finds time to jokingly goad his players, followed by reassuring smiles, to get exactly what he wants.

Rachmaninov’s 1901 Piano Concerto No. 2 is one of the composer’s more popular works and it’s easy to hear why. Opening with grand beginnings; the first movement instantly seduces the listener, occasionally threatening pomposity but swooning wonderfully in the maestro’s style.

The second movement swells immensely; raising hearts out of chests, before letting the delicate piano of Montero pluck the heart strings, sweetly punctuated by the wind section. From this moment on David Lean’s Brief Encounter floats through the mind, as this movement features extensively in a meeting of two great romances. The third movement dispenses with the sombre romance to liven up the concerto’s end; soaring themes playing perfectly with Montero putting not a foot wrong.

It’s at this point the virtuoso pianist reveals her love for improvisation, asking the audience to supply her with a theme to base a short solo upon. One hearty member screams out for Madonna’s ‘Like a Virgin’, greeted by a chorus of laughs and a steely resolve from Montero. What’s created is music that could only grace Madonna’s wildest dreams.

Finally Shostakovich’s 5th is begun; sadness and a bleak beauty become the themes of the moment. It is easy to feel the red hammer crushing hopes as the melancholy strings follow by the relentless march of machinery being produced by the able piano.

The 2^nd movement echoes a grand ballroom of the Winter Palace as the grandiose pomposity of the regime is mocked subtly by the brave composer. Pain and suffering are conveyed by solemn strings followed by an amazing build in the penultimate Largo section, echoing the long winter endured by Russia. An epic and immediately captivating climax ensues, using the grand horns so loved by the communist party; Shostakovich staying true to the themes he built from the beginning.

But tonight ultimately belongs to Rachmaninov and Montero, however the romance of Piano Concerto No. 2 never relents. The CSBO does full justice to a piece that lets the spirit soar yet reminds us of the sorrow of great passion; a rousing success.

For more on Gabriela Montero, visit http://www.gabrielamontero.com

For more on Michael Seal, visit http://www.michaelseal.com

For more on the CBSO, visit http://www.cbso.co.uk

For further listings from the Town & Symphony Hall, visit http://www.thsh.co.uk

 

 

Words by Althea Patterson / Production pics by Bill Cooper

One asks the question, is opera is accessible to all? I’ve loved it since I heard Luciano Pavarotti sing during the 1990 World Cup – and chances are many will first experience opera through a crossing of mediums; absorbing ringtones or advertising, then wondering why they’ve been humming a 200 year old Italian aria all day.

So when Welsh National Opera’s (WNO) production of Giuseppe Verdi’s La Traviata came to the Birmingham Hippodrome, I was interested to see who would be in the audience as well as the performers on stage. I love opera on a personal level, but went armed with very seasoned and critical opera-goers; it would be interesting to see how their reaction compared with mine.

WNO’s La Traviata is part of their Fallen Women series, telling the three Act story of Violetta Valery – the ‘woman who strayed’ in this production, played by Linda Richardson. Violetta is dying, due to her abusive life as a courtesan, and moves to the country to live and ‘love free’ with Alfredo – a man who loves her intensely.

But after an impassioned plea from Alfredo’s father, Violetta leaves her lover and returns to her old life – sacrificing her love for Alfredo for what she sees as her duty, only for them to be reconciled on her deathbed.

It’s a pretty sad story; one that needs strong, skilled actors to emphasise the point. If you watch, for example, Maria Callas in her famous 1964 rendition of Tosca, or more recently Angela Gheorghiu in this same role, this importance on delivery becomes clearer. I’ve grown up watching classic opera of the sixties so my expectations were pretty high tonight.

WNO’s La Tarviata opens with a vivacious ‘Libiamo’, the drinking song of frivolity; 19^th century high society informing us poor folk how much fun they’re having. I sunk into the beautiful Hippodrome surroundings and set for the evening.

I love the introduction of Ji-Min Park as Alfredo; I was expecting a tall suave Bond type, but this slim Korean chap playing the love struck male lead really brought a smile to my face. However on the duet ‘A, Fors E Lui’, I didn’t fully believe the love between the two principal characters, their acting both sometimes leaving a little to be desired and their duet off/on timing. Indeed my more opera learned friend commented “they subsidised form over content”.

Moving on through Violetta’s anguished meeting with her Alfredo’s father in the country, in a steady Act 2, I further enjoy the bawdy Matador dance in Act 3; much flirtation and sass bringing great humour and a touch of Follies Berges chic to the show, generating a deservedly loud applause.

During the interval I scanned the theatre, with the question of accessibility still in my mind. I went with (fairly) youthful friends and found ourselves dominated by silver haired folk. Although I did count a few groups of WAGs, and to my delight a gaggle of primary schoolchildren who were impeccably behaved throughout; their attention no doubt assisted by the surreal-to-see English subtitles (an LED board high above the stage relaying the words – very helpful for those not familiar with the libretto).

Coming back to Act 3, La Traviata’s finale was played out on a sparse but visually sumptuous set. I found Richardson’s rendition of Violetta’s deathbed scene, ‘Addio del Passato’, especially touching and delicate.

I enjoy the step out of life that opera brings me, and it is wonderful to hear arias tonight I’d been listening to for years, sung live and loud. But overall I feel there is more to be had form this company.

And in regards to accessibility, I think I need to keep asking the question. Tonight I dressed to the nines and didn’t feel a bit out of place given the ‘theatre’ of it all, but would I feel as comfortable (or indeed be as welcomed) in my Adidas and jeans?

To be continued, with both labour and love. Along with a circling attention to what Welsh National Opera, and other less prominent companies, will be bringing to Birmingham. Something I sincerely look forward to exploring.

Welsh National Opera’s La Traviata will be at the Birmingham Hippodrome on March 8^th, with further shows across the country until April 12^th.

For more details, alongside further info on the wider company, visit http://www.wno.org.uk/

For further listings from the Birmingham Hippodrome, visit http://www.birminghamhippodrome.com