Drunk Poets Society (Open Mic #5)

This was a night when spoken word arrived at my open mic, interspersed with lashings of live music and random vinyl.  The poetry was brought to us by Petra and Victoria (pictured) from The Nook Writers Group, as well as Tim from the Holmfirth Writers Group.  All of this happened in the same week as George the Poet appeared on Later with Jools Holland – so to coin a phrase from the film Zoolander, poetry is “so hot right now!”

It all started with a vinyl record party including San Quentin (Live) by Johnny Cash, Pocket Money by U Roy, Hell and Sorrow by I Roy, Kool Thing by Sonic Youth and People are Strange by The Doors.  The big idea had been for people to get their old records out the loft and bring them along to play between acts.  As it happened, I was the only person to take part, and for this reason the music was mostly old school reggae, punk and country – I don’t know how others felt about that, but I was in spiral scratch heaven.

Tim began the spoken word with a well crafted piece about the floods of Holmfirth seen from the perspective of Digley Reservoir. 

Stranger, as you walk my shore

and think my home a tranquil place

look closer, do you see a frown

within the ripples of my face?

A gentle and thoughtful reminder of the power of water through a valley and in great contrast to Petra’s first piece, which was all about ex boyfriends and relationships that went sour - with every expletive under the sun arranged in a diatribe about falling out of love.  In a polite town like Holmfirth you wouldn’t expect this to be everyone’s ‘cup of tea’, but my night’s promote freedom of expression and I stood by Petra for her right to let it all out!

Victoria’s poetry was also in a punk vein, and she read her poetry with a perfect balance of rant and humour.  Not so much as to be ‘in your face’, but just enough to make everyone sit up and listen.  Spoken word has to be like that, containing performance as well as words, this is where the term ‘performance poet’ comes from and Victoria fell into that category.  There was also something of John Cooper Clarke here, rhythmic beats of a poetry heart running out across a landscape of sound.  Some poetry should be read, other poetry should be performed.

Terry, from Hemel Hempstead, with one of the loudest singing voices I’ve ever come across growled his way through an Ian Dury song, strumming along on a neat banjolele.  My Mate Dave from Leeds (right) brought us a strong set of covers, including Gold Lion by Yeah Yeah Yeahs and Road Rage by Catatonia.  Matthew played a cool set of original songs including one about his favourite road, the A19, which runs from York to North Shields.  And a young singer called Lucy ‘Lou’ Robinson played her own well crafted songs, the last of which was cleverly called ‘Heads I win tails you lose’.

Leo Brazil and his Twitch (below) rocked the place with three different guitars on each different song.  Dave, the bass player with The Twitch, is a force to be reckoned with, kicking his leg in the air sporadically throughout the set.  And Petra and Victoria, who had by this time consumed large quantities of alcohol (in the spirit of true beat poets), were dancing happily to the music, and making the open mic into something of a party.

Dave and James played us out with a few more ballads and then we flipped some more vinyl - and drunk in charge of a turntable, my seamless changes were no longer seamless (truth is they never had been) with Prince-Far-I, Linton Kwesi Johnson, Motorhead, a scratched Happy Mondays and some Stone Roses.

The next open mic is Thursday 27 June 2013 at Cellar 88 in Holmfirth.  Bring instruments, songs and more vinyl!

But is it folk?

Late in the night a man was balancing a pint on his head and then spinning on his back on the floor.  I was stood on a chair so I could see over the top of the party animals who were having an almighty good time dancing to the tunes of the fantastic Three Sheets T’ Wind, followed by Ottersgear (above).  Jake Manning, the talented young song writer who had helped get the night going was stood on a chair next to me, and next to him was the equally talented singer song writer Kathryn Luxford – all of us bouncing up and down to the good times.  The atmosphere was vibrant, fun and one of those moments when everything comes together to create beautiful mayhem.  A pint got kicked over the fold backs, someone fell drunkenly against the speaker stands, and all of a sudden Mikey of Ottersgear started singing ‘Let’s Go Fucking Mental, Let’s Go Fucking Mental La La La’ – the people drank Cellar 88 dry and danced late into the night.

This event was not the kind where you sit and listen attentively to diddly dee music in hushed silence, this was a let’s get shit faced and enjoy ourselves kind of event.  I loved this celebration of life and being alive, I loved the joyous sounds of the accordion, mandolin, fiddle, guitar and drums that weaved a tight musical euphoria in our ears.  And I loved the drummer of Three Sheets with his Mohican haircut and friendly manner, he helped us out big time by loaning his kit to Ottersgear.

Earlier in the night a man had said to me - it's not folk is it?  I'd answered by saying it was music, and great music at that, and this was all that mattered.  He'd shrugged and left a little while later in search of a quieter spot.

Scott Wainright and Chris Martin began the evening’s celebrations with stories of allotments and life in Barnsley.  And I’ve seen these guys playing many a time as solo artists but I’ve never seen them playing with each other!  They went down a storm with dobro guitar, stomp box and some blues harp thrown in for good measure.  A unique and highly entertaining force.

Dariush Kanani (left) started his set with ‘Everyone’s talking about me’, and you’ll know it as the theme from Midnight Cowboy a haunting melody.  Dariush is an up and coming force to be reckoned with on the acoustic circuit.  His songs such as Ease Your Worried Mind and May You Never wash over you in a way that leaves you feeling good about everything, and if that sounds a little 60’s, it’s because there is a hint of something 60’s going on his song writing.

Nig Richards and the Primates turned up fashionably late and blew us away with his Aldi broom stick blues and a guitar made from a toilet seat – by this time, a little worse for wear, I’m trying to get in on the action and provide backing vocals for songs that I didn’t know.  And all of this following another storming impromptu set from local hero Dan Gallo, helping me out because the Primates were running late.

I don’t really know what folk music is and I’m not an expert on such matters or even a follower of the scene.  All I know is that the music that hits you in the heart and soul, music that can get the whole place up and dancing, music that has something to say and gets into your bones, making you move about is what makes for a bloody good time!

Pie + Peas + Song (Open Mic #4)

Fast forward to the end of the night and the good people of the valley (above) are spell bound by another storming set from local musician Dan Gallo.  By this time there is live venue sweat pouring from the walls after a very busy night of music, the best of the best – so busy I didn't get my second pint until around 9.30, when everyone else was tucking into their free pie and peas.

We had banjos, fiddles, Cajon, mandolin, guitars, keyboards, a drum kit, saxophone, acoustic and electric bass, with the music stretching from acoustic rock, through to folk music, country, jazz and Holmfirth hillbilly.  It was a mini festival of talent with a super attentive audience from start to finish; a contrast to the previous month’s rowdy start to the Bank Holiday.

Ian Evans began the night with his own songs.  Sometimes the early shift is tough one because it comes at a point when everyone is arriving, greeting friends and finding a place to settle for the evening.  But tonight was different, Ian got a good hearing and one particularly catchy tune was stuck in my head the whole night www dot I’m lonely - a piece about internet dating. 

Jacob Fullalove made a welcome return, this time with a young fiddle player by the name of Jamie.  After an Adele cover :( they played some awesome gypsy influenced pieces that got everyone in the mood for an upbeat night of local talent.

I was also thrilled that Sophie (pictured left) and Liz brought some of their songs to the party.  I’ve been nagging them for some time to come and play, but Sophie had complained that the quality was too high!  The fact was Sophie and Liz were extremely good and but anyway; these nights are not about how good you are, they are about having fun and developing your music and performance.  Sophie and Liz have come on leaps and bounds since I last saw them play a year or so ago, and their guitar picking and harmonies were a treat.

Heidi & family threw some more country music our way, this time towards the rocky end of the spectrum, with a dash of hillbilly banjo thrown in for good measure.  Heidi has a lovely voice and the whole band had a very watchable stage presence – I’d like to hear more of what they have to offer.

Iona, who is only thirteen years old, had a shaky start on keyboard, but was encouraged by the friendly audience to play more of her songs.  And we shouldn't forget that it’s a nerve wracking thing getting up and playing in front of a crowd of strangers for the first time.  But everyone in the room helped her through those nerves with friendly support, and the reward was the last of her songs, which was one of her own, and an impressive piece of piece.

More young players followed Iona as Folkus took to the stage, a group made up of players from Penistone and Barnsley.  I first saw them play at The Farmers Arms up the road and I loved their confident and fun approach.  They also play their own songs - a big plus for me, one of which advocates the concept of a tube station in Penistone.  A random idea but the more I listened, the more it made me think, why just Penistone, why not a Yorkshire underground – that would be so dammed handy.

Robert Sharp brought some excellent songs also accompanied by Tom on drums and Tom on acoustic bass.  I have to say I really appreciate bands and groups of musicians turning up and playing because it adds so much to the night.  Technically it stretches the sound control to the limit, and also eats into setting up time, but it's well worth it for the variation it brings.  Robert’s songs never disappoint, with a darkness to the tone and a sense of foreboding which I love in music.

RPM (right) took us in completely another direction, with some jazz influenced song writing from Simon on guitar, joined by James on bass and Nick on saxophone.  These were cheerful tunes complimented by skilled playing.  I’m not sure how long these guys have been together but they are a welcome addition to the local music scene.

The variety on this night had been superb and the range of different musical styles kept things interesting and constantly changing.  Irene didn’t disappoint, with songs that brought the night to a logical end.  Except it wasn’t the end, because Dan Gallo was in the house and some of my pals had clocked this and kept asking me when he was playing.  Dan wasn’t on the original list, but the list never goes according to plan and there was space at the end of the night for more, so he played us out with a storming good set of original material and covers.

This night had been a celebration of local music making, and I almost forgot to mention the free pie and peas for everyone, plus free drinks for the performers.  So I’m going to end this review with a big thanks to the staff at Cellar 88 for helping to make this happen.  It's a fact that nowhere else in town provides such a generous welcome to music lovers and players.   

Open Mic Announcements:

Sunday 12 May - Folk Festival Open Mic at Cellar 88 from 1.00pm

Thursday 30 May  - Open Mic at Cellar 88 in aid of Oxfam from 8.00pm

Holmfirth Festival of Folk @ Cellar 88

Open Mic #3

The third open mic was in aid of the Holmfirth Festival of Folk.  I’ve had so many good times courtesy of the folk festival that I felt it was time to, as they say: "give something back!".  Not a lot of people realise how much hard work goes into making the festival happen, and that it’s all done voluntarily and on the back of donations from local businesses.

The night began with the Ribble Beck Band (pictured left) playing a few traditional tunes and I can’t think of a more suitable start to the evening given the folk festival context.  These guys can often be found at The Nook on a Sunday evening playing next to a roaring fire.  This is serious folk music and on this night the instrumentation included a fiddle, concertina, flute, guitar and boran.  Folking brill.

Mikey Kenny offered up a song by way of introducing the audience to the wonderful world of Ottersgear (see later), and then Dylan Brierley (pictured above) wowed the audience with his skilful playing and vocal looping looping looping.  Dylan is becoming well known as a performer around Yorkshire and further afield and has also won prizes for his song writing.  He's also a Morley Lad!

Alex Bywaters provided some information on the folk festival itself and some of this year’s acts.  The festival will be held from 10 to 12 May 2013 and includes artists such as Lau, Hex, Bella Gaffney, Fyrish, Jaywalkers and String Theory to name but a few.  There will also be a good number of ceilidhs and dance events to enjoy.

Kathryn Luxford came over from Bingley to join us on the night and she played some lovely ballads including one of my favourites “Fall with the Rain” which you can listen to below.  Kathryn will also be playing at Cellar 88 on Saturday afternoon as part of the folk festival.  The Saturday afternoon and evening sessions at Cellar 88 are shaping up to be a wonderful programme of live music from Yorkshire and further afield – check the website for details.

By the time Greg Paul played us some blues the place was getting pretty rowdy.  I’d always wanted this night to be as much about people enjoying themselves and having a bit of banter as well as being treated to some live music - but there is a balance, and on this Thursday night before the Easter Bank Holiday it was getting decidedly noisy.  The last thing I was going to do was ‘hush’ the audience because I'm not in favour of that approach; it leaves everyone feeling uncomfortable, including the musicians. Fortunately Greg has a strong voice and powered through the conversation with ease, and the room became quieter when a group of the loudest Easter revellers left the building.

We also had some powerful song writing from Paul Tunnicliffe and Andrea Stevenson (pictured right).  Paul runs a night called Beatitude at the legendary Puzzle Hall Inn over in Sowerby Bridge, so it was an honour to have him play my night.  He does a lot of good work for local music and I think he shares a similar vision to mine of combining good times with quality music.  Another female and male duo also graced our night in the shape of Stephanie Stephenson and Matthew Bentley with two excellent new songs - a real pleasure.

The night ended with an outstanding performance by Ottersgear, one of my all time favourite acts - you can read me waxing lyrical about them in my last blog.  It’s been too long since Ottersgear came to the Holme Valley and I wasn’t the only one to have thought so – the group had pulled in a good few fans to the night, people who shared my appreciation for Mikey’s vocal acrobatics and inspired music.  I was so glad they were able to come over from Liverpool and also pleased to announce that they will be back to Cellar 88 for the folk festival itself.

The Holmfirth Festival of Folk is a special event full of surprises and good times.  I’ve always enjoyed the vibe and feel of what goes on – even though I’m not a folky.  You can find out more about the Holmfirth Festival of Folk on the website below and make sure you come along to Cellar 88 on the Saturday where there will be live music from 1.00pm till late, a veritable festival within a festival with an open mic for one and all on the Sunday afternoon.

www.holmfirthfestivaloffolk.co.uk

Listen here to Kathryn Luxford:

Memories of Ottersgear

I first saw Ottersgear play a rowdy acoustic set at the back of The Nook in Holmfirth - must have been about five years ago.  It was a chaotic and inspiring event.  The band members had positioned some chairs in a row for the impromptu gig and were playing a combination of boran, melodia, mandola, guitar and fiddle, a refreshing mix of instrumentation at the time and they must have been in their late teens and early twenties. Most of the people there had consumed copious amounts of alcohol and were in good spirits, they appreciated the music.  And what was the most wonderful thing was that when Mikey, the lead singer and also song writer for the outfit, played a solo tune, the whole place fell silent.  Think of it, a drunk and rowdy crowd falling silent for an acoustic song (without the aid of a PA), there were even drunks shushing other drunks to be quiet whilst Mikey’s soothing vocals swept through the place.  I’d never seen this happen before, that someone could mesmerize an audience in that way.

I’d settled on a wall with a mate and we just watched the whole proceedings unfold in front of our eyes, at times quietly listening and at others stamping our feet along to more up-tempo beats.  To be honest I'd always had a love-hate relationship with folk music, because so much of it is middle of the road dross - but Ottersgear revitalised my interest in the music on that night.  They were intelligent and well crafted songs that took the listener to new places.    

At one point the group were joined by local legend Norman Perry.  Norman randomly appeared with an electric guitar and Marshall amp that he positioned next to the band and started jamming out these hardcore riffs.  Norman must have been in his late fifties with long grey hair and a beard, he looked like a wizard from Lord of the Rings.  The Ottersgear lads happily joined in and there was this combination of electric and acoustic music that must have lasted about an hour.  It didn’t sound too good but it was fun and entertaining and the band just laughed along in such a way as you recognised these guys didn’t take themselves too seriously and I love that in a band.

I didn’t get to talk to the Ottersgear guys that night, but the following year when they returned to the festival I made sure I went to see their show.  And we got to know each other after that with Old Man Pie playing a night they were running in Manchester, and Ottersgear playing some gigs for us back in Holmfirth.  That’s what it’s all about, finding musical allies and helping each other out.

So it seemed a natural thing to me to see if I could get Ottersgear back again to play my night and was so pleased when they agreed, because it had been too long.  They have a connection with this town and long may it continue.

Ottersgear will be performing a full set at my next Open Mic which is at Cellar 88 in Holmfirth on 28 March.

Find out more here:

http://www.mikeykenney.co.uk/ottersgear

Holme Vally Review (March 2013)