Amelia’s Magazine | Album Review – Anna Calvi

Du Goudron et des Plumes Ellie Sutton
Du Goudron et des Plumes by Compagnie MPTA with Mathurin Bolze started with a swinging platform lowered slowly over the heads of the performers, medications crushing them into the floor. They emerged from beneath, generic ripping out the innards, transforming the planks into a clanking and clattering playground as the dancers/acrobats/I’m not really sure what you call them swung adeptly, building and destroying, meeting and parting. Rotating vignettes from everyday life met with random acts of acrobatic grace, often finely tuned for comedic effect – the performers scaling planks to sit, gnome like, at the top, or hanging upside down to mirror each other.

The platform rose, swaying, as paper sheets were unleashed to shade the manic silhouettes of the characters behind until, in a flurry of motion, the paper was ripped apart. From minimalist jazz to crashing bells, the soundtrack was finely tuned to the minutest motion. The platform tilted as the occupants scrabbled to maintain control, clinging to each other. My later reading of the notes tells me this was a metaphor for our unstable future on this earth. The show ended with them mired in the middle as if aboard a desperate life raft.

I’d like to say that I drifted off rather frequently during this show because I’m really pre-occupied with the launch of my new book this Friday, but the fact is I probably would have done anyway… for me, that’s the trouble with theatrical shows that lack a strong narrative. At times the rhythm and flow of the five fluid acrobats had me gripped, but then I would find I’d gone somewhere else entirely (shit, I don’t have enough drink for 300 guests) as they swung repeatedly from side to side, the motion acting as a hypnotist’s pendulum to send me off… and when I snapped to the scene had completely changed…a character was half naked smoking a pipe at the end of a plank, the lone girl was swinging wildly through the air astride a rope swing, a man was swinging wildly from the oversized lamp. Director Mathurin Bolze calls this effect “mesmerising patterns.”

This performance was typical of the way that traditional circus skills have been co-opted to create something much more abstract and intriguing in a theatrical setting. There was multiple applause and a standing ovation flooded through the packed theatre as the lights came up on the opening night of Du Goudron et des Plumes.
Du Goudron et des Plumes plays at the Barbican until the 29th of January. You can read another interesting review by Ought to be Clowns here. The London International Mime Festival continues until 30th January 2011. My new book, Amelia’s Compendium of Fashion Illustration, is officially launched tomorrow.

Du Goudron et des Plumes Illustration Gemma Smith
Du Goudron et des Plumes by Gemma Smith.

Du Goudron et des Plumes by Compagnie MPTA with Mathurin Bolze started with a swinging platform lowered slowly over the heads of the performers, visit this site crushing them into the floor. They emerged from beneath, viagra 40mg ripping out the innards, price transforming the planks into a clanking and clattering playground as the dancers/acrobats/I’m not really sure what you call them swung adeptly, building and destroying, meeting and parting. Rotating vignettes from everyday life met with random acts of acrobatic grace, often finely tuned for comedic effect – the performers scaling planks to sit, gnome like, at the top, or hanging upside down to mirror each other.

Du Goudron et des Plumes by Ellie Sutton
Du Goudron et des Plumes by Ellie Sutton.

The platform rose, swaying, as paper sheets were unleashed to shade the manic silhouettes of the characters behind until, in a flurry of motion, the paper was ripped apart. From minimalist jazz to crashing bells, the soundtrack was finely tuned to the minutest motion. The platform tilted as the occupants scrabbled to maintain control, clinging to each other. My later reading of the notes tells me this was a metaphor for our unstable future on this earth. The show ended with them mired in the middle as if aboard a desperate life raft.

Du Goudron et des Plumes Ellie Sutton
Du Goudron et des Plumes by Ellie Sutton.

I’d like to say that I drifted off rather frequently during this show because I’m really pre-occupied with the launch of my new book this Friday, but the fact is I probably would have done anyway… for me, that’s the trouble with theatrical shows that lack a strong narrative. At times the rhythm and flow of the five fluid acrobats had me gripped, but then I would find I’d gone somewhere else entirely (shit, I don’t have enough drink for 300 guests) as they swung repeatedly from side to side, the motion acting as a hypnotist’s pendulum to send me off… and when I snapped to the scene had completely changed…a character was half naked smoking a pipe at the end of a plank, the lone girl was swinging wildly through the air astride a rope swing, a man was swinging wildly from the oversized lamp. Director Mathurin Bolze calls this effect “mesmerising patterns.”

Du Goudron et des Plumes by Bertie Simpson
Du Goudron et des Plumes by Bertie Simpson.

This performance was typical of the way that traditional circus skills have been co-opted to create something much more abstract and intriguing in a theatrical setting. There was multiple applause and a standing ovation flooded through the packed theatre as the lights came up on the opening night of Du Goudron et des Plumes.
Du Goudron et des Plumes plays at the Barbican until the 29th of January. You can read another interesting review by Ought to be Clowns here. The London International Mime Festival continues until 30th January 2011. My new book, Amelia’s Compendium of Fashion Illustration, is officially launched tomorrow.

Du Goudron et des Plumes Illustration Gemma Smith
Du Goudron et des Plumes by Gemma Smith.

Du Goudron et des Plumes by Compagnie MPTA with Mathurin Bolze started with a swinging platform lowered slowly over the heads of the performers, medicine crushing them into the floor. They emerged from beneath, nurse ripping out the innards, transforming the planks into a clanking and clattering playground as the dancers/acrobats/I’m not really sure what you call them swung adeptly, building and destroying, meeting and parting. Rotating vignettes from everyday life met with random acts of acrobatic grace, often finely tuned for comedic effect – the performers scaling planks to sit, gnome like, at the top, or hanging upside down to mirror each other.

Du Goudron et des Plumes by Ellie Sutton
Du Goudron et des Plumes by Ellie Sutton.

The platform rose, swaying, as paper sheets were unleashed to shade the manic silhouettes of the characters behind until, in a flurry of motion, the paper was ripped apart. From minimalist jazz to crashing bells, the soundtrack was finely tuned to the minutest motion. The platform tilted as the occupants scrabbled to maintain control, clinging to each other. My later reading of the notes tells me this was a metaphor for our unstable future on this earth. The show ended with them mired in the middle as if aboard a desperate life raft.

Du Goudron et des Plumes Ellie Sutton
Du Goudron et des Plumes by Ellie Sutton.

I’d like to say that I drifted off rather frequently during this show because I’m really pre-occupied with the launch of my new book this Friday, but the fact is I probably would have done anyway… for me, that’s the trouble with theatrical shows that lack a strong narrative. At times the rhythm and flow of the five fluid acrobats had me gripped, but then I would find I’d gone somewhere else entirely (shit, I don’t have enough drink for 300 guests) as they swung repeatedly from side to side, the motion acting as a hypnotist’s pendulum to send me off… and when I snapped to the scene had completely changed…a character was half naked smoking a pipe at the end of a plank, the lone girl was swinging wildly through the air astride a rope swing, a man was swinging wildly from the oversized lamp. Director Mathurin Bolze calls this effect “mesmerising patterns.”

Du Goudron et des Plumes by Bertie Simpson
Du Goudron et des Plumes by Bertie Simpson.

This performance was typical of the way that traditional circus skills have been co-opted to create something much more abstract and intriguing in a theatrical setting. There was multiple applause and a standing ovation flooded through the packed theatre as the lights came up on the opening night of Du Goudron et des Plumes.
Du Goudron et des Plumes plays at the Barbican as part of Bite until the 29th of January. You can read another interesting review by Ought to be Clowns here. The London International Mime Festival continues until 30th January 2011. My new book, Amelia’s Compendium of Fashion Illustration, is officially launched tomorrow.

Du Goudron et des Plumes Illustration Gemma Smith
Du Goudron et des Plumes by Gemma Smith.

Du Goudron et des Plumes by Compagnie MPTA with Mathurin Bolze started with a swinging platform lowered slowly over the heads of the performers, look crushing them into the floor. They emerged from beneath, order ripping out the innards, transforming the planks into a clanking and clattering playground as the dancers/acrobats/I’m-not-really-sure-what-you-call-them swung adeptly, building and destroying, meeting and parting. Rotating vignettes from everyday life met with random acts of acrobatic grace, often finely tuned for comedic effect – the performers scaling planks to sit, gnome like, at the top, or hanging upside down to mirror each other.

Du Goudron et des Plumes by Ellie Sutton
Du Goudron et des Plumes by Ellie Sutton.

The platform rose, swaying, as paper sheets were unleashed to shadow the manic silhouettes of the characters behind until, in a flurry of motion, the paper was ripped apart. From minimalist jazz to crashing bells the soundtrack was finely tuned to the minutest motion, and as the platform tilted the occupants scrabbled to maintain control, clinging to each other, pushing and pulling. My later reading of the notes tells me this was a metaphor for our unstable future on this earth, and how we can either act together to survive or fail apart. The show ended with them mired in the middle as if aboard a desperate life raft.

Du Goudron et des Plumes Ellie Sutton
Du Goudron et des Plumes by Ellie Sutton.

I’d like to say that I drifted off rather frequently during this show because I’m really pre-occupied with the launch of my new book this Friday, but the fact is I probably would have done anyway… for me, that’s the trouble with theatrical shows that lack a strong narrative. At times the rhythm and flow of the five fluid acrobats had me gripped, but then I would find I’d gone somewhere else entirely as they swung repeatedly from side to side (shit, I don’t have enough drink for 300 guests), the motion acting as a hypnotist’s pendulum to send me off… and when I snapped to the scene had completely changed…a character was half naked smoking a pipe at the end of a plank, the lone girl was cascading through the air astride a rope swing, a man was swinging wildly from the oversized lamp. Director Mathurin Bolze calls this effect “mesmerising patterns.”

Du Goudron et des Plumes by Bertie Simpson
Du Goudron et des Plumes by Bertie Simpson.

This performance was typical of the way that traditional circus skills have been co-opted by mavericks such as Mathurin Bolze to create something much more abstract and intriguing. A standing ovation flooded through the packed theatre as the lights came up on the opening night of Du Goudron et des Plumes.

Du Goudron et des Plumes plays at the Barbican as part of Bite until the 29th of January. You can read another interesting review by Ought to be Clowns here. The London International Mime Festival continues until 30th January 2011. My new book, Amelia’s Compendium of Fashion Illustration, is officially launched tomorrow.

Du Goudron et des Plumes Illustration Gemma Smith
Du Goudron et des Plumes by Gemma Smith.

Du Goudron et des Plumes by Compagnie MPTA with Mathurin Bolze started with a swinging platform lowered slowly over the heads of the performers, here crushing them into the floor. They emerged from beneath, ripping out the innards, transforming the planks into a clanking and clattering playground as the dancers/acrobats/I’m-not-really-sure-what-you-call-them swung adeptly, building and destroying, meeting and parting. Rotating vignettes from everyday life met with random acts of acrobatic grace, often finely tuned for comedic effect – the performers scaling planks to sit, gnome like, at the top, or hanging upside down to mirror each other.

Du Goudron et des Plumes by Ellie Sutton
Du Goudron et des Plumes by Ellie Sutton.

The platform rose, swaying, as paper sheets were unleashed to shadow the manic silhouettes of the characters behind until, in a flurry of motion, the paper was ripped apart. From minimalist jazz to crashing bells the soundtrack was finely tuned to the minutest motion, and as the platform tilted the occupants scrabbled to maintain control, clinging to each other, pushing and pulling. My later reading of the notes tells me this was a metaphor for our unstable future on this earth, and how we can either act together to survive or fail apart. The show ended with them mired in the middle as if aboard a desperate life raft.

Du Goudron et des Plumes Ellie Sutton
Du Goudron et des Plumes by Ellie Sutton.

I’d like to say that I drifted off rather frequently during this show because I’m really pre-occupied with the launch of my new book this Friday, but the fact is I probably would have done anyway… for me, that’s the trouble with theatrical shows that lack a strong narrative. At times the rhythm and flow of the five fluid acrobats had me gripped, but then I would find I’d gone somewhere else entirely as they swung repeatedly from side to side (shit, I don’t have enough drink for 300 guests), the motion acting as a hypnotist’s pendulum to send me off… and when I snapped to the scene had completely changed…a character was half naked smoking a pipe at the end of a plank, the lone girl was cascading through the air astride a rope swing, a man was swinging wildly from the oversized lamp. Director Mathurin Bolze calls this effect “mesmerising patterns.”

Du Goudron et des Plumes by Bertie Simpson
Du Goudron et des Plumes by Bertie Simpson.

This performance was typical of the way that traditional circus skills have been co-opted by mavericks such as Mathurin Bolze to create something much more abstract and intriguing. A standing ovation flooded through the packed theatre as the lights came up on the opening night of Du Goudron et des Plumes.

Du Goudron et des Plumes plays at the Barbican as part of Bite until the 29th of January. You can read another interesting review by Ought to be Clowns here. The London International Mime Festival continues until 30th January 2011. My new book, Amelia’s Compendium of Fashion Illustration, is officially launched tomorrow.

Du Goudron et des Plumes Illustration Gemma Smith
Du Goudron et des Plumes by Gemma Smith.

Du Goudron et des Plumes by Compagnie MPTA with Mathurin Bolze started with a swinging platform lowered slowly over the heads of the performers, story crushing them into the floor. They emerged from beneath, cure ripping out the innards, page transforming the planks into a clanking and clattering playground as the dancers/acrobats/I’m-not-really-sure-what-you-call-them swung adeptly, building and destroying, meeting and parting. Rotating vignettes from everyday life met with random acts of acrobatic grace, often finely tuned for comedic effect – the performers scaling planks to sit, gnome like, at the top, or hanging upside down to mirror each other.

Du Goudron et des Plumes by Ellie Sutton
Du Goudron et des Plumes by Ellie Sutton.

The platform rose, swaying, as paper sheets were unleashed to shadow the manic silhouettes of the characters behind until, in a flurry of motion, the paper was ripped apart. From minimalist jazz to crashing bells the soundtrack was finely tuned to the minutest motion, and as the platform tilted the occupants scrabbled to maintain control, clinging to each other, pushing and pulling. My later reading of the notes tells me this was a metaphor for our unstable future on this earth, and how we can either act together to survive or fail apart. The show ended with them mired in the middle as if aboard a desperate life raft.

Du Goudron et des Plumes Ellie Sutton
Du Goudron et des Plumes by Ellie Sutton.

I’d like to say that I drifted off rather frequently during this show because I’m really pre-occupied with the launch of my new book this Friday, but the fact is I probably would have done anyway… for me, that’s the trouble with theatrical shows that lack a strong narrative. At times the rhythm and flow of the five fluid acrobats had me gripped, but then I would find I’d gone somewhere else entirely as they swung repeatedly from side to side (shit, I don’t have enough drink for 300 guests), the motion acting as a hypnotist’s pendulum to send me off… and when I snapped to the scene had completely changed…a character was half naked smoking a pipe at the end of a plank, the lone girl was cascading through the air astride a rope swing, a man was swinging wildly from the oversized lamp. Director Mathurin Bolze calls this effect “mesmerising patterns.”

Du Goudron et des Plumes by Bertie Simpson
Du Goudron et des Plumes by Bertie Simpson.

This performance was typical of the way that traditional circus skills have been co-opted by mavericks such as Mathurin Bolze to create something much more abstract and intriguing. He certainly seems to be a popular man: the performers took multiple bows and a standing ovation flooded through the packed theatre as the lights came up on the opening night of Du Goudron et des Plumes.

Du Goudron et des Plumes plays at the Barbican as part of Bite until the 29th of January. You can read another interesting review by Ought to be Clowns here. The London International Mime Festival continues until 30th January 2011. My new book, Amelia’s Compendium of Fashion Illustration, is officially launched tomorrow.

anna_calvi_abby_wright

Illustration by Abby Wright

Rider to the sea starts. With slow, approved sensuous notes, find running then halting. We wait. This is like some sort of Spanish guitar tease; the heroin with eyes masked looks at the man playing the guitar on the balcony of a castle. She jumps higher, find her cape flowing out behind her. They see each other and the notes build up to a feverish level. Then stop. My breath is involuntarily left held.

Anna Calvi’s voice is pushed, because she pushes it. She said in an interview with BBC 6 Music recently, that her vocal performances are about commitment; “baring the soul when you sing, not be scared, just show emotion. it’s important that, I think.” And when compared to Florence and The Machine, she says they are similar in that: “When we go for it, we really go for it.” She does.

Anna Calvi by Avril Kelly

Illustration by Avril Kelly

Anna credits a wide range of musical influences from Roy Orbison and Elvis to twentieth century music, which she says comes out in her guitar playing. Sometimes she sounds like she should be singing the intro music to a James Bond movie, other times she is a Kate Bush atop a cliff, and then you may get a hint of Adam and The Ants – tribal, wigs and theatre. She certainly has her own sound, and as she says, really unleashes on that mic. You can feel her whole body behind those deep, propelling notes. Visually, her red lips, sculpted cheekbones and feline eyes add to the womanly, lustful passion of the adventure.

anna_calvi_abby_wright2

Illustration by Abby Wright

I have to admit that the first listen I had, I was not instantly in love with her. However, I was hosting a knit club at my house at the time. And now I realise, for a first listen, Anna is wrong when (perhaps…) extra strong girly vibes are circulating. She is a powerful woman, with no messing or moaning. She is vibrant and direct, not fluffy kitten cute. She has said herself, she is in the business because she loves it. For her, it is not about being ‘careerist’. Maybe this has made her less fearful and safe. She is riding on her own expectations, of which she is willing to push. Thus, I listened to the album a few days later when the moon was full and I was feeling a bit more lioness like, and blimey. It was on all morning and beyond. Together with a coffee, I was screaming from my basement flat. Such a shame I have no rooftops.

Anna-Calvi-by-Mina-Bach

Illustration by Mina Bach

Listen to this and you will see exactly what I mean:

So track highlights; No More Words’ guitar notes are so sweet, with Anna’s voice ‘ahhhing’ over the top and singing so close to the microphone. Desire is as you would hope, with the title it holds; “The sound of love is beating like a fevered heart… It’s heavenly, heavenly, desirrrre.” Yes to desires, passions and DRUMS! In contrast First We Kiss, is the lingering and submission of desire and the story from the kiss to beyond. Whilst Blackout is a scaling, swinging, red hot infused, deep breathing track. Then… we have Morning Light, all strung out notes, infused by the morning’s spreading sun. New starts and consequences. A fabulous, long, slightly hazy, almost mumbly track, climaxing with symbols and the full sunrise. It reflects perfectly the early morning’s sensation. Feeling like you have so much time before the sun rises, but it’s always over quicker than you anticipate. You are not invincible, and the day is beginning.

anna calvi 2 by Avril kelly

Illustration by Avril Kelly

My iTunes says she’s ‘Latin’, but she seems to cover more genres. She has the passions of the Latino, but Anna is also rockier, showier and yet almost primmer than Latin. It’s liberating music, but also feels quite private. A bit like being within the bubble of thoughts consuming a girl in the throes of deep lust, she is singing literally from within. With her Italian blood running through her veins, Anna says this album is about: “intimacy, passion and loneliness.” Strong and all encompassing emotions, that supports both her commitment to performance and the deep, trusted position we are in, as listeners. And you really do believe her feelings as you listen to her.

You know at the end of some of those 80s films, when the couple that have spent the whole movie arguing and bouncing around in bed, get in the car and drive off around a cliff in a sports car that looks like an insect? She would be an AMAZING soundtrack to a modern version of that.

Anna Calvi‘s Album is Out Now on Domino Records

Categories ,80s, ,Abby Wright, ,Adam and The Ants, ,album, ,Anna Calvi, ,Avril Kelly, ,Desire, ,Domino Records, ,Elvis, ,Florence and The Machine, ,Helen Martin, ,Italian, ,iTunes, ,James Bond, ,Kate Bush, ,knitting, ,live, ,Love, ,Lust, ,Mina Bach., ,music, ,Passion, ,Red lipstick, ,Rooftops, ,Roy Orbison

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Amelia’s Magazine | Offset Festival 2010: Review


Egyptian Hip Hop were one of the highlights, <a href=sickness despite the crowd being a little thin on the ground” width=”477″ height=”331″ /> Egyptian hip hop, check illustration by Jaymie O’Callaghan. Egyptian Hip Hop played one of the best sets of the festival, despite the crowd being a little thin on the ground.

Offset Festival, located just off the central line in the lovely Hainault Forest, is set to become my end-of-summer tradition. It’s the second year I’ve been and there really is no better way to round off the festival season than by spending a weekend at the ultimate small festival.

Offset is building its reputation off the back of booking next year’s big bands sooner than anyone else. You’d be hard pressed to find more than a handful of acts who the kids in the street have heard of. Last year I literally hassled my friend til she gave in to watch ‘some band called the xx’ play in a tiny tent. And as everyone knows, they just won the Mercury. Offset is known for more than its lineup though and, like all the best festivals, has really grown itself a culture. It’s perhaps the most exciting because it really is very different to every other festival in terms of the people who go. It’s like a fashion parade, except the fashionistas are friendly.

In fact, I’ve not seen one bit of trouble at Offset on either years I’ve been. Yes, people might be sneaking in the odd beer or two, and there’s certainly a higher concentration of dilated pupils than I’ve noticed at the other fests I’ve been to this summer, but there’s no real naughtiness. The kids won’t set fire to your tents like at Reading; students won’t be allegedly touching up security guards against fences like at Beach Break (if you believe the rumours); and there won’t be aggressive people invading your personal space and fighting like at Evolution. It’s the most relaxed I’ve been at any festival, which is saying something, even though it’s grown since last year; now there’s a proper backstage area, whereas last year was just a few square metres, a couple of tables and a tiny bar. I caught my first ever gig from backstage too, which was fun. I sat and watched Good Shoes right behind the stage – they delivered a better gig than I’ve seen from them in a long time, and singer Rhys was the most passionate I’ve seen in a while.

Megan Thomas Tantrum
Megan from Thomas Tantrum blew me away with her stunning vocals.

What I love about Offset is its diversity. The music ranged from hardcore (which I gave a wide berth), to dance, art rock, acoustic, instrumental, indie, rock, pop and so on. Many small festivals can feel very ‘samey’ in the types of bands they book, but that’s never been Offset’s problem. It feels like the organisers will book a band that’s great, regardless of genre, and I wish more festivals would do that. I had never heard of the majority of bands on the bill, which is always pretty exciting. Floating in and out of tents is a great way to discover new favourites or even bands you detest, and that’s something I adore about Offset.

The Saturday line-up was fun – especially the main stage which was an indie kid’s heaven. Good Shoes, Art Brut and the Mystery Jets (all Amelia’s Magazine favourites down the years) were all fantastic, and better than I’ve ever seen them. I don’t know what it is about the Offset crowd, but it seems to draw out killer performances from bands.

I also caught Egyptian Hip Hop, but the audience was pretty low. Perhaps that’s because everyone’s seen them before, or perhaps it’s because they clashed with a couple of bands. Regardless, it was a fantastic set and much better than the one the band delivered at Field Day.

A new band I stumbled across – who aren’t exactly new to the scene but I’d never managed to see live – is Thomas Tantrum. With that name I was not expecting to hear such delicate female vocals; I thought it’d be a rock n roll band, but shame on me for making such assumptions. They were one of my favourite new discoveries.

Sunday was all about La Shark for me (read our interview with frontman Samuel Geronimo Deschamps here); the band Good Shoes told people to check out, and the band I was most excited for. They were, hands down, the single best band of the weekend for me. Like a few others on the bill, they put on a mesmerising performance. The singer walked out in a silk dressing gown, hopped on to the barrier and spent the entire set, clutching to the pole holding up the tent or down in the audience, singing away and jibbering in French. The band wore boiler suits and went for it, rivalling the singer for the crowd’s attention. Then they brought two randoms up to bang some drums for closing song – my favourite – A Weapon and it was pretty funny watching a couple of the most normal kids of the weekend strutting their stuff on stage.


La Shark, after being championed by Good Shoes, didn’t disappoint.

Whilst I also saw an interesting set from Cluster, a comical few songs from the Xcerts, an average set from Not Cool, a winning performance by Horse and Condor, as well as the majority of Anna Calvi’s set, Sunday’s lean towards the heavier, rock bands wasn’t my kind of thing.

The bands I missed, due to a hangover/eating/being distracted/lineup clashes, which makes me sad, included (just to show how amazing the line up is): Male Bonding; Bo Ningen; Invasion; Cold in Berlin; Lovvers; O.Children; Stopmakingme; Caribou; These New Puritans; Mount Kimbie; Visions of Trees and Ali Love.

The funniest moment of the weekend had to be when I realised we had pitched our tent behind Iain Lee’s. If you don’t know, he’s a radio presenter and not really that famous, but it made me chuckle. He was literally the oldest person I saw all weekend and, waking up to hear him threaten to shit in someone’s tent, is one of the most bizarre things I’ve ever heard in a campsite.

This was only the third Offset and, judging by how much it’s grown compared to last year, I think next year could be even more exciting. Now all that remains left to do is sit back and watch which bands from the bill explode over the next year, get nominated for a Mercury or have a commercially selling record. It might sound far fetched, but this is the festival that booked the xx, had to move Metronomy to the main stage because everyone was cramming into the tiny tent, and booked the Maccabees, Biffy Clyro, the Slits and Gang of Four in the past, so I know it’s going to happen.

Categories ,Anna Calvi, ,Art Brut, ,Cluster, ,Egyptian Hip Hop, ,Good Shoes, ,Hainault Forest, ,Horse and Condor, ,Jaymie O’Callaghan, ,La Shark, ,Mystery Jets, ,Not Cool, ,Offset, ,The XX, ,Thomas Tantrum

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Amelia’s Magazine | Interview: Johnny Flynn


A couple of weeks ago, medications I was sifting through work emails and idly wondering how my forthcoming weekend was going to shape up; it seemed to be taking on the familiar pleasures of the default setting – drinks, pilule lazing around Shoreditch Park, case catching a gig or two, having a coffee at Columbia Road flower market; the same old same old essentially, and then an email dropped into my inbox that quickly made me revise my plans. It was from Ben, an old friend of Amelia’s Magazine from French-Music Org, and Liz from Brittany Tourism who were both involved in the French music festival des Vieilles Charrues in Brittany, and wanted to know if Amelia’s Magazine was interested in coming along to check it out. Being a champion of all kinds of festivals, both in England and abroad, but at the same time staying true to the ethics of not flying wherever possible, I was pleased to see that the festival encourages all non-flight forms of travel, and had a good deal with Brittany Ferries worked into one of the ticket packages that also includes transfers to and from the festival. I had a quick look at the line-up, which included performances from Phoenix, Midlake, The Raveonettes, Fanfarlo, Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip and Julian Casablancas. Then I checked my ipod and saw that apart from a little Francoise Hardy and Charlotte Gainsbourg, it was woefully lacking in French music and decided that this Gallic version of Glastonbury could be my guide to France’s vibrant music scene, especially seeing that Chapelier Fou, Revolver, Indochine, Fefe and the brilliantly named Sexy Sushi were all headlining. So that was that. All I needed to do was grab my trusty pillow and I was off to France! A few hours later, after a bumpy ferry ride that unfortunately took place on the windiest day of the year, I found myself in the picturesque town of Carhaix, home of the festival, and about 45 minutes inland from the coast.


Sune and Sharin of The Raveonettes give us a shock and awe performance.


Watching The Raveonettes with my friends – wet and bedraggled but happy.

It was straight to the festival and to the front of the crowd to watch The Raveonettes do a typically kinetic set of howling, fuzzy guitar riffs, liberally sprinkled with lots and lots of noise. Just how the audience like it. The Danish duo, made up of Sune Rose Wagner and Sharin Foo are a dark force to reckon with and played an incredibly tight set, featuring songs from their fourth album, In And Out Of Control. I hadn’t see them play before and I came away thinking that the bands waiting in the wings such as Pains of Being Pure At Heart, Crystal Castles and Vivienne Girls still have a long way to go before they steal the crowns off of these two. Later I managed to get in some talk time with Sune who refused the offer of dinner with his bandmates in favour of shooting the breeze over mugs of vodka cranberries for a whole hour. (Interview to come in the next few weeks)

The next day, when I was a little less exhausted from twelve straight hours of travelling, and no sleep, I was able to properly explore the festival and see it through renewed eyes. Truth be told, it was refreshing to find myself at an overseas festival. The crowd were relaxed, extremely friendly (stand next to any random group of strangers and within a few minutes you will be conversing away happily in a garbled mix of Franglais) and the FOOD (and drink)! It doesn’t matter how many boutique festivals are springing up over England, festival des Vieilles Charrues trumps us with champagne bars all over the site (to be sipped insouciantly while you watch French rock gods Indochine) and food tents which can provide you cheese plates and fruits de la mer to go with your choice of wine. It being slightly earlier in the day, I was trying out the regional cider which was so tasty it practically made me weep, and made my way over to watch the Fanfarlo set. Unexpectedly, this was probably my favourite performance of the festival. Having toured constantly for the past year (watch the mini documentary on their website which painfully documents their incessant and exhaustion-inducing schedule), the performances of the songs from their 2009 release Reservoir have taken on a whole new level. Each band member seamlessly flitted between a myriad of different musical instruments; no-one ever held onto a guitar, trumpet, violin, mandolin or musical saw for more than a few minutes before doing some musical-chairs. I’m not sure how well France was aware of Fanfarlo, but the full audience loved every song they played, and noisily demanded an encore – which unfortunately they didn’t get, but then, the band do only have about twelve songs in their back catalogue.


Fanfarlo talk about life on the road and divulge the little known fact of lead singer Simon’s childhood love of ham radios.


Traditional Breton music. Everyone knew the dance moves but me.

Night time gave me a chance to flit between the bands playing. I watched Midlake, the indie Texans who are fast gaining popularity over on this side of the pond, serenade the audience as the sun set, their hazy Americana sound drifting over the breeze and through the fields. Then it was a hop, skip and a jump to watch Sexy Sushi, the raw Parisian rap of Fefe and – I didn’t see this coming – some traditional Breton music involving some old men, a couple of accordions and a lively crowd who were all versed in the dance moves that accompany the traditional folk style. Then the midnight hour was upon us and the audience was heading in droves to watch Phoenix, who are clearly the prodigal sons of France. I’ve heard before that some of the French don’t appreciate the fact that Phoenix record all of their tracks in English, as opposed to their mother tongue, but there was no such bad feeling in the crowd that stood around me that night, sending waves of love and adulation towards the stage which prompted lead singer Thomas Mars to briefly lie on the stage in slightly dazed wonder at this epic night.

It was frustrating to have to leave on Sunday, as I missed performances by Pony Pony Run Run, Julian Casablancas and Etienne De Crecy, but work commitments dictated an early departure. Nonetheless, I had such a great time that I am already planning next years Festival des Vieilles Charrues (which will be the 20th anniversary of the festival). Brittany was the perfect setting for such a chilled festival, and a welcome addition to the festival calendar.

Way back in 2007, click Amelia’s Magazine was one of the first to recognise the raw talent of a young Johnny Flynn, for sale who won us over with the delicately nuanced themes in his poetic and lyrical songwriting. (The fact that he could wield a Gibson guitar like nobodies business also helped make him alright in our books). Fast forward to today and it’s safe to say that the kid done good. Supporting Mumford & Sons in their upcoming October tour, performing at summer festivals all over the country (including this weekends Cambridge Folk Festival) and collaborating with Laura Marling and Anna Calvi, Johnny has more than established himself in the British folk canon. But Johnny is no one trick pony; his new album Been Listening shows a strong appreciation of musical diversity, and gives respectful nods to early 20th Century blues, African music, and even takes inspiration from Herman Hesse’s Siddhartha. His creative streak runs deep, and the animated video for his new single, Barnacled Warship (released August 16th) is a dark dystopia directed by Christian DeVita, lead storyboard artist on Wes Anderson’s ‘Fantastic Mr Fox’ as well as Tim Burton’s forthcoming ‘Frankenweenie’.

So, as you can imagine, we felt that a catch-up with Johnny was long overdue, and so when we were approached by his team to do a video interview, it was only a matter of fighting over which contributor was the biggest fan (the honour went to the lovely Chloe) and then we were ready to go!

Watch the feature for Barnacled Warship here:
YouTube Preview Image

Go to Johnny’s MySpace and website for lots more, including his newly released tour dates.

Categories ,Anna Calvi, ,Been Listening, ,Cambridge Folk Festival, ,Fantastic Mr Fox, ,folk, ,interview, ,Johnny Flynn, ,Laura Marling, ,Mumford& Sons, ,Nu Folk, ,Siddhartha, ,tim burton, ,video, ,Wes Anderson

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Amelia’s Magazine | Festival Preview: Field Day

There’s a real charm to one day festivals: your money doesn’t run out, treatment you don’t have someone peeing on your hammock (thanks Benicassim) or shouting at all the non-Welsh people to go home (thanks Beach Break) whilst you try to sleep. You don’t even have to worry about how to wash your hair, price whether you’ve drunk more than today’s ration of alcohol or if your mum’s trying to ring you on your dead mobile.

Whilst you’re not going to be able to catch as many bands at a one day fest as you would a marathon event like Glastonbury, when they’re organised well, one day festivals still offer fantastic value for money.

Imagine that, for under £35, you can watch Phoenix, The Fall, Caribou, Lightspeed Champion and These New Puritans play at the same festival and on the same day, and you’ve got some idea of how good this year’s Field Day festival will be.

Located in Victoria Park, it’s the fourth year that London’s promoters have joined forces to put on one of the capital’s most unmissable events. I haven’t had the chance to go to Field Day before (thank you recession), but this year I’m rallying the troops and planning to take Victoria Park by storm.

The fact that Anna Calvi, Egyptian Hip Hop, Memory Tapes, Chilly Gonzales, Hudson Mohawke, Gold Panda, Mount Kimbie and Toro Y Moi are all playing means that, for me, this is one of the most exciting festivals of the summer. Even my discovery that it rained last year hasn’t dampened my excitement.

Field Day combines great bands with fantastic dance music, which is always guaranteed to be fun. The Simian Mobile Disco DJ set should be good, even if it is just a DJ set, as will the Blogger’s Delight guys and the very talented Stopmakingme.

I expect sunshine, yummy festival food, drunk dancing and an army of cool kids. With the knowledge that it all ends in time for the last train home, the thought of dragging myself to work with a hangover doesn’t seem like a bad trade-off for a day well spent at one of the best British festivals – even if it does last just one day. At £33.33 it’s almost too cheap to miss.

Field Day takes place on July 31st in Victoria Park, London E3. Tickets can be found here.

Categories ,Anna Calvi, ,Beach Break, ,Benicassim, ,Bloggers Delight, ,caribou, ,festival, ,Field Day, ,glastonbury, ,gold panda, ,Lightspeed Champion, ,london, ,phoenix, ,Simian Mobile Disco, ,These New Puritans, ,Victoria Park

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Amelia’s Magazine | The Barclaycard Mercury Prize – 2011 Nominees

Elbow by Natasha Thompson

Next month 12 acts will nervously wait to see if they will be announced as the Barclaycard Mercury Music Prize winner for 2011. The Mercury’s are well known for championing the best of British music and this year’s shortlist is no different. Many of the acts (like Adele) are not surprising but there are those lesser-known acts (Gwilym Simcock, here anyone?) and what’s exciting about the Mercury Prize is that the judges do have a tendency towards picking the act that no one suspected. Read on to hear about each of the nominated acts.

Adele by Natasha Thompson

Adele 21
Very much the favourite and it’s not at all surprising when you consider what a year it has been for Adele. Her second album 21 has smashed chart records and she has become a sensation across the pond too.

PJ Harvey by Claire Kearns

PJ Harvey by Natasha Thompson

PJ Harvey Let England Shake
PJ Harvey has already won one of these Mercury Prizes before 2001 for the album Stories from the City, site Stories from the Sea, visit this making her the first woman to win the award. Despite her incredible discography critics are lauding Let England Shake as Polly Harvey’s masterpiece.

Elbow by Natalie Hughes

Elbow Build a Rocket Boys!
By no means a new act but Elbow have come to the fore once again this year with their new album Build A Rocket Boys! and after storming their set at this year’s Glastonbury. If they won it would be the second time for Guy Garvey et al who were victorious in 2008 with their album The Seldom Seen Kid.

Tinie Tempah by Tom Casson

?Tinie Tempah Disc-Overy
One of the newer acts in the this year’s Mercury shortlist and joint fourth favourite to win, unsurprising as the star’s Pass Out as been a constant soundtrack to the past 12 months, no bad thing as it contains one of my favourite ever lyrics ‘I got so many clothes/ I keep some at my Aunt’s house.’ Genuis. He’s already won himself a Brit award, so he could well be on to track to bag the Mercury prize.

?Anna Calvi Anna Calvi
Anna Calvi has perhaps managed to ride into the music scene on the slipstream of big female acts like Florence and Adele but unlike some of her contemporaries, Calvi has bought something new to the table. Her big sound and ferocious guitar playing makes her a real contender for the Mercury prize.

Katy B by Cheryl Windahl

Katy B On a Mission
Like Adele, Katy B attended the famous Brit School, who are clearly doing something right. Katy B hasn’t quite taken off like her schoolmate but her mix of dubstep and R&B sound means she is standing out from the crowd

Metronomy The English Riviera
Metronomy have been around a while and although winning themselves a large fanbase they haven’t yet become mainstream – making them a perfect candidate for the slightly offbeat Mercurys.

Everything Everything by Emma Carlisle

Everything Everything Man Alive
Everything Everything are relative newcomers but have certainly made an impression and can often be found brightening up the radio waves with their single Photoshop Handsome. Their sound is good, old fashioned indie-pop, which could mean Everything Everything lose out at the Mercury’s.

James Blake by Cheryl Windahl

?James Blake James Blake
James Blake has made waves this year with his minimal electronia and moving album James Blake. It includes the blusey Limit To Your Love, which has got everyone excited about sustained pauses or the gaps between the notes as well as his futuristic sound.

?Gwilym Simcock Good Days at Schloss Elmau
The Mercury shortlist always contains a jazz musician and there are always rumours that the judges will shun the favourites and pick one of more obscure acts on the list. The talented Gwilym might want to hope that he isn’t picked as the Mercury curse could see his career stopped short, a la Speech DeBelle in 2009!

Ghostpoet by Chris Ross

Ghostpoet Peanut Butter Blues & Melancholy Jam
One of those hotly tipped artists for 2011 Ghostpoet is nominated for his album Peanut Butter Blues and Melancholy Jam. Full of laid back and melancholy electronica-laced tracks Ghostpoet hasn’t exactly exploded yet but you might recognize the single Survive It.

Categories ,Adele, ,Anna Calvi, ,Awards, ,Barclaycard, ,Elbow, ,everything everything, ,Ghostpoet, ,Gwilym Simcock, ,James Blake, ,Katy B, ,King Creosote & Jon Hopkins, ,Mercury Music Awards, ,metronomy, ,PJ Harvey, ,Tinie Tempah

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Amelia’s Magazine | The Barclaycard Mercury Prize – 2011 Nominees

Elbow by Natasha Thompson

Next month 12 acts will nervously wait to see if they will be announced as the Barclaycard Mercury Music Prize winner for 2011. The Mercury’s are well known for championing the best of British music and this year’s shortlist is no different. Many of the acts (like Adele) are not surprising but there are those lesser-known acts (Gwilym Simcock, here anyone?) and what’s exciting about the Mercury Prize is that the judges do have a tendency towards picking the act that no one suspected. Read on to hear about each of the nominated acts.

Adele by Natasha Thompson

Adele 21
Very much the favourite and it’s not at all surprising when you consider what a year it has been for Adele. Her second album 21 has smashed chart records and she has become a sensation across the pond too.

PJ Harvey by Claire Kearns

PJ Harvey by Natasha Thompson

PJ Harvey Let England Shake
PJ Harvey has already won one of these Mercury Prizes before 2001 for the album Stories from the City, site Stories from the Sea, visit this making her the first woman to win the award. Despite her incredible discography critics are lauding Let England Shake as Polly Harvey’s masterpiece.

Elbow by Natalie Hughes

Elbow Build a Rocket Boys!
By no means a new act but Elbow have come to the fore once again this year with their new album Build A Rocket Boys! and after storming their set at this year’s Glastonbury. If they won it would be the second time for Guy Garvey et al who were victorious in 2008 with their album The Seldom Seen Kid.

Tinie Tempah by Tom Casson

?Tinie Tempah Disc-Overy
One of the newer acts in the this year’s Mercury shortlist and joint fourth favourite to win, unsurprising as the star’s Pass Out as been a constant soundtrack to the past 12 months, no bad thing as it contains one of my favourite ever lyrics ‘I got so many clothes/ I keep some at my Aunt’s house.’ Genuis. He’s already won himself a Brit award, so he could well be on to track to bag the Mercury prize.

?Anna Calvi Anna Calvi
Anna Calvi has perhaps managed to ride into the music scene on the slipstream of big female acts like Florence and Adele but unlike some of her contemporaries, Calvi has bought something new to the table. Her big sound and ferocious guitar playing makes her a real contender for the Mercury prize.

Katy B by Cheryl Windahl

Katy B On a Mission
Like Adele, Katy B attended the famous Brit School, who are clearly doing something right. Katy B hasn’t quite taken off like her schoolmate but her mix of dubstep and R&B sound means she is standing out from the crowd

Metronomy The English Riviera
Metronomy have been around a while and although winning themselves a large fanbase they haven’t yet become mainstream – making them a perfect candidate for the slightly offbeat Mercurys.

Everything Everything by Emma Carlisle

Everything Everything Man Alive
Everything Everything are relative newcomers but have certainly made an impression and can often be found brightening up the radio waves with their single Photoshop Handsome. Their sound is good, old fashioned indie-pop, which could mean Everything Everything lose out at the Mercury’s.

James Blake by Cheryl Windahl

?James Blake James Blake
James Blake has made waves this year with his minimal electronia and moving album James Blake. It includes the blusey Limit To Your Love, which has got everyone excited about sustained pauses or the gaps between the notes as well as his futuristic sound.

?Gwilym Simcock Good Days at Schloss Elmau
The Mercury shortlist always contains a jazz musician and there are always rumours that the judges will shun the favourites and pick one of more obscure acts on the list. The talented Gwilym might want to hope that he isn’t picked as the Mercury curse could see his career stopped short, a la Speech DeBelle in 2009!

Ghostpoet by Chris Ross

Ghostpoet Peanut Butter Blues & Melancholy Jam
One of those hotly tipped artists for 2011 Ghostpoet is nominated for his album Peanut Butter Blues and Melancholy Jam. Full of laid back and melancholy electronica-laced tracks Ghostpoet hasn’t exactly exploded yet but you might recognize the single Survive It.

Categories ,Adele, ,Anna Calvi, ,Awards, ,Barclaycard, ,Elbow, ,everything everything, ,Ghostpoet, ,Gwilym Simcock, ,James Blake, ,Katy B, ,King Creosote & Jon Hopkins, ,Mercury Music Awards, ,metronomy, ,PJ Harvey, ,Tinie Tempah

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Amelia’s Magazine | Offset Festival 2010: Review


Egyptian Hip Hop were one of the highlights, <a href=sickness despite the crowd being a little thin on the ground” width=”477″ height=”331″ /> Egyptian hip hop, check illustration by Jaymie O’Callaghan. Egyptian Hip Hop played one of the best sets of the festival, despite the crowd being a little thin on the ground.

Offset Festival, located just off the central line in the lovely Hainault Forest, is set to become my end-of-summer tradition. It’s the second year I’ve been and there really is no better way to round off the festival season than by spending a weekend at the ultimate small festival.

Offset is building its reputation off the back of booking next year’s big bands sooner than anyone else. You’d be hard pressed to find more than a handful of acts who the kids in the street have heard of. Last year I literally hassled my friend til she gave in to watch ‘some band called the xx’ play in a tiny tent. And as everyone knows, they just won the Mercury. Offset is known for more than its lineup though and, like all the best festivals, has really grown itself a culture. It’s perhaps the most exciting because it really is very different to every other festival in terms of the people who go. It’s like a fashion parade, except the fashionistas are friendly.

In fact, I’ve not seen one bit of trouble at Offset on either years I’ve been. Yes, people might be sneaking in the odd beer or two, and there’s certainly a higher concentration of dilated pupils than I’ve noticed at the other fests I’ve been to this summer, but there’s no real naughtiness. The kids won’t set fire to your tents like at Reading; students won’t be allegedly touching up security guards against fences like at Beach Break (if you believe the rumours); and there won’t be aggressive people invading your personal space and fighting like at Evolution. It’s the most relaxed I’ve been at any festival, which is saying something, even though it’s grown since last year; now there’s a proper backstage area, whereas last year was just a few square metres, a couple of tables and a tiny bar. I caught my first ever gig from backstage too, which was fun. I sat and watched Good Shoes right behind the stage – they delivered a better gig than I’ve seen from them in a long time, and singer Rhys was the most passionate I’ve seen in a while.

Megan Thomas Tantrum
Megan from Thomas Tantrum blew me away with her stunning vocals.

What I love about Offset is its diversity. The music ranged from hardcore (which I gave a wide berth), to dance, art rock, acoustic, instrumental, indie, rock, pop and so on. Many small festivals can feel very ‘samey’ in the types of bands they book, but that’s never been Offset’s problem. It feels like the organisers will book a band that’s great, regardless of genre, and I wish more festivals would do that. I had never heard of the majority of bands on the bill, which is always pretty exciting. Floating in and out of tents is a great way to discover new favourites or even bands you detest, and that’s something I adore about Offset.

The Saturday line-up was fun – especially the main stage which was an indie kid’s heaven. Good Shoes, Art Brut and the Mystery Jets (all Amelia’s Magazine favourites down the years) were all fantastic, and better than I’ve ever seen them. I don’t know what it is about the Offset crowd, but it seems to draw out killer performances from bands.

I also caught Egyptian Hip Hop, but the audience was pretty low. Perhaps that’s because everyone’s seen them before, or perhaps it’s because they clashed with a couple of bands. Regardless, it was a fantastic set and much better than the one the band delivered at Field Day.

A new band I stumbled across – who aren’t exactly new to the scene but I’d never managed to see live – is Thomas Tantrum. With that name I was not expecting to hear such delicate female vocals; I thought it’d be a rock n roll band, but shame on me for making such assumptions. They were one of my favourite new discoveries.

Sunday was all about La Shark for me (read our interview with frontman Samuel Geronimo Deschamps here); the band Good Shoes told people to check out, and the band I was most excited for. They were, hands down, the single best band of the weekend for me. Like a few others on the bill, they put on a mesmerising performance. The singer walked out in a silk dressing gown, hopped on to the barrier and spent the entire set, clutching to the pole holding up the tent or down in the audience, singing away and jibbering in French. The band wore boiler suits and went for it, rivalling the singer for the crowd’s attention. Then they brought two randoms up to bang some drums for closing song – my favourite – A Weapon and it was pretty funny watching a couple of the most normal kids of the weekend strutting their stuff on stage.


La Shark, after being championed by Good Shoes, didn’t disappoint.

Whilst I also saw an interesting set from Cluster, a comical few songs from the Xcerts, an average set from Not Cool, a winning performance by Horse and Condor, as well as the majority of Anna Calvi’s set, Sunday’s lean towards the heavier, rock bands wasn’t my kind of thing.

The bands I missed, due to a hangover/eating/being distracted/lineup clashes, which makes me sad, included (just to show how amazing the line up is): Male Bonding; Bo Ningen; Invasion; Cold in Berlin; Lovvers; O.Children; Stopmakingme; Caribou; These New Puritans; Mount Kimbie; Visions of Trees and Ali Love.

The funniest moment of the weekend had to be when I realised we had pitched our tent behind Iain Lee’s. If you don’t know, he’s a radio presenter and not really that famous, but it made me chuckle. He was literally the oldest person I saw all weekend and, waking up to hear him threaten to shit in someone’s tent, is one of the most bizarre things I’ve ever heard in a campsite.

This was only the third Offset and, judging by how much it’s grown compared to last year, I think next year could be even more exciting. Now all that remains left to do is sit back and watch which bands from the bill explode over the next year, get nominated for a Mercury or have a commercially selling record. It might sound far fetched, but this is the festival that booked the xx, had to move Metronomy to the main stage because everyone was cramming into the tiny tent, and booked the Maccabees, Biffy Clyro, the Slits and Gang of Four in the past, so I know it’s going to happen.

Categories ,Anna Calvi, ,Art Brut, ,Cluster, ,Egyptian Hip Hop, ,Good Shoes, ,Hainault Forest, ,Horse and Condor, ,Jaymie O’Callaghan, ,La Shark, ,Mystery Jets, ,Not Cool, ,Offset, ,The XX, ,Thomas Tantrum

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Amelia’s Magazine | Interview: Johnny Flynn


A couple of weeks ago, medications I was sifting through work emails and idly wondering how my forthcoming weekend was going to shape up; it seemed to be taking on the familiar pleasures of the default setting – drinks, pilule lazing around Shoreditch Park, case catching a gig or two, having a coffee at Columbia Road flower market; the same old same old essentially, and then an email dropped into my inbox that quickly made me revise my plans. It was from Ben, an old friend of Amelia’s Magazine from French-Music Org, and Liz from Brittany Tourism who were both involved in the French music festival des Vieilles Charrues in Brittany, and wanted to know if Amelia’s Magazine was interested in coming along to check it out. Being a champion of all kinds of festivals, both in England and abroad, but at the same time staying true to the ethics of not flying wherever possible, I was pleased to see that the festival encourages all non-flight forms of travel, and had a good deal with Brittany Ferries worked into one of the ticket packages that also includes transfers to and from the festival. I had a quick look at the line-up, which included performances from Phoenix, Midlake, The Raveonettes, Fanfarlo, Dan Le Sac vs Scroobius Pip and Julian Casablancas. Then I checked my ipod and saw that apart from a little Francoise Hardy and Charlotte Gainsbourg, it was woefully lacking in French music and decided that this Gallic version of Glastonbury could be my guide to France’s vibrant music scene, especially seeing that Chapelier Fou, Revolver, Indochine, Fefe and the brilliantly named Sexy Sushi were all headlining. So that was that. All I needed to do was grab my trusty pillow and I was off to France! A few hours later, after a bumpy ferry ride that unfortunately took place on the windiest day of the year, I found myself in the picturesque town of Carhaix, home of the festival, and about 45 minutes inland from the coast.


Sune and Sharin of The Raveonettes give us a shock and awe performance.


Watching The Raveonettes with my friends – wet and bedraggled but happy.

It was straight to the festival and to the front of the crowd to watch The Raveonettes do a typically kinetic set of howling, fuzzy guitar riffs, liberally sprinkled with lots and lots of noise. Just how the audience like it. The Danish duo, made up of Sune Rose Wagner and Sharin Foo are a dark force to reckon with and played an incredibly tight set, featuring songs from their fourth album, In And Out Of Control. I hadn’t see them play before and I came away thinking that the bands waiting in the wings such as Pains of Being Pure At Heart, Crystal Castles and Vivienne Girls still have a long way to go before they steal the crowns off of these two. Later I managed to get in some talk time with Sune who refused the offer of dinner with his bandmates in favour of shooting the breeze over mugs of vodka cranberries for a whole hour. (Interview to come in the next few weeks)

The next day, when I was a little less exhausted from twelve straight hours of travelling, and no sleep, I was able to properly explore the festival and see it through renewed eyes. Truth be told, it was refreshing to find myself at an overseas festival. The crowd were relaxed, extremely friendly (stand next to any random group of strangers and within a few minutes you will be conversing away happily in a garbled mix of Franglais) and the FOOD (and drink)! It doesn’t matter how many boutique festivals are springing up over England, festival des Vieilles Charrues trumps us with champagne bars all over the site (to be sipped insouciantly while you watch French rock gods Indochine) and food tents which can provide you cheese plates and fruits de la mer to go with your choice of wine. It being slightly earlier in the day, I was trying out the regional cider which was so tasty it practically made me weep, and made my way over to watch the Fanfarlo set. Unexpectedly, this was probably my favourite performance of the festival. Having toured constantly for the past year (watch the mini documentary on their website which painfully documents their incessant and exhaustion-inducing schedule), the performances of the songs from their 2009 release Reservoir have taken on a whole new level. Each band member seamlessly flitted between a myriad of different musical instruments; no-one ever held onto a guitar, trumpet, violin, mandolin or musical saw for more than a few minutes before doing some musical-chairs. I’m not sure how well France was aware of Fanfarlo, but the full audience loved every song they played, and noisily demanded an encore – which unfortunately they didn’t get, but then, the band do only have about twelve songs in their back catalogue.


Fanfarlo talk about life on the road and divulge the little known fact of lead singer Simon’s childhood love of ham radios.


Traditional Breton music. Everyone knew the dance moves but me.

Night time gave me a chance to flit between the bands playing. I watched Midlake, the indie Texans who are fast gaining popularity over on this side of the pond, serenade the audience as the sun set, their hazy Americana sound drifting over the breeze and through the fields. Then it was a hop, skip and a jump to watch Sexy Sushi, the raw Parisian rap of Fefe and – I didn’t see this coming – some traditional Breton music involving some old men, a couple of accordions and a lively crowd who were all versed in the dance moves that accompany the traditional folk style. Then the midnight hour was upon us and the audience was heading in droves to watch Phoenix, who are clearly the prodigal sons of France. I’ve heard before that some of the French don’t appreciate the fact that Phoenix record all of their tracks in English, as opposed to their mother tongue, but there was no such bad feeling in the crowd that stood around me that night, sending waves of love and adulation towards the stage which prompted lead singer Thomas Mars to briefly lie on the stage in slightly dazed wonder at this epic night.

It was frustrating to have to leave on Sunday, as I missed performances by Pony Pony Run Run, Julian Casablancas and Etienne De Crecy, but work commitments dictated an early departure. Nonetheless, I had such a great time that I am already planning next years Festival des Vieilles Charrues (which will be the 20th anniversary of the festival). Brittany was the perfect setting for such a chilled festival, and a welcome addition to the festival calendar.

Way back in 2007, click Amelia’s Magazine was one of the first to recognise the raw talent of a young Johnny Flynn, for sale who won us over with the delicately nuanced themes in his poetic and lyrical songwriting. (The fact that he could wield a Gibson guitar like nobodies business also helped make him alright in our books). Fast forward to today and it’s safe to say that the kid done good. Supporting Mumford & Sons in their upcoming October tour, performing at summer festivals all over the country (including this weekends Cambridge Folk Festival) and collaborating with Laura Marling and Anna Calvi, Johnny has more than established himself in the British folk canon. But Johnny is no one trick pony; his new album Been Listening shows a strong appreciation of musical diversity, and gives respectful nods to early 20th Century blues, African music, and even takes inspiration from Herman Hesse’s Siddhartha. His creative streak runs deep, and the animated video for his new single, Barnacled Warship (released August 16th) is a dark dystopia directed by Christian DeVita, lead storyboard artist on Wes Anderson’s ‘Fantastic Mr Fox’ as well as Tim Burton’s forthcoming ‘Frankenweenie’.

So, as you can imagine, we felt that a catch-up with Johnny was long overdue, and so when we were approached by his team to do a video interview, it was only a matter of fighting over which contributor was the biggest fan (the honour went to the lovely Chloe) and then we were ready to go!

Watch the feature for Barnacled Warship here:
YouTube Preview Image

Go to Johnny’s MySpace and website for lots more, including his newly released tour dates.

Categories ,Anna Calvi, ,Been Listening, ,Cambridge Folk Festival, ,Fantastic Mr Fox, ,folk, ,interview, ,Johnny Flynn, ,Laura Marling, ,Mumford& Sons, ,Nu Folk, ,Siddhartha, ,tim burton, ,video, ,Wes Anderson

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Amelia’s Magazine | Jennifer Evans at the Windmill: Live Review

jennifer-evans
Taking the stage at a pretty busy Windmill was the hotly tipped Jennifer Evans. Although largely an unknown quantity in the UK, she’s been picking up a fair bit of good press back home in Ireland for a while, and with the release of her debut LP, Works From The Dip And Foul, last year she’s already drawn comparisons with Anna Calvi and St. Vincent. So no pressure, then!

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A diminutive figure with a big voice, and backed by Shane Holly on drums and Sean Maynard Smith on bass, Evans took us through some choice cuts from her album. With a sound that combines elements of blues and jazz, she doesn’t play your average four to the floor – if anything, it reminded me at times of a less urban take on Frank, Amy Winehouse’s debut, and early Noisettes (Evans’ vocal style and mannerisms, such as on the song Uncomfortable Word, are similar to those of Shingai Shoniwa). She’s a sparky performer, rarely staying still for a moment and the music, too, dips and dives, catching you off-guard with sudden tempo changes.

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Even when there was a slight hitch in the set, when Evans couldn’t find the capo for her guitar, the band styled it out with an extended jam, and effortlessly slotted back into place when she was ready to go. There was also a radically reworked version of Massive Attack’s Unfinished Sympathy – I only realised what it was right at the end, when Evans told us, even though I should have clocked it from the lyrics (a black mark for yours truly, there).

There’s another small London gig coming up, and you can’t help feeling, on the strength of tonight, that with a bit more exposure Jennifer Evans could really live up to those comparisons and become as recognised a name in the UK as she is back home.

Categories ,amy winehouse, ,Anna Calvi, ,ireland, ,Irish, ,Jennifer Evans, ,Massive Attack, ,Noisettes, ,review, ,Sean Maynard Smith, ,Shane Holly, ,Shingai Shoniwa, ,St Vincent, ,Windmill

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