Found: the festival that feels like coming home
Jun 10
Review: Green Note in Camden, folk music Monday and organic beer
Organic lager, a super-friendly vibe and a Madchester moment for folk music: these are the memories of my evening at the Green Note in Camden. Find this bijou music bar/restaurant by heading up Parkway, away from the clamour of Camden Market, just at the point where the verdant sanity of Regent’s Park can be…
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May 22
Review: Letting our hair down at Bearded Theory 2013
Bearded Theory festival 2013: it’s the festival of Beards, Bands and DJs, and that just about sums it up. Now in its sixth year, Bearded Theory is set in picturesque Kedleston Hall, Derbyshire. With something like around 8,000 revellers it’s a nice size, and manages to feel like one big party. Bearded Theory’s line-up leans towards…
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Apr 29
Cool tracks: Orlando Seale and the Swell at St Pancras
Of all the train stations in London to find yourself in with time to spare, St Pancras is the most pleasant. A few shops, wine bars, artisan type food outlets, and occasional announcements in French – and I discovered Orlando Seale and the Swell were entertaining the crowds. There’s even more going on at the…
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Apr 26
Phildel: The Disappearance of the Girl at St Pancras Old Church
Phildel used her surroundings of St Pancras Old Church to create a mixed media experience, instead of simply performing her songs – this was an inspired move. This tiny church has a rich history and amongst those buried in its churchyard are a vampire writer, a composer and a sculptor. It clings to the edge of the glitzy…
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Apr 20
Review: King Charles at 02 Empire Shepherds Bush
What a transformation for the flamboyant musician King Charles. Last year I saw him perform in a church in Hackney, where a polite crowd clustered round the stage, supping wine and swaying gently. A year on, and he’s headlining at Shepherd’s Bush. The place seems rammed to the rafters with the most excited crowd I’ve…
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Apr 15
Phildel: The Disappearance of the Girl
Phildel is more than a singer songwriter, she’s a multi-talented performer whose artistry permeates every aspect of her work. So I was keen to buy the physical CD of The Disappearance of the Girl and enjoy the art work and read the lyrics. Sometimes I just think, damn those soulless downloads: music without its history. For Phildel,…
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Feb 24
Mixing it up at Bush Hall: Phildel and Ali Warren Band
Bush Hall, with its its rich red velvet drapes, majestic chandeliers and upstairs bar with viewing gallery is opulence in miniature. Such swagger for such a tiny place. This Sunday eve is Mixellaneous Melodies, and true to its name, it’s a very random mix of artists who play to a relaxed weekend crowd. Ozzie band…
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Feb 14
Location, location: music for 2013 in unforgettable venues
From tiny, friendly gigs where you feel as if you’re in someone’s living room, to the big, bold and outlandish, 2013 is all about statement venues. Here are a few to whet the appetite. 1. February 17: Bush Hall, Shepherds Bush, west London. Only £5. A mellow Sunday evening under the chandeliers beckons at this…
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Feb 5
Down in Kentish Town: great music and Thai curry
Oh for a good old-fashioned English high street, a scruffy one, with no Starbucks, Accessorize and Oliver Bonas popping up everywhere. Well that’s pretty much Kentish Town for you, where you’ll find newsagents, printer shops, friendly market stalls and even a library – granted a Costa lurks, but it doesn’t seem to have ushered in…
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Jan 24
King’s Place for food, drinks, art and alt-country band, ahab
We saw ahab at King’s Place as part of the King’s Cross venue’s folk sessions. Just for the record, Ahab (upper-case) are a German funeral doom-metal outfit – to be remembered when googling them. ahab (lower case) saunter on stage at King’s Place. First on is Callum Anderson, playing the first few chords of a beautiful-sounding…
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