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REVIEW:
Lady Winwoods Maggot- 7th April 2008 -Thomas Tripp, Christchurch
- by Tina Pope
View
Gallery 1
I regularly go to the Thomas Tripp in Christchurch to check out
the bands on a sunday eve.Tonight I stumbled across a band like
no other I have seen before.Upon arriving at the pub, I struggled
to find a place close to the band.The pub was completely packed
out, and a space near the front, not easy to obtain.These guys are
popular with many of all ages and I can see why. Sometimes it helps
having a camera & as usual I had my camera with me & poised
ready to catch that ever elusive shot.
This band consists of 3 guitar players & thats not all. With
a varied assortment of guitars, this band kept the the pub busy,
throwing what I can only describe as a western country style rock
vibe,almost hillbilly but with a modern punk attitude thrown in,
but what do I know? Ask them, they are the only ones who can tell
you the proper name. If tappin your feet is all you can usually
manage in an eve, this band will make you feel like pushing yourself
further, the crowds were jumping. Want an uplifting eve ? Then these
guys will certainly deliver just that! A mixture of slightly Irish
Celtic melody & American Rock, adds so much flavour! Banjo /Guitar
player Rob, one drummer called Aide & lots of vocals & guitar
action from Tony ( lead singer) & Mark.
This band is not to be missed. I have not seen anything quite like
this before.
Not only is their style of music very unique but their choice of
songs includes well known covers & their own material. This
band is enough to keep you rocking for hours, & the overall
entertainment from their performance is something you won't forget.
With a large following, these guys are pretty busy gigging, allover
Dorset, and there is no escape of their magnetism and charismatic
& slightly wild attitude pulling you in. Hooked !
I can quite easily see this band being a big name for the future
& quite easily imagine them popping up at an event like Glastonbury
( nice )
View
Gallery 2
http://www.forest-friends.co.uk
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REVIEW:
DANI WILDE, JAMES HARRISON, EDDIE MARTIN
MR KYPS 31ST OCTOBER 2007
Transforming
quite a large live music venue into a close and intimate acoustic
session Mr Kyps played host to three exceptionally talented acts
this Halloween.
Dani Wilde was
first to the stage and impressed the audience with her strong, raucous
vocal talent and also ably accompanied herself on guitar. The first
song was a solo and then her younger brother on harp and a bassist
joined her. The trio gave the audience some renditions of both original
and cover songs of traditional blues with some great solos from
Dani’s brother. Dani told us that she is about to start recording
her new album in Germany and copies of the demo that got her a record
deal were on sale on the night. Dani’s voice is quite amazing,
very versatile and she showed great vocal control throughout the
session, in spite of having a slight cold!
Next was singer/songwriter
James Harrison. James’s father formed a band called the Saraband
who were a’70s Folk Rock group, and James started his set
with “Summer has gone” – a Saraband cover. Accompaniment
was from the amazing Si Genero on harp who did a very melodic solo
and also accompanied James on vocals on Loving Flame, the next song
for which James moved from keyboards to guitar. My favourite song
of the set was “Bye Bye Baby” which James told was about
an ex-girlfriend of his who has inspired many of his songs. His
performance was polished but may have been improved by more eye
contact with the audience while he was singing and more interaction
with the audience between songs. His songs are fantastic though
and he is an amazing local talent here in Bournemouth.
Headlining after
James was the incredible Eddie Martin. I have not seen him live
before and it was great to see such a consummate performer in such
close proximity. Eddie was playing “Goldie” –
his steel guitar, and accompanying himself with rhythm suitcase
and harmonica. Eddie played some Sunhouse and Muddy Waters and some
new material from his forthcoming album. The whole place went quite
whilst he played a slow blues… He got the audience involved
with “Don do it, I dun did it” – an old number
from the ‘40’s and did a great solo on the harp and
the suitcase! The atmosphere was warm and inspired and the audience
was with him. It was a really fun performance and his guitar playing
wonderful to see and hear.
Another great night’s entertainment from Mr Kyps!
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| REVIEW:
KAT MAN DON’T – FROM HERE TO THERE, (THE JOURNEY)
This album is
the second from Gary (aka Kat Man Don’t) and it shows how
his creativity has evolved over the last 2 years or so. The songs
are full of subtle instrumentation with Gary playing most of the
instruments and producing the album himself.
Synthesisers,
spainish guitar, (Road to Kantara,) semi-acoustic and electric guitars,
acoustic and electric bass and percussion all feature on the album
and Gary also does all the vocals. There is a distinct change in
direction from his first album “The Crazy Serum” with
more focus on funked up grooves than on the chilled out style of
before although there are still elements of Buddha Bar style production
throughout the album. The songs are based around funk/jazz riffs
and rhythms with excellent sound effects thrown in for good measure.
To me it is chilled out funk with the odd twist here and there…
What is notable
is the skill with which Gary orchestrates, arranges and produces
the music, which are skills he is now offering to other musicians
through his own studio www.KMDstudio.co.uk
Track 5 on the
album, “Cool Smoothy Blueness” is one of my favourites.
It has a strong bass hook and the message of the song poignantly
reminds us of the simple wonders of the world. Listen to this track
here.
The
album is true to its title and carries you to far off places and
back again. The artwork on the CD also deserves a mention –
original and well produced – visit Pentangled Designs www.pentangled.co.uk
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CuRioSiTy - Wed 18th July
Review courtesy
of Ellie Cowley, Daily Echo
The range of bands at Kyps on Wednesday night may have meant not
all the music on offer was to your palate, but even if that were
the case, you could not help but appreciate what this venue is trying
to achieve with their monthly CuRioSiTy night. I had an exceptionally
good time listening to all three distinctly different and talented
bands. Though I had been drawn to the night by the promised presence
of Vincent Vincent & the Villains, I was pleased to see Bournemouth
based ensemble Betika. With their folksy sound complete with glockenspiel,
trumpet and varied percussion blended with rocky riffs and meaty
vocals, Betika are what would have happened if Belle and Sebastian
had been introduced formally to rock n' roll, and it works.
It's been a
long time since I heard something as truly original as follow act
Gabby Young & Other Animals. Infused with jazz undertones and
deviating into variations reminiscent of Tori Amos and, at times,
Jeff Buckley, Gabby's unique voice lends power to the band's unique
brand of alternate rock. Final act Vincent Vincent and the Villains
were nothing less than pure drama. With the nostalgic glamour of
Elvis, Billy Fury and Eddie Cochran rolled into one, Vincent and
company rock n' roll with gusto. Not to be confused with any kind
of cheesy almost tribute 50s band, Vincent Vincent & the Villians
have just enough of that cynical today's world edge to keep them
firmly placed in this decade. Raucous, recycled, rambunctious rock
n' roll.
Review courtesy of Ellie Cowley, Daily Echo
Mr Kyps
Live Music Venue
8a Parr Street,
Poole BH14 0JY
website: www.mrkyps.net
email: info@mrkyps.net
myspace: www.myspace.com/curiosityrocks
telephone: 01202 748945
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Venue: Mr
Kyps Big Blues Party
Date: Wednesday
27th December 2006
Stuffed with
Christmas fair and wanting to avoid the post Christmas anti-climax,
an exceedingly good tonic is a visit to Mr Kyps for the Big Blues
Party. This show has been running for 3 years now and consistently
provides a good evenings entertainment in between Christmas and
New Year.
The show is put on by our local Blues man, Hugh Budden who pulls
together some of the best blues musicians in the area for a night
of traditional blues, rock and roll and the ever popular Blues Brothers
Review.
The evening started with Blues Etc. Who mainly play in Southampton
so it was a real treat to see them performing in Poole. Chris Collins
(vox, guitar) fronts the band with Elrad Mathews (drums), Darren
Stevens (bass) and Hugh on the harp (harmonica.) The show kicked
off with their rendition of Shake for Me and was followed by some
great slide on Rules of this House. Gavin Whitlock on baritone sax
and James Waite on keys soon joined the band and Blues Etc played
straight blues with some funky numbers like Pawnshop Bound and Just
a Little Bit thrown in. Then came the first surprise of the night
– a showcase song by a new singer called Jane Young who sang
Rather go Blind. Jane’s voice was an instant hit and I’m
sure that more performances will follow. Then it was all change
and The Ju-Ju Men hit the stage. Guitarist Pete K virtually tore
his guitar apart with his playing on Wait on Time, sung by Hugh.
The Ju-Ju Men rocked it up some more with Stupid Girl, sung by Rockin’
Roj, and Route 66 featuring Merv on drums and PP on bass. Hugh took
to the vocals again for A Cold day in Hell, which was a spectacular
performance of passion and angst both on the vocal and the harp.
Then it was straight into Riding on the L & N – a speciality
for blues harp players and Hugh did it every bit of justice in his
playing.
Blues Etc along with James and Gavin returned to the stage to become
the Blues Brothers band heralding the arrival of the amazing Terry
Nash (from Stars in Their Eyes fame) who proceeded to give his all
in the role of Jake Blues with Hugh donning the hat and shades as
his brother Elwood. They started with Everybody, then Minnie the
Moocher, Midnight Hour and Flip Flop Fly. The finale saw every performer
back on stage for Hound Dog, Johnny B Good (featuring Chris Collins
playing excellent lead guitar) and finishing with the classic Sweet
Home Chicago during which Terry came off stage into the audience
and made them form a circle into which he was pulling members of
the audience to dance with him.
During the song Hugh gradually said goodbye to each musician until
their was only himself and Chris left on stage for 8 bars together
and then WHUMP! Finish! Memorable moments to finish a fantastic
show – if you missed it this year make a date for 2007 now!
Visit
www.mrkyps.net
for more live gigs! For more info about Hugh, click on
Hugh's
Blues and check out our live
gigs page for his full gig listing
See
our Gallery for photos
- for gig bookings email hugh@dolfinmusic.com
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| JAMES
HARRISON – DEBUT AT MR KYPS SUNDAY 5TH NOVEMBER 2006
The evening
was chilly outside but warm inside with candles and low lighting
around the blue-lit stage at Mr Kyps. James opened for the night
showing us his accomplished pianist skills and melodic song writing
talent with the song “She’s only in my head”.
James is wonderful to see live! His voice is strong and smooth and
the songs flow in gorgeous arrangements and melodies. Following
this was “Every Candle”, “I will come to you”
and “Loving Flame”.
His lyrical
prowess is something to respect also with original ideas and strong
messages about relationships and life. He sang some old favourites
(The Clown) and one of the first songs he ever wrote on the piano,
“Hand of Time.” He alternated between the guitar and
piano with ease and it gave a nice variety to the performance.
His songs remind
me of the song writing team that was famous in the ‘60’s
although I can’t remember who they were! If you have a chance
to see James live then please make it a date – you won’t
be disappointed!
www.jamesharrison.org
www.myspace.com/jamesharrisonuk
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Happy
With You - James Harrison
Wow! This
much awaited album of new songs is a welcome addition to James's repertoire
- nine new songs and a variety of styles and influences shining through.
His manager Fiona Anderson has told me it's been a busy year for James
- festivals, winning a busking licence on Bournemouth pier, connecting
with numerous other locals artists in collaborative live gigs, producing
his own album, playing at Bournemouth Live, joining a band, leaving
a band, getting a residency at a local pub, putting on events and
about to start on his second album. The
opening title track, "Happy
with You" has a brilliant overdriving lead rock guitar
running through it backed by simple drums, bass and acoustic guitar.
The song reminds me faintly of the Everly Brothers, mainly due to
the melodic harmonies and country style sound. The second song,
one of my personal favourites, is "Loving Flame", an original
title and lyric with a poignant perspective of a lover's acknowledgement
of his inspiration. The track features James and his guitar only
and seems all the better for it as this gives space for the lyric
and the listeners' imagination.
Following this is "It's just a dream" - a slight hint
of Chris de Burgh keyboards with a lullaby melody. The mood changes
for "I need you" which has been produced with slightly
overdriven guitars which give a raw sound feel, complemented by
harmonies. One of the strongest songs on the album follows, with
"Tell me Why"
- a New York style piano shuffle and a mature sound reminding me
of that supreme talent Billy Joel. "She's only in my Head"
also has a nice piano intro; it is a ballad and has a clever lyric
and good arrangement.
The
whole album shows with out doubt James's talent for writing original,
good commercial songs, in a variety of styles and rhythms. It is
a mood album, taking you through highs and lows of personal relationships
and subtle in its simplicity. It also inspires you to go and see
him live. The album shows James potential as a songwriter and performer
and that it may not be that long before he becomes a major artist.
Check out James on the web at http://www.jamesharrison.org
and http://www.myspace.com/jamesharrisonuk
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JIM
BURGESS - GET BACK IN YA CADILLAC
Jim
Burgess hails from the North, in Leicester where he has been playing
now for 11 years. Formerly with The Undergrade, Jim has now gone
solo and "Get
Back in ya Cadillac" is his first demo as himself.
The title track
gets started with a rock-a-bye rhythm, simple melodic riffs on the
guitar and raw, edgy vocals. The song is in a laid back country
style but strong on syncopation and the lyric is good.
Jim's edgy style
of vocal continues with the next song, "Cause I like you Girl"
which is a more rock orientated sound full of the angst of rejection
in love and about the ironic situations that often result in relationship
struggles.
The third song,
and my personal favourite, is "Ghost
Rider" where Jim abandons the band and plays solo guitar
with great talent, playing both the rhythm and lead with the guitar
sounding banjo like at times. The song has a great beat and melody
and again is strong on the lyric. The vocal style on this song is
completely different from the other two, being strong but gentler
in tone.
Jim is an adept
songwriter and these songs are more than evidence of his talent
both vocally and musically. The songs scan well and his musicianship
is well honed. The production with the band is interesting on the
first two songs and his talent for playing comes through on the
last song as being something special that could work commercially
with the right people behind him.
www.jimburgess.co.uk
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Event:
Big Blues Party
Venue: Mr Kyps
Date: Thursday 29th December 2005 Review
Mr
Kyps played host to some of the finest blues musicians in the south
on Thursday 29th December 2005 with the advent of the Big Blues
Party organised by Hugh Budden -one of the south's premier harp
players.
There
was a good crowd and the atmosphere was relaxed and friendly, the
evening kicking off with a tight set from Southampton based blues
band Blues Etc. Chris Collins fronts the band with Elrad Mathews
on drums, Darren Stevens on bass and Hugh on the harp. The groove
started to flow right from the start with a little number called
"Shake for me". Hugh picked up the vocals for "Pawnshop
Bound" - a very funky William Clarke song which saw the introduction
of Gavin Whitlock on baritone sax and James Waite on the keys.
The
rock 'n' roll dance crew were out in force and showing us how it's
done. There was a change of drummer with Reid Coltrane from Arecibo
Blues House getting onto the kit for "Rock with Me" and
then moving to lead vocals for "Before You Accuse Me",
another change then saw the Ju-Ju Men take the stage.
Things
really began to rock with Rockin' Roj on vocals and Pete K on lead
guitar. Hugh gave us an excellent rendition of "Riding on the
L&N" and we then boogied senseless to a groovy dance number
called "Dirty Water".
Another
appearance from Reid on the drums and vocals doing "Bullfrog
Blues" and then we were introduced to the spectacular Terry
Nash as Jake Blues with his sidekick Elwood! (Hugh) doing "Everybody
Needs Somebody" and other Blues Bros numbers. By this point
the dance floor was packed and Mr Kyps was really jumping with excitement.
Hugh got everyone on stage for the finale (Sweet Home Chicago) with
all the bands together.
Hugh
was playing throughout the evening with all the bands and several
costume changes! To gather all that talent together in one room
for an evening was quite an achievement and the result was a superb
evening of entertainment and fun - I would highly recommend it for
anyone who enjoys listening to live music and dancing - can't wait
for next year!
Go
to Hugh's Blues or the
Gigs page for
more information on where Hugh's music and where he is playing next. |
| The
Crazy Serum - Kat Man Don't
This
is an album you can relax to - definitely! Lie down somewhere comfortable
and float away...
The
album is a journey through atmospheric sounds and cultures. It falls
in the realm of ambient chill out dance music - think Cafe Del Mar/Buddha
Bar series influence by The Ozric Tenticles to get an idea.
My
favourite tune is Raja
than Life which has some brilliant sound effects and atmosphere.
The first track on the album sets the mood, slowly building with
keyboards and some nice delay guitar into a bluesy rhythm. Track
3 is the title track which changes tack a little into a folksy style
whilst It's Up to You is a mellow hip hop beat.
The
songs are quite long - the longest is 6.16 mins (Track 1: "Live
a Little (Anyway)". The album transists from the mellow
ambient tracks through bluesy moments to quite moody ("It's
Up to You") and on from that the rave beat in "So
Lonely".
The
main feelings that come across are dreamy/funky/flowing and interesting!
e:mail
Gary at email2gary@btinternet.com
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| Long
Orange by Long Orange - Album Review by Dolfin Music
The
album opens with a deep throbbing bass line of Hi Wire, a
funky atmospheric number with a smooth subtle guitar arrangement
peppered with trumpet samples - do you know a "whisky priest"?(!)
We
move onwards with Soul Survivor, a pop/rock guitar number
and then to Haunted, which has a wonderful opening guitar
riff. This song slowly builds and has a thought provoking lyric,
"my ship could run tighter" - oh yes!
The
album is a varied mix of simple pop grooves and more intuitive melodies,
such as "Heartsong" which stood out as one of the
strongest songs on the album. The song opens with lovely acoustic
picking coloured with jazzy chord progressions. The vocals are soft
and gentle with folk like percussion.
"Astounded"
has a melancholic acoustic guitar and mellow feel. Throughout the
album, the strong vocals are revealed in the melodic riffs and production.
The last track, "Just
A Breath" is a strong finisher - a very sexy lounge
funk styli with a fantastic instrumental.
Long Orange hail from the south of the UK and this is their
debut album which took nearly three years to make. The band are
now playing current and new material at live gigs in Bournemouth
and surrounding areas and have developed a live act that demonstrates
their talent and enthusiasm for making good music. At a recent gig
in Poole, (at The Central), the audience were given a breathtaking
performance of lead guitar playing ably supported by a strong back
line - a must for any live performance! The album has a professional
sound and production and is certainly a good listen - an exciting
and polished debut.
www.longorange.com
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| Kira
- Dream On: The CD
The
album starts with a reggae styly number "Naked" which
is boppy and sensitive. The album has a very acoustic feel, with
guitars and percussion making the main sound. Kira does vocals,
harmonies and plays acoustic guitar on the album. Her brazillian
heritage shines through in the production with husky vocals and
delicate guitar melodies. My favourite song was "Caveman".
The
songs are personnal "notelets" describing Kira's journey,
often describing intense relationship experiences. She is backed
by a strong band producing both raw electric rhythms and a very
acoustic feel. Kira somtimes performs at Bournemouth's Solid Air
and the Shennanigens folk club on Sundays - keep checking our site
for details.. The CD has 13 songs on it, is professionally produced
and of good quality. To buy it go to www.kira-kira.co.uk
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eden
- Beautiful - MP3
Extract (right
click to download).
What
makes something beautiful? The answer is quite succinctly put
together throughout this album by eden.Strong,
commercial melodies, tempered with deeply moving lyrics are
worked into a definitive groove, giving a strangely upbeat fell
to the melancholy stories etched out in the songs.
The
album opens with the gorgeous main riff of the song Beautiful
- the song speaks the emotions of the main character, giving
a unique perspective on his journey through tortuous emotions
inspired by what has to be love. The fingerprints of sadness
are dusted on your face, but I still think youre beautiful
is just one of the many superb lyrics on the album.
Musically,
eden produce a wonderfully balanced experience with carefully
placed licks, riffs and rhythms giving the songs sparkle, bop
and groove.Showing first-class musicianship, eden find their
space with superb moments such as the bridge bass riff on Black
Day and the philosophically tempered A Temporary
Thing.
Tophs
guitar compliments Carls with delicate finger picking
and melodic solos.The sheer frustration of the main character
virtually floods from the stereo this is no light-hearted
pop fluff! Listen to learn, empathise and explore the avenues
of the darker side to love we all fear and invite with anxious
yearning.
The
windows that open with each song bring into focus the agony
and ecstasy, passion and intrigue caused by love affairs. The
album has been produced with classic tenderness and harmony.
A joy! Buy it!
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| The
Chase @ Mr Smiths 21/11/03
The
Chase, (formerly known as Solsits) are one of the most refreshing
and original bands to come out of Bournemouth - ever! From Ringwood,
Greg, (Vocals/guitar), Si, (keys/guitar), Hugh, (harmonica), Lee,
(bass/backing vocals) and Gavin, (drums) are a tight unit, pushing
out a range of supberb original indie-rock tunes.
The
songs are vibrant and they play them with youthful passion. This
band live their music and give it everything. The powerful melodies
sweep over you and each song stands in its own right as testiment
that the art of good songwriting is not dead. Greg, who writes most
of the bands material himself, has developed a rich and varied reportoire,
from thumping grunge ("Greatest Moment"/ "Time
of your life") to the gentle tune of "Primrose".
Lyrically,
the songs probe and expose darkest moments and insecurities but
illustrate strength of heart in the same moment. Unfortunately,
The Chase have now split due to personnal commitments. However,
Greg is continuing to write up in London. Update: Greg's new band
is called ChurchillBlack and can be reached at www.churchillblack.com |
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