LIVE REVIEWS

Image: Teddy Thompson by Iam Burn

TEDDY THOMPSON, ROSEANNE REID @ THE FIRE STATION, SUNDERLAND (20.01.22)

Words: Damian Robinson

Roseanne Reid (daughter of the Proclaimers’ Craig Reid) starts off this evening’s fine double header with a lovely blend of Scottish folk and Americana country. Confident and poised, Reid’s set (including music produced by Teddy Thompson) is the perfect warm-up as she moves us through tales of personal achievement and regret.

Starting off his set with the lovely Delilah, headliner Thompson is a beacon of self-assurance, with his on-stage persona matching the heart of his songwriting style. Humorous, truthful, centred and needing no external approval, Thompson’s stage manner, alongside his songs, are equal matches of heartbreak-to-heartmake, assured-to-broken, humorous-to-serious in a style that sees him confident to tell you his innermost thoughts without regret or restraint.

Performing on acoustic guitar, Thompson’s set is supported by guitar whizz kid Zak Hobbs, whose blend of electric rock ‘n’ roll licks and Hank Marvin-styled solos lifts Thompson’s live performance into grand realms. Stand outs Heartbreaker Please, In My Arms and What Now all achieve excellence through a combination of strong acoustic rhythm guitar, great melodic vocals and lovely drips of electric guitar from Hobbs. Pair those features alongside beautiful reinterpretations of his back catalogue and a compelling stage persona, and you have a lovely evening by a wonderful performer.

NORTHERING, ADA GRACE FRANCIS @ BOBIK’S, NEWCASTLE (09.01.22)

Words: Ali Welford

Bobik’s regulars have had plenty of opportunities to catch Ada Grace Francis over the past couple of years, with the Edinburgh-born, Manchester-based artist having become something of a fixture. Certainly, this harp-only set is her finest I’ve witnessed to date; a sublime Sunday afternoon saunter, regardless of whether she’s interpreting the catalogues of Robert Burns and Joni Mitchell or showcasing a series of elegant originals. A Case of You naturally draws the loudest applause, yet it’s one of her own, the exquisitely slight Red Robin, that’s this illuminating performance’s most radiant moment.

By contrast this is my first exposure to rising duo Northering. Fortunately, novelty isn’t enough to mask the sense of a project gathering momentum, as Maius Mollis and Anna Hughes mark their inaugural headliner with a comprehensive round-up of their activities to date – from Porquin, the first song they performed together as part of their Newcastle University course, to fresh formative forays into writing as a pair. Their harmonies coalesce beautifully, yet on this evidence it’s sonic craft which sets Northering apart. Upcoming debut single Ghosts is case in point – adapted from a Robert W. Service poem, Maius’s vocal and acoustic guitar are isolated expertly by Anna’s minimal amalgamation of droning harmonium and rumbling and crackling found sounds, united to suitably absorbing, spine-tingling effect. Hushaby, a traditional lullaby honed with a chilling lute sample, likewise displays their skill in transcending folk’s more orthodox contours – hinting at a duo whose prospects as well as creative frontiers show few limits.

ROXY GIRLS, AMATEUR TREPANNING @ BOBIK’S, NEWCASTLE (14.01.22)

Words: Ali Welford

No matter how often you see them live or hear their records, Roxy Girls never lose their capacity to surprise. Tonight’s headline performance lasts little over 30 minutes, but that’s enough to pack in than more than some bands muster in three to four hours. It’s all but impossible to keep pace with their frenetic art punk nuggets. Even the likes of Responsibilities and Trials And Tribulations – by now staples in the Mackem quartet’s set – are chalked off in a blink-and-you’ll-miss-it gallop, while their penchant for absurdly swift, abrupt endings ensures their crowd is never afforded the time to settle. All the big issues are covered, from banging sandwiches and trips to Greggs to Takeshi’s Castle. Occasionally, numbers cut out at the precise juncture you realise you’re loving them – a frustration, or a contributing quirk to one of the North East’s most thrillingly unpredictable live prospects? I’d plump for the latter.

Having aired his eponymous debut from front-to-back at a clutch of 2021 shows, songwriter Ben Lowes-Smith uses tonight’s support slot as an opportunity to shuffle the Amateur Trepanning pack. It’s bassist Liberty Hodes’ first appearance as part of the backing ensemble, and it’s her looped lines which form the bedrock for these crunchy synth-infused gems, from Bowling Alone And Dying Alone’s winning one-two tonal contrast to Church Hall/Bingo Hall’s immaculately observed sketch of local gentrification. A delight however it’s ordered, it’d be a mighty shame were this lockdowninduced project to prove a one-off.

The Howl and the Hum by Tracy Hyman

THE HOWL AND THE HUM, EDIE BENS @ KU BAR, STOCKTON (19.01.22)

Words: Tracy Hyman

“The North East welcomes us like nowhere else does,” acknowledges singer Sam towards the end of the set, just before the two songs, Hostages and Godmanchester Chinese Bridge, that are always sure to give you that warm fuzzy feeling. It’s a special moment when everyone is connected in music, a chorus of sound, affirming how important live gigs are.

As part of the Revive Live series of shows The Howl And The Hum came to KU Bar with tour support Edie Bens, who declares that she is from London although originally from Wales. Edie is a young singer-songwriter, with a warm, gentle voice. Her folk-tinged melodic pop songs talk about life and past loves and a golf playing ex-boyfriend who drives an Audi. Who does that? she asks.

The Howl And The Hum are back to their original line-up, and as if to further demonstrate their self-proclaimed ‘miserable disco’ sound, a logo of sad disco balls are projected behind them as they brought their unique stories of Fiat Puntos and boy racers to the stage. Sam’s voice soars above the guitars and synths, lifting the songs, from the fast-paced and upbeat Hall of Fame to the slower sounds of the beautiful, delicate Sweet Fading Silver.

HOLIDAY IN TOKYO, ABNORM @ BOBIK’S, NEWCASTLE (29.12.21)

Words: Jake Anderson

Gigs were getting cancelled left and right, thanks to everyone’s least favourite acquaintance. But someone must’ve been listening to my prayers (for once). Leading off the night was Abnorm, opening with Gasoline, the hard-hitting punk-infused rock banger immediately overtook the intimate venue. Playing their newest singles allowed the band to meander back to a heavier pop focus, with songs like Everything Temporary being just as infectious as their studio versions, and which suddenly got everyone moving to the lively instrumentation.

Holiday In Tokyo used this gig to shine a spotlight on unreleased material, which gave the set a rockier edge to their normal indie pop sound. Opening with Sunset Sarsaparilla/Biggest Fan, the band established the tone well by building on the already positive vibes. Carrying on into The Swing, which flaunted great guitar work and snappy drums, providing a great amount of danceability. Late Night Cooking also featured fantastic writing, delivered perfectly, and bringing a feeling of introspect to the set. Capping off the night, the band ended with Make My Day, and by this point everyone was dancing. We all chanted the song’s earworm of a chorus, and by the time it was over we were chanting again: “One more song”.

VIAGRA BOYS @ NEWCASTLE UNIVERSITY STUDENTS’ UNION (16.12.21)

Words: Cameron Wright

The drunken, almost sultry aura of deranged hedonism that exudes from Sebastian Murphy the moment he strides onto the stage, encapsulates and exemplifies exactly the chauvinistic, punk lunacy that the Viagra Boys’ albums aim to dismantle and parody.

With their 2021 record, Jazz Welfare, becoming one of the genre’s defining releases, the crowd were ecstatic from the start. The project narrates the fall into debauchery and self-loathing that has been infamously reported and fetishised through the decades, and as the band prowl around stage, you can see why. Launching from song to song, the band command the audience with dictatorship levels of power and assertion, seldom seen by a band so early in their career. As that mastery of a crowd merged with the tight, driving rhythms of Toad and the anthemic choruses of I Ain’t Nice, it became increasingly evident that Viagra Boys have tapped into something special.

Heavily tattooed, shirtless and snarling, the band’s frontman was a forceful wave of uncouth magnetism. Delivering one of the night’s highlights, a searing saxophone solo brought the show to a deliberate halt, holding the audience in silence, until the thundering bass of Down In The Basement picked up and the band jolted into action.

With the storyline of the latest release being beautifully transposed to the stage, the band balance their self-aware caricature performances with the skill, bravado and charm to provide a truly electrifying show.

Firestarters Revue by Thomas Jackson

FIRESTARTERS REVUE @ THE FIRE STATION, SUNDERLAND (17.12.21)

Words: Damian Robinson

Taking to the stage to open Sunderland’s stunning new multi-purpose live venue, Field Music – tonight going under the moniker Firestarters Revue (a collect-all title for themselves and their various collaborators) – showcase their musical brilliance with a show of such high standard that you feel sorry for anyone who ever has to appear on the same stage.

Showcasing the absolutely superb acoustics of the Fire Station, as well as its spacious stage setting, the assorted artists played a rollicking, eclectic set featuring ‘fire’ referencing tracks, and stunning funk grooves.

The highlights occur across the night, and included the return to stage of Martin Brammer, a bluesy version of Kasabian’s Fire by Faye Fantarrow, a spiky version of the Only Way Is Up, a kick ass Can I Kick It by Reali-T and a rollicking version of INXS’s New Sensation. Perhaps the real ‘wow’ moment comes with the collective’s Fire Medley, a combination of pieces including Arthur Brown’s Fire, The Prodigy’s Firestarter and an amazing version of Light My Fire with Frankie Francis channelling Jim Morrison.

It was an incredible night both in terms of music, goodwill and putting Sunderland on the map both for its home-grown sounds and in anticipation of the music that it can host in the future. Superb.

BILL BAILEY @ UTILITA ARENA, NEWCASTLE (20.12.21)

Words: Helen Redfern

En route to Normal. As if. There’s a palpable nervousness in this audience as we wonder if we should even be here. With a light touch, Bill Bailey reminds us how much we’ve missed the joy of shared live experience – and how to clap again! Affirming “It’s been a while, you’ve forgotten how to do this”, whilst delivering a slapstick performance of clapping all over his body, he prompts us to forget everything that’s wrong with the world for an evening, have some fun and connect with nature, music and each other in this fantastical world that he concocts before our eyes.

And let’s face it, no one could ever accuse Bill Bailey of being normal. That’s what we love about him – his absurd, quirky, eccentric way of seeing the world, like a medieval court jester who seems mad and yet speaks truth. He may be more mainstream now following his Strictly Come Dancing appearance, acknowledging this by striking the pose at every opportunity for all the Strictly fans in the audience, but the content of this whimsical show – which is deeply rooted in the shitstorm of the pandemic and politics – is far from conventional. The audience never knows what’s coming next – it could be anything from in depth exploration of hedonic (pleasure seeking) and eudaemonic (doing good/wellbeing) happiness, a total roasting of Coldplay’s hits or Bailey’s original Eurovision song offering – in French – about a mundane encounter between a boy and a bird!

What’s truly surprising is the range and exceptional talent of Bill Bailey’s musical skills. He’s not alone on stage; surrounded by a vast and diverse selection of instruments, he works his way through them all, exploring major and minor chords and different styles of music – his ragtime treatment of rock classics shouted out from the audience was my personal favourite – in his inimitable absurdist way. Classically trained, starting on the piano aged four, it is music that holds everything together for Bill Bailey, with his passion for heavy metal heavily indulged – his rendition of The Wheels On The Bus in the style of Kraftwerk is so ridiculous, it’s joyous!

Not simply a jester then, but a minstrel too, Bill Bailey proves himself an all-round entertainer, loving every minute of performing to a live audience and definitely in no hurry to leave the stage. None of us will ever take this for granted again.