I was not suprised to find that Nomad Jones was singing and playing his guitar on his own on stage, this seems to be a pre-requisite to support Tom. What I was suprised by, was Nomad's set, he could play and sing. He was also very engaging and held the audiences attention, whilst explaining the background for his songs. His songs varied from relationships with married women to his brother still living at home. All in all Nomad was worth getting into the venue early and does make me think that I have missed some good support acts, by staying in the pub for that one extra pint. Nomad also told everyone a little secret about his name, apparently his real name is Damon and as you should be able to see, Damon spelt backwards is Nomad. I wish people would stop trying to play with my head!

You can find out about Nomad Jones at http://www.myspace.com/nomadjones

Tom came on stage and immediately apologised about his voice, apperently him and Steve Reynolds had been having a 'who can be the illest' competition. They both had colds and Tom states that Steve went too far and decided to break his collarbone in order to win. Tom decided he was not that interested in winning it anymore after seeing his friend on gas and air after being sober for nine years.

The first two songs Tom performed were to check the range of his vocal chords. I didn't notice any mistakes or deviations in sound, thus setting my mind (and no doubt Tom's) at rest for the remainder of the gig. Tom was accompanied on stage by the two Ollies. As usual, Tom interacted with the audience and the banter was flowing throughout the gig. At one stage Tom described the Manchester audience as a rabble - he also got the crowd to sing a few lines for songs he would not be able to hit the notes on, which is one way of getting around the problem, I suppose.

I can't remember the entire set list but the following songs stood out on the night for me, One Mississippi, My Vampire Heart, Walking 2 Hawaii, Got A Suitcase, Got Regrets, End of the World News, Set the Story Straight, On and On, Deliver Me and The A & B Song. The best two songs from the encore were Bloodless (accompanied by an accordion) and The Boy with the Bubble Gun.

The gig, like all the previous gigs I have seen Tom perform, was excellent. His grainy voice, superb lyrics and music from the cello, guitar and piano (with support from a glockenspiel and accordion) made a magnificent show.

Gig rating

Permalink to 'Gig Review: Tom McRae / Nomad Jones'

Admit it, you secretly like Keane. Oh, you'd never let that slip out to your friends, but I know your shame. I'm in the same boat. So I donned my baseball cap and large dark sunglasses and headed out to the show. A show that almost didn't happen.

(Photo credit: rodrigolab)

Originally, it was to take place at the Greek Theater, a gorgeous open-air amphitheater nestled in the hills above LA. But California always seems to be burning somewhere, and this past week, a wildfire sparked up the hills and almost took the place out. At the last minute, they had to relocate the show to the Gibson, an indoor theater at Universal Studios.

I had no idea Keane were so popular here. First time they played LA, most of the crowd was within 30 feet of the stage. This time around, they play a venue big enough to handle Radiohead or Oasis. And almost every seat had an arse in it.

I've seen Keane before and know that they put on a good show. Tonight is no different. They blew the roof off. For three lads with no guitars, they make a glorious racket. Pretty straight forward set, as you might expect. All the hits off 'Hopes and Fears' and 'Under the Iron Sea' get a good seeing to. But the fans, they were a site to behold. I don't know about other cities, but in LA, Keane fans are rabid and infectious. Two songs in and the sunglasses are off, the baseball cap is God-knows-where, and I'm jumping up and down like House of Pain are on stage. Incredible. And they never let up; the band coming back for three encores. At the end, Tom Chaplin exclaims that this is the best crowd they've ever played to. Everybody gets all warm and fuzzy, the show ends, and everyone leaves with a smile on their face.

And isn't that what it's really about? Just a night of fun and damn-fine entertainment? I can proudly say that I'm a Keane fan. Only a handful of bands consistently put on shows this good. Next time they stop off here, I'll be there. But let's just keep that between us, ok?

Permalink to ' Live Review: Keane @ Gibson Amphitheater, Los Angeles'

During the first 4 songs or so, I got the impression that the Fratelli's were bored. Well, either that or they were completely baffled. I noticed Jon Fratelli scan the room and tiny mezzanine while singing. You could almost hear what he was surely thinking; "Why the hell aren't these people moving?"

It's actually a pretty typical thing for a show like this. Whenever a high profile British band first comes to town, you can bet a good portion of the room are industry knobs who just sort of stand there, arms folded, slightly bobbing their heads. Even in the crowd, you have to look cool. You know, in case Minnie Driver decides to stand next to you. That aside, a few genuine fans did manage to get hold of some tickets which was good to see, especially in a place this small.

Granted, the Fratelli's aren't the most charismatic lot to grace a stage. They're not up there jumping around and spitting into the audience for effect. But man do they bang out the tunes live. They were flawless, and loud. Playing it safe, they stuck to the songs off Costello Music. They kicked off with Henrietta, a great opener, but lost the crowd a bit after that until finally, when they played Whistle for the Choir, 6 songs in, and got the excitement of the crowd back. They followed that up with Chelsea Dagger and the place went mental, the crowd pogo-ing and singing along. The most perfect moment in the set was the first song of the encore.

Jon sauntered out onto a black stage lit by one, solitary white spot light and performed For the Girl on an acoustic guitar. It was beautiful, and totally unexpected.

I uploaded this short clip on YouTube of the Fratellis' entrance to the stage and got an immediate comment from deyoungparker who was also at the show and said "That was a great show! Also the last time they'll play at a venue that small in LA. Amazing night." Pretty much sums it up.

Opening band, La Rocca, put on a solid performance. It's a shame only 40 people witnessed it.

Sandwiched in between were the Pipettes. You can have the Pussycat Dolls, I'll take these girls any day of the week. Ok, maybe their brand of girlie sing-songs won't be so popular here, but you can't help but to root for them. They were infectious and feisty. And hot.

All in all, it was a great night of music set in an intimate venue. A bargain for the $12 ticket price. Now if you'll excuse me, I need to fold my arms and bob my head, The View are coming on stage.

What others at the show had to say:

I was chatting with Heather who works on the Late Late Show with Craig Ferguson on CBS (Channel 2 in LA) before the show. She said she just got back from SXSW in Austin and saw the Fratelli's there as well. She loved them. She also said they must have been exhausted, playing some 14 different sets in the few days they were there.

Who else you listening to at the moment?

"Mando Diao, Mohair."

William of Los Angeles was a little disapointed that I wasn't actually English. He saw the Fratelli's once before at the Birmingham Academy. He thought the show was brilliant but wished they would have played a few of their b-sides.

Who else you listening to at the moment?

"Lily Allen, The Pipettes."

Ben and Patricia of Huntington Beach also thought the show "awesome". They discovered the Fratelli's through a supermarket commercial that featured one of their songs.

Who else you listening to at the moment?

"Lily Allen"

Permalink to 'Live Review: The Fratellis, the Troubadour, Los Angeles'

At just past half nine last night, Mika bounded onstage to rapturous applause and cheers from an audience made up of men and women of all ages.

The gig was initially billed as being in the gloriously intimate Academy 3, but was of course moved to the largest Academy following Mika's huge success. For those of us who bought our tickets months ago, the Academy change was expected, but a bit disappointing.

While waiting for Mika to come onstage, girls in blonde wigs and bright pink dresses were around handing out lollipops to a delighted crowd. The same girls appeared on stage much later in the show, much to the envy of all the girls in the crowd eyeing up those pink Bo-Peep dresses.

The show kicked off with Relax (Take it Easy), and I for one was stunned by the sheer power and accuracy of Mika's voice, even when in falsetto range. I almost convinced myself he was miming at one point. Of course, he wasn't- he is simply one of few pop stars who can actually sing.

Love Today and Billy Brown, both popular songs from Life In Cartoon Motion, really got the crowd going. Mika himself also looked to be having a jolly good time. Grace Kelly, of course, inspired the most dancing and singing from the crowd. It became apparent at this point that a substantial amount of people had bought tickets for this show based solely on hearing that track.

The highlight of the show was actually the encore. The fans nearer the front had been calling out for Lollipop to be played throughout the whole set, and now they got their wish. This cheesy but altogether feel-good little number was accompanied by masses of glitter sprayed into the crowd, dozen of lollipops thrown by Mika himself, and huge balloons floating across the room. Enough to lift anyone's spirits, this was a brilliant end to a brilliant show.

Mika has once again proved himself to be worthy of his hype.

Permalink to 'Gig: Mika - Manchester Academy, 27th February 2007'

Ben Folds must have been a very good boy this Christmas.

A pretty expensive looking synthesiser, took pride of place on the stage on Ben's "Tour de Farce" show. Before you start to panic though, Ben and his band aren't going all weird and eighties on us. As one of the doyens of geek-rock, he just probably wanted to show off his latest toy.

For those not in the know, Ben Folds (and previous "punk for sissies" outfit Ben Folds Five) have been on the rock scene for many years now. His songs about girls who look like Axl Rose, fat obnoxious Americans and goths trying to find acceptance have won the hearts of nerds and dweebs worldwide, and he has built up somewhat of a cult following. His latest album "supersunnyspeedgraphic", an amalgamalm of three recent EPs has proved that he has become a little bit more grown up over time, but isn't quite ready to don his fluffy slippers just yet.

Two great things about Ben's gigs. Number one: the playlist is never the same. Although a handful of old fan favourites such as "Army" (which everyone is expected to sing along to or else be cast out of the venue in morbid shame) and "Brick" always make the cut, you never know what tunes he is going to bash out on his trusty piano, and the band is always happy to play a few drunken audience requests too. Number two: The banter is always good. A lot of acts that have been around for as long a time as Ben usually moodily bash their way through a couple of songs, and then stomp off back to their tour bus and groupies. Between songs, Ben lovingly showed the audience his synthesiser, complained about the trampolines hung up on the stage, eagerly showed off on his piano and admitted that he always called Mancunians "Manchurians" by mistake. The silly boy.

Anyway, at running the risk of waxing lyrical - great gig, good support act and the beer was relatively tolerable. If you like piano-based music and find the likes of Keane and Coldplay a little bit boring, then Ben and his piano might be just the remedy.

Just don't mess with his synthesizer, whatever you do.

Permalink to 'Ben Folds - Saturday 27th January 2007, Manchester Apollo'

Last Friday we found ourselves at the Bowling Green, Grafton Street, Manchester attending Club Cavaral, courtesy of Northern Hoodoo and The Vipers. With a line up including Tom Hyatt, the Generalissimos, Band(ism), and Manchester's own burlesque act, The Glitter Kittens, how could we refuse?

Tom Hyatt

First up was a solo acoustic set by Tom Hyatt (on his 18th birthday no less). A simple yet brave set of well-performed songs, executed perfectly, show strong talent in such a young fellow. A good opener, and one to watch in the future.

• myspace.com/thefirebrats

The Generalissimos

Next up, rock trio The Generalissimos were a good deal more upbeat, with a relatively tight performance and solid set of songs. A little less than memorable, perhaps, but with a little development and a touch of polish could do well.

• myspace.com/generalissimos

Etc.

Afraid to say getting a photo of the Glitter Kittens was tricky, with the narrow layout of the Bowling Green and the throngs of people angling for an ogle. If you're into that sort of thing, however, you can check out their pics on the Glitter Kittens MySpace.

Our wanderlust kicked in after the burlesque was over, so we didn't catch Band(ism) this time around - better luck next time, eh?

Next Month

Next month (24th February, Bowling Green), Club Cavaral returns, with Revenge of the Psychotronic Man, The Lief Ericsson, and The Vipers. 8am till 2am, admission is £3.50.

Permalink to 'Club Cavaral, Bowling Green, Manchester, January 27th'

Punk rocksters The Vipers are at the Night & Day on January 10th - and if Myspace is anything to go by, it should be a good gig. Also coming up this month:

Friday 12th

Club Fandango Presents... The Late Greats/The Zetlands/Optional Wallace plus Guests
8pm - 2am £6

Friday 26th

Hot Club De Paris plus Guests
8PM - 2AM (adv £7)

Monday 31st

GLASSWERK.CO.UK PRESENTS… QUIT YOUR DAY JOB plus guests
8pm - 2am (adv £6)

Any other gig tips? Email us, and we'll post 'em up here.

Permalink to 'Forthcoming: Night & Day Cafe, Manchester'

Thursday at the Night & Day Café this week saw a bevy of local rock talent, and we were fortunate enough to be there to sample the delights. Here's a roundup of the bands we were fortunate enough to see, with lovely linky goodness and pics.

From a Family of Candlemakers

Sweet, sweet acoustic songs with delicate melodies about in a pleasingly pleasant opening act. I am now officially a fan of electric mandolins - they rock my world.

The Formative Years

I was impressed with the Formative Years. A great, lively set of songs (Don't Let Go is particularly memorable), performed well. Definitely rocking and with the talent to take them far - my only concern is their particular genre is a road well travelled, and one that may require a more unique sound. All considered though - super gig, I enjoyed it. Watch out for a review of The Formative Year's EP in the near future.

• theformativeyears.co.uk
• myspace.com/theformativeyearsband

Samuel Sharp

Competent playing but lacklustre stage presence and niche style made for a slightly disappointing performance, but clear signs of technical talent demonstrated with very a tight, together performance.

• samuelsharp.co.uk
• myspace.com/samuelsharpnoise

Julius Martov & The Sexy Mistakes

Previously featured rock-electro fusion soundsters Julius Martov and The Sexy Mistakes put on a good show, with the Casio-esque synthetic beats proving a pleasant change from more conventional drummers. The performance was as slick as one would hope, and seeing them live was certainly a bonus - I'm a fan of the lo-fi synth noises and beats and daringly different songs.

• myspace.com/thesexymistakes

All things considered, a rollickingly good night out with some great live bands. It was my first time in the Night & Day café - but with a bunch of great events lined up, I suspect it won't be my last time.

Permalink to 'Night & Day Cafe, Manchester, January 4th'

January 2007

• Isobel Campbell and Mark Lanegan (London 23rd)
• Eagles of Death Metal (Bristol 23rd; Oxford 25th)
• Bloc Party (Southampton 27th; Norwich 28th; London 31st)

February 2007

• Bloc Party (London 1st & 2nd; Folkestone 3rd; Reading 5th; Cardiff 6th; Bristol 7th; Exeter 9th; Birmingham 10th; Nottingham 11th; Cambridge 13th; Manchester 14th; Newcastle 21st; Sheffield 22nd)
• The Guillemots (Norwich 4th; Newcastle 5th; Manchester 9th; Bristol 11th; Nottingham 12th; Birmingham 14th; Sheffield 15th; London 16th)
• Amy Winehouse (Cambridge 17th; Southampton 18th; London 19th; Birmingham 21st; Liverpool 23rd; Manchester 25th; Newcastle 26th)

March 2007

• Amy Winehouse (Sheffield 3rd; Nottingham 5th; Cardiff 6th; London 8th & 9th)
• Eagles of Death Metal (Birmingham 1st; Manchester 3rd; Leeds 4th; Glasgow 5th; Nottingham 6th; Newcastle 7th; Cambridge 9th; Portsmouth 10th; London 11th)

Permalink to 'Recommended Gigs: January-March 2007'