Hope in the Air

Not too long after my trip to the Pyramids, a mere two days in fact, I was back in Portsmouth to see an old favourite, in the form of Laura Marling.

Now, a little history, are you ready? The venue was none other than The Wedgewood Rooms. An absolute favourite venue of mine, tiny, dingy and always promises an epic gig. In fact, the venue where I first saw Reel Big Fish play. Now that really WAS a long time ago. This is the venue, is none other, than where rock legends Nirvana played their first ever UK gig, which set off a long-standing love affair with the infamous American Rock band. AND fact fans, if that wasn’t quite enough for you, I used to live on the very road next to The Wedgewood Rooms, none other than Harold Road (I was however BANNED from going and knocking on the door and seeing who lived in my old house. Boo.)

However, back to the music. The evening started with a support band called The Pins. A three-piece girl band, belonging to that newfound rockabilly subculture. Of 1940’s styling, their music was beautifully harmonised and wonderfully sung. They played a good set and plugged their EP and fan sites a good few times – they were good and they showed good potential, you could see from the fact that they were a tad samey in their songs that they are a young band, although many a band have progressed through a career of producing samey songs and succeeded.

Definitely a band, from more, I would check out, however I feel there may be a slight name change a-brewing, as after a few attempts googling I have found another band of the same name. Never a good start, when introducing yourself to the music world, I look forward to a time when more of their music is available.

The Pins

A few beats later and on came Laura Marling. Here I feel I must be honest, I was a tad worried about seeing Laura perform again. I saw her a long time ago, when she was supported by Jay Jay Pistolet. This was the first time I saw her perform and was in love with her style, the fact that she was so unassuming and you felt like she was really showing you a part of her soul.

Anyway, I was worried that since the likes of Radio 1 and the mainstream world have clocked on to her that she wouldn’t be as pure as she was before.

She opened with ‘Devil Spoke’, which was beautiful and moving and I was instantly reassured that this was one who would not be affected by the likes of ‘fame’. Laura then explained that the band would be playing a few new tracks, which she appreciated was annoying when you go to a gig, as she goes to gig’s herself and understands how it feels, however the new tracks were awesome and beautiful and everything you expect from a folk singer who has definitely found her way and is carving her musical path.

A heckler exclaimed partway through the gig ‘I love you Laura’ to which she was left awkward, a little unnerved and explained ‘I never really know how to reply when people shout things out’. You could literally feel the crowd simultaneously falling in love with her and offering her a hug.

The gig was beautiful, pure and everything I hoped it would be. Laura has the ability to make you forget you are in a sweaty, crowded gig and in fact takes you to another place entirely (admittedly, she makes me feel like I should be lying in a field, staring into the sky and smoking weed – but she just has that floaty folk vibe, I’m not a stoner, yea?!)

Another fabulous gig, by a girl who can only go onto the bigger and better things. The gig ended by Laura exclaiming, ‘We are trying to revolutionise the gig world and we believe we are not big enough to do an encore.’ Explaining, maybe if (they) were as big as Madonna (they) could warrant standing off stage for 5 minutes before coming back on to play. Something she was doing the first time I saw her.

I have to say, in a world where some musicians seem to believe they are God’s gift to the world it is so wonderfully refreshing to see an artist so humble and completely unassuming of her talent. Long may she continue to produce some beautiful music.

Laura Marling

Hearts and Minds. Dreams and Music

Hello blogging world… I apologise for the delay in me writing this, I’m having a few life issues – one of those being a lack of my mac, its poorly and so has been taken away to be fixed, which will take UP TO 4 weeks. I’m on day 6 and I feel a bit like I have lost a limb, possibly two. However, this does not detract from the fact that I have blogs to write… so here goes (on a pc that I’m trying to get my head back round to using)…

A good few weeks ago now or so ago, after a bizarre day at work my Mum, Dad and I travelled to P-Town to the Pyramid Centre to see Seth Lakeman doing his current rounds promoting Hearts and Minds.

Now here, I have to make a slight confession, up until going to the gig, I hadn’t really heard a lot of Seth’s music. I could tell you quite a bit about him, but my pure reason for getting these tickets (apart from the fact they were a birthday present for my dad…) his support act was Delta Maid. One of my new music crushes. So primarily my reason for this particular gig was to see her, the first time I’ve been more excited by the support act rather than the main attraction.

I can’t say that the Pyramids are my favourite of gig venues, I think I have been rather spoilt of the most recent venues I have been to. It was a fine sized room and all, but the acoustics were naff, however, Delta came on and performed beautifully. You really can’t beat a girl on stage with her guitar singing country/blues. Interjected with the stories behind the songs, including Any Way I Want To and Stop Worryin’ Baby.

A blonde Liverpudlian, you would be hard pressed to believe this girl was of British origin when she starts to sing. However, Liverpool is famous for its musical greats and this girl and her guitar are no different. I now have two copies of the same E.P. one downloaded and one hard… I can’t begin to tell you just how excited I am about the album release due in March.

I have read many things written about Delta on the net, in an aim to get to learn more, however most seems to be the same article re-written, so here I am to write something new. This girl is totally awesome, she has an amazing style which she is (as the internet tells you) self-taught… aren’t the best always the self-taught ones? (Lennon and Clapton are the two that currently spring to mind) She has amazing lyrics that really hit home and a beautiful singing voice and she is definitely hotly tipped as ‘one to watch’, well in my humble opinion she is.

All of a sudden the atmosphere shifted and on to stage came 4 young guys, who played a fabulous set to a crowd who were just as up for the performance, if not more so than the band themselves. The band settled in to their first few tracks and it showed all the promises of a fabulous gig. Which it most definitely was.

I have never seen someone play the violin and sing. At the same time. Does that not seriously impress anyone else? Surely the violin is one of the most difficult instruments to learn to play, most can only master a noise to replicate that of a cat being strangled or possibly worse, but here was this gorgeous sea shanty music coming from some of the best violin playing I’ve seen in a long time…

I have to admit, being somewhat of a novice where Seth was concerned, by the end of the gig I was well and truly involved and had it not been for the lack of my Mac, his extensive album range would most definitely already have been on my iPod.

Without a shadow of a doubt two artists I will be seeking out in the future (in fact, Seth is playing, not too far from me on the night of my next birthday… so definitely a possibility of a celebration to be had….)