birminghampromoters Archives

March 9, 2017March 9, 2017

INTERVIEW: Ed Geater

Words by Giles Logan / Pics by Rob Hadley

In twelve short months Ed Geater has established himself as a firm part of the Birmingham music scene. Overcoming an initial anxiety about performing, his live gigs have become something of an event. With his trademark human beat boxing looped live over beautiful acoustic guitar melodies, and an earnest lyricism that recalls Jeff Buckley and Ben Howard, it’s a beguiling live adventure. On stage Ed Geater exudes a quiet and charming confidence that is hard to resist. He’s like that in person too; warm, honest and open. How did it all start?

“I started beat boxing when I was about twelve,” tells Ed Geater. “A friend got me into Rahzel and I was just blown away it was a human making that noise. Because I’ve got naturally quite good rhythm I could imitate it even though I couldn’t do the sounds. At school it became a house party trick. I always enjoyed doing it and over the years I gradually improved. Eventually I improved the sounds I could do and I discovered that I really liked the percussive side of it. When I was at uni I had the idea of combining that with my guitar playing.”

Ed Geater possessed the talent but found it emotionally tough to perform and struggled with his early gigs. Anxiety would lead to cancelled shows and when he did push himself to get on stage he would feel helpless and begin shaking, struggling to overcome a dry throat and deliver his vocals. It was important to “keep going” though.

Most people that suffer with anxiety don’t get over it by performing on stage? “I would say that it’s the best way that I could’ve done it,” says Geater, “if I’d given in and gone on medication that’s probably a lifelong thing isn’t it? I was close to going on medication for depression but it just never felt right for me to do that. I found another more natural way to get through it. It’s been a personal journey. The whole point of me gigging constantly was to get over my anxiety issues. I had severe anxiety and a history of quite severe depression.”

Are you OK sharing such personal details? “I’m more than happy to share. It’s part of the story. I feel like some musicians find their talent and confidence from a very early age and they just go for it, for me that wasn’t the case. It was very very difficult for me to put myself out there; I had to really really try over a number of years to get over the many hurdles.”

Ed Geater’s friend and now manager, Tom Bradshaw-Smith, could see the improvement in his song writing, vocals and live performances at the tail end of 2015. A plan was drawn up to increase exposure and make his unique sound available to a wider audience. As plans go it was pretty successful, two EPs, a string of gigs – including a sell out at Mama Roux’s, and hearing his song ‘Symmetry’ played to a capacity crowd at Villa Park. Not a bad year’s work. And as the old adage goes, success breeds confidence.

This confidence is apparent in the leap from the first, almost stark, Barriers EP to the slicker and more adventurous Unseen EP alongside the radio friendly pop of his single ‘Symmetry’. “I think that’s just me as a producer improving,” explains Ed Geater. “I love electronic producers and that influences me more than singer songwriters, like Bonobo and Four Tet, all these guys who do creative slightly more out there alternative electronic music with an ambient mellifluous sound to it, that’s the sound I try to create with my guitar and my beat boxing. When I produce I produce with that whole thing in mind.”

And what of creative ‘process’, how does an Ed Geater song get born? “I don’t really have a set structure to writing. Sometimes I will have a riff idea, start to write a melody over it and then write some lyrics to it. I find lyrics come quite spontaneously, I just write down my thoughts. It’s been a therapy, a lot of my songs, my thought patterns, whatever’s going on in here (points to head) I get down and try and make sense of it.”

Using gestalt therapy and meditation helped Ed Geater overcome his anxiety; there is an acknowledgement that anyone can judge him these days and, most pertinently, that’s OK. “Anything anyone thinks about me has got everything to do with them and nothing to do with me,” tells Geater. “It’s their lens and their ego created by everything they have been through and there’s nothing I can do about that so I can’t judge them for it either.” It’s a self assuredness that is palpable in his live shows; there is a friendly swagger about an Ed Geater performance, a charming inclusivity that was memorable during his sell out show at Mama Roux’s in October 2016. “It was like a ride,” remembers Geater, “and when it finished it didn’t feel like I’d done it. The creativity was flowing through me. It’s a high that I love and whenever I play I get it.”

Ed Geater declares a love of variety and a desire to not be “tied down by a single genre”. In the 2017 pipeline is a collaboration with local ‘emcee with a message’ Lady Sanity, plus the small matter of a national tour with a headline show at the Hare and Hounds on 24^th March. These are good times for Ed Geater and good times for the Birmingham music scene he talks about with an infectious passion and enthusiasm.

“I’m really excited to get the single with Lady Sanity out in the summer,” tells Ed Geater, running through his roll call of local luminaries. “Also Call Me Unique, I’ve just produced her EP which will be released later this year. Pleasure House are great guys and a great band, Alex Rainsford is a really great singer songwriter, the rapper Vital is really hard working. Bear, DEE Ajayi and Amy Louise Ellis who are playing with me at the Hare and Hounds. Hannah Brown is a great girl with a lovely voice. My other recommendations are Sam Jackson, Dame, Cinema, Youth Man, Elektrik and Namiwa Jazz.” Ed Geater texted following the interview with more Birmingham musical shout outs; his commitment to the local scene is clear.

But as celebratory and positive as his plans are, Ed Geater’s ‘story’ possesses a difficult truth for a lot of performers – the musical talent was there, but the ability to express it was hampered by self doubt, anxiety and depression. But it also shows that all ‘hurdles’ can be overcome.

“There is no time limit on chasing your dreams,” concludes Ed Geater. “I hope something about my story will resonate with people and create awareness of mental health issues.”

‘Symmetry’ / Ed Geater

Ed Geater begins his national UK tour on Thursday 9^th March, with a headline show at the Hare & Hounds (Kings Heath) on 24^th March – with support from Bear + Dee Ajayi + Amy Louise Ellis, as presented by Birmingham Promoters. For direct gig info and online ticket sales, click here.

For more on Ed Geater, visit www.edgeater.co.uk

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For more information on some of the issues discussed in this interview, check out the following links:

Mind / www.mind.org.uk

Rethink / www.rethink.org

Time For Change / www.time-to-change.org.uk

March 6, 2017March 6, 2017

BPREVIEW: The Pigeon Detectives @ O2 Institute 08.03.17

Words by Michelle Martin

Fresh off the release of their fifth studio album, Broken Glances, The Pigeon Detectives are landing in Birmingham for a live show on March 8^th at the O2 Institute. Their appearance will be supported by Franklin and AutoPilot.

Doors open at 7pm and tickets are prices at £15.00 (excluding fees), as presented by Birmingham Promoters. For direct gig info, including venue details and online ticket sales, click here.

The Pigeon Detectives are made up of lead vocals Matt Bowman, Oliver Main and Ryan Wilson on guitar, Dave Best on bass and Jimmi Naylor on drums.

The Rothwell based band formed in 2004 and burst onto the indie rock scene three years later with the release of their debut album, Wait for Me. It peaked at number three in the UK Top 40 Charts, reaching Gold status. That same year The Pigeon Detectives were nominated for Best New Act at the Q Awards and toured with Kaiser Chiefs on their Manchester and London dates.

In 2008 The Pigeon Detectives performed to over 15,000 fans in two days at Leeds Millennium Square, shortly before the release of their second album, Emergency. The album’s lead single, This is an Emergency, reached No. 14 in the UK Singles Chart.

That same year the band had a demanding schedule of festival appearances, including V Festival, T in the Park and Glastonbury Festival, culminating in a special performance at Alexandra Palace and a sold out UK and Ireland tour to conclude their Emergency promotion.

The Pigeon Detectives achieved their third consecutive Top 40 album with Up, Guards and at ‘Em! In 2011, and supported this with two successful UK tours and an appearance at Reading and Leeds Festival. Their fourth album, We Met at Sea, took the five piece back to their roots, opting to record at Cottage Road Studios in their hometown and touring in northern Europe and Russia.

Their latest record, Broken Glances, was released February 24^th 2017 – you can read my Birmingham Review of Broken Glances here.

The Pigeon Detectives return to Birmingham on 8^th March, showcasing their latest effort alongside a decade long back catalogue. Check out the double A side release from Broken Glances below:

‘Lose Control’ – The Pigeon Detectives

‘Wolves’ – The Pigeon Detectives

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The Pigeon Detectives will be playing at the O2 Institute on 8^th March, as presented by Birmingham Promoters. For direct gig info and online ticket sales, click here.

The Pigeon Detectives released Broken Glances on Friday 24^th February, out via Dance to the Radio. For more on The Pigeon Detectives, visit www.thepigeondetectives.com

For more on Dance to the Radio, visit www.dancetotheradio.com

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For more from the O2 Institute, including a full event programme and online ticket sales, visit www.academymusicgroup.com/o2institutebirmingham

For more from Birmingham Promoters, visit www.birminghampromoters.com

February 25, 2017

INTERVIEW: Rews

Words by Ed King / Pics by Paul Reynolds

“Like a little Tequila worm that crawls in, gets drunk, and stays in there forever.”

Is that them..? No. The problem with meeting strangers is you don’t know what they look like. I’ve sifted through Rews’ website, seen promo pics, videos and alternating styles, but I still couldn’t pick them from a line up.

Rews’ music however, especially the ‘earworm’ that is their latest single ‘Miss You in the Dark’, has burrowed quickly into my head – nudging ‘Can You Feel It?’ further down the canal. I’d recognise them if they walked up the stairs. But the only thing I can identify about the two people I’m here to interview, with any certainty, is that there are two of them. Luckily they spot me. I guess one is the loneliest number.

“Rews is inspired by a Dutch surname, spelt Reus,” explains Shauna Tohill – the arguable front woman and lead vocalist in the London based two piece. “It means the tall people or the giant people. Collette (Williams, the ‘vocalising beatrocker’ and other half) and I aspire to be giants in the world of music, so why not call ourselves Rews?” Is it family name, or..? “No, I found the scribbled on the wall of a toilet at Corsica Studios.”

I talk a lot about words, and (irony withstanding) it can be an often self defeating endevour. You are heard less the louder you shout. But the verb that jumps onto the table tonight is ‘fun’; Rews are a punchy, pop punk, rock band who ‘make a lot of noise for two people’. But it’s addictive, powerhouse, ferocious and fun. The F word again. I’ve only just met them and I’m half thinking we should turn off the recorder, go outside and find something to climb.

“We’re experimenting at the minute,” explains Shauna Tohill when I ask for a self description, “it’s getting more rock”. “It’s naturally forming into a heavier sound,” continues Collette Williams, “from the instrumentation and set up, from pedals through to heavier grooves and the sound that we’re trying to create. Especially in a live environment.” Precisely why I’m here; Rews’ music videos were the siren call but I want to see this on stage. “People say we make a lot of noise for two people. But we love that.”

“After we first jammed together, we were deciding about whether to go for a bass player but then thought, you know we can cover this,” continues Tohill. “Also it’s difficult enough to arrange for more people to be in a rehearsal, especially when you’re working a lot. We love playing with other musicians but I think right now it’s good the way it is.” I’ve never understood how most bands stay together; like family board games, table wine and Christmas, the end is inevitable. “Everything’s easier with two,” adds Williams, “we can both fit in a car with all our gear, there’s one less mouth to feed. Plus there are some incredible two piece bands around, like Royal Blood, who make you want to up your game and be creative, to really utilise what you have. Because when it comes to pedals, when it comes to triggers, when it comes to duel vocals we can have this gigantic sound… so why not try and do that.”

Gigantic’s a good word. On the surface there’s nothing genre shattering about Rews, with the more accessible pop punk (itself an oxymoron) having reared its less than ugly head several times before. And like contemporary classical, I think we need a new term. But Rews are ‘really fucking good’ to quote Ceol Caint’s review of single ‘Death Yawn’. Their sound is gigantic. If they can deliver their infectious foot stamp on stage, live, tonight could be impressive. Plus there’s something brewing on the horizon that we’re only teased with at this stage, but it sounds like a game changer.*

Rews are relatively new to each other too. And whilst both Shauna Tohill and Collette Williams have been serious about their music for a while, as Rews they have only been writing and performing for a few years – finding each other after moving independently to London.

“Both of us had been in bands for years,” tells Tohill, “and I was doing my solo thing for a long time (Silhouette). Then I came across this artist retreat in Cirencester and I moved there for four months to write and decide which direction to go in and I wanted to do with music. That was my first move out of Belfast I guess. This was before I met Collette.” My toes curl at the term ‘Artist Retreat’ and the sneer that is my oldest foe sits clear on my face. I don’t even need to ask the question.

“It was a really amazing experience actually,” continues Tohill – mercifully sidestepping my frown. “I got free accommodation, free food, free studio space, all in exchange for working the land. So I learnt how to grow vegetables and worked on community projects with alcohol and drug abusers, elderly people. It was really such an eye opening experience.” This sounds better than my assumption, I wonder if they have a room for prose writers. Would you ever go back? “It was really amazing, a great place to go and be away from people and just focus on what you want to do creatively. Collette and I have been talking about going back there to do some writing together as well.”

Shauna Tohil’s also toured with Snow Patrol and Darwin Deez, to add some cherries on the CV, whilst Collette Williams has worked with the respected music director, Kojo Samuels. “That was with Sony,” explains Williams, “trying to find the next massive girl band type thing. I was touring the country, playing drums, and looking for ‘authentic female talent’. Which was fantatsic; I’m a massive advocate for finding inspirational females. That also led to some work with Gabrielle Aplin – appearing on one of her videos where 30 drummers get their kits lit up and everything.” Williams appears on the official video for Aplin’s ‘Sweet Nothing’ – front and centre for a while but hair colour might mislead you. “Then mainly some pop session stuff,” continues Williams, “I worked with the guys from Union J but my background has mainly been session work. Although at the time I met Shauna I was the front woman for a Surrey based band called Sonder. But that was like chalk and cheese to this.”

So jump forward, how did you physically meet? When did the Rews seed get sewn? “We were introduced by a sister of someone I went to university with,” explains Williams, “Shauna had just started going to a new church and met her there. She (Shauna) was looking for a drummer at the time and my friend’s sister, who’s an amazing drummer as well, was kind enough to mention me and thought that Shauna and I might get on.” Might be too late to ask, but do you get on? “Extraordinarily well,” answers Williams, just calm enough to be believed, “especially for two people who a lot of time together.”

“We’re like sisters now,” continues Tohill, “we are so close. We have our sister fights, but we also have our sister love time too… that sounds really weird. We love each other though.” Something going on; in under ten minutes I’ve picked up a clear sense of candor, camaraderie and media savvy. Rews are professional but personal. We began this conversation with toilet humor, jokes about citrus fruit, blue rose references and self deprecation; it’s difficult not to like this kind of company. And when I finally get to see Rews on stage later tonight this partnership manifests into something palpable and honestly endearing.

But a relentless tour schedule can go through brothers like butter, and Rews are in Birmingham for only gig five on a 15 date schedule. Although Williams assures me “even when we’re not gigging, when we’re back home, we’ll hang out and be writing. We’re so close anyway it’s kind of weird if we don’t hang out for a couple of days. It just kind of doesn’t work”. “We’ve kind of grown into each other’s pockets,” adds Tohill, before a final retort from Williams brings the interview to an appropriately tongue in cheek close. “What she means is she steals all my money.”

We take some pics by the pool table. I bitch about gender politics and almost perpetuate a conversation I’m sick of hearing in the first place. The only thing left is to see Rews live, so we drink up and go our separate ways – me to the bar and Rews to the stage.

At this point I’m rooting for them too; I often judge people by how they interview, and having been half on board before I got to The Flapper right now I want Rews to firmly succeed. The world needs credible inspiration, role models and some ‘really fucking good’ music. Plus it’s a ferocious gig and there’s potentially something truly special here.

But time, tour circuits and another festival season will tell. And as Collette Williams patiently established, “people listen to our music, come to see us live, and it speaks for itself. That’s so important.”

‘Can You Feel It?’ – Rews

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dMAtei5wn4I&list=RDdMAtei5wn4I#t=1

*About a week after this interview, Rews announced they had signed to Marshall Records – the newly set up label from the amp manufacturer and rock retail giants. For more on this, click here and visit our Rews feature in THE GALLERY.

To read Damien Russel’s BREVIEW of Rews at The Flapper, click here.

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For more on Rews, visit www.rewsmusic1.wordpress.com

For more from The Flapper, including full event listing and online ticket sales, visit www.theflapper.co.uk

For more from Birmingham promoters, visit www.birminghampromoters.com

February 25, 2017

THE GALLERY: Rews @ The Flapper 15.02.17

Words by Ed King / Pics by Paul Reynolds

There’s an element of luck attached to most things in life: the lottery, love, moving next door to a Chihuahua stud farm (not always good luck). Then there’s endevour and hard graft.

Tonight has all three, as my somewhat petulant approach to language drags me halfway across Birmingham to argue adjectives… only to find Rews at the end of it. Theirs is the hard graft, which rains dividends on The Flapper crowd lucky enough to be here. To read Damien Russell’s BREVIEW, click here.

About a week after this gig Rews had a special announcement to make. We’d been tipped off about this during our interview (out later) and been given the clue ‘branding on stage’ before the show. Being a two piece there wasn’t much clutter – with a lone Marshall amp standing testament to a thinly veiled secret. By the end of the gig I’d smugly worked it out. Or at least I thought I had.

Turns out it’s not just free kit. Rews have been signed by Marshall Records – the legendary (not often you get to use that word and mean it) amp manufacturer who have been synonymous with interstellar rock acts since the 60’s.

“The deal with Marshall is focusing on releasing our debut album,” tells Collette Williams – the Animal/Ash Soan that makes up 50% of Rews, “which we are recording with producer Rob Cass between Abbey Road and Tileyard studios. We haven’t got a release date confirmed but it’s looking hopeful for autumn. Thank you to everyone for all of their support and to anyone who is just as excited as us.”

Marshall announced their new label in summer 2016, making Rews one of their first signings; the best metaphor I can land on is ‘crest of a wave’. Rews have the mustard to make it work too, and the thought of them releasing an album is… exciting times. But in the interim (or summer) my spidey sense says you’ll probably run into Rews somewhere surrounded by sheep.

Until then here’s some pics from Rews at The Flapper, with support from MUTT and Ember Weir – shot by Paul Reynolds for Birmingham Review.

Rews @ The Flapper 15.02.17 / Paul Reynolds

For more on Rews, visit www.rewsmusic1.wordpress.com

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MUTT – supporting Rews @ The Flapper 15.02.17 / Paul Reynolds

For more on MUTT, visit www.facebook.com/mutttheband

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Ember Weir – supporting Rews @ The Flapper 15.02.17 / Paul Reynolds

For more on Ember Weir, visit www.emberweir.bigcartel.com

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For more on Marshal Records, visit www.facebook.com/MarshallRecordLabel

For more from The Flapper, including full event listing and online ticket sales, visit www.theflapper.co.uk

For more from Birmingham promoters, visit www.birminghampromoters.com

February 25, 2017

BREVIEW: Rews @ The Flapper 15.02.17

Words by Damien Russell / Pics by Paul Reynolds

Isn’t it just always the way that whenever you have something specific to get to, something goes horribly wrong on the journey. Tonight was no exception, and a rush into Birmingham with an eye on the clock made for a bit of a shaky start to my evening. But with whole seconds to spare before ‘curtain up’… I made it.

Being a Wednesday night you never quite know how it’s going to go, but it wasn’t long before ‘propping up the bar’ became ‘standing in the way’. It was a good turnout for a weeknight and a broad-mix demographic too.

The evening was opened by Ember Weir, a three piece with a sound that seemed both heavy and not heavy at the same time, somehow. They hit the stage with an anthemic opener, moved straight into ‘13’ – an indie style rock song, then a total mood shift into a softer piano driven song that reminded me of early Train.

A diverse group whose best song in my opinion is their newly recorded number, ‘Problem’. They won the crowd over well and I look forward to seeing them again.

The melodic grunge/rock band MUTT were next to hit the stage and certainly kept the tempo up. Somewhat heavier in sound than Ember Weir, they built the evening well and their drummer was a real pleasure to watch, making some complicated playing look easy. They reminded me in some ways of a more relaxed X-Ray Spex, being slightly heavy, slightly punky, but MUTT delivered it at a steadier pace. Personally, I would love to see them throw a bit of prog, some tempo changes, and more intricate song structures into the mix.

The anticipation grew for Rews to hit the stage. What I knew of their songs had shown a big sound; I was looking forward to seeing this replicated onstage. But I hadn’t been able to work out quite how they would do this.

As headliners for the evening, Rews didn’t disappoint. They came on with a bang and it was remarkable the depth of sound the two of them made. I worked out later that the clever use of a Super Octaver guitar pedal and some fancy finger-work on the guitar itself were the secret, all rounded off by well-placed vocal harmonies.

Their first few songs weren’t ones that I knew but they were very much in keeping with what I was expecting; up-tempo rock meets pop and pop-punk. Accessible, uplifting and extremely well played.

Personally, I see a lot of singers and the ones that work for me are where you can see they are putting in some effort as the songs build. Don’t get me wrong, I love a good vocal range and technical ability certainly has its fans.

But for me, that’s nothing to the energy you get off someone really throwing themselves into their music. I absolutely got that vibe from Shauna Tohill and that was a pleasure to behold.

‘Can You Feel It?’ and ‘Shake Shake’ are the highlights of the set, and knowing these songs I was looking forward to hearing them live. Rews recreated them extremely well and ‘Shake Shake’ in particular stands out as having a slightly heavier dose of pop than much of the set. A real earworm.

Singer/guitarist Shauna Tohill has a great informal way of speaking with the audience; the whole evening felt like everybody there was a part of the overall show, not just watching a performance. Singer/drummer Collette Williams also put on a well-rehearsed, professional show and I found it hard to believe that it was really Rews’ first ever headline tour.

Rews overall have a knack for writing songs to make your head nod and your feet move. But I would have loved to hear a ballad or a tear-jerker in their set to give it that real dynamic edge; hopefully when they come back to Birmingham (and I certainly hope they do) they might open up their softer side just a little bit.

For more on Rews, visit www.rewsmusic1.wordpress.com

For more from The Flapper, including full event listing and online ticket sales, visit www.theflapper.co.uk

For more from Birmingham Promoters, visit www.birminghampromoters.com