Valerie June - Thekla, Monday 25th November

Tennessee Time at the Thekla and a taste of the deep south as superstar-in-waiting Valerie June delights with her self-proclaimed ‘moonshine roots music.’

It’s been a big year for the Memphis bred multi-talented singer with the release of her first album as a signed artist (the superb ‘Pushin’ Against A Stone’), rave reviews from a support slot on Jake Bugg’s UK tour and an attention-grabbing performance on Jools Holland’s show.  There was a real buzz and sense of anticipation for tonight’s show as the venue sold out quickly with all the good ship’s occupants feverishly sharing how they discovered her intoxicating blend of blues, gospel, soul, folk and bluegrass.  And it’s really hard not to love the self-effacing charismatic American especially when you consider her struggle as a DIY artist self-releasing albums personally sold from the boot of her car and busking at blues festivals across the Mississippi Delta.

From her giddy entrance with leather brown handbag on her arm to the giggling fit of laughter at the close ridiculing herself for talking too much it’s clear we’re in the presence of a grounded seasoned performer and not the diva that her immensely powerful voice might suggest.  Early track ‘The Hour’ impresses with it’s Motown soul and lilting double bass as Valerie puts that voice through a vigorous workout of hums, Tina Turner-esque grunts and razor-sharp but sweet melodies.  Shedding her borrowed mustard cardie she tells us of how she’s been too busy being a ‘hard workin’ woman’ to go shopping before unleashing a pacy version of crowd-pleaser ‘Workin’ Woman Blues.’  Nimbly finger-picking through the opening bars before that shrieking Dolly Parton/June Carter-like twang “I ain’t fit to be no mother, I ain’t fit to be no wife yet, I been workin’ like a man, y’all, I been workin’ all my life, y’all.”  There’s pockets of dancing in the crowd as its hard to resist the rapid funky beats, knockout vocals and brawling slide guitar.

Endearingly gabbing between songs she explains her influences (most notably Muddy Waters, Rosa Lee Hill, who she covers frenetically on Banjo later), the origin of aforementioned ‘moonshine roots music’ and her road to success.  With church-reared gospel ability it looks like she barely opens her mouth to sing at times and she totters around the stage, all beaming smiles flicking her dreadlocked nest of snakes away from the frets.  Her versatility proves the real winner tonight as she impressively turns her hand to a plethora of genres; ‘Can’t Be Told’ (Blues/Rock), ‘Somebody To Love’ (Folk), ‘Raindance’ (Bluegrass/Gospel) all with a timeless quality belying her years.

Returning to the stage for fan requested first encore ‘Twined and Twisted’ (which she says came to her in a dream) and an eerie but respectful silence gives the perfect platform to mesmerize in a Springsteen (Nebraska era) desert campfire tale.  The schizophrenic ‘Shotgun’ is a highlight as she sinisterly coos, ‘If I can’t have you nobody can’ before plucking a butter knife from her hair to shaves the strings wildly.  Good stuff.  She’s off home for her Grandma’s thanksgiving cooking, “I’m going now y’all” as she drops off the stage, marching through the crowd to sell her own merch.  As a lengthy line forms, you can’t help but feel we’ve seen something and someone with star quality tonight –we all lament that she won’t be back to the Thekla for sure as the bigger venues and a deserved limelight beckons.

Kindly published by Bristol24-7: http://www.bristol247.com/2013/11/27/review-valerie-june-54467/

Best track: Click on link below
Valerie June - 'Workin' Woman Blues

Setlist TBA

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The Editors - 02 Academy, Monday 11th November

Tonight Matthew I'm going to be......Expressive frontman Tom Smith isn't far from bursting his slight frame tonight as his gloom-fuelled quintet takes the packed 02 crowd through the good, the bad and the god-awful of 80's post-punk.  Always an easy target for criticism The Editors have made it through their first ten years and 4 albums with a strong fanbase where many have fallen away.  Their debut album (and arguably still their best) went platinum and earned them a Mercury prize shortlisting as the brummie band became a regular festival favourite in the Noughties.  They’re back in Bristol tonight in a bid to repair some of the damage done by Flood produced third album/synth-electro mish-mash; ‘In This Light And On This Evening’ and recent slight improvement fourth; ‘The Weight Of Your Love.’

Starting with new track ‘Sugar’ and Russell Leetch’s pulsing bass appears to borrow heavily from Bjork track ‘Army Of Me’.  Smith writhes and squirms about the stage, enchanting the crowd as he howls “it breaks my heart to love you” with the facial expressions of a man having a cardiac arrest.  There’s billows of smoke and a crackling light show, it’s an appropriate backdrop for their maudlin melodies and Smith’s blood-curdling Ian Curtis baritone to really let rip. Dropping in the anthemic ‘Smokers Outside The Hospital Doors’ so early could be a mistake but tell that to the delighted owners of pointy fingers and waving limbs across the sweaty pit.  

‘Two Hearted Spider’ has an intriguing title but that’s where the intrigue ends as they slip into watery Simple Minds territory and the crowd begin to chatter.  Thankfully though it’s one of only a few tonight that bore rather than bewilder and it’s obvious that most punters are here for the first two albums.  ‘Munich’ sounds as joyously violent as ever and is the night’s obvious highlight and ‘Racing Rats’ with its pumping chorus and grandiose piano is a real moment of class.  Sadly though the feeling that this could be one of the great gigs is short-lived as Smith tries to force the lengthy drab Coldplay-esque ‘Honesty’ and Leetch leads an uncomfortable clap-along.  

First encore ‘Bricks And Mortar’ is an unmitigated disaster with some irking, rancid trance bleeping and Smith pounding the piano in a Thom Yorke stupor as the audience shrugs.  Only a couple of new tracks hit the spot tonight (‘Sugar’, ‘A Ton Of Love’) in what is a tale of two eras for the band.  Smith certainly gives it his all throughout and you can’t fault the desire to diversify their sound but you can’t help but feel that they’re struggling for consistency.  Mounting the piano on ‘Nothing’ can’t save the tune from anonymity but they do at least leave on a high to a dancey ‘Papillion’ with its dark Depeche Mode disco and bleak-as-ever lyrics.  In all they can be pleased with what is a performance full of energy and passion; no band can consider themselves entirely original but at times, in a live arena, The Editors can draw upon the qualities of the past to look like world-beaters.

Setlist:

1. Sugar 
2. Someone Says 
3. Smokers Outside the Hospital Doors 
4. Bones 
5. Eat Raw Meat = Blood Drool 
6. Two Hearted Spider 
7. You Don't Know Love 
8. All Sparks 
9. Formaldehyde 
10. A Ton of Love 
11. An End Has a Start 
12. Bullets 
13. In This Light and on This Evening 
14. Munich 
15. The Racing Rats 
16. Honesty 
17. Bricks and Mortar 
18. Nothing 
19. Papillon 

Best Track: click on link below
Editors - 'Munich'

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Coasts - Louisiana, Wednesday 30th October

Bristol in promising new guitar band shocker!  And these guys mean business; they’ve brought their own palm tree.  Together for just two years the 5-piece purveyors of ‘trop-pop’ have already chalked up an impressive 30,000 I-Tunes downloads and 300,000 You Tube views of debut single ‘Oceans’ with support from Radio One.  Coasts head up a trio of talented indie-rock sets at the Louie (alongside Dive In and Goan Dogs) and after two 20+ date UK tours this year and some enthusiastic reviews, the band are starting to make some real waves.

A sun-drenched fusion of Foals, Two Door Cinema Club and Vampire Weekend they get the crowd bouncing from the start with chunky electro-rock opener ‘Wallow.’  Frontman Chris Caines, with a floppy youthful Albarn mop and baggy white t-shirt, perhaps isn’t the most imposing figure but he nails the tricky chorus and looks full of confidence in such an intimate venue.  Their indie-pop sound relies perhaps too heavily on those tropical dancehall rhythms at times; wonky keyboard effects and a weak chorus make ‘Your Soul’ sound a little Maroon 5 but it’s one of few tonight that underwhelm.  ‘Stone’ begins with Clock Opera keyboard precision and some nice fills from classy drummer Ben Street, now back to full health having broken his neck over the summer.  Although the vocals threaten to whine, the guitars are cranked up and their California slacker sound scorches. 

Imminent new single ‘Stay’ is actually the first song that the band wrote together and is a real stand-out with a Duran Duran 80’s feel that climbs up towards a monstrous chorus and Caines in familiar falsetto.  With ‘hit’ written all over it you can’t help but feel that this could be the last time we see them at such a tight venue.  Fair play to Coasts, with indie still languishing as a tired genre in need of a shot in the arm or a violent shake, their bouncy rock-pop certainly breathes fresh life tonight into the vox, guitar, bass, keys and drums formula.  

Final track ‘Oceans’ is power-pop masterstroke that opens with resonating customary calypso Caribbean guitar from Liam Willford who rarely threatens the lower half of the fret board and Street’s shimmering drums definitely shift the tune towards glory.  “We fell in love right by the ocean, made all our plans down on the sand” is the catchy mantra and there’s total crowd participation as the primarily student populated sweatpit vivaciously throws its shapes.  With a tidal surge of glowing reviews and performances as tight as this one, the future looks as bright and breezy as their punchy trop-pop anthems for Coasts; surely one of Bristol’s most promising indie hopes.

Kindly published by Venue.co.uk:
http://www.venue.co.uk/music-live-reviews-c/21310-coasts

Best Track: Click on link below
Coasts - 'Oceans'

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