Music

FALLEN HEROES AT THE KING'S HEAD THEATRE PUB

Reviewed by Jeremy Stimson 24/9/'10

Although the smell of fresh paint greets you at the door and the renovations are work in progress, it’s still business as usual at the King’s Head. Whilst one might question the particular shade of green they chose for the walls, the warm atmosphere and friendly staff are still there, as is their commitment to live music.

The Fallen Heroes have ten years of solid gigging under their belt and it showed. It’s not often you find a group as tight as this on a Tuesday night performing for free. Their repertoire is a mix of original material and their take on exceptional classics, including numbers by Ray Charles and Fats Domino. It’s fast paced Ska Rock n Roll and as the piano got more and more frantic, the drummer cut loose and the saxophonist began yet another wailing solo.  It wasn't possible to stay seated.

Although there’s nothing particularly ground breaking about the Fallen Heroes, it’s good honest 12 bar blues performed by some very gifted musicians.  Perfect for those nights when you just need to 'cut some rug' or hit the dance floor.

CASSA DO FORRO AT CLUB AQUARIAN 4/8/'10

SANCHINTA FARRUQUE AT CARGO

Reviewed by Jeremy Stimson 21/7/'10

It’s eight years since Sanchita Farruque performed a full set at Cargo and she was back to launch her debut album “Life Drawings” after an envious spate of production projects and vocal support with some notable artists such as Nitin Sawney.

Acer Maple, who took an unfortunately sparse audience by surprise with a soulful acoustic set, provided a most memorable support performance. A juxtaposition of R&B vocals with folkguitar produced a unique sound; Jill Scott meets Kings of Convenience.

From the outset of Sanchita’s performance there was no doubting the heartfelt nature of her music. This passion was clearly shared with her eleven-strong band, each getting more into the groove as the set built on her emphatic lyrics and powerful voice. This is a group who develop their live performance through good old fashioned jamming and knowing smiles as each took turns in brief solos.

There seemed to be no boundaries for cultural references, a mixture of funk, jazz, soul, R&B balanced with strong Asian influences. Although the final result felt a little too clean and diluted, the vocal talents that brought her to the fore a few years ago seem to now miss a more contemporary feel.

Whilst this didn’t seem to sit well for the Cargo audience, one can see why this accessible and polished variety of her music is gaining interest.

SHOREDITCH FESTIVAL

Reviewed by Jenny Rowsome

Shoreditch Park often feels a little left out, so it was lovely to see The Royal Philharmonic Orchestra opening festivities on Friday to a wonderfully appreciative and mixed audience. Relaxing classics and pink skies provided the perfect summer’s evening as families and people of all ages came together to picnic, socialise and soak in the classical sounds. My most memorable moment this summer.

Caribbean Sunday began with some really good Roots Reggae performances from The Viceroys and Gilzene & The Blue Light Men, but where was the Calipso, Soca and Ska? Predictable heavy beats developed as the day went on as seems to be the norm nowadays,  ending with Hip Hop from Hackney’s Lazy Habits and La Bomba Estereo's Columbian cacophony. As a lover of both real Reggae and distorted Dub I was happily satisfied, but others perhaps weren't.   And compared with Friday the day was not so family friendly and the music not so relaxed.

Stupidly I missed Saturday. The reportedly enigmatic Anthony Browne (Children's Laureate), tea dances, Tongue Fu spoken word and...  a great World music line up.

The atmosphere at this culture and arts extravaganza was refreshingly welcoming with a great community feel. The annual award winning Festival is produced by Shoreditch Trust who run two socal enterprise restaurants and other local projects. And a special thanks to the Barbican Centre and Guildhall School of Music and Drama who helped create this spectacular cultural affair. Make a note for next year now...

MYCHELLE COLLEARY AT THE GLOBE IN MORNING LANE

Reviewed by Jeremy Stimson 30/6/10

The Globe In Morning Lane is a no nonsense English pub with all the usual accoutrements; darts board, variety of ales and a healthy number of loyal locals. You can then imagine how surprising it was to hear the subtle sounds of live jazz rising above the fervent bar banter.

Mychelle Colleary's voice catches your attention immediately and her seemingly effortless charisma and confidence on stage definitely keeps you interested.No matter how small the audience,  she engaged you straight away.  performing her own work and some classic standards.

The arrangements were very approachable (a rendition of Autumn Leaves to a Rhumba beat got people humming along) then some fairly fast paced skating around some complex melodies.

Even though it seemed a bizarre juxtaposition of venue and performer, the power of Mychelle's voice and the friendly atmosphere created by the landlord, Steve Powell and his staff, merged into a great evening.

VORTEX OUTDOORS

Reviewed by Jenny Rowsome 9/5/10

Vortex Outdoors, organised by Brazen Bunch, a vibrant open air live music festival in Gillett Square… is now an annual affair.  This year’s was another great success for The Vortex Jazz Bar, drawing in a large crowd despite ominous skies. The buzzing square provided the perfect setting for a sociable and relaxing atmosphere. Nodding heads and tapping toes turned into full on boogies as the day went on.  A particularly lively performance from local artist Aruba Red – currently top ten in Jamaica with her hit ‘Struggling’,  prompted many to get off their seats and dance to her exquisite vocals and heavy bass lines.

Genres true to the area,   hip-hop, reggae, funk, blues and folk expressed the dynamism of Dalston.   Local organisation ‘Pangolin's Ark'  encouraged people to get involved in the creation of a ‘Junk Art’ sculpture; Fugitive Images  filmed thoughts on creativity screened later that evening.   Mustachio Bikes and Push Cycles  offered friendly cycling advice to anyone coming by bike. 

Gillett Square's a  great  space.  Lets hope for more live outdoor music in Dalston in the summer months. Artists, all selected by BrazenBunch,   included Zarif, Jamie Woon, Me’sha Bryan, Shane Solanki, Sharlene Hector, Kevin Mark Trail – plus the Lifeforce Band, special guests and music students (No Race) from Hackney and BSix Sixth Form College. For more info www.gillettsquare.org.uk/index.html