Anarchy in the Holme Valley (Open Mic 11)

In November a merry band of sixteen ukulele players descended upon Cellar 88 and made it a night to remember.  They are called Anarchy in the Ukulele and played a fine rendition of punk classics such as Sheena is a Punk Rocker and Ever Fallen in Love?  Much to the delight of an audience who were up for a good night's entertainment.

We were also joined by local composer Barry Russell who gave us an abstract composition made up entirely of sounds from animations and cartoons .. wizz .. bang .. woof .. meeeowww! 

The wonders of improvised collaboration brought us Sam on harmonica, Cadderz on MC and Dan on guitar – and a little later a similar combo that consisted of an MC and Spoken Word battle against a back drop of kaossilator, bass and harmonica.

There was also poetry from published poet Chris Preddle and local author Tim Taylor.  Original song writing from Rebecca and a fabulous start from local choir Singing for Fun.  

All in all this was among the most eclectic and wide ranging of all my nights at Cellar 88 and so much so I’ve been struggling to try and find the words .. hence this late post.  Let the pictures speak for themselves.

Trick or Treat? Open Mic #10

The Halloween special brought its fair share of horrors!  Well there was me for a start, ranting on about spiders, flat worms and slugs, against a back drop of looped electronics - intending to slowly turn into a vampire as the night went on, but failing at the blood lust.  There was the lead singer of awesome band The Yum (right) looking wonderfully horrific made up like Chucky’s Bride.  And there were friends of the band (pictured below) supporting this whole trick or treat thing with big smiles.

I’m increasingly amazed how massive Halloween has become and maybe if it continues its rise it will replace Christmas and we’ll all be buying each other presents for Halloween and getting together with the family for a trick or treat party of some kind.  I guess the shops and supermarkets would love this, but I for one hope it doesn't get any bigger.

The night started slowly and I was wondering if there were going to be many people in.  But an hour later the place was nicely filled with a perfect balance of performers and audience.  Whereas previous nights had sometimes been mostly performers, this night was mostly audience, with around six performances in total.

Music ranged from the beautiful ballads of Jess and Eloise to the original and quirky combination of ukelele, melodica, korg keyboard and stylophone with Jimmy Andrex.  There was poetry from Tim, who has also recently published a novel called Zeus of Ithome on Crooked Cat (pictured right) and song from Jim, then an almighty set from The Yum, featuring (all the way from Italy) Giordano Girotto on keyboards.

I liked the simplicity of this night.  I liked the fact that I didn’t have to pressurise and keep the performers to a specific time, there was ample time.  The only thing there didn’t seem to be time for was changing into the vampire outfit I’d brought along and all in all that was probably a good thing. 

Critics, broken strings and yodeling (open mic #9)

Let me say from the outset that there’s nothing for music critics on this night, because to criticise and complain is to completely miss the point.  Open mics should not form part of that overly serious take on music, they should be celebratory and fun, rather than competitive and fame obsessed. 

However, the music critic was with us on this night, hiding in a bitter corner, watching the proceedings - assessing, obsessing, judging and evaluating from his own experiences in the music business .. that everything is shit. 

I beg to differ, and believe there was much in the way of great music and performance on this eclectic night, which was also in support of the Holmfirth Art Week.  In fact, there were so many good people wanting to play, I had to limit everyone to two songs or ten minutes max. 

Julian Socha (pictured left) kicked off the night with some incredible guitar picking that was so energetic it came to an abrupt end five minutes in with a broken string – well, to be fair, it was being tested to the max. Imagine That, Lucy Roberts and Lawrence Guntert represented the next generation of musicians playing covers and their own original material. 

Tim Taylor gave us looped acoustics, Petra read her poetry and Dave Cowan brought us comedy.  The legend that is Steve Chapman Smith played hard rocking guitar with gritty vocals, and I was so pleased he’d ventured over from Wakefield to play for us.  Also from Wakefield we had the upbeat and political poems of Jimmy Andrex, whilst the return of the vinyl turntable pumped out Neil Young, Gram Parsons, Sonic Youth and many others.

Steve Augarde played some smooth jazz guitar and vocals.  Steve is also a published author of children’s books and according to his website has also provided the music for Bump the Elephant.  By the way Steve is running an open mic as part Marsden Jazz Festival on Friday 11^th October at the Liberal Club.

And the place fell into silence, possibly the most silence there has ever been in Cellar 88, when Satteli (pictured right) filled the room with haunting yodeling and alpine songs.  These chanting melodies, ambient by their very nature, reverberated through the Holme valleys in a manner akin to how they might work back in Switzerlad and this much appreciated.

Of course, none of the music was good enough for the critic, who on leaving the night told me that there was nothing for him here and I wanted to say – open your heart and let it go, the elitism, the always knowing best, just let it go.  No-one here is chasing the same thing as you have been chasing all your life.

He looked at me and shrugged, then walked away because critics only ever see the frame game, the endless placing of music into categories and desires.

However, for the none critics among you there is a great chance to find out more about Swiss Folk Music and yodeling at a workshop run by the marvelous Satteli on Saturday 16 November at Banana Music in Holmfirth (see below).

Echoes in the Cellar (Open Mic #8)

Overhead the albatross

Hangs motionless upon the air

And deep beneath the rolling waves

In labyrinths of coral caves

An echo of a distant time

Comes willowing across the sand

And everything is green and submarine.

Deep beneath Cellar 88 is a hidden gem of a keeping cellar which lends itself superbly to acoustic music.  So this month I took the decision to use this setting for my open mic and provide nothing more than a space in which to enjoy music among the company of others – not so much an open mic, more an open space.  I was knocked out by the result, with a range of quality performances that entertained and enthralled.  This is something we will do again before my tenure is up at the cellar.

But first of all that reference above, the lyrics from Echoes by 70’s prog rockers Pink Floyd, and those words appeared on this night tattooed to the back of a lovely audience member who came along to listen with friends.  It made me appreciate that the acoustic angle brings in a whole new crowd, people who have never been to my night before and are switched on to listening or playing without the aid of ‘electrification’.

There was Jess (pictured right), who played some of her own songs that had the audience melting in the August warmth.  There was Martin (pictured below - people say he looks like Jesus) who played a song about looking like Jesus in the style of the Bee Gees (because he also looks like a Bee Gee).  This random excellence went down a storm.  And there was Rich, on his way to work in Spain via New Mill, who played jazz tinged pieces from the heart. 

Fishing for Compliments also made a welcome return with three country tinged pieces including the very awesome Murky Waters.  Eileen from Fishing for Compliments has a lovely voice.  Mick and Alan (also in a country vein) provided harmonica, guitar and some fine harmonies on Constant Sorrow.  And there was heartfelt song writing from Lucy Roberts.

I also have to give a shout out to some of my wonderful regulars including James, Linda and Andy, Tim, Jim and Terry.  In fact, Tim played a challenging piece by Steve Howe which takes us back to that 70’s prog rock theme.  Steve Howe used to be in the 70’s band Yes and played intricate and complex pieces because that was what the world was into in the land before punk rock coming along and sweeping it all away.

The good thing about an acoustic night is that the audience will generally give the performers the attention they deserve and the audience here did just that.  In these settings, seasoned performers can enjoy themselves and new performers can also have a go in a safe environment.  Liam joined us to play a song and this was the first time he’d ever played in public and I very much hoped it wouldn't be his last because people genuinely enjoyed his contribution.

The next open mic will see a return to ‘electrification’ at Cellar 88 and a night of collaboration with the Holmfirth Arts Festival on 26 September 2013.  There will be music, comedy, theatre  spoken word and art all under one roof - please come down and take part in my ninth beautiful open mic.

The good, the bad and the lyre (Open Mic #7)

When nothing goes to plan, though everything turns out right, you know the night has gone as it should.  Terry from Hemel Hempstead, now living in Huddersfield, knows the score; he arrived for this special duo and bands night with an experimental outfit he called The Good, The Bad and the Bastard.  I wasn’t sure which one of them was the bastard, but having acquired the drummer from My Mate Dave (Russell) they knocked out some Left! Right! Left! Right! and finished with an improvised set on lyre and bass guitar.

The lyre is a six string instrument stretching back to Greek classical antiquity and was often used to accompany story telling.  Fast forward to the present and it was being fed through high end reverb and hit with small sticks to create an ambient tone.  This was another first for my night and the whole point of these gatherings – expect the unexpected.

The featured act this month being The Chokes (above), a recently formed duo of local lads Dan Gallo and Tom Swales.  They play loud, uncompromising and passionate punk rock in a down to earth style.  Lad’s Army fills the bar with the stop-start-stop-start of lead guitar and drums as Dan sweats and rocks with an outstanding performance more fitting of a festival main stage than our humble proceedings in humble town.  Half way through the set the hot summer night gets too much and Tom throws off his shirt as Dan is dripping with sweat at a pace and volume which may have lost a few people who don’t like their music this loud, but gained plenty of new fans in the process.  Let me tell you now, here is the new punk rock and music has a future.   

This night was also graced by the return of the band My Mate Dave from Leeds, playing a mix of their own songs and covers.  Amy the lead singer has a powerful voice and presence and the drummer is second to none.  If any of you pub owners are reading this blog I thoroughly recommend these guys.

My mate Greg also came down to perform with his mate Lance, performing as Wing and Prayer, a name I rather like.  And we also got a wonderful introduction to the night from local choir Singing for Fun, organised by Louise from the newly opened Holmfirth music shop Hot Banana, as well as some superb punk folk tinged tunes from her partner in crime Steven Whiplash (pictured left).

It was also good to put real faces to the names of hardworking Wakefield duo Peculiar Blue as I’d heard so many good things about this pair from my travels around the Northern open mic scene.  They didn’t disappoint and played some wonderful original songs including We All Go Down Together and How Could You Leave.

There was poetry from Jim, Petra and Victoria leading us nicely into a random finish and a bit of a jam that combined kaossilator, lyre and spoken word – a collision of ancient and modern technologies that probably didn't sound as good as we thought it might at the time, but that’s what it’s all about after all and if you don’t try these things you’ll never know.  On this theme the next open mic will be on 29 August 2013 and will be an all acoustic affair downstairs at Cellar 88 – music without the aid of a PA. So please bring instruments and performances to suit.

A kaoss end to a chaotic night:

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The pride and vinyl of Holmfirth (Open Mic #6)

These are complicated nights with many and varied goings on.  You bring together a random collection of people from all walks of life and provide a space in which they express themselves - there are bound to be differences of opinion and massive contrasts, a light and beautifully sung ballad contrasts with an insightful account of growing up with drugs, a comedy piece about a man from Essex contrasts with dark repetitive electronica, or a piece of classical music played over an iPod backing track.  

Don’t expect to like or agree with everything you hear - this is not a gig, where you have paid for something you know you’re going to get.  And neither is this the sanitized  televised meanderings of Britain’s Got Talent, it is much more real than that.  On these nights you don’t know what to expect and you might be happily surprised or deeply upset, or even disappointed.

My aim is to create an event that none of us will forget in a hurry, that will come back to you in years from now and bite you in the bum and say ‘hey, remember that guy you saw playing harmonica and shaking his eggs he was brilliant’ or ‘what about that awful rendition of Ferry Cross the Mersey that went on for half an hour’ but you remember those things, you remember the contrasts.  And if you really, really don’t like something it doesn't matter, because it only lasts a fleeting moment, all of us get fifteen minutes of anti-fame.

Holmfirth is a competitive place and since starting this night two other open mics have been launched in the town.  This is good news for musicians and performers because it means there are more places to play and they are all very different nights.  I started my night because I wanted to create an anything goes kind of place, something different from the mainly folk and acoustic nights that had become the norm.  I wanted to create a space where all kinds of music and performance would be welcome from hip hop through to rock, from country through to beat boxing, from bands through to solo artists.  Half way through this experiment and I think I have largely succeeded in this aim but there is more work to be done.  There are gaping holes in the spectrum of music that has been provided and an over representation of other forms, and I'm coming to understand better the pride and prejudice of this town (that’s where the story really lies).

On my sixth open mic we had classical music, blues, comedy, spoken word, folk, electronica and pop music.  All of this was flavored with the blue remembered songs and the forgotten melodies of another random collection of vinyl.  We finished the open mic slots at quarter to twelve and even the late finish didn't mean everyone got to play.  So big thanks to the brilliant Scott Wainwright, Greg Paul, Heather, James Munroe, Terry, Linda and Andy, the poets Stuart Clark, Petra, Victoria and multi-talented Tim Taylor, Jamie Philokyprou and Iona. Also thanks to Ben Thomas (aka L'Étranger)  for assisting with the vinyl play, the lovely audience and all the staff at Cellar 88 for putting up with the mayhem.

The next Open Mic is 25 July at Cellar 88.

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!