Gunnar Mallon | Rockshot Magazine

National Album Day: Violent Femmes

Gunnar Mallon — Fri, 12 Oct 2018 23:00:41 +0000

I first caught wind of the Violent Femmes six years after the release of their debut album, at the tender age of 14. Followed in quick succession by Hallowed Ground and 3, the Violent Femmes’ self titled album speaks to a younger audience, with the consequent albums addressing more grown up subject matters. Each of the ten songs on the album can hold their own, with many having been covered through the decades by artists like Gnarls Barkley and The Dandy Warhols to name but a couple.

The album’s rebellious folk-punk sound immediately pushed all of my revolutionary teenage angst buttons. Telling stories of chasing girls, generational tensions, and awkwardness of sexual rejection, the Violent Femmes quickly became the go to band in my circle of friends.

Although the lyrics are more subtle in nature than many of their punk contemporaries, listening to the album now in my bourgeois middle-age existence brings memories of careless summers, discovering life through experimentation and sticking two fingers up to what was socially acceptable flooding back. Whenever I feel blue, I put the album on, start adding it up, and immediately remember that nothing is truly important and maybe I should sell all my stuff and start chasing that dream.

Violent Femmes, Violent Femmes, 1983, chosen by photographer Gunnar Mallon

The post National Album Day: Violent Femmes first appeared on Rockshot Magazine.

HRH C.R.O.W.S. Festival Soaring High

Gunnar Mallon — Wed, 19 Sep 2018 22:16:22 +0000

Going for over a decade, HRH (Hard Rock Hell) has decided to add a Country, Rebel, Outlaw, Western & Southern Rock (C.R.O.W.S.) festival to their repertoire of festivals and what a fantastic decision this was. With four HRH Hotels to choose from near the venue, with one being Royalty or VIP, there was something for everyone.

HRH CROWS (Gunnar Mallon)

The festival organisers did their best to schedule set times with as few clashes as possible. However, as with all festivals putting on more than 23 acts across two stages over two days, the occasional clash was inevitable. I had not been to a weekend festival with two stages held in an indoor concert venue before and the first thing that struck me was the dance floor being separated into a seating area on the flanks and an open dance section in the middle. This seemed a little odd at first but made complete sense throughout the day. Halfway through the second day, I was very grateful for the chairs.

Buffalo Summer (Gunnar Mallon)

Starting proceedings at noon and going for 12 hours, one needed a place to sit down. Given the absence of rowdy mosh pits, with the exception of the odd whiplash-inducing headbangers, who seem to be competing as to who could headbang more violently, the crowd was largely made up of thirty upwards and rather tame. Located smack bang in the center of Sheffield, the venue made it easy to nip out for a bit of sightseeing or to grab a bit to eat.

Cellar Door Moon Crow (Gunnar Mallon)

Each day started with two high-class acoustic sets before the thundering main acts took to the stage. Following the acoustic shows on Saturday, local duo Cellar Door Moon Crow kicked off the festival on the main stage. Setting the tone for what was to come over the next two days, Brothers Phil and Tommy Goodwin were having a hell of a lot of fun on stage with their often heavy Southern Rock, with Zeppelin thrown in for good measure. With the ideal sound to get the festival off to a perfect start, people were now ready to rock!

The Outlaw Orchestra (Gunnar Mallon)

With Cellar Door Moon Crow living it large on the main stage, The Outlaw Orchestra from the Deep South, namely Southampton, got things going on the second stage with hard southern rock mixed with Cajun Country and a sprinkle of bluegrass. We were now up and running on both stages with high energy performances.

Federal Charm (Gunnar Mallon)

Following two acclaimed albums and a series of headline tours, Federal Charm are quickly gaining momentum and definitely one to watch for the future. A firm favourite on Planet Rock Radio, I was looking forward to seeing if they could back up the great studio sound with an equally powerful live performance. Needless to say that the Monday following the festival when they came on the air on my commute to work, I shouted “These guys absolutely and totally killed it at CROWS this weekend” and I was not exaggerating. Federal Charm played a wicked set and are just as good, if not better, live as in the studio.

Willie and the Bandits (Gunnar Mallon)

Willie and the Bandits was up next on the main stage to perform their sublime heartfelt guitar-whaling jazzy Southern Rock that made you stop in your tracks and forget about everything around you. Willie’s beautiful song about his late mother, entitled Angel, was worth it alone to come to the festival, taking the audience through a range of honest emotions. Definitely one of my personal highlights of the weekend, the trio from Cornwall blew the audience away with their wonderfully trippy Roots Rock.

Jo Harmen (Gunnar Mallon)

If you have not seen Jo Harman yet, you should do it now, before you can only get to see her from the back of large sell-out arena performances. The award-winning powerhouse of UK bluesy soul music was in perfect control of her band throughout the entire set while giving space to all musicians on stage. Harman captivated the crowd in a manner that her hour-long set was over in what seemed the blink of an eye. You know what they say about time and having fun. It was a pure treat to dance along to the soulful performance and I wished that she would go on for another hour.

Gorilla Riot (Gunnar Mallon)

Mancunian 5-piece Gorilla Riot brought something very unique to the festival by infusing dirty rock’n’blues with grungy and country elements to produce a fantastically powerful and highly entertaining show. We definitely need more bands with the spunk and energy of Gorilla Riot!

Thirteen Stars (Gunnar Mallon)

Buffalo Summer (Gunnar Mallon)

This brings me to what might be my only gripe with the entire festival. When a wonderful band, such as Thirteen Stars performed on the smaller stage, the audience from the larger venue would try to see them, often lending to absolutely packed conditions that felt a little claustrophobic and made it difficult to enjoy the music. However, in most cases, the wonderful music on offer outweighed fusing with people standing next to you. With a fist full of swagger and style, Southern Rock reappeared on the ballroom stage in the form of Thirteen Stars. Their refreshing in-your-face rock’n’roll attitude coupled with well-crafted sounds got the crowd moving in a packed venue.

Western Sand (Gunnar Mallon)

Persistent touring over the past six years have made hard rockers Western Sand a well-oiled live band that has built up a loyal following of fans, many of whom were at the HRH CROWS festival. It is without a doubt that their edgy yet fresh performance won them many new fans.

Jared James Nichols (Gunnar Mallon)

Gregg Cash (Gunnar Mallon)

I had high expectations from Wisconsin-native Jared James Nichols prior to the festival and boy did they deliver. Playing with Gregg Cash on bass guitar and Dennis Holm on the drums, the synergy between the three and pure joy of performing together translated in a wonderfully fun yet raw at times punk-infused blues rock set. With many bands, on stage antics take over and dominate the music. With Jared James, however, this was not the case and the music was always front and center, supported by an entertaining grungy show.

Elles Bailey (Gunnar Mallon)

A true professional, speaker feedback issues did not throw Elles Bailey off her stride as she took to the smaller of the two stages. As her powerful country rock rung out in the Academy ballroom it was clear that she is another one to watch. Bailey will be on the road with her own headline tour this autumn and well worth making time for – you won’t regret it.

Broken Witt Rebels (Gunnar Mallon)

Broken Witt Rebels brought a serious amount of energy to the Academy’s main stage playing songs from their upcoming debut album. In the build-up to the festival, Broken Witt Rebels had been hailed as a band to watch, and it soon became clear why. Coming off the back of a US tour, the Brummie quartet quickly had the crowd in their pocket with their alternative blues rock and kept them there for the duration of their show.

The Devon Allman Project (Gunnar Mallon)

Duane Betts of The Devon Allman Project (Gunnar Mallon)

Finishing on a high, the festival’s last act was The Devon Allman Project, fronted by the sons of two founding members of the Allman Brothers band, Devon Allman and Duane Betts. Playing a mix of original songs and classic Allman Brothers tunes, the eight-piece brought Southern Rock to the O2 Academy like few others did, culminating in Devon Allman walking through the crowd while playing one of his sweet solos. If you squinted a little bit, you could feel yourself be transported back in time.

The Devon Allman Project (Gunnar Mallon)

Our stand-out performances of the ones that we saw, were Willie and the Bandits, Jo Harman, Jared James Nichols, and of course the eight amazing musicians of The Devon Allman Project.

The first HRH CROWS was a resounding success all around. With next year’s line-up just announced make sure to grab your tickets early as I’m sure it will soon be a sell-out festival.

Review and photography of H.R.H. C.R.O.W.S. on 15-16 September 2018 by Gunnar Mallon.

The post HRH C.R.O.W.S. Festival Soaring High first appeared on Rockshot Magazine.

Celebrating Diversity At WOMAD Festival 2018

Gunnar Mallon — Fri, 03 Aug 2018 17:03:36 +0000

Where does one start writing about a festival as diverse and multicultural as WOMAD? So much more than simply another music festival on the UK calendar, the World Of Music And Dance (WOMAD) is a celebration of the wonderful and diverse world of expressive art through various mediums, with music at the heart.

Womad Festival 2018 (Gunnar Mallon)

This year, Leftfield performing Leftism for the last time, Malian duo Amadou & Mariam, and electronica legends Thievery Corporation headlined the festival. However, it is the fantastic line-up of foreign and UK talent that exposed the audience to new vibes and sounds from around the globe.

Womad Festival 2018 (Gunnar Mallon)

In years past, WOMAD has been known, not only for its amazing line-up and great community-spirited atmosphere but also as a place where people with ohm tattoos could let their freak flag fly without being judged. Traditionally a family festival, WOMAD is quickly becoming an attractive event for the younger generation in their late teens and twenties with a line-up featuring some of the UK’s hottest hip-hop, afrobeat, and alt-jazz artists, and activities gear towards the younger crowd, such as the ‘teenager only activities tent’ that featured its own schedule of open-mic sessions.

Womad Festival 2018 (Gunnar Mallon)

A multi-cultural celebration of diversity, 90 acts with artists from over 130 countries performed for over 30,000 people on the five main stages and an array of smaller stages, some of which were powered entirely by renewable energy. But it’s what lies beyond the music that makes WOMAD such a magical place.

Maleem Hamid El Kasri (Gunnar Mallon)

In the Taste the World tent, well-known musicians, such as Dobet Gnahoré, cooked dishes from their home country while singing and talking the audience through it and eventually sharing the food with everyone, or at least the lucky ones in the front.

Womad Festival 2018 (Gunnar Mallon)

There was the World of Wellbeing, to relax and rejuvenate from an evening of dancing, the World of Words where poetry was presented and talks were held, the Physics Pavilion, where some of the world’s leading physicists would push your grey matter to breaking point.

KOKOKO! (Gunnar Mallon)

Dotted around the festival there were numerous workshops on anything from Salsa Dancing to Meditation. What really impressed me was the World of Children, a huge area dedicated for children to learn, explore, play, and create with hundreds of free activities throughout the day on this year’s theme of insects. The creative outputs throughout the weekend culminated in a procession around the festival where children could show off the sculptures they had built or the percussion skills they had learned.

Womad Festival 2018 (Gunnar Mallon)

Unfortunately, as with so many things these days, there is no getting around talking about Brexit. As a result of tighter immigration restrictions, Sabry Mosbah (Tunisia), Wazimbo (Mozambique), and some members of Tal National (Niger) were declined entry to the UK and had to pull out of the festival or play with a smaller ensemble.

Womad Festival 2018 (Gunnar Mallon)

Festival founder Peter Gabriel told the Radio Times that ‘artists have accepted our invitation and then looked into the visa process and told us, sorry we’re just not going to do this. That’s a situation we should be ashamed of.’ Festival organiser Chris Smith also criticised the difficulties artists had with their visa applications as more performers had declined invitations to the festival than in previous years because of the Home Office’s difficult visa application process.

Womad Festival 2018 (Gunnar Mallon)

However, the news of bands not performing because of immigration problems, which was conveniently delivered as pop-ups on the WOMAD app, did not dampen spirits and other bands quickly stepped up to play additional sets. This is what the spirit of WOMAD is about. Over the long weekend, there were so many wonderful and highly entertaining artists that came from all around the world to perform for the adoring and openhearted crowds.

Womad Festival 2018 (Gunnar Mallon)

With so much fantastic music, performances, activities, workshops, cooking, and talks going on, I had to plan my weekend carefully, if I was going to see all the bands who captured my imagination when I checked them all out online in the weeks leading up to the festival. The nature of big multi-stage festivals is that inevitably there will be clashes, but I was able to see the majority of ear-marked bands and a few unexpected gems. All performances were of the highest order, but a handful particularly tickled my musical taste buds.

Kojey Radical (Gunnar Mallon)

Kicking off with one of the UK’s hottest hip-hop artists, London-based Kojey Radical took about two seconds to get everyone bouncing along to the deep rhythms of his distinctly east London sound. A wonderful feature of WOMAD was that some of the English-speaking and lyric-heavy acts had simultaneous British Sign Language translators on the side of the stage, in cases drawing bigger applause when introduced than members of the band. What a great idea!

BSL Translator at Kojey Radical Show (Gunnar Mallon)

K.O.G. and the Zongo Brigade (Gunnar Mallon)

Last year, a friend told me about a band, local to me, that I absolutely had to see: K.O.G. and the Zongo Brigade. Somehow, I never managed to catch them, but when I saw them on the line-up, I knew this was my chance. From now on, I will listen more closely to my friend! K.O.G. and the Zongo Brigade brought the most wonderful Ghanaian Afro-Fusion coupled with lush funky UK hip-hop to WOMAD and definitely made their way onto quite a few playlists.

Rob Lewis (Gunnar Mallon)

Following the young guns of UK hip hop and afro jazz, it was time for some of the longer-standing bands, who come with their own following of fans who ‘have seen them a million times, man’. UK’s much-loved funk soul reggae jazz outfit, The Herbaliser, have been going for 25 years now and were joined by hip-hop artist Rodney P for their set.

The Herbaliser and Rodney P (Gunnar Mallon)

Watching a band play, who have been playing together for so long, is like watching two familiar footballers anticipate each other’s moves. Everything flowed in the same direction with an effortless harmony between instruments and perfect timing. I’m glad that I got to see The Herbaliser again, and hope that they will play more UK dates in the near future.

Leftfield (Gunnar Mallon)

Playing their seminal album Leftism live for the last time, Leftfield drew in the crowds to headline Friday evening. With every ounce of energy as when it was first released 23 years ago, the pumping house music of Leftism was the perfect way to end my first day. With so many bands on show, it is often easy to become musically saturated. However, Leftfield brilliantly captivated the audience and there were smiles, laughs, dancing, nodding, and good mood all around.

Melissa Laveaux (Gunnar Mallon)

With Friday’s ephemeral smell of sunscreen slowly fading, things cooled down a little, weather-wise at least, on Saturday, and a light breeze made it more enjoyable to dash through crowds from one stage to the next. WOMAD did a great job, not putting on bands on adjacent stages, so getting from one stage to another was made easier.

KermesZ a l’Est (Gunnar Mallon)

It would be impossible to talk about Saturday without mentioning the manic craziness of Belgian Balkan-Brass band KermesZ a l’Est. Decorating the stage with taxidermy and sculptures worthy of even the darkest David Lynch movie, shooting confetti from a trombone wearing a gimp-mask over the finest mullets I have seen in years, could only be described as one of the calmer moments of their performance. Traditionally street performers, KermesZ a l’Est brought joy and unrestrained smiles to the festival. Merci, les gars!

Gaye Su Akyol (Gunnar Mallon)

Following the spectacle that was KermesZ a l’Est it was time for a wild performance of a different kind and one I had been looking forward to for a while. Performing on our shores for the first time, Gaye Su Akyol owned the Big Red Tent with her powerful and musically seductive Turkish folk-rock laced with wonderful instrumental interludes. Not many people can pull off a golden cape and thigh-high silver boots but somehow it made perfect sense listening to Gaye Su Akyol’s wonderfully bohemian yet provocative performance, proclaiming that ‘things are getting worse, not just in Turkey’.

Ezra Collective (Gunnar Mallon)

Continuing on a rockier theme, and one of my highlights of the weekend, London-based Ezra Collective put on a show of highly energetic afro beat Jazz punctuated with some of the finest hip-hop around. A true massage for my creative senses. Ezra Collective played as much for each other as for the crowd, and this translated into one of the most memorable, super-tight, and rather slick sets of the festival. The Collective are on European tour throughout the summer and back playing in the UK in November. Do yourself a favour and go see them.

Dobet Gnahore (Gunnar Mallon)

Womad Festival 2018 (Gunnar Mallon)

So far Saturday had been wild, and Ivorian Dobet Gnahoré was not going to change that. Gnahoré’s performance mixing traditional themes with modern electronic music was a beautiful combination of singing and dancing alike. Despite being one of Africa’s most acclaimed female voices, ever-smiling Gnahoré remains true to her roots and later prepared a traditional African dish for everyone at the Taste the World stage.

Noga Erez (Gunnar Mallon)

Heading to the d&b Soundscape tent, to see one of Israel’s hottest acts, you could hear the crowd singing along to Camille’s rendition of the Dead Kennedy’s song about being too intoxicated for intimate relations. Despite main acts, such as Camille, performing on the bigger stages, the politically outspoken Israeli singer-songwriter Noga Erez filled the d&b Soundscape tent with her spell-binding and hard-hitting electronic pop.

Amadou and Mariam (Gunnar Mallon)

The d&b Soundscape tent was a new addition this year, with its highly advanced speaker system that tracks artists on stage and no matter where you are in the tent, it delivers a perfectly balanced 3D soundscape. The technology is a little too much for me to go into, but do check it out, it’s mindboggling. The rest of my evening was spent sitting in a field letting the rhythmic afro beat of Amadou & Mariam wash over me before calling it a day, a very beautiful day at that.

Womad Festival 2018 (Gunnar Mallon)

Sunday night, Zeus decided to open the heavens and to turn the dried-out fields of Charlton Park into a muddy affair. But even the strong winds and heaviest rains couldn’t dampen the great mood of everyone and the rains soon stopped. Thor decided to pay a couple more visits throughout the day but these were short-lived and nowhere as bad as in years past. as most of Sunday remained dry with only the smallest of drizzles.

Womad Festival 2018 (Gunnar Mallon)

The first days of WOMAD had been spectacular and when Basque folk outfit Korrontzi started playing at midday on Sunday, it was clear that the final day had something special in store. Korrontzi performed traditional Basque folk songs, with two wonderful dancers performing traditional Basque dances along with the music. Ambitiously, they even got the audience to sing along in Euskara, a language notoriously difficult to master. Sunday was off to a great start.

Yazz Ahmed’s Haifa Band (Gunnar Mallon)

Lending proof to the fact that the UK Jazz scene is very much alive and kicking with both legs, Yazz Ahmed’s Haifa Band performed wonderfully mellow psychedelic Arabic jazz, transporting the audience to magical and mystical places far away.

Womad Festival 2018 (Gunnar Mallon)

WOMAD’s core philosophy is to bring people and cultures together to form a unique fusion of artistic expression and diversity. French-Colombian band Pixvae embodied this sentiment not only in nationality but also musically, marrying traditional Latin chants with deep, sometimes heavy, French jazz-rock, in what Pixvae dubs Latin core.

Pixvae (Gunnar Mallon)

It was impossible not to fall in love with the hypnotic rhythms, spellbinding singing, and immaculate guitar playing from the very first bar. Pixvae was a definite highlight, not only for me but for many of those who watched them perform on the main stage.

Pixvae (Gunnar Mallon)

If you spend a lot of time browsing video clips of buskers on YouTube, you will inevitably have come across Too Many Zooz performing their version of brass house music in New York City’s subway. But the trio is much more than a viral internet sensation. Dressed in colours, reminiscent of 90’s De La Soul, the three musicians killed it with their foot-stomping, shuffle-dancing instrumental house music interspersed with tight jazz excursions in front of a predominantly young crowd.

Too Many Zooz (Gunnar Mallon)

Tipped as one of the bands to watch, BCUC from Soweto, South Africa, easily exceeded expectations and left hundreds of fans jumping with their drum-intensive songs that went straight to your soul. Drawing inspiration from traditional ritual and church songs but spicing them up with modern rap and a punk attitude, BCUC beautifully captured the spirit of traditional sounds of South Africa.

BCUC (Gunnar Mallon)

Rounding off the festival was dub reggae electronica band Thievery Corporation. With drilling baselines and percussive rhythms supporting a range of soul and hip-hop guest singers, Thievery played songs from their latest release Treasures from the Temple through to their first album Sounds From the Thievery Hi-Fi. I run out of superlatives to describe the positive vibes and immaculate sound of their set, but it left me listening to their Culture of Fear and The Temple of I & I albums for the next couple of days.

Thievery Corporation (Gunnar Mallon)

I can say without a doubt that WOMAD was one of the most entertaining, well-organised, and friendliest festivals I have ever been to. It is not often that I wake up on Monday morning left with such a serious case of the festival blues. I for one fondly remember opening my mind that little bit further taking in what the world of music and dance has to offer and cannot wait for July 2019 and the next instalment of WOMAD. Namaste!

Review and Photography of WOMAD Festival 2018 on 26 July to 29 July 2018 by Gunnar Mallon.

The post Celebrating Diversity At WOMAD Festival 2018 first appeared on Rockshot Magazine.

Music & Art at Underneath The Stars Festival 2018

Gunnar Mallon — Mon, 30 Jul 2018 20:56:53 +0000

Yorkshire’s premier Music and Art festival, Underneath the Stars, returned for this year’s fifth edition at a brand new venue in the stunning rolling-hills of Cinderhill Farm, Cawthorne, with an exciting mix of musical delight, workshops, and lots of arts, crafts, and food stalls. Not falling into the trap of many other festivals, Kate Rusby and her family, who are the force behind Underneath the Stars are letting it grow organically and keeping true to its roots, a fantastic community- and family-oriented weekend.

Underneath the Stars Festival (Gunnar Mallon)

What makes Underneath the Stars such a special and beautiful festival is the friendly and relaxed atmosphere coupled with perfectly balanced entertainment of music from lunchtime to midnight on two alternating stages and a wide range of workshops. Having two stages with staggered stage times is a fantastic way to run such a well-contained event as it avoids annoying clashes of must-see acts. The well stocked bars and the wonderful Yorkshire summer weather made the time fly by when skipping a band.

Underneath the Stars Festival (Gunnar Mallon)

When arriving at the site, stewards from the local community greeted you with waves and big grins. It is this feeling of being part of the festival family that attracts people to come back year after year. The festival has a real community feel with lots of activities for the young ones. It was “family friendly” to the point that I was considering having kids myself just to return with them in years to come (a suggestion that I kept to myself). Instead of overbearing security, stewards and festival goers watched out for each other and made sure that the weekend was a complete success.

Underneath the Stars Festival (Gunnar Mallon)

The festival featured an array of fantastic acts from around the world but a handful really caught our attention. It was not all music though, and the activities tent saw early-morning Tai Chi practice as well as Ukulele and Whistle workshops, clog and swing dancing lessons and an ever-entertaining Ceilidh.

I See Rivers (Gunnar Mallon)

The fifth edition of Underneath The Stars was kicked off by Norwegian-trio I See Rivers with their unique blend of captivating ‘float folk’ before singer-songwriter Jack Harris took to the Planet Stage, where he quickly captivated the audience with his mixture of stand-up comedy and humour-laden songs.

Jack Harris (Gunnar Mallon)

Pitou (Gunnar Mallon)

Dutch-born Pitou performed a mix of down-tempo folk-soul and catchy folk-pop songs on the Little Stars stage, which provided a more intimate setting allowing people to sit and lie down and let the music wash over them.

Kate and Sal (Gunnar Mallon)

One of the lovely features of the festival was the wonderful balance between music, art, and general entertainment, such as the consequent extremely funny and well-devised chat between organiser and Barnsley-born folk singer Kate Rusby and her best friend Sal, taking the audience on a tour down memory lane. Although the whistle was not by any stretch of the imagination Sal’s forte, she joined Rusby for a couple of songs with Rusby’s band to everyone’s amusement, Kate and Sal included.

Underneath the Stars Festival (Gunnar Mallon)

Next on stage was one of my personal highlights of the festival, Grace Petrie, with her effortlessly charming ability to wrap serious socio-critical themes into tangible music. Protest-singer Petrie’s lyrics captivate young and older generations alike, making the audience face political issues without sugar coating – a definite must-see!

Grace Petrie (Gunnar Mallon)

Estbel (Gunnar Mallon)

Continuing with the international theme of the festival, multinational Estbel took to the stage with their gentle yet faster-paced folk. The name Estbel is the amalgamation of the band members’ nationalities, with two Estonian ‘nightingales’ and two brothers from Belgium.

A little out of place at the up to this point rather restrained folk festival, Glaswegian Fat Suit brought a magical fusion of jazz, funk, and groove to the stage that made it near impossible to not bob one’s head along and utter the occasional ‘nice’ or ‘groovy’. Fat Suit were a pure treat and a sign that Scottish Jazz, in the vain of Ian Carr’s Nucleus, is alive and very much kicking.

Underneath the Stars Festival (Gunnar Mallon)

It was now time for one of the main acts, in the form of folk, country and rock heavyweight, and Grammy Award winner, Steve Earle and the Dukes. It didn’t take long for Earle and the Dukes to get people up on their feet and dancing along to the energetic country-rock that Earle is so well known for. All musicians were in top form and the set was definitely a highlight of the festival.

Steve Earle and the Dukes (Gunnar Mallon)

Friday was concluded with Rock’n’Roll and Rhythm and Blues band Howlin Ric & The Rocketeers. Reminiscent of Eddie Cochran, the Leeds-based band surely turned things up to 11 and smashed it with a high-energy rockabilly set.

Saturday kicked off in style with the hypnotically soulful sounds of Kizzy Crawford before the highly-acclaimed Barnsley Youth Choir filled the Big Planet tent on yet another wonderful day of inspiring music and sunshine.

Underneath the Stars Festival (Gunnar Mallon)

Throughout the weekend, Underneath The Stars 2018, saw a line-up of internationally-renowned artists, and Sheffield-based Melrose Quartet soon showed why they were named patrons of the Whitby Folk week in 2017 with their engaging and perfectly harmonised folk sound.

Andy Kershaw (Gunnar Mallon)

It was time to take the foot of the music pedal next and listen to the stories behind the big gigs. Foreign correspondent, journalist, and music enthusiast Andy Kershaw presented his one-man audio-visual show about some of the biggest shows he had organised throughout his career. Kershaw presented the stories in his usual jovial and light-hearted manner and joked that on that day in the Yorkshire countryside his nose blowing went electric.

With one musical star chasing the next, the swinging and melancholic folk vibes or Martha Tilston were followed by energetic county bluegrass banjo playing by Damien O’Kane and Ron Block with band. Acclaimed as one of the best banjo players in the Irish music scene, O’Kane is a member of Kate Rusby’s band and later performed with her.

Midnight Skyracer (Gunnar Mallon)

One of my personal highlights of the weekend was all-female Midnight Skyracers, who brought driving bouncy bluegrass to the Little Lights stage. Not only are the five highly gifted musicians, but their joy of playing together translated into infectious good mood, making it impossible not to dance along or at least tap one’s foot. Midnight Skyracer are playing festivals up and down the country this summer and not to be missed!

Underneath the Stars Festival (Gunnar Mallon)

Acoustic folk and electronica trio Lau, flying the rainbow flag, brought a refreshing new take on traditional folk music gripping the audience and leaving everyone wondering which musical direction the next song was going to take. Following Lau, highly sought-after composer and musician John Metcalfe, who has worked with some of music’s biggest names, was next to entertain the adoring folk enthusiasts that seem to thoroughly enjoy themselves throughout the weekend.

Lau(Gunnar Mallon)

The second day of the festival was rounded off by the ever-hilarious famous Ukulele Orchestra of Great Britain, which was on top form with their usual playful antics and perfectly harmonious play. Manchester’s swinging folk-hop good-mood Honeyfeet saw revellers off into the night with their soulful gritty songs about eating people and infidelity. If you get a chance to see Honeyfeet, take it with both hands, strap yourself in and enjoy the ride.

Underneath the Stars Festival (Gunnar Mallon)

With the splendid sunny Yorkshire weather not disappointing everybody was in a great mood to enjoy the southern-gothic Americana vibes of Tennessee’s own Amythyst Kiah. Following on the theme of combining different art forms with music, local best-selling author, Joanne Harris, presented a multimedia show of original music and storytelling with The Storytime Band.

Joanne Harris (Gunnar Mallon)

From the magical work of Joanne Harris, the audience was transported into the Asturian countryside by duo L-R who reinterpreted traditional Asturian music in a truly captivating reverb-heavy surfabilly fashion. Young English folk singer Jack Rutter and exciting duo Stables brought the folk element back to Underneath the Stars before Maya Youssef transported the packed Planets Stage far away to Syria with her majestic Qanun playing.

Underneath the Stars Festival (Gunnar Mallon)

Award-winning Scottish singer and violinist Lori Watson continued on taking the audience through a musical tour around the world with her enchanting interpretation of Scottish folk songs. Without any overlap between musicians at the festival, it was easy to schedule the day, and the next act was one not to miss.

Yves Lambert (Gunnar Mallon)

All the way from Quebec, the legendary Yves Lambert Trio got the crowd onto their feet to dance along to energetic French-Canadian bluesy bluegrass folk tunes. Like so many artists over the weekend, the sheer joy of performing was evident and as Lambert was head-banging away while playing the diatonic button accordion, the energy was mirrored by the audience.

Underneath the Stars Festival (Gunnar Mallon)

Laura Cortese & The Dance Cards from the US calmed things down a little following the wild set by the Yves Lambert Trio. It was now time for one of the main headliner and the performer most people had come to see. The large Planets tent was packed at this point with no seats left empty and families spreading blankets in front of the stage to enjoy the show with their kids. To thunderous applause and shouts Kate Rusby and her band took to the stage with her endearing smile.

Kate Rusby at Underneath The Stars (Gunnar Mallon)

Kate Rusby (Gunnar Mallon)

Rusby’s mesmerising and disarming voice, love for music, and appreciation of fellow musician and the crowd made her set a very special one. Joking with the audience between songs it was clear that she was enjoying herself as much as everybody else in attendance. Rusby’s set was a true celebration of gentle, disarming, and charming folk music.

Following Rusby’s packed performance, the festival came to a close with The Californian Feetwarmers from Los Angeles performing their fun and witty interpretation old Americana jazz classics.

Underneath the Stars Festival (Gunnar Mallon)

This year’s festival, like the previous ones, was a very special weekend of music, art, entertainment, and community-focussed fun. Bring on Underneath The Stars 2019!

Review and Photography of Underneath The Stars Festival 2018 on 20 July to 22 July 2018 by Gunnar Mallon.

The post Music & Art at Underneath The Stars Festival 2018 first appeared on Rockshot Magazine.

Melancholic Hymns Ring Out From Arcane Roots

Gunnar Mallon — Fri, 06 Apr 2018 11:04:13 +0000

When Arcane Roots announced that they will be playing at Sheffield’s iconic Leadmill as part of their UK tour, a big fat cross quickly went up in my calendar – this was one show not to miss. And boy, did the trio from London deliver on the night.

The perfect combination of alternative rock ballads and screaming post-hardcore math rock transported the entire audience into Arcane Roots’ magical introspective and angst-filled world. Arcane Roots were supported on their UK tour by The Hyena Kill from Grumble Bee.

A last-minute addition to the tour, The Hyena Kill took the place of their friends Brutus who had to drop out unexpectedly. It didn’t take long for the charismatic duo from Manchester to captivate the ever-growing audience, presenting material from their new album Exit Mask and finishing on my personal favourite Still Sick.The Hyena Kill are like a part-polished diamond. They retain enough uncut edginess to extrude pure joy of making music, yet produce very refined songs.

Following the musical in-your-face attitude of The Hyena Kill, Grumble Bee, Jack Bennett, was joined by bassist Zach Phelps and drummer Callum Connell for his UK tour. Throttling the ferocity of the evening, the trio jazzed up things with well-thought out counter-tempo cross over tunes and straight up alternative rock. The trio will play a series of festivals across the UK this summer and will be ones to watch. Just make sure to have your dancing shoes on, because you won’t be able to sit still.

By the time that Arcane Roots took to the stage, to thunderous applause by the adoring fans, the Leadmill had filled up and everybody was in the right mood for the nearly two-hour-long musical trip that was to come.

Listening to Arcane Roots’ studio work, one wonders how three people are going to play such a unique blend of styles in a live performance. Yet, they mastered it effortlessly, setting up in between songs, with vocalist Andrew Groves moving from screaming his lungs out while bouncing around with his guitar to sitting at the keys playing soulful ballad elements.

Arcane Roots presented a lot of material from their latest album Melancholia Hymns, mixed with well-known hits such as If Nothing Breaks, Nothing Moves from their Heaven & Earth EP.

Those who made their way down on Saturday night were treated to a well-balanced evening of the highest order from all three acts. The Hyena Kill set the mood beautifully, Grumble Bee calmed things down a little before Arcane Roots came out firing on all cylinders, dazzling everyone with a beautiful set akin to a concept album that gripped the audience from start to finish across the peaks and troths of intensity, brutality, and beauty.

Photography and Live Review of Arcane Roots @ Leadmill, Sheffield on 3 March 2018 by Gunnar Mallon.

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The post Melancholic Hymns Ring Out From Arcane Roots first appeared on Rockshot Magazine.