23 – ‘Hey Sholay’, ‘Dirty Goods’, ‘Escapists’ and ‘Bill Davro’
Hey Sholay:
“It’s raining in Sheffield – manholes splutter up yesterday’s throwaways, spray-spitting black umbrellas convulse in the wind like fevered crows as the streets fill with the commuting hoards, all wincing their way to work through the wind and torrents with their one dry eye on the prize… But above these busy passageways glows a lit window. And through the haze of ever-moving warm colours, the light spells out five moving figures. These five individuals make up the collective Hey Sholay. Having met in varied musical avenues, a Tuesday night cult ceremony, and all being of like-mindedness – they formed to write new folklaws – with the only goals of nurturing creativity and enjoyment. What emerges from this room has a firm nod towards past styles of strumming wire to beating skins – as this common ground is the way they were raised. However, their hands remain tightly cupped, as they peek between knuckles into something so delicate and fluttering in their palms – something new to them and perhaps even the outside world. Now the overwhelming urge to share themselves is setting cracks in the window above the street – the soft murmur of music is creeping through the split glass – and the most acute of hearing are edging a glance towards the flickering lights… But for now – the rain goes on, as does the music. And neither show signs of letting up until they can all afford timeshare somewhere where the paving doesn’t splutter at your ankles…”
(Quote obtained from the band’s facebook page)
Dirty Goods:
http://www.myspace.com/dirtygoods
“DiRtY GoOdS make dirty, electronica-infused music, with a sound that call upon the vocal styling of Prince, mixed up with the synth-led sounds of Chromeo and MSTRKRFT.
The band consist of Antony James smith&devine, James Alexandros T Woodville & Mikee Gregg formerly of indie-rock outfit ‘Jump The Underground’.
‘The idea was sparked from listening to lots of Chromeo and Prince’ explains Woody and singer Antony-james adds ‘it’s mixed with rock and blues roots as that is generally where I come from’, Mikee also states ‘we all have our individual influences on the band ranging from Prince, Zeppelin, Muddy Waters and Costello to more modern acts such as Chromeo, Daft Punk, Calvin Harris and Justice’.
To date the band have played popular dance nights and venues around the UK including London’s ‘Forgive Me Lord For I Have Synth’, ‘Cargo’s Free Fridays’ and ‘Play It By Ear’.
In their first year they supported the likes of Calvin Harris and The Noisettes, been featured on several TV shows and toured USA playing venues such as The Roxy, L.A. and Fontanas, New York.”
(Quote obtained from the band’s Official website)
Escapists:
Escapists are a four-piece from London, striving to make epic, cinematic music. Think the bombast of Arcade Fire, the Harmonies of Mumford & Sons with the musicality of Death Cab.
(Quote obtained from the band’s Official website)
Bill Davro:
“Following an insurgence of bands readdressing the Brit-pop movement of the 90s, Bill Davro are bringing Alternative Pop back to the underground lexicon. Combining Jazz, Jangle Pop, Garage infused rhythms and melodic guitar hooks, the signature Bill Davro sound reflects what has come before but has been somewhat overlooked in recent years. There sound simultaneously sounding traditional and modern: a fresh and bright (sometimes jagged) explosion of pop phantasmagoria. The shifting moods of singer and lyricist Kieran Gallimore elevate the music in to a dimension of maturity and self-reflexivity (almost Wordsworthian), offering an assortment of emotive lyrics and thought provoking imagery, floating ‘as lonely as a cloud’ atop the ringing guitar lines and driving rhythm. Kieran’s lyrics have been likened to Ian Dury and Morrissey, using regional vernacular to express true to heart emotion lyrically. The band, in their live performance, transform the genteel (and somewhat vulnerable) sound in to an exciting, energetic happening guaranteed to grab you by the waist and move your hips to the swinging groove. Bill Davro have a distinct identity and sense of purpose that sits them quite comfortably (if not slightly aware of the height) on a platform of their own.
Bill Davro are always hard at work writing, recording and spreading their good name like jam on toast. Their latest (self-titled) EP is the band’s recent achievement but by no means is this all they have to show for themselves. The band have been seen in weird and wonderful venues which just goes to show their complete commitment to the music but also remain elusive. Bill Davro, however, also like to show their faces equally as much. Having played the Clothes Show Live at the Birmingham NEC, Kendal Calling music festival, been finalists for AKG Unsigned Heroes in London (to name just a few stints). Bill Davro are quite at home in any town; in front of a crowd or in front of each other. Currently gearing up for a summer of gigs, festivals, and writing and recording for their next EP, Bill Davro will surely be busy this year so catch them in a venue near you….”
(Quote obtained from the band’s Official website)
22 – ‘For Abel’, ‘The B.Goodes’, ‘Neo Ferns’ and ‘Dakota Beats’
For Abel:
“We are For Abel. We make music. We want to make you sad because we feel like that too sometimes. We want to make you happy because thats what everyone wants to be.
Since acquiring limbs we have have flown far afield as showcasing at SXSW in Texas, as well as playing much closer to home in fields and lesser established premises. For Abel have been featured by BBC Radio’s Steve Lamacq, Vic Galloway, Huw Stephens, Colin Murray, Tom Robinson & Jim Gellatly and have also been digitised on the wireless by many others including XFM and NME Radio. The Skinny, Art Rocker, NME and numerous British tabloids have also thrown their arms towards For Abel in loving fashion.
We Are For Abel
You Are For Abel”.
(Quote obtained from the band’s myspace page)
The B. Goodes:
www.myspace.com/thebgoodesband
“The B. Goodes were formed with John Brett & Phil Jackson writing and recording in late 2008 and by Summer 2009 were joined by Jay Goodrich & John Randall (formerly of Rosalita), with a shared view to write and perform original music taking influence from the 50’s, 60’s & 70’s. The sound which came out was a mixture of beat, surf, soul and rock ‘n’ roll. The B. Goodes are an energetic and dynamic live act with the emphasis very much on having fun.”
(Quote obtained from the band’s myspace page)
Neo Ferns:
“Neo Ferns is the musical vehicle of London based singer-songwriter James Andrews. Formulated around a love of the acoustic guitar, he began developing a sound from an early age with the intention of taking the genres of folk and pop in a different direction. Although heavily influenced by the greats of those styles, the real focus of the music is to create atmosphere and space, combining a soft and reserved vocal style with thoughtful lyrics, he’s always enjoyed the art of music experimentation, resulting in a haunting but undeniably distinctive form of indie-folk. That’s not to say he isn’t fond of collaboration. The project has seen the work of several musicians contribute to provide a dynamic and complex sound.
The project is attracting lots of attention at the moment, both on the airwaves from radio play, and around the streets of London Town from many successful recent shows, such as supporting Merge signed Wye Oak on their first European Headlining Show, it’s a representation of the years of hard work and determination towards the project. This is what Spoonfed.com said “Ethereal, minimal pop makes for comforting listening. Minor tweaks and seemingly insignificant electro-bleeds can transport an average group to a great one. Neo Ferns have done just that, going that extra mile has evidently paid off in their indie-electro airy squeezes. “. The recently released ‘Five Weeks’ E.P on Octopus Escape signalled a changing sound, with a more standard rock approach. But like every release in the past, the sound has always changed, being the beauty of the project as it evolves. Who knows what’s coming next?”
(Quote obtained from the artist’s Official Website)
Dakota Beats:
“Dakota Beats are a 5 piece Indie band based in Dudley. From the ashes of The E-Go’s the Dakota Beats are set for a very exciting 2011. Dakota Beats have gig dates booked nationwide and management in the form of Jolene Chalk. Dakota Beats have recorded their first 3 track EP called ‘No New Faces’ with Editors, Ocean Colour Scene and The Twang producer Gavin Monaghan”
(Quote obtained from the band’s facebook page)
03 – ‘Hurricane Season’, and ‘The Twisted Hearts’
Hurricane Season:
http://www.myspace.com/hurricaneseason1992
The Twisted Hearts:
http://www.myspace.com/thetwistedheartsuk
02 – ‘The Pulse’, ‘Dirty Ape’, ‘Parking Offence’ and ‘Baxter Rhodes’
Live at the Workshop, London.
The Pulse:
Dirty Ape:
Parking Offence:
www.myspace.com/parkingoffence
Baxter Rhodes:
01 – Recent Bands…
The first gig I photographed professionally was in October 2009 and since then I have photographed a variety of bands at a wide range of venues. Around Camden, Islington, Shoreditch and Kilburn, every venue is different. Personally, I’m not a believer in using ‘flash’ when doing live music photography. It can be distracting to the performer(s) and it also has the potential to drown out some of the atmospheric stage lighting. Sometimes though, when used appropriately and correctly, it can work to the photographer’s advantage. Some venues are very dark; even on the stage, and I think these places are the best locations for any photographer to practice and test their technical abilities. After all, I believe that testing conditions determine how good we really are. A photographer can be in a studio all day long with full control over everything from lighting, backgrounds, props etc and not be tested. On-location shoots, such as gigs are the ones that are always different and test me…plus they get my adrenaline going too.
Here is a selection of a few Live Music Photos that I’ve taken recently.
AmberSuit:
Live @ The Workshop
Live @ The Workshop
Live @ The Workshop
Live @ The Enterprise
Live @ The Enterprise
Live @ The Good Ship
Live @ The Good Ship
DeepSeaGreen:
DeepSeaGreen’s latest album can be purchased from itunes here
The Glass Child:
www.myspace.com/charlotteeriksson
The New Outfit:
Pearl Jammed (Tribute Band to ‘Pearl Jam’):
Absolute Bowie
(Tribute Band to ‘David Bowie’):
London Unsigned Music 