Sunday, October 12, 2008
Sicknote : TJ’s, Newport: 11/10/08: by Penny Wainright
A shambolic triumph!
Utter chaos! That’s the way to describe Sicknote’s end of summer Holy Trinity Tour which culminated in an evening of bad timing, missed cues and botched improvisation.
Following London band Toy Toy, who gave a good performance, and Delinquent Dancers which was billed as Burlesque but was anything but, Sicknote took to the TJ’s stage which has helped propel many bands and artists into the limelight.
Opening with the dancefloor fave “Romance”, the crowd were immediately crazy for the Sicknote sound and the mentalist antics of Dr. Comker and lead man Doghouse. It didn’t take long for the whole thing to take a downward spiral with mic stands being knocked over onto feedback monitors causing the weirdest feedback and adding to the wacky noises eminating from Flapsandwich’s laptop, to visuals man P&O and drummer Filth writhing around grappling on the stage floor in a fit of love and hate. The crowd couldn’t get enough! The inevitable ensued with a stage invasion long before the set had finished.
A sensible bouncer, decked out in furry blue coat and a rather fetching easter bonnet, managed to clear the stage for at least ten minutes!
Cock up after cock up followed, but it mattered not a jot! Each song was greeted with shouts and screams and manic applause, beer flying over the heads of the audience and everyone loving it.
The madness continued, it being Doghouse’s birthday; he was out to enjoy himself at any cost, the cost being a mis-timed crowd dive by the delta blues man himself, straight through the middle of the crowd and onto the floor. Undeterred, he did it again, this time being caught, cradled and loved by the punters being crushed into a rickety stage barrier.
The band played on.
Two encores later, the set wrapped up with the ever popular if now out – dated Taxi For Mr. Blair. Enter stage left the compere for the evening who was speechless except for a stream of expletives to the effect that he had never seen the likes of such utter chaos at TJ’s in all his time as the intro man.
Some kind of shouting debate was occurring just off stage; Flapmeister had unplugged his faithful and treasured laptop, then realization dawned with a little help from the Sicknote stalkers shouting “DEATH! DEATH! You haven’t played DEATH!”.
Back to the stage, laptop plugged in, Doghouse back on the mic, Filth almost at his drums on time, the finale saw a breathtaking rendition of Sicknote’s manifesto mantra “Death Before Employment” lift the crowd to a state not yet achieved all evening.
So in terms of performance, Sicknote have played many a better gig, most memorables being Workhouse Festival, Nozstock Festival, Celtic Blue Rock Festival, Thimbleberry Festival, and Totaal in Holland, but Sicknote are more than a festival band. If they can manage to keep their heads together over the coming years, we will see them propelled onto the club scene with new numbers like Death and Burden, and they will undoubtedly play to full, larger capacity venues all over the UK and there can be no surprise if they take Europe by the sweatys too.
Sicknote are fresh. Each new tune is fresh. Every show is different, and their sound and image is unique. This band, one of the hardest working in the UK, will be headlining bigger venues and taking to the main stages of summer festivals in the coming years.
Showing posts with label cardiff. Show all posts
Showing posts with label cardiff. Show all posts
Monday, 24 November 2008
Milgi's Yurt
In any city, youre only a few yards away from a rat! In City Road in Cardiff, a well established eating area providing take away fast food and high quality eateries from nations of all persuasions, youre probably only a few feet away from a nest of the cute but freaky to some critters. It matters not, especially when the little oasis known as The Yurt (Secret Garden Sound System / Milgi’s café / restaurant), so beautifully hidden from the lights and cars and noise of the main road, offers up the best way to wrap up the weekend on a Sunday evening. Circular, one way in, one way out, furnished with a circular bed, stools and chairs and a red chaise, the Yurt is surprisingly warm and welcoming even on a November night. Tonight featured performances from four talented yet little known (and even international) artistes from Cardiff, North Wales and New Zealand.
Cardiff (HANDSOME!) legend singer-song writer and frontman for the wonderfully talented Cakehole Presleys’ Chris Ridgeway, headed an evening of entertainment in this special little venue. This particular event was promoted by Paul Courtney Clarke’s Meltdown Promotions, another well known purveyor and sponsor of local talent in operation for over a decade.
Accompanied only by his guitar and harmonica, but watched closely by his Cakehole comrades Alka, Mark and Al, Chris sang his way into the cosy crowd opening with “Slapped Arse” <<< insert real title) to the audiences grinning delight. The Ridgeway / Cakehole faithful were heard crooning (very badly) along to Chris’ dulcet tones with a look of recognition and resignation of less favourable times left behind them! It was immediately clear that both Mr. Ridgeway and his audience were loving the moment and the surroundings.
“Skipping Clouds” hit a very personal note for those wage slaves in attendance longing for the life of a local musician, barely getting by on the fees paid for such a gig, but still living the life yearned for by the not-so-free-spirited. “If ever I suss life I will let you know…..”.
“I tend to write songs about depression, introspection, addiction, but this is nice…” and Chris strums into Sweet Dreams. Had there not been the smoking ban, you could have guaranteed lighters held aloft on swinging arms, as the punters hit the first line along with the man with the guitar; “Let’s hear it for the incoherent. The scrambled. The tongue – tied….” We can all relate! Just remember to tie your shoelaces Dreamchasers!
A special treat followed for those who remember Doofer’s special lullaby “Kiss Your Forehead”, penned by Chris for his daughter many years ago. In a moment of sharing, Chris let everyone know how much she means to him, and how much he wanted her to be there tonight. Kids eh? As unreliable as parents!
The sets were divided into 3, which gave opportunity for topping up the cocktails, smoothies, lagers and nicotine habits.
By the end of the evening, after – parties were being organized on the spot for those lucky enough not to have to work the next morning, and words of thanks and congratulations to all the musicians, but in all honesty, mostly Mr. Handsome’s set, were to be heard being bandied about in appreciation of a very intimate and uplifting evening.
There may well be another Meltdown held at the Yurt, so get there while you can before the event becomes too big for the little venue. Treat yourself!
Cardiff (HANDSOME!) legend singer-song writer and frontman for the wonderfully talented Cakehole Presleys’ Chris Ridgeway, headed an evening of entertainment in this special little venue. This particular event was promoted by Paul Courtney Clarke’s Meltdown Promotions, another well known purveyor and sponsor of local talent in operation for over a decade.
Accompanied only by his guitar and harmonica, but watched closely by his Cakehole comrades Alka, Mark and Al, Chris sang his way into the cosy crowd opening with “Slapped Arse” <<< insert real title) to the audiences grinning delight. The Ridgeway / Cakehole faithful were heard crooning (very badly) along to Chris’ dulcet tones with a look of recognition and resignation of less favourable times left behind them! It was immediately clear that both Mr. Ridgeway and his audience were loving the moment and the surroundings.
“Skipping Clouds” hit a very personal note for those wage slaves in attendance longing for the life of a local musician, barely getting by on the fees paid for such a gig, but still living the life yearned for by the not-so-free-spirited. “If ever I suss life I will let you know…..”.
“I tend to write songs about depression, introspection, addiction, but this is nice…” and Chris strums into Sweet Dreams. Had there not been the smoking ban, you could have guaranteed lighters held aloft on swinging arms, as the punters hit the first line along with the man with the guitar; “Let’s hear it for the incoherent. The scrambled. The tongue – tied….” We can all relate! Just remember to tie your shoelaces Dreamchasers!
A special treat followed for those who remember Doofer’s special lullaby “Kiss Your Forehead”, penned by Chris for his daughter many years ago. In a moment of sharing, Chris let everyone know how much she means to him, and how much he wanted her to be there tonight. Kids eh? As unreliable as parents!
The sets were divided into 3, which gave opportunity for topping up the cocktails, smoothies, lagers and nicotine habits.
By the end of the evening, after – parties were being organized on the spot for those lucky enough not to have to work the next morning, and words of thanks and congratulations to all the musicians, but in all honesty, mostly Mr. Handsome’s set, were to be heard being bandied about in appreciation of a very intimate and uplifting evening.
There may well be another Meltdown held at the Yurt, so get there while you can before the event becomes too big for the little venue. Treat yourself!
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