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Manchester Academy
27-09-23

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Woah – Manchester – yes! – music – cool music – yes! – let’s do this, eh? So off I went to see Brummieband ‘Jaws’, a decade into their unification as a quirky, quality, quintessentially catchy quartet – whose shoegazing, starry-laden anthems are so infectiously cool, like, it’s a reyt smart do. So, off I tripp’d to the nation’s second city, piercing it’s night-breathing streets into the university district & the Academy venues, of which the ‘Club’ was playing host to tonight’s frolics.

Getting down with the kids, I arriv’d half way thro the support band, Sounds Mint, another quartet, this time from London – I got Red Hot Chilli Peppers meets Joy Division kinda vibes -, who seem’d to be going completely over the heads of the student-dominated, Manc-infus’d crowd. I could see what they were trying to create, they were delivering, but weren’t really energizing the place.

I think if I’d have witness’d them in their natural environment the room would have exploded – especially when the dreadlock’d singer whipp’d his top off. I’m not gay, like, but wow, what a physique & scowl-a-prowl; I’ve never felt the intensity & the feel of music increase so much, elevating with of tribal energy, after such a Chippendales moment before!

Then the crowd got bigger, & excited, & on postur’d Jaws. Like I said at the start of the review, wow! really cool, especialy after a few shots of ‘tequila no fucking about’ (i.e. no lime & salt). Jaws embellish our lives with decent guitar music – like a less in-your-face Gomez -, all melodical & twangy & droney ubercool & bangin’!

As I engag’d completely with the experience, I found myself surrounded by proper true fans – a seven yearer on one side, six gigs into his odyssey, & four yearer on the other who’d seen just as many gigs – & me in the middle goin’ I can see why yer fuckin’ like these boys, boys! A few of the tunes really stood out on my first hearing, which I’ll embed in the reviews – ‘Just a Boy,’ ‘End of the World,’ ‘Think Too Much Feel Too Little’ & ‘All My Friends Are Alright.’

Jaws are a right mad band, an ark of supergeekerie! Front man Connor Schofield sings beautifully as he strums his shiny guitar, while Eddy Geach pounds his drums, who to me is probably the real star of the show, he is reyt good. There’s also a riduculously funky-looking geezer on bass call’d Leon Smith, & the constantly chirpy, sound-effect carouselly Alex Hudson on lead guitar.

As a whole they work really well, & let’s hope they take the bull by the horns, find some, like, Welsh farm house somewhere, pop a load of shrooms & write that eternal classic album that’s in their collective soul somewhere.

Damo

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The Castle Hotel, Manchester
19-09-23

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My, my, my; that was a treat. System Exclusive were in town – Manchester town that is, the Vaticanesque hub of the great God of British music. The System are actually American, LA folks, & are currently touring the UK. The previous night they were in Glasgow – then after some car troubles they finally hit the NW, well less hit, more slam dunk’d their sinthy-riffy-beatbouncy songs into the lovely back room of the Castle Hotel, in the city’s Northern Quarter.

Underneath the church-like beams & rafters, & with a fascinating array of pedals & L.E.D.-flashing sound boxes, System Exclusive are Ari Blaisdell and Matt Jones – she’s on a bolt-of-lightning-strapp’d guitar, he’s on drums, while the sound is fill’d out by all manners of weird & wonderful digitalized sound effects. Blaisdell is an addictive watch, she pulls some reyt moves, like; & faces, & postures, & statuesque stances. Meanwhile, Jones is pulsating us all thro the set with some proper tom-pounding, overdrive drums. Not so much dancey, more transfixing you & locking you into something very special.

Blaisdell’s guitar playing is ethereal, she has a massive affinity for the instrument, & her voice is full of nuance – Adam & the Ants yelps, Joy Division drones – she is in complete command of her coolness. In general a gig is a spectacle, but I sometimes found myself closing my eyes & diving into the music, & it was on these occasions where I was transported to another place – eyes full of rainbows & phosphenes & an ectoplasmic aura surrounding my dark peripherals. Arcane, almost. My favorite song, by the way, I don’t know it’s actual name, had a chorus line of ‘I want to see regret in your eyes.’ A remarkable piece!

Their songs are all quality, tho’ not so much catchy as such. It was funny when they play’d their only cover, of a song by Eddie Murphy, & tried to explain it goes down brilliant Stateside – I don’t think anyone in the UK even new about the song. Outwith that, however, everything was just peachy, especially when they play’d songs they’d been writing prolifically on the road. I’m sure they’d written one in Glasgow the previous day call’d Changing Rooms, & the way they polish’d thro it’s funky staccato chunk seem’d to me as if they’d been playing it years. I mean, that’s cool, right – well, it was to me.

Damo

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The Usher Hall
Edinburgh
8th September, 2023

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Oh my God ! What did I just witness ?

Christine and the Queens took Edinburgh by storm last night. With their only Scottish date at Edinburgh’s Usher Hall, this was surely going to be a night to remember. With tickets selling out quicker than Lewis Hamilton’s fastest lap, there will be a lot of disappointed fans in Scotland tonight. Christine, Redcar or simply Chris, is a French innovator with an incredible ability to write soul-searching songs which cut deep into your human spirit.

Born and raised in Nantes in France during the new wave era of the 1980s, Christine battled the elements of the music business to create this French genius we now see standing in front of us. Since 2011, Chris had been chipping away at several projects and slowly becoming a powerful and influential figure in and around France and the UK with the debut album Chaleur Humaine, released in 2014. This received so much critical acclaim it was inevitable that the talent within was about to explode. To be so young and so direct in your beliefs is empowering; be who you are, be what you want to be and hide from no one is the best of being human. Doors were built to be opened not closed, and Christine has the key to them all – the master of expression is the master of their own destiny… it is a choice we all have to make so choose well.

The songs “Tilted” and “Saint Claude” propelled Christine and the Queens to a level of popularity that opened the mind-doors of many a sceptic whom had previously had a barrier of confusion clouding their thoughts. Like the Joan of Arc of music, Christine was given the gift of a non-judgemental existence and that is proven and delivered through the poetry and songwriting of the last 20 years. Lyrics that delve deep into places normally reserved for personal consumption break through the traditional barricades of our wavering society that have kept us trapped within a hideous lie for too long. Statues of goddesses, stairways to heaven, fallen angels with blackened wings were all aspects of this not-so-regular show. The Usher Hall was transfixed and intoxicated with what was being witnessed -powerful, deep, dark but light, thought-provoking, beautiful and sinister. Honest, courageous and mind-blowing.

Blood, sweat and tears are all part of the human development and should never be ignored. Life is, and should be, an education and tonight’s performance served up concoction of the arts like no other. The pure physical and spiritual presence of Christine and the Queens was so refreshing. My long time soul-mate was turned to tears during the show, as were a few others. The door to the deep part of our hidden emotions can only be unlocked through certain channels and music is truly one of the main sources.

Strength is derived from being strong which in turn comes from being you, and Christine and the Queens are exactly that. A person who introduces new methods, ideas and new beginnings deserves all the blessings the gods have to offer. I bless you Christine / Chris / Redcar for being just you. I have never felt so inspired and uplifted at a gig before like I was tonight.

Suave and sophisticated, Christine embodies all that it is to be human. Sculp your own sculpture is the message that sticks with me. Contemporary Dancing, theatre and music are my passion and a Christine and the Queens gig combines it all into one fine cocktail glass. Big love and thanks for gracing Edinburgh with your musical genuis.

Raymond Speedie

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Edinburgh: Sneaky Petes
Glasgow: The Old Hairdressers
September 6th & 7th, 2023

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So the Edinburgh Fringe ground to an inevitable halt, & to everyone here at Mumble Towers, the world ‘culture’ sent a haunting-shiver thro the very roots of our souls. But time waits for no man, nor woman, & nor is it waiting for ‘Iraina Mancini’s burgeoning musical, rock opera vibe talent. For the past couple of nights she swoop’d thro the Central Belt on the back of her slick, dragonesque band, with Raymond Speedie writing the review over in Edinburgh, & myself heading down to the Old Hairdressers in Glasgow last night. Honestly, some of her 55 minute’s worth of bangin’ material were, well, better than bangin’, eh, uberbangin! I’ve pick’d out my three favorites, but now over to Raymond for the review…

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In the small, intimate & fabulously famous musical hub that is Edinburg’s Sneaky Petes, we had the pure pleasure of being introduced to Iraina Mancini, hjeading north to delight us with performance of her debut album, Undo The Blue. Iraina Mancini is a singer, songwriter, DJ and model from London, and with her father being close friends to the late David Bowie I can only imagine the magnitude of the musical influences that Iraina was surrounded by as a youngster.

From her humble beginnings in the electro pop group called Mancini, Iraina has strived to achieve and obtain her own direction in the music world. Like a sculpture with their chisel and hammer, Iraina has chipped away at the rough edges of the music business and created a masterpiece with the album Undo The Blue which was produced by the legendary Jagz Kooner. Quality over quantity is the driven spirit in music, and Iraina’s Undo The Blue delivers on all fronts. Nothing less than perfection will do, and that is evident in the diversity of her songwriting and singing. Like a spring flower, Iraina is awaiting her time to Blossom, and I think that time is now.

With a chic psychedelia dress-code, Iraina took to the stage amid an applause of great eagerness and warmth from her fans. The atmosphere was electric. Feeling like one was propelled back to the days of The Velvet Underground and Andy Warhol, the excitement began to grow. Within a heartbeat the venue was ignited, and like a spark on a stick of dynamite the place exploded into a dancing fireball. The 1960s and early 1970s are a clear influence in Irainas music and Undo The Blue, with its songs like, Cannonball, My Umbrella, What You Doin, Need Your Love, and not forgetting the psychedelic Undo The Blue, are not a blast from the past but a new fresh introduction to Psychedelic music.

Iraina is a captivating and intriguing singer whose stage presence is intoxicating. Do what you love and do it well was the message. You know, if Jimi Hendrix and Nico (The Velvet Underground) were present in the audience I am sure Iraina would end up at an after party with them, as clearly she belongs in the same category of these musical legends. Should Iraina Mancini choose to continue down this road it wont be long until she is on the highway to greatness. Music is a huge part of human entertainment but also a privilege and honour to be part of, and tonight, for me, was one of those heady moments. Energetic, vibrant, exciting, inspiring and uplifting, this is in my top 5 of gigs this year list. Its upwards and onwards for Iraina and her amazing band. Big love and all the best.

Raymond Speedie