the hounds, the pussycat and the shelter

Blue Room Acoustic Night 22/01/10

I apologise first of all it has been a profusely long time since any verbal discourse has left my mind or fingertips or in fact whatever medium you subscribe to as it's deliverant. I shall return to the fold now with a review of a gig I attended recently at the Blue Room in Blackpool last Thursday. Admittedly this is further late in it's appearance given that the evening in question for my assessment and this erstwhile riposte was well as can be determined from the date some time ago.

This evening saw three performers namely The Busking Boozehounds, Laura Catlow and Troubador take the stage to purvey their sonic skills to a somewhat windblown and sodden audience. I myself had cycled through some fittingly despairing precipitation that had matched my tawdry state and left me suitably dampened and in desperate need of some warming musical delight.

The Busking Boozehounds hailing from St. Annes took to the stage a little later than anticipated however this afforded me the opportunity to attempt to warm and dry off as well as catching up with some chums about recent events as seemingly forms an integral part of the social contract of friendship.

The Busking Boozehounds or furthermore for ease TBB are made up of three young males; two acoustic guitarists, one being a 12 string and a bass guitarist. They seemingly had a pleasant and amiable vibe about them that continued with their opening cover of a Eagles song. Now I must say I have never been a fan of the Eagles, I do love a lot of the West Coast sound of that era with the likes of Neil Young and Joni Mitchell. I have always found the Eagles the musical embodiement of blandness and tedium. The song was well performed and sang well by the man who took lead vocals throughout the evening. I would say his voice was the highlight of this band. It had a presence of clairty but with underlying earthy tones and lent itself well to the music they performed.

Following the theme of my ponderment I have long since applied to the Eagles, in addition to the rather sour wishy washy taste of blandness they leave in my mouth, I have never really understood their need for multiple guitar parts for what is realistically simplistic music. I guess as hypocritical as it is for me to say from a verbiose standpoint I subscribe to the notion that less is more.

TBB had a a second 12 string guitarist that seemingly offered no real benefit to the overall sound. I was looking for that jingly jangly sound reminescent of the Byrds to offer a more fuller rounded sound. This did however come later as it was discovered the guitar was not plugged in correctly. This did indeed produce the desired effect of a fuller and more enjoyable sound.
The set they performed was littered with covers most notably a quite rousing performance of the Stealer's Wheel classic thrust into the modern public concious through the film Resevoir Dogs, "Stuck in the Middle with you". The small amount of their original material performed was quite good and had some good moments of harmony and composition fitting well with the spectrum of covers presented. The bassist did play some well placed grooves that gave the sound some momentum that the lack of rythmn lost.

All in all not a bad group nothing to really hate but also nothing to really love. I would like to have seen a bit more fire but the singer's voice was strong and enjoyable.


Next up was Laura Catlow, as many may well know I am a big fan of this girl both as a performer and perhaps more so as a songwriter. Songs are always best though in that instant moment of connection of performer and audience in a live setting and this evening was no different.

The Blue Room was not overley packed most likely due to the weather conditions and where normally Laura has an understandable army of fans in support in tow, the support from this evening came in way of her mum and dad, Lella and me. This seemed to create a level of fragility in her presence for her opening song "Opinion of Me". This was quite an interesting sight to behold a person so blessed with natural, prescence and charm not as usual buoyed by innate playful confidence. Given the subject matter of the song though this initial almost deinty furtive performance was quite befitting.

The audience took little to no time to be graced and charmed by Catlow's prowess and soon were metaphorically gathered around the bowl greedily slurping up the musical cream. Catlow performed a faultless version of her 90s medley mix, which to those who have never seen this performed is somewhere in the region of at a guess thirty or more snippets of Britpop classic fused together into three or so of the most mesmeric and nostalgic pleasing moments of music. With inclusions ranging from the Happy Mondays through Oasis and even the one time hit Spaceman by if memory serves me correctly Babylon Zoo this is certainly a veritable treat and a great weapon in the armory of a performer who may have started somewhat tentatively.
There was a selection of other great Catlow hits and the regular appearance of the 3Oh3 cover "Trust Me". Perhaps the advice is fitting to indeed never trust a Ho, however on a personal level this is obviously not the case with the lady in question given the predication of such touching sentiments and emotion that litter the tray of her songs. On a musical level maybe this is true though as the dirty and debauched collection of various influences all cumulate together into a wonderous orgy of delight for the listener.

There was a new song in way of "the chicken shop blues". A person with Catlow's talents should live on Mars or something not work in a chicken shop but that she does and has beautifully articulated that experience in such a great song. Bluesy it may be but if the Amercians of the deep South regular masticate onto chicken and deem it soul food this seems quite fitting given this songs revelations of soul.

There was a slight technical issue where all power was lost whilst Catlow was mid flow in "Skin and Bone", efforts by the collected masses to sing along and maintain momentum were eventually stopped and after power was restored Catlow wrapped up another great performance with an ever perfect version of the amazing song that is "Horrorshow".

The last act of the evening were Troubador. I had many good things about this duo but for reasons entirely unbeknownst to me had as yet not seen them, so to stay anticipation was a firmly stoked fire would not be an understatement and I still needed the heat.

The duo comprise two people Michael Shenagher and Andy Bache. Michael takes lead vocals and plays acoustic guitar whilst Andy adds backing vocals and plays a menagerie of instruments to beautiful song if I can bastardise that phrasing so.

The songs have a truly epic feel due to the arrangements and prescence of at varying times, guitars, banjo, harmonica and penny whistle. There is definitive soundscapes created transported the listener to various times and places all with sheer delight.

Michael's vocal style is laidback and comforting may be a fitting term. Not to say it lacks any prescence because it certainly has its moments of inferno and crescendo, but soothing and pleasing clarity is the norm. The group made me think of Gomez in parts due to the blues and folk style, variant instrumentation and at times duelling vocals of Michael's silky but still earthy tones akin to Ian Gray and Andy's gruff grandaddy of the Delta blues style reminescent of Ben Ottewell. There isn't the quirkiness of Gomez but their is the musical beauty.

There was other musical influences on show exactly what you would imagine by the description thus far such as Dylan, The Levellers and others such luminaires of purveyors of excellent folk music as James Taylor. Laidback this may largely be but do not confuse this as being bereft of singificance or sparks.

The lyrics are largely poetic verging on symbolic ideals whilst also having a normality of regularity about them which is enticing and enriching to the style of the music.
I can't recall the last song but whatever it is titled this and a song I belive was called "Shelter" were highlights of a truly accomplished set. I look forward eagerly to seeing these again and shall be investigating the acquisition of some recorded material.