I’ve spent a delightful Bank Holiday Monday morning scanning back through Sonic Breakfast related E-mails that I might not have paid due attention to when I first received them. Again, I’ve been blown away by just how much fine music runs under the radar. This tune, End Of An Error by Loved Ones, is one such example.
(Click on page 2 for my further thoughts about it)
Imagine waking up one morning having dreamt that the love of your life is leaving you. And, they’re not leaving you because they’ve fallen in love with your best friend (which would, of course, be tough enough) but because they’re off to a cold, unfathomable place.
That’s the dream that Joe Innes emerges from in his wonderful new single, Moscow. Clearly, Joe is very much in love with the person who’s making plans to leave and yet that brings up all sorts of moral dilemmas. Do you accept their decision passively without trying to persuade them otherwise? Or do you run the risk of being labelled a controlling bully by pointing out the stupidity of their actions?
(Click on page 2 for more about Moscow)
I can’t remember the name of the band who were about to take to the stage. Judging from the queue of people I’d had to make my way past at the entrance, they must have been an act with a lofty reputation. I was feeling hot, bothered and on the edge of heading back to my rented apartment in the centre of the city. It had been a heavy weekend.
Two swaying women, probably more drunk than I was, came and stood in my general vicinity. One was very tall and the other less so. The shorter one said something to me in Dutch. At least I assumed it was in Dutch; this would have made sense as we were all in the Netherlands.
“I’m sorry. I can’t understand. I’m English”, I apologised. This was my first conversation with Jolene.
(Click on page 2 for more of this story)
Sometimes you hear a song or watch a video and know that it’s one you want to feature on your blog. You start writing about it many times but give up or move onto something else because your words refuse to come out in the right order. That’s the dilemma I find with Maheekats and Without Horizons.
(Click on page 2 to discover if I resolved that dilemma)
Last Friday evening, I went along to the Donkey in Leicester to watch Idle Empire. I first saw them as an acoustic duo back in the days when I was involved in compering OBS showcases. A friend, Laura, who I’d not seen for some time got in touch with me out of the blue and asked if I’d go along – for she’s now managing them.
The Leicester Mercury appears to be publishing more of my reviews again (albeit for bigger shows like Rick Astley at De Montfort Hall) so I thought I’d send a write-up of this gig into the paper. To my knowledge it’s not been used. Phil Bull took some great photos from the evening that are also gathering dust. Waste not, want not.. It’s not my best writing ever but let’s add it to a Sonic Breakfast.
(Click on page 2 for the review and more pics from Phil)
I first heard Nick Parker’s ‘Down With The Yoof’ on Fresh On The Net’s Listening Post. Most weekends, I really enjoy taking a listen to the 25 or so new tracks that appear on there and voting for my five favourites. It’s a great way to discover new, upcoming acts.
Sometimes, bands that I’ve voted for will get in touch with me by E-mail, thanking me for the support I’ve shown or kind words I’ve written. Nick Parker did just that and offered to send me his forthcoming CD, Besta Venya. I’d enjoyed the humorous story-telling in ‘Down With The Yoof’ so much, a tale of a Dad trying to remain cool and failing badly as he traipses around charity shops in pursuit of that double denim look, that I jumped at the opportunity.
The CD promptly arrived – and with it came Nick’s brief biography. I was drawn to one line in it.
“Glastonbury based Nick Parker started gigging in his early teens playing mandolin and singing in folk/rock/skiffle band ‘Why?’, and spent the next 10 years bouncing around on stages at hundreds of venues and festivals around the UK and Europe.”
So Nick had once been a member of Why?. Why could I remember their name? What was it about the band Why? that rang my bells?
(Click onto page 2 as my brain becomes less addled)
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