Gig Review - Nashville Sounds In The Round - Birmingham Symphony Hall August 2023

 

And so to the beautiful Symphony Hall Birmingham on a Saturday morning for the latest episode of Nashville Sounds In The Round.   The popular songwriters round started in 2017 as a collaboration between hosts Gasoline and Matches and curator Dan Wharton of Your Life In A Song.  Since then it has moved on from its first home in the intimate Kitchen Garden Café , replicating the feel of the Bluebird Café in Nashville – as well as its capacity of roughly 60.

As the show has grown it has moved to its new home in rather grander surroundings at the Symphony Hall in partnership with B:Music, the charity who run the Symphony Hall and Town Hall in Birmingham.  Normally setting up in the Jennifer Blackwell Performance Space the increase in capacity was very much needed for this show with the audience well in to triple figures.

The show is hosted by the familiar faces of local artists Sally and Stephen, and their guests range from unsigned artists to touring acts, especially in festival season – and this year it even took to the road with a special event on the paddock stage at Buckle and Boots festival.

While the format remains the same, the ever changing line up means that no two shows are the same, as every writers round is affected by the interaction between performers as well as with the crowd which ensures that even a regular event stays fresh.

The line up this month was three relatively new acts who are all making quite an impact on the UK Country scene, and who all played at Buckle and Boots this year.  For us it is an extra treat to be able to sit and listen to acts that we may have missed while working at the festival, as well as hearing them talk about their songs and tell their stories.

 

Robyn Red is a familiar face to us now, having hosted her on the paddock stage as well as seeing her perform at Country In The Afternoon and Country on the Clyde.  With her trademark red hat (now available to buy from the merch stand – great idea Robyn’s mum!) Robyn is hard to miss!  When she talks between songs Robyn displays a disarming charm, although she still sounds very quiet and nervous when speaking, but the moment she starts singing it is almost a different Robyn with her powerful vocal! Singing clearly releases her confidence and in orchestrating audience participation, encouraged by her facial expressions her stage presence belies her age.  Still only 18, her songwriting tells her life as seen through a teenager’s eyes, including a story of her friend drunk at a party!  Its honest, it’s hilarious and it is beautifully delivered!

In his first year on the UK Country scene, Luke Flear is having a blast!  Having met him on Thursday night at Buckle and Boots and then seeing him on and off during the weekend we saw the personal side to him, keen to make the most of his opportunities and keen to be a part of the festival, including helping out with keyboard for a songwriters round.  21 year old Luke was brought up on music (mostly rock) and was bought a drum kit when he was only 5/6 years old.  Noise complaints took him from drums to piano (self taught) to guitar (self taught) and now to stages!  He carried his keyboard all the way up to the performance space only to be told he could use the Steinway grand piano – and use it he did!  Luke seemed so at home on such a beautiful instrument and his songs did it justice.  Luke’s songwriting comes from personal experiences, including a touching tribute (Tattoo) to his brother’s friend who lost his life recently to a song inspired by his girlfriend wearing Tassels and Flares, and his voice has a raw, country edge to it.

photo courtesy of Nashville Sounds In The Round

The third of the guests was MattHodges who owned the main stage at Buckle and Boots performing with the Country Orchestra.  On that night he looked and sounded every inch a Country star, as he did again in Birmingham.  A hard working musician he performed at 311 gigs last year, travelling 87,000 miles in the process.  He has realised that the best way to placate his partner when he is way so much is to write her a song and buy presents!  With a friendly Yorkshire charm and a deep booming voice Matt is funny and entertaining, as well as a joy to listen to, with songs including a reply to “my boyfriend cheated” type songs and his forthcoming single inspired by a cocktail menu!

The three guests had all travelled quite a distance to perform, Robyn from Glasgow and Luke and Matt from Yorkshire – Leeds and Wakefield respectively – as had some of the crowd.  There were familiar faces dotted around from both the north and the south, as well as a couple of other performers – Leanne Brumfitt and Sarah Riches both enjoying the show.

photo courtesy of Nashville Sounds In The Round

Our hosts Gasoline andMatches as ever held the show together with ease, introducing the guests, playing along with them and of course telling their own stories and performing their own songs. Their latest single – Patient Wolves - was held over to the second half “To make sure you all stay” and of course there was some talk of the Crooked House fire and the media circus around it.  Some people did notice the fire engines outside the building, but we were assured it was just coincidence!  Sally and Stephen have such a wide catalogue of songs they can pick and choose the set list for each show, opening this time with their first release Fools Gold and including their excellent last single Afraid To Fall.  It is a joy to hear that they sound just as good whether as an acoustic duo, full band or in a studio.

 

Nashville Sounds In The Round goes from strength to strength, showcasing independent artists and showing that there is a definite country scene in Birmingham.  The next show is a weekday lunchtime show on 6 September – and its free!  The line up includes Neeve Zahra, Eleri and Emily Lockett, hosted by Sally!

More details of this and future shows can be found on the B:Music website

Silverball Country attended Nashville Sounds in the Round as guests of Gasoline and Matches and B:Music

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Single Review - Patient Wolves - Gasoline and Matches

 

In recent times, Gasoline and Matches have been on fire, they have definitely ignited their performances and set the world alight.  Sparks fly whenever they pick up a guitar.  But enough about their cancelled performance at the ill-fated Crooked House!

Ok, in all seriousness, due to their entirely coincidental connection to the well-publicised fire at the Crooked House Pub Sally and Steve have been handling press enquiries from radio, TV, National Newspapers and even the Ladbible website  If you’ve missed that one, an old pub was sold and mysteriously caught fire…and the band originally booked to play on that date were – Gasoline and Matches!  Of course, the media absolutely loved this.  Both Sally and Steve approached this infamy in an incredibly professional and smooth way – which is just how they approach their music! 

If you’ve seen the full band perform recently (including Jamie Clayton on bass, James Randle on drums and Chris Proctor on saxophone) you’ll see that they have moved up a gear in terms of performance and showmanship.  The inclusion of the one man brass section, radio packs to allow them to move around the stage and the crowd freely as they showed at Buckle and Boots, when opening for Jessica Lynn and no doubt when they play at the Long Road festival later this month.

Their new single, follow up to the sublime Afraid To Fall is perfectly timed, not just because of the unexpected media interest, but also as a teaser for their appearance at The Long Road.  The song itself will be familiar to those who have seen the band live, especially at their regular Nashville Sounds In The Round shows at Birmingham Symphony Hall.  Although we are used to hearing it, we were keen to sample what a studio arrangement can do to it.  In this case, the addition of  “south of the border” brass, brought to life by Emma Miller on French Horn and cornet.  In truth, the whole instrumentation has a kind of spaghetti western feel to it, the guitars and indeed the joint vocal bringing an edge, and with the title you start to feel that the song is almost a movie in 3 minutes!  As ever, the songwriting is based on perhaps not personal life, but personal observations of life.  As Stephen explains

There was a point in my life when many of my female friends were being treated badly in their relationships by their male partners. I felt protective but at the same time was conflicted by my own instincts.

This is certainly caught in the lyrics, where the story teller is both protector and wolf

When the ground is moving fast beneath your feet. 
Running with the pack white with heat. 

I’ll be howling at the moon. 
Don’t let him make a fool out of you. 
Gentlemen are Patient Wolves.

Powerful writing, energetic music, great instrumentation – Patient Wolves is everything we expect from Gasoline and Matches, and with this run of releases to accompany their run of live shows can we expect an album in the near future?

We hope so – because we know it will be LIT!

(sorry, last fire pun)

 

Patient Wolves, the new single from Gasoline and Matches will be available to stream and download from Friday 18 August.

 You can see the band live at the upcoming Long Road Festival and catch Sally and Steve at Symphony Hall on Saturday 19 August hosting Nashville Sounds in The Round

Find and follow the band on Facebook, Instagram and on Spotify

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Single Review - Falling Through The Cracks - Donna Marie Songs

 

A press release hit our inbox recently from an artist we know quite well – or at least we thought we did!  The release included all sorts of facts about Donna Marie:

• She has been performing professionally since she was 13
• She has competed several marathons and Ironman triathlons and is a triathlon & running endurance coach.
• She released Electronic Dance Music whilst at University
• She can’t read music

·

Possibly the most surprising fact about Donna though, is something she told us when we met up after a performance of A Country Night In Nashville – “I’m very shy” she told us.  This is despite her taking centre stage for a few songs as part of the show, as well as appearing on the Paddock Stage at Buckle and Boots this year as part of the songs and Stories Collective.

What we did already know about Donna is that she is an accomplished singer/songwriter with a fabulous voice, something she has proven time and again not just by being on stage but in her previous releases which we have always been thrilled to receive.

If you haven’t come across Donna before, she is probably best known for her part in A Country Night In Nashville playing keyboard and guitar, providing backing vocals and performing solos as part of the show’s band Dominic Halpin and the Hurricanes.  She also became part of the Songs and Stories collective during lockdown, doing a weekly livestream with Sarah Yeo and Tennesse Twin, which is partly where her new single Falling Through The Cracks was polished (having been written in 2017)

With one of the weekly themes being “Time” Donna decided to finish this early song that had never been recorded – and then decided to record it!  Being used to remote recording, Donna was able to do most of the work in her bedroom studio, importing the drums from Germany and the pedal steel from Sweden!

The song itself is about the passage of time – how life goes by when you’re caring about other people, but remembering that you still have hopes and dreams of your own.  Carried by Donna’s clear, pure voice it shows fabulous writing skills as it tells us the story of two lives – suggesting some the style of the greatest songs of the sixties but with a modern country feel, cemented by the instrumentation, especially the drum line and the pedal steel!

Triathlons, EDM and shyness aside, you can easily see why Donna has been a professional musician since she was young, and will continue to be so – whether on a theatre stage, a festival stage or in a recording (bedroom) studio!

Falling Through The Cracks - the new single from Donna Marie Songs - is available to download and stream from Friday 21 July

You can catch Donna at the West Country Music Festival in August and on her EP “Time” later this year.  

You can also find her on Facebook, Instagram, Spotify and on her website.  You can check out our review of A Country Night In Nashville here.

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Gig Review - Jessica Lynn - Hare and Hounds Birmingham July 2023

In a week when The Chicks played arena shows and Bruce Springsteen and Billy Joel both filled London’s Hyde Park, we went back to a roots music venue in Birmingham to catch up with a band who have become friends over the years.

Although the Hare and Hounds in Kings Heath is a relatively modest sized venue, it is filled with history having played host to many up-and-coming artists – Ed Sheeran, Ellie Goulding, Basement Jaxx as well as being the venue for the first ever gig by legendary Birmingham Band UB40.

Despite the main room not being concert hall sized, that doesn’t mean that the shows are small.  This was certainly the case on Thursday evening when the stage was filled by Jessica Lynn and her band, plus her two support acts – Georgia Jones and Gasoline and Matches.

Gabriella Jones opened the night with a blues infused set punctuated by her fabulous chat and banter.  Tasked with warming up the crowd, Georgia made sure that she had fulfilled her task, encouraging sing-alongs and asking us all to be loud enough to be heard in the dressing rooms.  With her easy rapport with the audience it was easy to see why she is running a new open mic night in Sutton Coldfield.

 

Gasoline and Matches were up next, recreating their headline show from Buckle and Boots.  With the addition of a saxophonist and an opening spoken introduction, Sally, Steve and the band are going from strength to strength.  With Gasoline and Matches you know you are going to see a polished, high energy, professional show.  As close friends of Jessica, they are the obvious choice for support, especially in Birmingham and they didn’t disappoint.

On the subject of support acts – Jessica selected a different opener for each of the shows in the UK, giving a platform to local artists which is great to see, and absolutely fits the friends and family feel

Jessica Lynn and her band haven’t made the trip from their New York State home to the UK since 2019, with their previous tours being cancelled because of – well, you know why!  If you haven’t seen the band in action, they are certainly a band with a difference.  As New Yorkers playing Country Music they are already outside the mainstream – something that Jess feels she shares with UK Country fans! – but they are also a family. With husband Steve on lead guitar, dad Pete on Bass, mum Victoria n keys/backing vocals and even Matthew Bauer on drums is such a long time friend (15 years!) he is considered a brother!  This close relationship is evident in how effortlessly all 5 interact, play, dance and even punch the air in absolute unity.  The enforced sabbatical wasn’t wasted time – Jessica used the time to fulfil a dream and release an album, which had great success.  Most of the show was songs from that album, all well received. 

After that enforced break, Jessica and the band have been playing shows and festivals in a range of countries across Europe.  What is evident from their social media posts is that they are seeing and making friends wherever they go – and they have played to some big crowds!

If its your first time seeing Jessica play you can expect country with a rock edge, all performed with high energy and big smiles! Jessica took a moment to reset her Fitbit to count calories, apparently the challenge was to beat the calories burned in Switzerland fuelled by the energy from the stage and the crowd There is no doubt that the whole band are having a great time – and that transfers to the audience too. The standout exception to this was Jessica taking to the stage alone, while the band joined the audience, for a haunting rendition of Stevie Nicks’ Landslide.  For the whole song there was appreciative silence from the crowd. 

It wouldn’t be a Jessica Lynn show without her hit single Roadhouse, with its signature dance – and Steve from Gasoline and Matches showing us all up with his own dance floor moves - and a very different rendition of Johnny B Goode.  This used to heavily feature “Uncle Bob” who has stepped back from touring, but the new version would have done him proud and allowed the whole band to share the spotlight, with Jessica transferring to the drums without a beat being dropped, pushing Matthew to take centre stage on maracas and Victoria showing us her own stunning vocals.

 

“One More” demanded the crowd, and one more we had – with Jessica joined on stage for an unrehearsed “Man, I feel Like a Woman” by Sally and Gabriella.  The sheer energy and fun in that song reflected the whole night, both on stage and off as we were shown that the size of a venue doesn’t affect the size of the show!

 

Come back soon Jessica!

Silverball Country attended The Hare and Hounds as guests of Jessica Lynn

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Gig Review - A Country Night In Nashville - Alexandra Theatre Birmingham

 

A theatre trip for us on Saturday, rather than a “normal” gig venue.  We walked into a theatre in Birmingham but took our seats in a Nashville Honky Tonk – “Crazy Joe’s Live Lounge”.  As the rest of the audience took their seats a few were caught out as the lights began to flash across the stage, building anticipation. In the background 'The Devil went down to Georgia' could be heard, on walked the band (Drums, Keys, Guitar and Bass) to play along. 

Wait who is this under the single spotlight, a glittery gold sensation singing a haunting, acoustic version of Jolene? 

The show has only just begun and the audience are already singing along. A short chorus later, the song shifts to 'Ring of Fire' and Dominic Halpin enters the stage looking every bit a Country singer, there is something Johnny Cash about the all black outfit but somehow there’s something more.   

Dominic introduces himself and Matt the guitarist. Dominic checked how many of the audience have been to Nashville, but not to worry – if you haven’t, let yourself be transported to The Crazy Joe's Live Lounge. The cheap gags (fitting for the scene) start straight away with asking Matt about line dancing and him being a Morris dancer, complete with waving around his bandana, smoothly leading in to a Dwight Yoakam hit.

A Country Night In Nashville, although comprising (of course) covers, is far more than a covers show.  It is a tribute to the music of Nashville, and with its themed backdrops, lighting show and sheer energy it is a full-on theatrical experience.  The links between songs, the stories of stars of country music, the anecdotes about songs and the jokes with the band and the audience all add up to make the show what it is.  More than all of that though is the band, each member an accomplished performer in their own right, most of them songwriters too.

 

Fronting the band is Dominic Halpin, who is also the creator of the show.  Dominic, in his own words, lives and breathes music and was raised on some of the greats, which gives some of the history to the night, with songs spanning many decades.  Dominic is a born performer, an entertainer from the old school.  His passion shows with every song and his voice is just perfect for the range of music performed, easily singing the Country Standards, 50s Rock n Roll and even a short burst of Frank Sinatra.  Despite it being his name on the drum kit, when one of the others is taking centre stage, Dominic happily takes a step back to be “just” one of the musicians.

 

The lead, and the limelight, is shared – principally with vocalist Shelly Quarmby.  An accomplished singer in her own right, with albums under her own name, Shelly has a stunning voice that wouldn’t be out of place in the West End.  Whether taking the lead, effortlessly harmonising or joining Dominic for a duet Shelly keeps up with high energy dancing around, very much in the style of June Carter Cash. This comparison was very much cemented in the second half when she sang the role of June in a Cash medley.

 

The band is split four men and two ladies, and after a big start to the evening with Dwight Yoakam, Alan Jackson, Patsy Cline and Willie Nelson, the gents leave the stage to make way for Shelley and Donna Marie to have a few songs to themselves. 

 

Donna Marie is a familiar face to us, having most recently appeared on the Paddock Stage at Buckle and Boots as part of the Songs and Stories Collective, as well as being featured on our review pages with her singles.  In addition to playing her trademark big acoustic guitar she provides keys to this show as well as incredible backing vocals and a couple of solo numbers.  Shelly and Donna combined beautifully, ending with a rendition of The Chicks’ Travelling soldier accompanied by drummer Jono Price on side drum which added extra emotion to the performance, emotion which is reflected in Shelly's face

 

Jono sits at the back on his drum kit (apart from his cameo with the girls) and not only keeps time for the band, but plays in the traditional Country style and joins in with the skits and gags throughout the show.

 

Joining Jono in keeping the bassline thumping is  Ben Wiltshire, alternating between electric bass and stand-up bass – plus backing vocals!

 

There is an easy camaraderie between Dominic and the band – the boys also play together as Dominic Halpin and the Honeybees – and this is easy to see in the joking around, especially with lead guitarist Matt Wells who is the butt of many jokes, including being called the “creepy old uncle” when touchingly referring to the band as being “like family”.  Matt doesn’t just provide some incredible guitar playing – he also plays haunting lap steel, slide guitar using a beer bottle that is then thrown off stage and even broke out a banjo – which resulted in duelling banjos between him and Dominic (on guitar) to round off the first half.

 

The second half opens with Johnny Cash and everyone swinging their instruments – even Ben with his double bass! Dominic explains the notes he played could fit into any tune and we are treated to a little ditty from Dominic, who is looking for a woman with big hands.  He explains they are all songwriters and we get a rendition of his own song Fire & Smoke. 

 

The extra comedy, skits and instrumental breaks elevate this show – rather than just exiting stage to allow for a solo Dominic challenges the band to keep up with his random choices of songs, resulting in a walk out rather than take on Justin Beiber!  The solo was Dominic playing a tribute to Buddy Holly – and it was spot on! A different transition as Dominic exited stage left while Shelly walked on stage right, sat down at the keyboard and sang a fantastic solo “Girl Crush”.  Is there no end to her talents?

 

As the band come back on, we are clearly in party mode, with more modern songs dropping in, banter with the audience and Donna Marie offering herself for selection as a “redneck” to song an energetic “Red Neck Woman” showing her own performance skills, despite her telling us later that she is very shy!  Coming out from behind the keyboard means she can show off her tassled red boots, rivalling Shelly's sparkles!

 

A Kacey Musgraves number gets the crowd singing and clapping, and then a full party set takes us all the way through with the whole audience on their feet and dancing in the aisles – 9 to 5, Jolene, Dance the Night Away, Wagon Wheel all going down well and accompanied by a thousand voices.

Make no mistake, this isn’t “just another covers show” – it’s a tribute show featuring a band of highly talented musicians who would be at home on any stage performing a very well written show centred around a carefully chosen mix of music.

image courtesy of Handshake Ltd

 A Country Night In Nashville is rightly filling theatres up and down the country, playing to thousands of music fans every week.  Hearing the comments at the meet and greet afterwards proves that this show will run and run, a stand-out among the tribute shows – in fact a stand-out among all shows

Silverball Country attended A Country Night In Nashville as guests of Handshake Limited

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Gig Review - Country In The Afternoon - Half Moon Putney

 

Take an iconic venue, add in some touring artists, mix with the Chittick’s unerring ability to curate a line up and the result is another stunning Country In The Afternoon.

 

If you haven’t yet sampled a CITA, its basically a mini festival over two days.  Taking place at the Half Moon Pub in Putney, which has played host to a long list of legends over the years, you get to see four acts per day, starting at 1 and finishing at 5, in time to sample the fabulous food that the pub has to offer.  Each day has a great line up, so you can do either day or both and still have a great time.  Although the weekend attracts in excess of 300 people over the two days in comfort, it still feels like an intimate gig, with many of the artists opting to play an acoustic or stripped-down set.

Following on so closely after Buckle and Boots Festival, there was a chance to see some of the touring artists who played in Manchester, and this weekend saw a Saturday line up of Matt Wynn, Jessie G, and Australia’s Josh Setterfield (who all played the main stage), headlined by Alyssa Bonagura while on Sunday headliner Aaron Goodvin from Canada was joined by Eleri Angharad (who played the Paddock stage) plus Simon James and James Riley.  We attended on Sunday, fighting our way through tube closures to make it to a sunny corner of South West London.

 

The theme of Sunday was very much about telling stories – it was as much about the stories as the music.  Eleri Angharad was up first and set the tone.  Her style of gently strumming her guitar while she talks is very soothing and keeps a link between words and songs.  She played her fabulous new single Good For A Girl, and ended with a great rendition of These Boots Were Made For Walking which really got the crowd singing along and pumped for the rest of the day.  She was also wearing good boots!

Simon James hasn’t been around much recently, but he’s back and with the promise of a new album.  If anything, his voice has matured, and it’s a voice that we have really missed.  When Simon sings he transports the audience and himself to a different place.  You can see this in Simon because either his eyes are closed or he’s staring out into the distance.  Speaking to Simon after the show he confirmed he is often not on that stage.  Simon loves to talk between songs and even shifted his set list around to accommodate the time he had taken!

James Riley was not familiar to us but is an artist that as soon as Gavin and Christine heard him play at a showcase event, they knew they wanted to bring him to Country In The Afternoon.  Playing acoustic guitar and accompanied by a stand-up bass and a fiddle player, James is on the folk side of country but very much in the story telling tradition.  He spent lockdown playing roof top concerts in his own neighbourhood earning him a slot on local tv news, and took himself off to a remote part of the Kent coast to write his newest songs, all influenced by his view out across the sea.  The attention he received for his rooftop series means that James will be spending part of his summer playing at Glastonbury.

Sunday’s headliner Aaron Goodvin has been on a mini tour of the UK having flown over for Buckle and Boots.  As he demonstrated in a songwriters round on the Paddock Stage, Aaron is a natural storyteller, even stopping mid song to tell a story.  It’s a clever technique that grabs your attention and keeps you laughing!  His start in the music industry came when his mother bought a Karaoke machine for the family and then entered Aaron in a contest at the local mall where he came second, winning $200 dollars which he instantly spent on golf clubs.  This was clearly the dream life for him – singing and earning – and the rest is history!  Supported and heckled in equal parts by Matt Wynn and Jessie G, the pair then joined Aaron on stage for an impromptu rendition of Tennessee Whisky which they had previously performed to support Electric Umbrella – a children’s charity in Hertfordshire.  

This collab was completely unexpected and one of the best we have ever seen. Already a big star in Canada, Aaron would like to cultivate a “sexy image” in the UK, rather than the Kermit comparisons from a comment on the tour.  There followed a few passable Kermit impressions which added to the general light-hearted approach Aaron took to his set, delivering a personal, intimate, powerful and hugely entertaining show before joining us all outside in the sunshine.

 

We have worked with Gavin and Christine Chittick at a number of festivals, so we know how hard working they are and how very welcoming too.  They have a real talent for finding artists who will work well in the Country In The Afternoon format as well as the Millport Festivals that they put on, and while Millport is taking a break we know that they will continue to promote great music and introduce us to new artists.  Country In The Afternoon allows for music, meeting up with friends and the chance for us to really appreciate the artists we may have missed while working at festivals, all in relaxed surroundings.

 

See you in November!

Silverball Country attended Country In The Afternoon as guests of Cumbrae Promotions

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