Backbeat, Duke of York Theatre

Backbeat is the story of the Beatles, unarguably the most popular band of all time. The show is a cross between historical documentation and retrospective musical compilation, which predominates I still can’t work out. Following Ian Softley’s 1994 film of the same name, the production is rocking the Duke of York’s Theatre in the West End.

The show centres around the ‘Germany years’ in the early 60’s when the Beatles were starting out, an unnoticed Skiffle band. Aside from the brilliant Beatles songs, this show manages to fit in some rock’n’roll classics by other artists; Chuck Berry’s ‘Johnny B Goode’and Isley Brother’s ‘Twist and Shout’ were two of my favourites.

The cast is stellar, a tight knit ensemble of muso-actors, who sing and play and act with equal vigour, I was very impressed. The stand out performance for me comes from Andrew Knott as the sarcastic but loyal John Lennon. Knott is completely committed to the role and is a joy to watch perform on stage. Nick Blood also gives a shudderingly good performance as the dark and distracted Stuart Sutcliffe, he comes across as a suitably tormented artist.

Having watched Ruta Gedmintas in the TV series Lip Service (I had a bit of a girl crush on her), I was delighted to see her strutting her stuff on stage as the femme fatale of the show, Astrid Kirchherr. She certainly has attitude and an instant magnetism, perhaps thanks to her steely good looks and piercing green eyes. Gedmintas is a good actress but her faltering accent led my concentration to stray a frustrating number of times.

The show resembles the format of ‘Million Dollar Quartet’ and ‘Jersey Boys’; giving an insight into a world famous band. For me it was a revelatory history lesson to learn more about a group of musicians who have always intrigued me. Aside from that, it was great fun, and with musicians this good they give the real Beatles a run for their money!

BACKBEAT continues until Saturday 29th March, book here.

Latitude Festival, Henham Park, Southwold

I was no longer laughing at the poor mud-covered Glastonbury lot, as we made our way to the Latitude Festival with the weather predicted to be of a similarly dreadful nature. We arrived early on the Saturday morning, expecting traffic queues and the usual complications, but were pleasantly surprised to find the ‘get in’ quick and blissfully easy, parking just a two minute walk from the campsite - it was painless finding a space on the grass, and we quickly had our cute £19.99 Sainsbury’s tent up.

The weather cannot help but affect your festival experience, and after three hours of constant rain on Saturday, I began to wonder if it would ever cease. Nevertheless if any festival is going to break the downpour blues, it’s Latitude with the multicoloured sheep and cheery attitude. Proving itself to be an event that is ‘much more than just a music festival,’ Latitude provided well for its soggy visitors, putting on an impressive spread of events covering every area of the arts, catering to all interests and ages. Now in its sixth year, the variety was more varied than ever - I was overwhelmed by the choice.

The advantage of the persistent, diabolical rain was that many of the more specialist ( and covered) arenas really benefitted... in the Theatre Arena the ‘Matador’ performer even asked us “honestly how many of you are just here to get out of the rain?” (A few sheepish men raised their hands). The second stage, the Word Arena, was often full too, supporting those less high profile bands that often have a great deal more to offer than the big names on the main stage - headliners The National, Paolo Nutini and Suede, I felt were underwhelming this weekend.

With the help of a very picturesque “faraway” forest, the theatre area is dreamily atmospheric. The leafy Outdoor theatre showcased work from some inspiring artists, Luci Briginshaw was widely appreciated, singing some familiar opera classics and delighting the audience with her piercing top notes. The Gate Theatre also did well on this makeshift stage presenting their haunting production of Electra.

The work seen in the Theatre Arena was of an amazingly high standard: low budget productions with high impact. Two pieces were especially memorable for me; both were about the power and influence of money. ‘Crunch’ is a solo performance by writer/performer/director Gary McNair. He sets out five sets and encourages us to follow these to let ourselves be liberated from the tyranny of money. After 45 minutes of hugely engaging and witty theatre, we are invited up on stage to shred money from our own pockets, it is credit to McNair that three audience members actually did go up to destroy their own hard-earned cash, including one mad girl who freed herself of a lovely crisp £20 note and left the platform with a handful of shredded paper and a satisfied smile.

Then across the park on the Waterfront Stage, a few lucky acts managed to perform in the moments of dry weather. The FELA! Cast gave a particularly uplifting performance from the musical which returns to the stage at Sadler’s Wells on 20 July.

Those in need of a laugh were in luck as the Comedy Arena had a star studded line –up. I crouched at the back on Sunday to watch the final two sets from funny boy Nathan Caton and high pitched drama queen Alan Carr. Despite being a self-confessed comedyphobe, I thoroughly enjoyed the efforts of both men - Carr’s ridiculous anecdotes had me in stitches.

The Literary Tent didn’t disappoint with an endless stream of fascinating guests stepping up to share their experiences and knowledge. I listened to an amusing interview on Saturday night with ‘The Sex Diaries Project’ author Arianne Cohen - she reassured the audience with her results and bizarre relationship stories. Then on Sunday I got a dose of Girl Power from a lovely and frank interview with Louise Wener (lead singer of 90s pop band Sleeper) conducted by Mark Ellen. She read excerpts from her enlightening new book ‘Just for One Day’ – a memoir that details her real life dream transition from geeky teen to musical goddess and sex icon.

There was a real buzz around the Word Lounge. Despite being rather out of the way, this little tent hosted a programme of engaging podcasts and interviews with various musicians and music geeks... the history of Britpop chat on Sunday afternoon with Stuart Maconie was particularly interesting.

Then of course there was the music... the main Obelisk field was rarely full with music lovers seeking their entertainment somewhere dry, where you could dance without poking someone’s eye out with your umbrella. Gorgeously costumed bands looked unfairly dry and glam on stage whilst their adoring plastic poncho-clad fans stared up from behind protective hoods. They Might be Giants did a marvellous job motivating the fans during the wettest lunchtime period on Saturday. Like most, I was captivated and stayed for the whole show delighting in their ridiculous antics and singing along to their catchy songs - it was incredible to see ‘Birdhouse in Your Soul’ performed live, a song that has worn my iPod out. Seasick Steve was characterful as ever on the main stage, cooing at the girls in the crowd and inviting one up to be the recipient of a love song – a routine I have watched him conduct several times before!

Sunday saw sultry but shy Anna Calvi wow on the Obelisk stage with her seductive and intense voice. I had heard magical rumours about this girl and was expecting a bit more of a show, but no-one can deny her talent as she wailed into the microphone enticingly. She sang memorable covers of Elvis and Edith Piaf songs, and completely made them her own. My musical highlight from the weekend was the spectacular Everything Everything who put on quite a show for the Word Arena on Sunday afternoon. Even those happy to splash in the rain joined the dancing throng for this awesome set. The four Manchester boys all dressed in matching jumpsuits powered through their current hits and gave us a taste of what’s to come with a sparkly new number. Everything Everything combine fast paced eccentric lyrics, heartbreaking falsetto vocals from Jonathan Higgs, constant tempo changes and powerful chord progressions and harmonies that give the music a futuristic vibe; their songs are truly innovative, unlike anything I have heard before. The crowd went absolutely mad for this band - a group of middle aged groupies dancing next to me seemed to know all the words, I enquired afterwards to discover they were in fact parents of the band members.

As a music festival, Latitude didn’t quite produce the goods this year, despite being a smaller budget event than say Glastonbury, recycling the same bands from the previous year (The National headlined on the Word stage in 2010) is not going to impress punters when even smaller festivals like Hop Farm managed to get the Eagles and Prince! Latitude insists it is more than ‘just a music festival’ and I believe in this ambition, it succeeds triumphantly. It is the wonderful, diverse, extra-curricular events that make it worthwhile spending a weekend enduring pouring rain.

Scouting for Girls at Wembley Arena

‘Scouting for Girls’ isn’t my first choice of band to see in concert, but it is someone else’s and I was the happy recipient of the accompanying ticket. The band have been together since 2005 and have a fun pop sound. You may know them from popular singles like ‘She’s So Lovely’ and ‘This Ain’t a Love Song’ which made it to number one in the charts.

We drove out to Wembley Arena to see the gig, and joined a swarm of excited teenage girls. The venue is much bigger than I’d expected, and was full to its 10,000 capacity. We had good seats in the middle of the arena, I was relieved to be a little higher up than the beer-splashing pit this time. I needn’t have worried though, the fans were too preoccupied by the music to be disruptive or rowdy - everyone was content just having fun.

It was a very spirited occasion and I definitely became more of a fan as the evening went on. Although the four musicians had some difficulties living up to the secure sound of their records, and occasionally the songs sounded a little thin. Lead singer and pianist Roy Stride was full of contagious energy and was constantly encouraging the audience to join in. This was mostly lovely but there was a little too much sentimental chat about the fifth member of the band (us!). As is often the case, the crowd were less interested in numbers from the new album and instead calling for the favourite hits. ‘She’s So Lovely’ came as a final encore and was magnificent - I sang along and felt energised by the band’s passion. It was clear they were equally thrilled by the enthusiasm of the fans.

‘Scouting for Girls’ is a very likeable band and it was a pleasure seeing the boys perform. I couldn’t help myself humming their tunes all the way home.

Visit Scouting for Girls website here.

Singing at Zizzi Restaurant

Lemon Golf Club was the name we decided on as a temporary title for our little jazz band, though there were many other possibilities. We were offered our first gig at Zizzi Restaurant and with the three of us all super busy rushed to confirm these minor details.

As I have mentioned in previous blog posts the newest branch of the Zizzi Restaurant empire at St Giles is striving to become known, not just for its delectable pizzas, but also as a happening jazz venue. Every Thursday host Becki Biggins introduces a young artist or artists, who then perform as the restaurant fills up - light entertainment for the diners, great experience for young musicians. It is a brilliant idea, and one that is already gathering momentum - when we played there last week, every table in the expansive room was full.

My band, Mark Ellen, John Butler and I prepared a set of five songs for the Zizzi crowd. A mixture of old blues and jazz classics like ‘Is you is or is you ain’t my baby?’ and 'Ain’t Misbehavin’'. We sat in our usual trio formation with a group of loyal family and friends surrounding us as we played; there was a lovely atmosphere and it felt wonderful to be sharing our music with others. I found it a little daunting using an unfamiliar microphone, I’m so used to belting out without any amplification. The compliments afterwards assured me that the microphone had improved my performance despite my niggling worries; hopefully next time it will feel a little more natural. The talented guitarists on either side of me put on a great show, both showing real flair in their solos, unique improvisations I am still in awe of.

Afterwards we were treated to a hearty meal and some much needed wine. If music be the food of love, sing on, and this we did. Here’s to the next Lemon Golf Club gig... bring it on!

The Enterprise

The venue, The Enterprise, felt strangely familiar to me as I walked in a few nights ago; perhaps because the friendly relaxed atmosphere gave off a welcoming vibe.

The Enterprise pub (just over the road from Chalk Farm tube station) is now home to Music News Underground. Music News aims to promote upcoming new bands, showcasing their talent and reviewing the gigs afterwards. The monthly music nights kicked off with female singer Alice Watts in May of this year.

You enter through the bustling pub, up a narrow staircase in the corner of the room and into a dark dingy little space, ready to be illuminated by whichever band is chosen for the night.

When leaving the pub, I noticed the surrounding hip shops and cafes, in particular a few vintage/costume shops caught my eye. Definitely an up and coming area of London – the great Roundhouse is opposite and Camden Town is only a two minute walk. I made a mental note to return to Chalk Farm.

PUNK in Soho

PUNK in Soho has hosted some of pop’s greatest artists... including Lady Gaga and VV Brown. It is a groovy anti-establishment bar that welcomes creative souls of all kinds. I decided to embrace this freedom of expression and got dressed up with big fake eyelashes and my twiggy-like COS shift dress. A bit of hairspray in my hair, and some exaggerated eyeliner, and I was rather pleased with the overall look.

I went to see Jetson again (I must be their biggest fan)...on a night that showcased a variety of hip young bands, who all seemed delighted to be performing to Punk’s enthusiastic crowd. I enjoyed all the music, although at times there seemed to be a few sound problems. Jetson played with their usual flair, commanding the stage and filling the venue with a really positive vibe. The laid back ambience of this club is immediately noticeable, there is no dress code (like many Soho venues) and Punk has become a hang-out for scenesters, fashionistas, indie rockers, nu-ravers and all kinds of other people wanting to express themselves. I loved this feel-good atmosphere and felt relaxed amongst the crowd.

The bands were all being filmed for a show called Tftv. The crew will be travelling all round the country recording bands for a documentary for Channel 5 and Sky 3. This added an extra element of excitement to the evening’s performances, hopefully some of the bands from this night will be shown.

I was there with a few lovely friends who came to catch up and enjoy the music. Unlike many London clubs Punk doesn’t sell drinks at extortionate prices, so you can have a beer without breaking the bank.

Coming up at PUNK:

Monday 1^st November: Anthem

Thursday 4^th November: YOUR MUM’S HOUSE

Friday 5^th November: Dirty Pop

Friday 5^th November: Rockaoke

Saturday 6^th November: Dead or Alive

Saturday 6^th November: FU*K REHAB

Located on 14 Soho Street (just off Oxford Street) and open Monday-Saturday this is definitely a venue to check out.

Vibe Live with Jetson and Graffiti 6

Brick Lane couldn’t be boring if it tried, there is always something to see there. Last week (after stuffing myself with copious amounts of Brick Lane curry) I went to VIBE LIVE at the Vibe Bar to see two new bands: Jetson and Graffiti6.

Jetson are a three piece, currently unsigned, but I’m sure for not much longer. Their music is a collision of Funk and Folk. Only together since 2009, they already have a certainty of sound and style and a large following including celebs like Jamie Cullum and Emma Watson and can boast performing in major venues such as the O2 Arena. The song ‘Ashdown Drive’ particularly moved me, lead singer Rohan Unni was completely possessed by the words, and moved about the stage with infectious energy (there were several moments I was desperate to get up and dance with them). Jetson work together as a team on stage, coherent and well organised. Their repertoire is individual with a laid back quality that is perfect for easy summer listening. Jetson’s obvious passion for performing would make any audience love to watch and listen.

See them next at The 100 Club on Oxford Street on Thursday 8^th July where they will be headlining, as well as a free gig at Roadtrip in Shoreditch this Thursday, 3^rd June.

Graffiti6 are a recent collaboration between Jamie Scott and TommyD, both separately and together they have impressive resumes. It’s surprising that they have only been an ensemble since Autumn 2008 because they work together brilliantly. When asked, Jamie described his music to me as “a dinner date between Northern Soul and Folk Music.” After listening I would agree with that meeting of styles, Jamie’s voice is luxurious and soulful and soars through each and every melody effortlessly. As a singer myself, I particularly enjoy a male singer exploring the upper register of his voice and Jamie certainly does this, with great confidence. The support of the talented band around him gives him the platform to play around and enjoy the music.

Lulu and the Lampshades

I love Lulu and the Lampshades, and I cannot believe I have only just discovered them.

The Lampshades were recommended to me by a friend and I am yet to see them live, although I have watched numerous YouTube videos of them and had a good chuckle to myself. Fun is at the heart of their music - they play with all kinds of strange and wonderful objects and makeshift instruments, bashing, hitting and clapping. The amazing thing is, they make it sound really good. The two singers in the Lampshades team - Luisa and Heloise have whimsical voices that melt together in harmony, impressive considering their music is often so close to being a cappella.

This music is pop-folk at its most inventive. Their influences seem to come from all over the place, at times they sound similar to the chirpy Puppini Sisters and often quite like Peggy Sue. They sing about all things, weird and wacky and apparently the majority of their songs Luisa writes while cycling.

There are so many great songs to choose from (all on YouTube). Their first single, 'Feet to the Sky' comes with an adorably quaint video. My favourite though is the simpler 'You're gonna miss me when I'm gone' featuring just Luisa and Heloise, oh, and they trusty cups of course. I found myself humming the tune all day.(Learn the cups here: http://img442.imageshack.us/img442/2997/lulumiss.jpg)

Lulu and the Lampshades play on Friday 11th June at LOOK STRANGER! on Brick Lane. My intention was to write about them after the gig, but I'm hoping that my pre-review will encourage a few more people to go along.

Check them out on: http://www.myspace.com/helouisamusic

Something Simple

There is nothing simple about this band's music. The songs they energetically perform are mostly their own creations and are a fusion of diverse influences from Bob Marley to Pendulum. Infectious melodies are entwined with bold bass lines and hearty brass parts. Occasionally audiences are also lucky enough to witness genius covers of classic favourites as part of their set.

Something Simple are an impressively large 8-piece band, with a sound that has gradually evolved as new members have joined. I knew the band when they first started out five years ago, producing a very different sound to now. Something Simple are unique on stage. Lead singer, Callum Monaghan has a phenomenal voice and great stage presence. Regular solos from each band member show the real depth of their talent - Olly Lowe on drums, Fabio De Oliveira on percussion, Lester Salmins bass and vocals, Greg Sanders guitar and vocals and Tom Shirm jumps between keyboard, guitar and vocals. Improvised solos from Leo Aarons-Richardson on sax and Alaric Taylor on Trumpet are particularly spine-tingling. Individually they are brilliant but the real magic is produced when you put them all together.

I have seen them a few times at The Good Ship in Kilburn. It’s quite a workout trying to battle your way to the front, to dance and sing with the band - the whole place grooving to their soulful sound. It is clear that they love to play, but don't believe me, go and see them for yourself.

http://www.something-simple.co.uk/index.php

GIGS COMING UP:

Cambridge University St John's May Ball - June 15th

Glastonbury, Field of Avalon - Thursday June 24th 12-1am and Saturday June 26th 9-10 pm

The Good Ship, Kilburn - July 2nd

LISTEN TO THEM:

http://www.myspace.com/somethingsimple

or watch them - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=3uaTKnznwQ4