Wooden Shjips @ SWG3, Glasgow. Thursday 12 December 2013

There are a few gigs which for one reason or another I really look forward to and this was one of them. The reason is pretty immaterial (just never imaginged these dudes pitching up in my back yard!) and so once I found that they were stopping off in Glasgow on their European Tour I jumped at the chance to get tickets. I then found out that they were playing in another new venue to me - SWG3 (Studio, Warehouse, Glasgow). 

The building is located in a former Clydeside warehouse adjacent to the railway arches by the expressway at the end of Eastvale Place on the periphery of Glasgow's West End. Also know as the Studio Warehouse, it houses artists' studios, a gallery, a gig venue and a bar. The venue, whilst one flight up, resembles a concrete post war bunker and is brutalist in looks and hard edged in nature, showcasing as it does less 'main stream' acts and artists. Tonight was the turn of local band Helicon and San Francisco's Wooden Shjips, both cases in point. 

A feature of concert going these days is that the venues tend to be pretty well filled by the time the support comes on and this was to be no exception. Indeed, the 'hall' looked pretty full when Helicon, who had travelled all the way from East Kilbride on the outskirts of Glasgow, came on stage at about 20:00. The band, described as doom-mongering behemoths of Psychedelic Rock, set to work and almost blew us away in terms of volume at least. I was upfront on 'the rail' and the sound was, in Spinal Tap parlance, set to number eleven! I doubt that I have heard a louder band and obviously these things are impossible to compare, but I reckon that they easily beat my former loudest band - Nazareth from back in the early seventies in the old Apollo. Once my ears had adjusted to the assault I was able to get into the groove and really enjoyed the apocalyptic cosmic crescendo of swirling psychedelic soundscapes. 

The band, formed in earl 2009 by brothers John-Paul Hughes (lead guitar, vocals) and Gary Hughes (guitar, vocals), includes Laura O'Brien (keys, synth, violin, vocals), Gary Sharp (guitar), Martin MacVicar (drums) and Mark McLure (bass). They are fans of Brian Jonestown Massacre, as was evident from the guitar sticker and other influences include The Warlocks, Mogwai, The Doors,13th Floor Elevators, The Velvet Underground and NEU! to name a few. This was my introduction to Helicon and so I was unfamiliar with the set list added to which and in keeping with the dark, moodiness of the gig there was little 'chat' between songs. Also the lyrics were indecipherable and so I didn't catch any of the tracks by name, however, one song reminded me of Chelsea Girl by early Simple Minds, it turns out that it is called Seraph and is from the Mind Explosion EP. I also really enjoyed the trance inducing groove of  Suburban Decay.

The interactive explosion of guitar and keyboards was a delight to hear and the whole sound was held up by Martin MacVicar who played some wild and energetic drumming. At one point it looked like John-Paul (I think it was him) was attempting to file the fingers of his right hand down to the knuckle as he frantically strummed the strings to get just the right frenetic sound. I also liked the singing by Laura and Gary although as I said earlier the words were lost in the mix, however, the voices added a fine additional 'instrument' to the concoction. The band have an album called Suburban Decay available to listen to on line or download at http://heliconglasgow.bandcamp.com/album/suburban-decay and following the gig they are set to return to the recording studio to lay down some more track.

Check out the song Seraph here.....

Next up: Wooden Shjips (pronounced Ships). I first came across them around the time that they released their third album Dos back in 2009 and have enjoyed their brand of psychedelic musical workouts ever since. Their sound has been described as drone rock, experimental, minimalist, and "spacey psychedelic rock". They have been compared to Suicide, Guru Guru, Loop, The Velvet Underground and Soft Machine. As a 55 year old, it heartens me to know that my nephew (in his mid twenties) was 'wayyyyyyy jealous' to learn that, not only were the Wooden Shjips on tour, but that his 'aged uncle' was at one if their gigs! Woo woo!

So at around 21:00, as seems to be the custom in Scotland, the band strode onto the stage. Erik "Ripley" Johnson (guitar/vocals and who also plays in a side project: Moon Duo) took up a stage right location (viewed from our side), then moving over to the left of the stage ,Omar Ahsanuddin (drums) was next, Dusty Jermier (bass and looking rather like a latter-day Richard Drefuss) and finally Nash Whalen (organ). The band were assembled and we were ready to 'gie it laldy'!

Erik "Ripley" Johnson

Omar Ahsanuddin

From the outset there was some discordant 'noise' to go along with the psychedelic light show and this was to be a theme throughout the show. There was a rush of 'ambient noise' in the gaps separating the songs and little in the way of interaction between the band and audience, save from the odd "Thank you". However, this only served to enhance the experience for me as it left the emphasis on the 'groove'. I particularly enjoyed In The Roses which started out with a combined bass and drum, metronomic beat, pulsating through us and after some muffled vocals, was taken to a new level by Nash's keyboards. Then Ripley set off on some exceedingly finely picked guitar notes soloed into the latter half of the song. By now it was (for me at least) not possible to stop 'ma groove', the song rolled out over some five minutes and took us all to somewhere other than Glasgow on a dreach, dreary Thursday night. Superb stuff! I have to say that I reckon that it takes an extremely special kinda concentration to hammer out those same drum riffs and bass cords over that length of time. A heart beatin', live givin', body movin', spirit evokin', limb shakin', trance inducin', drug free high! The essence of music over the millennia, rock on Tommy! You got me and I ain't lettin' go!

Dusty Jermier

Another high point was Ruins, another song off their latest (and best in my opinion) album Back To Land. A drum punch and then we were off into familiar mind freeing territory. Ripley Johnson's low, muffled, dry vocals combining seamlessly with the groove being pounded out by the band. I have always been a 'sucker' for the low key, simple, Bert Weddon - esque guitar solo (possibly my all time favourite is the Clash's Mick Jones' solo half way through Police and Thieves on their début album) and Mr Johnson fired them off with aplomb and easy 'devil-may-care' panache!

Looking around me I saw folk 'zoned out' and 'trippin'', enjoying the inner space sensation that the music was unlocking. On stage the band were laying down magnificent rhythms and soundscapes and each was adding their own element to the overall mix. It was really a joy to experience and I was delighted to hear one of my personal favs from the band's repertoire, the sublime Down By The Sea a highlight from Dos. I was experiencing a difficult choice! Do I shut my eyes and 'go with the flow' or keep them open and take in the visual dimension of pix-elation /  swirling colours / fluid formations floating across the band.

Nash Whalen

Then, after a quick recess the band returned to play a one song encore and left the stage again to a resounding ovation which was was well earned and well deserved. These four guys have developed an incomparable sound which has evolved over the years to the stage were in 2013 they have reached a new high in the form of the album Back To Land. I felt that there was a discernible sway and mellowness in the folk in front of me as we quietly queued to descend the stairs to the street level below after the gig, as if we had been spell bound and mesmerised by a deep inner force triggered by the fantastic fluid sounds we had just witnessed, which indeed, and in truth, we had. Just another night out in Glasgow, but, oh, what a night! 

Check out These Shadows here.....

Check out other photos I took at the gig here.....

Back To Land

The Waterboys @ The Barrowland, Glasgow. Tuesday 10 December 2013.

Ah, the famous Barrowland in Glasgow's East End! Whilst I first visited this venerable 'old lady' back in 1977 this was my first gig since I started my blog and I am surprised that it has taken almost a year to come around.

The original building on the site was opened in 1934 in the "Barras" street market area of Glasgow and it is from this that the former ballroom got its name. However, the building was largely destroyed by fire in 1958 (the year of my birth), leading to a complete rebuild and the new ballroom opened on Christmas Eve 1960. Perhaps it was most famous for a time as the place where the murderer 'Bible John' met his victims. However, fortunately, things have moved on.

Although it is modest in size (around 2,100 people) the Barrowlands has become a particular favourite of many noted rock/pop acts and it punches above its weight in attracting top-name performers. It has been voted the best music venue in the UK in a poll of British bands, and in another survey amongst bands, was voted second best venue in the world!

So on this mild December night I toddled along to see The Waterboys on their 25th anniversary tour of  their album Fisherman's Blues. Was it really released in 1988, has it really been 25 years?! 

Having got through the airport style security, a body search and two ticket checks I made it into the famous old hall with its curved ceiling and sprung floor. A sight to gladden many a music fans eyes and ears! Armed with a pint of 'Belhaven Best' (in a plastic container) I made my way to the front of the sparse crowd to catch the support act, one Freddie Stevenson, a thirty three year old from Edinburgh via England. Freddie came on to the stage at about 19:40 along with Joe Chester (a Richard O'Brien look-a-like who played lead guitar with the Waterboys between 2009 - 2011) and they performed a handful of Freddie's songs on acoustic guitars. As is often the case (I am ashamed to say) this was another support act with whom I was not acquainted. However, Freddie has 4 albums and an EP to his name and he played and sang in a clear distinct style. Also, again as is often the case and for reasons of economy, the sound one hears at the gig is very different to the recorded versions. That is not to say that the stripped down acoustic versions were in any way less than their 'full blown' album versions. Indeed, I really enjoyed Freddie's distinct voice which was clear and melodious. The lyrics were easy to hear which was a plus given that his songs are full of imagery and the melody was catchy. I particularly enjoyed I Cried When I Was Born, Sweet Revenge and The City Is King which he magnanimously dedicated to Glasgow. I would also like to mention the tone and quality of Joe's guitar playing which added a great deal to the overall sound.

Catch Freddie Stevenson singing I Cried When I Was Born here....

During the break we were treated to some 'karaoke' style music over the PA, by that I mean the music was played but not the vocal track and I detected Hank Williams, The Rolling Stones and some Ed Allyne Johnson, all fine stuff!

And so to the main event.............

Just after 21:00 Mike Scott lead out the current incarnation of the band in the form of  Steve Wickham (electric fiddle, vocals), Anthony Thistlethwaite (sax, mandolin, harmonica), Trevor Hutchinson (bass) and Ralph Salmins (drums). I knew that the 'Waterboys' were a fluid bunch and that over the years since their inception in 1983 there had been several line up changes. However, I was somewhat surprised to learn that over the intervening years there have been about 65 band members inducing some notable folk. For example: Joe Chester (as mentioned above); Guy Chambers (producer and co-author of Robbie Williams' Angels) played piano from 1985–86; Eddi Reader sang backing vocals in 1984; Ian McNabb (leader of Icicle Works) played keyboards & bass in 2001-02, and Sharon Shannon (Ireland's all-time best-selling traditional musician) played accordion & fiddle in 1989–90 & 2004.

The first song 'out the traps' was Strange Boat, written by Scott & Thistlethwaite (track three off the original Fisherman's Blues album) and this set the show on the road. Over the next eighteen songs we were to hear some wonderful old favourites played live by a bunch of extremely talented musicians. Mike Scott played guitar (both acoustic and electric) and also piano/organ and his singing was strong and so evocative of our, or at least my, youth! He was set between Steve Wickham and Anthony Thistlethwaite both of whom contributed greatly to the thrill of the evening on their respective instruments and their intensity and talent was a joy to behold. Indeed Steve's violin work is such a hallmark of the Waterboys sound from that era. At the back, as is often the case, we had Ralph Salmins and 'Ireland's most handsome man' (according to Scott) Trevor Hutchinson, who kept the beat moving along with an energy that belied their years!

Steve Wickham, Mike Scott and Anthony Thistlethwaite

Stand out songs for me were A Girl Called Johnny (great organ solo by Mr Scott); When Ye Go Away (superb mandolin solo); We Will Not Be Lovers (solid drumming); On My Way To Heaven (Scottish / Irish Gospel!);  The Whole Of The Moon (wonderful saxophone solo) and And A Bang On The Ear - all nine minutes of it!

"It started up in Fife and ended up in tears"

Steve Wickham

At one point Mike Scott, who was born and raised in Edinburgh, introduced a new song (for me anyway) called Tenderfootin' which he explained came out of the sessions which finally produced the original Fisherman's Blues album. He also pointed out that the song is included on the 6 CD box set called Fisherman's Box! A little later on the band played Be My Enemy which included a wonderful extended musical passage as each band member took up the theme and rocked out. It certainly loosened the audience up just before slowing things down a tad with a mellow version of Don't Bang The Drum from the This Is The Sea album during which Trevor Hutchinson and Ralph Salmins went back stage for a breather no doubt.

Then on about the hour mark, the band left us after a grand rendition of Fisherman's Blues and the audience went wild, the volume of adulation and encouragement to return was staggering and so the band returned to play a couple of songs before leaving again. This time the volume was ratcheted up several more notches. Up to eleven in This Is Spinal Tap parlance! Mike Scott seemed genuinely delighted to return for a second encore and he clearly has a love for the Barrowlands having played here on at least eight previous occasions (Anthony trumped him as he reckoned that he has played here somewhere between 30 & 40 times!). Having quietened us down he and Anthony Thistlethwaite commenced How Long Will I Love You? only to stop after a minute or so. Something wasn't quite as it ought to be and Mike Scott apologised saying that we should just pretend that we were all in a recording studio. Indeed, in a sense we were as he went on to explain that the show was being recorded to go out over the festive period on Radio Scotland.

And A Bang On The Ear

The rest of the band along with Freddie Stevenson & Joe Chester then returned to the stage and performed a wonderful nine minute version of the peerless And A Bang On The Ear. Then finally Mike Scott launched into a chant of Barowlands, Barrowlands, Barrowlands etc., etc. and we all joined in in celebration of another wonderful musical occasion in a fabulous venue. As we trooped out at about 22:30 I had a ringing sensation in my head which I realised was the result of a pleasant and much appreciated bang on the ear!

Farewell.....and Good Night.

Listen to the original Fisherman's Blues here.....

Here is a link to a few other photos I took on the night.....

Set List

21:00

Strange Boat
Higherbound
A Girl Called Johnny
When Ye Go Away
Girl From The North Country (Bob Dylan cover)
Tenderfootin'
When Will We Be Married?

The Raggle Taggle Gypsy
We Will Not Be Lovers
Be My Enemy
Don't Bang The Drum
Sweet Thing (Van Morrison cover)
On My Way To Heaven
Fisherman's Blues
22:00

Steve's Germanic Gig
The Whole Of The Moon
22:07

How Long Will I Love You?
Bang On The Ear 

22:30

Alabama 3 @ The O2 Academy, Glasgow. Friday 6th December, 2013

Woke up this morning......and found myself at the O2 Academy on Glasgow's Eglington Street on the city's south side at 19:00 waiting in a light drizzle to gain access to see the Alabama 3. Having arrived early and found a good spot to enjoy the show we were treated to a fine support act in the form of The Holy Ghosts, a band from the other side of the country - Edinburgh!

The Holy Ghosts played a relatively short set but were none the less enjoyable for that. Fronted by a Jagger/Mercury/Morrison-esque lead singer/acoustic guitarist in the shape of Jacky 'Tightlips' Sandison the band performed some great rock music. The other members are Jon 'Midnight' Mackenzie (electric guitar/vocals), Jonny 'JR' Voodoo Linstead (bass guitar/vocals), Rory 'Penny' Penman (drums) and Andy 'Whistling Whullie' Barbour (harmonica /keys/pedal steel guitar). I would say that their sound is reminiscent of the Stones and Chuck Berry/Little Richard rock n' roll in the style of George Thorogood, with a touch of Gram Parsons chucked into the mix- not a bad sound at all! Their Facebook page describes them as playing rock n' roll with a splash of country and a dash of the blues and given that they formed in January 2012, they have gelled exceptionally well and came over as extremely experienced and competent. I will certainly be looking out for their début album (to be released in early 2014) called Ride Them High. In the meantime, I will be listening to their two EP's: Devil On Your Side & Voodoo Shakedown which includes the song Don't Come A Knockin' On My Rock n' Roll Coffin - get outta here! Oh, and they name check Eddie Cochran too!

Check out The Holy Ghosts here.....

Whilst the roadies twiddled and tweaked 'stuff' on stage we were treated to some damn fine reggae and I particularly enjoyed Stand Up For Your Rights. Judging by the gyrating around me, others did too and there appeared to be no age restrictions! 

Then at 21:10 a kilted fellow strutted on to the stage and played the bagpipes before turning around and showing that he was indeed 'going commando' in the parlance of the day. As he headed off stage Alabama 3 arrived and worked their way into our souls with their unique blend of Country / Funk / Soul / Acid House Music all dripping with Presbyterian-ism. The story goes that the name Alabama 3 derives from a 1930's case in America involving two black men who were lynched after being accused of raping a white woman, the men were called the "Alabama 2" in the media. Our very own Alabama 3 formed in 1995 when Jake Black (who comes from the Possil area of Glasgow) met Robert Alun Spragg at an acid house party in Peckham and Jake decided that they "were going to be the first band to put Hank Williams on drum beats and acid cracks". So Larry Love (Rob Spragg) and the Reverend D. Wayne Love (Jake Black) became ministers in the First Presbyterian Church of Elvis the Divine and the band was formed. The band's web site includes several media quotes but the two I like best are The Guardian's "The best live band in the country" and NME's “A monumental waste of time”! I know which camp I stand in and it isn't a three letter abbreviation!

So for the next hour and ten minutes we were pounded and pulverised by pulsating beats and rhythms as the band played out their set. Indeed, about half way through Larry Love removed his top to reveal a T shirt which exalted us to "Drop Beats Not Bombs". Meanwhile, his 'brother' D. Wayne Love incanted his version of utopia, which included advising us not to get involved in Shoplifting 4 Jesus as he has been dead for two thousand years and that we should be vary of what folk on the streets feed our kids, i.e. sugar, liquorice and so on! All the while the rest of the band laid out some seriously funky grooves and some heavy Prodigy-esque tekno beats. We, the audience were mesmerised and danced along in fine style. This was to be a modern day 'religious' experience, the Reverend spoke his words of wisdom and the congregation stood, arms aloft and said "yeah" as and when the were moved to.

Meanwhile, Aurora Dawn was keeping things popping along nicely as she sang the counter parts to the 'Loving Brothers'! Her 'ying' to their 'yang' was a feature of the show for me. On the one hand we had D. Wayne speaking his parts and Larry singing along, whilst Aurora lifted the octaves and sang some mighty fine vocals. All the while she put in an exercise shift that would knacker many an athlete!

Further back, Owen If (Ian Frederick Rossiter) was great on drums, keeping a 'rock' steady beat whilst undertaking some nifty snare and bass drum work. All the while to his right, Wizard performed on a laptop and mixer desk (?) wearing a white Spanish Inquisition style mask! Indeed, I began to think of The Village People as each Alabama 3 member had their very own persona and stylised imagery thing going on ranging from Aurora's Grace Jones / Maizie Williams, through Larry's punk front man to Rock Freebase's (Mark Sams) ageing hippy country guitar star. Oh, and let's not forget D. Wayne's laid back, nonchalant 'man in black', possibly the most static dude in the house. How he stopped himself from breaking out 'a few moves' with all that rhythm flying around is a mystery to me!

The other band members all created a magnificent concoction of musical merriment and The Spirit of Love (Orlando Harrison) on keyboards was a joy to watch as he rocked his keyboard and organ in time to the music. At one point, having hefted the organ about from left to right and back again it ceased to perform which resulted in some frantic 'roadie action' to get it resuscitated. They managed just in the nick of time as, no sooner was it back up to speed, The Spirit started out on a fine piano solo. It's all about timing, or so they say! A quick name check for the other members of the Alabama 3: Steve Finnerty guitar; Harpo Strangelove (Nick Reynolds) harmonica, percussion, vocals and Segs (John Jennings) who would normally have been on bass guitar but was on tour with Ruts DC at the time. 

 

The stand out songs for me included a couple of slower numbers namely a wonderful version of John Prine's Speed Of The Sound Of Loneliness and Hello...I'm Johnny Cash. However, I also really enjoyed the grooved up, trance inducing U Don't Danse To Tekno Anymore, Ain't Goin' To Goa, Hypo Full Of Love and Too Sick To Pray. And all of this was played out in front of a backdrop montage which resembled a latter-day stained glass window. Which was very befitting of the First Presbyterian Church of Elvis the Divine depicting as it did some everyday tableaux including the holy trinity of 'sex and drugs and rock n' roll'!

The band took a short break at about 22:20, the 'congregation' went into melt down and finally the two were briefly reunited as the band played a few final songs as an encore. This was rapturously received and built nicely from the solo singing of Larry Love to a full blown finale as the band members came back on stage in instalments to beef up and augment the sound and fury for the final couple of numbers. By now the audience/congregation were a grooving and a moving, a shimmying and a swaying and generally getting off on the unique sound that is an Alabama 3 gig. Thanks for a great show and I look forward to your next visit to our 'dear green place'!

Check out "Hello...I'm Johnny Cash" here.....

Vampire Weekend @ The Hydro, Glasgow. Friday 15 November, 2013

The Hydro, Glasgow

Next up on my musical journey through 2013 was a great 'double bill' at the recently opened Hydro in Glasgow's Finnieston area. I am not sure if this is a 'feature' of this venue but my first visit was to see the Proclaimers and their support was Roddy Hart & the Lonesome Fire and Glasvegas. Now supporting Vampire Weekend we have Noah and the Whale, who have four albums to their name already, so not a shabby support, eh!

One of the problems with this idea of having a 'named' support act is that many folk still only want to see the headlining band (despite current ticket prices!) and so as we took our seats at about 19:25 the place was only about 30% full. However, it was still a pretty good crowd as the venue holds 13,000 when 'packed to the rafters' so there were maybe about 2,000 folk there to enjoy NATW. One of the songs played over the in-house sound system prior to the band taking to the stage was Richard Strauss' Also Sprach Zarathustra / 2001 Space Odyssey opening theme which seemed very fitting for this futuristic venue!

Noah and the Whale

The current incarnation of this English band from Twickenham, London consists of Charlie Fink (vocals/guitar), Tom Hobden (violin/keyboards), Matt Owens (bass guitar), Fred Abbott (guitar/keyboards), and Michael Petulla (drums). Having formed in 2006 the band have evolved along the way and the loss of several former members including their erstwhile backing singer, one Laura Marling in 2008, hasn't effected them. On the night, and perhaps due to the space taken up by Vampire Weekend's equipment on stage, NATW seemed rather dwarfed, corralled together as they were in the middle! However, that didn't affect their performance which was solid and assured even if they did seem somewhat in awe of the fact that they were supporting "the best New York band of the day" as Charlie said at one point just before launching into a great version of Lou Reed's Satellite Of Love.

One thing I found rather odd was seeing people taking to their seats with hot dogs and pizza boxes. I know that this is a common sight in other countries around the world but here in Glasgow a pint of lager was all we used to need to sustain us through a gig! Modern venue, modern habits! Meanwhile up on stage Noah and the Whale were working their way through some of their back catalogue which included some fine versions of Waiting For My Time To Come, L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N, 2 Atoms In A Molecule, Rocks And Daggers, Love Of An Orchestra and 5 Years Time. During this set Charlie's singing was strong and resonant whilst he swapped between acoustic and electric guitars and Fred Abbott variously played keyboards and electric guitar to great effect. In addition, Tom's violin playing was a real asset and I particularly liked his work on Love Of An Orchestra and 5 Years Time and all the while Matt and Michael provide a great solid foundation on drum and bass. The sound from where we were sitting was very good considering the size of the hall, however, due to the number of vacant seats I did feel slightly out of it, like a passer by looking in a window at a party going on inside! However, that didn't spoil my enjoyment of Noah and the Whale's performance which ended on a high note with some wonderful guitar and violin interplay on 5 Years Time which built to a memorable crescendo that put me in mind of the way Dawes work up some of their songs. Their 45 minute set was well received and the band set us up nicely for Vampire Weekend. Cheers lads.

Check out Noah and the Whale singing L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N here.....

During the break we had some interesting songs on the sound system including A Horse With No Name by America from way back in 1972. 41 years is no time at all in the world of music, or so it seems!

Chris Baio

By 20:45 the hall was as full as it was going to be. We were told on our way in that the show was not a sell out which surprised and disappointed me as these two bands are up there with some of the best I have seen this year. No accounting for taste! However, by the time Vampire Weekend appeared at 20:50 I would guess that there were some 7-8,000 of us champing at the bit to see one of New York's current best bands. And so with a flourish and a major instant set change (ornately capped half doric columns, a baroque 'mirror' and 'Grecian urns' dropped from the heavens) Vampire Weekend ploughed into Diane Young the fourth song from their third album and a rollickin' number to kick start the set. 

These four young lads started out with this band in 2006 and they are Ezra Koenig (lead singer / guitar), Rostam Batmanglij (guitar / keyboards / backing vocals), Chris Thomas (drums / percussion) and Chris Baio (bass / backing vocals). Their sound has been variously described as indie rock / Soweto rock / baroque pop and afrobeat, but however you define it, it is a thrilling sound and a pretty unique fusion of American rock and African rhythms. The guitar sounds are particularly set towards the guitar playing style of many bands I heard growing up in Dar-es-salaam in East Africa (which wonderfully gets a name check in Step!) 

Talking of lyrics, Vampire Weekend's tend to be on the obscure side as the first verse of Step indicates:

Every time I see you in the world, you always step to my girl

Back back way back I used to front like Angkor Wat

Mechanicsburg Anchorage and Dar es Salaam

While home in New York was champagne and disco

Tapes from L.A. slash San Francisco

But actually Oakland and not Alameda

Your girl was in Berkeley with her Communist reader

Mine was entombed within boombox and walkman

I was a hoarder but girl that was back then.

There was an unexpected 'hick-up' as the band set off into Step, their sixth song of the night, when after about a minute Ezra stopped the band and explained that there had been a "false start" he then proceeded to correct the problem. During the short hiatus a small but enthusiastic group of fans in front of the stage started singing a line from the Glasvegas song Go Square Go (which seeing as they were on stage the last time I was in the Hydro seemed oddly appropriate!) the line went:

"Here we, here we, here we f**ing go (repeat!)" and the band realised that they were back in Glasgow again! 

Ezra Koenig

Ezra Koenig sang the lyrics with a great powerful delivery throughout although the words were sometimes difficult to make out but that didn't detract from the show as the voice is often another instrument in the mix! I particularly enjoyed his singing on Obvious Bicycle just before the encore. Rostam Batmanglij (who seemed to have donned a Saltire t shirt below his over shirt) played some wonderful keyboard especially on the Hammond organ on Unbelievers, there was some fine tinkling of the ivories on Horchata, superb soaring notes on Step and some outstanding organ on Boston (Ladies of Cambridge). Chris Thomas also added some pulsating, pounding drumming on the likes of Horchata and Diane Young and Chris Baio kept a tight reign on the bass lines with some notable work on the introduction to and throughout Campus. Oh, and neat dancing Chris, neat! 

These guys have formed a cohesive, tight unit over their seven years together and clearly enjoy playing their uncommon blend of modern music. It was certainly a joy to watch and listen to. I say "watch" because the band had put a good deal of consideration into their stage set and light show. There was always a fascinating visual part to their songs, each one underpinned in some different way by the use of these extra elements. Indeed during Giving Up The Gun the light show took on psychedelic proportions and the overall effect was stunning. One minor quibble however, from where I was sitting (the first tier up off the floor in front of the 'posh boxes'!) the lights often shone straight into our eyes over the heads of the throbbing masses standing on the venue floor. 

So after a thrilling, throbbing, thunderous, thoroughly enjoyable fifty five minutes the band left the stage. The usual stomping, clapping, whoopin' an a hollerin' stretched out for several minutes before the lads returned to play their encore, which incidentally, has been the same three songs for most of the current tour! 

Chris Thomas

During Hannah Hunt Rostam switched from keyboards to guitar and then he swapped back again for One (Blake's Got A New Face) during which he played some playful ditties reminiscent of the old hit Popcorn made popular in 1972 by Hot Butter! At this point Ezra thanked us for coming out to see them, he also said that he has always liked his visits to our city. The band have particularly fond memories of playing in Nice n' Sleazy way back before they had released their eponymous album in 2008! Happy memories indeed. 

Rostam Batmanglij 

Then Vampire Weekend launched into the final song of the night, the fabulous, roller coaster that is Walcott with its tantalising, tinkling piano notes and pumping, pounding drum beats. This has long been a favourite of mine and so it was a pleasure to hear it played live and it acted as a wonderful finale to a great gig. The audience went 'tonto', sang along, singing and dancing themselves into a greasy spot! 

As the lights went up and we started to shuffle out of the Hydro with great music resonating around our brains we were assailed by the in-house sound system one last time. This time encouraging us to "start spreading the news" as New York New York played us out. A very appropriate choice indeed!

Cheers lads (that goes for Noah and the Whale too), a wonderful night out and haste ye back.

Check out Vampire Weekend singing Ya Hey here.....

Check out more photos from the gig here.....

SET LIST:

Diane Young

White Sky

Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa

Unbelievers

Holiday 

False start!

Step

Horchata

Everlasting Arms 

Cousins

California English

A-Punk

Boston (Ladies of Cambridge)

Ya Hey

Campus

Oxford Comma

Giving Up The Gun

Obvious Bicycle

Encore 22:00

Hannah Hunt

One (Blake's Got A New Face)

Walcott

Pokey LaFarge @ The Classic Grand, Glasgow. Wednesday 6th November, 2013

The first time I saw Pokey LaFarge and the South City Three (plus 2) was at the end of August in North Dorset at the End Of The Road festival. This time Pokey reciprocated and trailed his caravan up to Glasgow to the Classic Grand, no less!

The venue is actually not as 'swanky' as the name suggests, however, it does have an illustrious past. The building was originally constructed around 1860 as a 5-storey commercial warehouse. It was then converted into a cinema (designed by William B Whitie) and opened as the Grand Central in 1915, seating 750. The venue was closed in 1966, reopened in 1973 and went through two more incarnations as a cinema before finally closing in 1992. It was recently reinvented as the Classic Grand nightclub showcasing a variety of both local and well-known acts. On the night there were 3 other bands performing in the venue below where Pokey Lafarge was plying his trade and the floor under our feet rumbled with the vibrations being emitted by "the Spawn of Satan" as Pokey jokingly referred to the other acts!

A quick mention of the three man support band The Tillers who were a tight group of double bass, banjo, harmonic and guitar. They played some fine alternative folk / bluegrass / Americana with catchy tunes and great toe tapping rhythms. Indeed, in January this year, they were awarded the 2013 Cincinnati Entertainment Award for best Folk / Americana Act and the songs they played highlighted the quality of their current and fifth album Hand On The Plow.

Check out the Tillers singing The Old West Side here....

Pokey LaFarge, the South City Three, TJ Muller and Chloe Feoranzo all bounded onto the small stage with its Art Deco arched backdrop at about 21:00 to a rousing reception.

Whether the crowd were warmed up by The Tillers or fuelled up with a libation I couldn't say, although I reckon it was a bit of both. Indeed, having set off into their opening song Feels So Good, the band quickly came to a stop as there was some consternation about a commotion in the audience. This being Glasgow the general consensus was that someone had been on 'the swally' and that they couldn't hold their drink. However, Pokey showed a great deal of decency by insisting that the matter be dealt with appropriately and that the person in question was properly administered to before restarting the show. Credit to the band that this potentially off putting start didn't knock them off their stride and soon they were back into the opening number.

Pokey Lafarge

If you have seen Pokey Lafarge or read my End Of The Road review then you will appreciate that this is as much a visual show as an aural one.

Chloe Feoranzo (clarinet, saxophone) was decked out in a 1950's style vibrant red dress with full skirt. TJ Muller (cornet, trombone) and Joey Glynn (upright bass) looked like extras from The Great Gatsby or The Sting. Ryan Koenig (wash board, snare drum, harmonica) looked like the coolest cowboy in town, Adam Hoskins (lead guitar) looked casual and it seemed as if he had donned a 'see you Jimmy' hat just for us and Pokey (guitar) looked suave, debonair, sophisticated and down right snappy!

So over the next hour and twenty minutes the band served up some seventeen scintillating, sassy, sexy, swing-a-sing-a-long sounds which had us boppin' an a hoppin' in thrilled enjoyment. Pokey entreated us at the outset to have fun and leave our cares behind. In addition, he said at one point "We are here to have a good time. If you are low, we aim to get you high. If you are high, we aim to get you higher"! And true to his word, he and the band did just that.

Adam Hoskins

The music that the band perform is a wonderful trip down memory lane for some and an interesting introduction to a bygone era for others. The music incorporates early jazz, roots, hot swing, and ragtime blues and it evokes images of riverboat chic and energetic bluegrass served up with pep and verve. It may be rooted in the past, but Pokey and the band add a modern twist and the whole deal sounds snappy, up-to-date, here and now and timeless. The energy zapped around the stage and each member of the band played their part in keeping things zipping along at a thrilling pace. Even the slower numbers, What The Rain Will Bring, Let's Get Lost & Kentucky Mae for example, kept things moving along nicely. At one point Chloe Feoranzo and TJ Muller left the stage to allow Pokey and the South City Three to play a couple of songs on their own. Off stage the two of them performed some snazzy dance routines and seemed to be really enjoying themselves. It was all in keeping with the ethos of the gig: we are here to have fun so you have fun too! 

Ryan Koenig

Ryan Koenig played some fabulous mouth organ solos and I particularly enjoyed his work during Sweet Potato Blues.  He also had a wonderful metronomic thing going on during his washboard solos which he ended with robotic automaton flourishes! Adam Hoskins and Pokey blended extremely well and the two guitars traded great solos throughout the night. The highlight for me was Adam's fine solo work on Central Time just before the encore. At the back Joey Glynn kept the beat pounding along with real zest and he also showed his his finger picking prowess when Pokey asked him to pep things up a bit! The 'wind section' was also a joy to listen to as both TJ & Chloe duetted on a number of tracks and soloed on several others, always adding a rich, rewarding layer to the overall sound. The clarinet solo on Big Bill Broonzy's Going Back To Arkansas was fabulous, another memorable addition to a great night. 

Joey Glynn

Pokey LaFarge, from Bloomington, Illinois, at 30 years old seems timeless and his music is both of 'old-time' and modern in turns. It is therefore perhaps no surprise that recently Pokey and the band backed Jack White on the track I Guess I Should Go To Sleep on White's 2012 release Blunderbuss. Jack White was also to produce the single Pack It Up b/w Chittlin' Cookin' Time in Cheatham County which just goes to show that Pokey and his music transcends boundaries! I would also like to make mention of Pokey's singing voice, it was never less than great and was often tremendous. Another grand 'instrument' to add to the mix!

After a short break Pokey returned to the stage to a well earned and rapturous applause from the increasingly enthusiastic audience and played an unscripted encore (almost unheard of these days - unscripted I mean!). He began with Josephine from his self released 2006 album Marmalade which he played solo. The band then rejoined him and the finished off the night with two more songs in their tight and exceptionally well honed, inimitable style. We lapped it up and craved more, however, as Pokey had advised during the show, he wants as many folk to be able to enjoy his music and so there was 14 lower age limit for the show and as such there was a 23:00 'curfew'. However, the sights and sounds we had borne witness to were resonating long after the show was over and we all headed home in a state of heightened enjoyment. 

TJ Muller

Chloe Feoranzo

Check out Pokey LaFarge singing Central Time here .....

Check out other photos I took during the gig here.....

PS. Good to see the merchandise being 'home grown' i.e. the T Shirts were made in the USA. Well done!

Set List

Feels So Good

Okie Boogie - Jack Guthrie

Bowlegged

What The Rain Will Bring

Pack It Up

Two-faced Tom

Hard Times Come and Go

Day After day

Kentucky Mae

Drinkin' Whiskey Tonight

Close The Door

Sweet Potato Blues 

Let's Get Lost

So Long Honeybee, Goodbye

Riverboat Shuffle - Hoagy Carmichael 

Going Back To Arkansas - Big Bill Broonzy great clarinet solo

Central Time

10:20 - Encore

Josephine

La La Blues

Garbage Man Blues

Bear's Den & The Mariner's Children @ King Tut's Wah Wah Hut, Glasgow.Sunday 3rd November, 2013

King Tut's Wah Wah Hut opened its doors under the ownership of DF Concerts in February 1990 and was named after a New York club of the 80's which promoted live music, performing arts and comedy. The Glasgow version was set up to provide a platform for unsigned/up-and-coming bands to play live every night of the week and, as the stairs to the gig hall lay testimony, a veritable who's who of major bands have passed through the place over its 23 years. Amongst other accolades, the place has been called one of the best live music venues in the UK, and most certainly the best in Glasgow. It has won 'Licensed Music Pub Of The Year' (Scottish Licensed Trade News in Nov 2001) and it was awarded BBC Radio 1's UK Best Live Music Venue award three years in a row. Not bad for a wee basement venue with a 300 capacity!

Bear's Den and the support act The Mariner's Children arrived at King Tut's on a crisp, clear, clean and cold November night. They are set to play several more UK gigs before heading to Germany & the Netherlands as part of their current tour and it was great that they had added Tut's to the list of venues. So I went to see them along with an enthusiastic crowd of some 150 other folk and I found myself wondering just where we were all meant to stand if it was full. I guess it would just have been a bit more 'intimate' from the audience's point of view!

So now it was the turn of two more acts to make the step up the ladder of success, starting with The Mariner's Children.......

The Mariner's Children

The gig started at about 20:45 when the support band, a five piece on the night, assembled on stage and Benedict Rubinstein (looking uncannily like Daniel Radcliffe's brother!) launched them into their first song. I say 'five piece', however, as the article in the Guardian back on 23 Sept 2010 helpfully explained, they are in fact a seven piece collective (Emma Kraemer - violin & Daniel Matthews - guitar, piano, accordion, glockenspiel, vocals were absent).

So Becca Mears (cello), Benedict Rubinstein (vocals, guitar, banjo, mandolin, autoharp), Felix Weldon (drums), Emma Gatrill (accordion, banjo, vocals), and Marcus Hamblett (double bass, vocals) performed some fascinatingly intricate and interesting songs and I was immediately captivated by their sound. In parts it references Mumford & Sons, Admiral Fallow and Arcade Fire, however, the band (who hail from Norfolk/London/Brighton) also have a love of Pentangle, Iron & Wine and Bert Jansch. Overall, their sound is an alt folk one and their lyrics are bedded in the folk traditions of love and death! As Benedict says on their website about the song Sycamore, it “came from a period when I’d gone to a lot of funerals in a very short space of time. I was thinking about death a lot but I was also in quite a good place in my life and very much in love......The track is about death, but it’s definitely a love song”!

I was particularly taken with the song structures and the tight harmonies to which various band members contributed at different stages. The songs are not based on the accepted norm of verse/chorus/verse but more on a thoughtful development of sound. Some build up to a full band sound from a quiet start (witness the aforementioned Sycamore) and others start out with loud thumping drums, descend into vocal duets and then build again to an aural assault as in It Carved Your Name Into The Ground. In addition, and there is more than a passing resemblance with Admiral Fallow here, various band members are multi instrumentalists! At one point Emma swapped banjo for accordion then bass guitar and Marcus swapped bass for banjo. This added an interesting musical dynamic to the overall sound and, along with Benedict's acoustic lead and Becca's cello, it allowed the band to vary the musical style and tempo to great effect.

At the end of their set I bought a copy of the current EP Sycamore and I look forward to more from this interesting collective, who include members of Peggy Sue, Laura Marling, Sons of Noel and Adrian, Alessi’s Ark, and Eyes & No Eyes! In the meantime, check out The Mariner's Children on the link below singing It Carved Your Name Into The Ground.....

It Carved Your Name Into The Ground

Next up the staircase was Bear's Den. As those of you reading this with local knowledge will testify, we have an area of the city (on the north west fringes) called Bearsden (pronounced exactly the same way) however, that is where the similarity ends!

Bear's Den

This incarnation of Bear's Den are three young lads from London. Andrew Davie (acoustic and electric guitars), Kev Jones (drums, bass, keyboards) & Joey Haynes (electric guitar, banjo). According to their Facebook page other artists they like include Barry Manilow, Youth Lagoon and Florence Foster Jenkins and they formed on 12 March 2012. When asked how best to describe their music in an interview with the music blog AMBY in June 2013, the band said "Storytelling songs which aim to inhabit a sonic landscape somewhere between CSN&Y and Youth Lagoon". So there you have it!

Andrew Davie

Andrew Davie (known as Davie) thanked us all for coming and seemed rather nervous but delighted to be playing in Glasgow. His 'banter' between songs was limited but perhaps this was because he wanted the music to do the talking. So first up we had Agape the title from their 5 track EP released earlier this year and from the picked banjo intro, played by Joey Haynes, via the tub thumping drumming by Kevin Jones, it was clear that we were in for a great night. The song has a great rolling rhythm and a good number of those present sang along keeping Davie company as he eased into the set.

The inter play between Davie and Joey on various guitars and banjo was an integral part of the bands sound and this was evident on the slower Don't Let The Sun Steal You Away which includes the interesting line

Don't let your mind speak louder than your heart.

A great sentiment indeed and the three part harmonies were a joy to hear.

Kevin Jones

Kevin Jones played some fine, if not a little unconventional, drumming, I don't think I saw a traditional drum stick all night! His style is more pounding and 'beating' out rhythms using large round headed, cloth covered drum sticks. This was when he wasn't playing a bass guitar or keyboards whilst simultaneously drumming with his right hand!

Along the way we also heard songs from the Pompeii EP, only available at gigs, and the recently released 6 track EP Without/Within off which came perhaps my favourite song on the night - Sophie. The song started with languid, lolling notes traded between Davey's acoustic guitar and Joey's electrified banjo and it was underpinned by a subtle drum and bass section provided by Kev. The lyrics are particularly sad and enigmatic and includes the lines:

You would hide yourself in a shroud as your hair started falling out

When you took off your dressing gown Sophie

And your mother was dressed in black with a lock of your hair in her hand

And I knew there was no turning back Sophie

And I can't forgive myself, no I can't forgive myself......

Joey Haynes

Davey stated that "many of our songs are slow and depressing", a contender for the 'no shit, Sherlock' award! However, they are also wonderful aural soundscapes which evoke many emotions with some fine lyrics sung with heartfelt sincerity. 

To lift the mood the band then played two of their more up beat numbers, starting with Writing On The Wall during which Kev played fine pounding drum & bass then acoustic guitar and left handed keyboards! The song ended on a great sonic 'work out' between Davey's acoustic guitar and Joey's electrified banjo. Then next up was Sahara (Part 1 & 2) and the introduction played by Joey reminded me of the 'sometimes' band The Friends Of Dean Martinez. He elicited similar ethereal sounds from the high notes of his electric guitar that they sometimes create. As the song simmered along coming to the boil with a frenzied crescendo the audience danced and Bear's Den rocked the Hut to a shimmering finale. 

The guys then left the stage to rapturous applause, returning shortly afterwards to perform an acoustic version of Bad Blood which saw the trio of beardies gathered in a small group off to the side of the stage. Davey and Kev played acoustic guitars and Joey played banjo whilst the three part harmonies were very much to the fore. It was an impressive end to an exhilarating show.

Bear's Den

Thanks to all who contributed to a great night and going by the animated, exuberant reaction from the crowd we had all enjoyed a memorable evening in King Tut's Wah Wah Hut. Cheers.

Check out Sophie here.....

Here is a link to other photos I took at the gig.....

22:00

Agape

The Waters

Don't Let The Sun Steal You Away

Pompeii

Mother

Sophie

Isaac

Writing On The Wall

Sahara (Part 1 & 2)

Hard Life

Encore 22:45

Bad Blood - (acoustic version)

Otis Gibbs @ the Admiral Bar, Glasgow. Thursday 24 October, 2013

Otis Gibbs is just one of those guys that gets 'under your skin' and gives you a pleasant itch! The fact that he is a gifted storey teller in the Harry Chapin mould, is of course, an extra attraction. Oh, and the fact that he hails from a place with an enticing name called Wanamaker (originally New Bethel), Indiana (a state with three unbelievably straight borders!) also adds colour to his personality!

My first encounter with Otis was back in 2008 when he toured as the support act to Rennie and Brett Sparks - The Handsome Family, and I have kept abreast with, and greatly enjoyed, his musical output since. So when I saw that Kevin Morris/The Fallen Angels Club were bringing him back to Glasgow, I was a 'shoe in' as we say!

I have been to one other gig in the Admiral Bar basement and that was Old Man Luedecke (see my review back on 9th May this year) and as luck would have it tonight was the same talented young man who was the support act - Al Shields!

Al, who advised us that he had come straight to the gig from his work, was wearing his usual 'pork pie' hat and played some fine electrified acoustic guitar as accompaniment to his songs. He started with a song called Bluebird (I believe) and after some minor technical gremlins, he settled into a great 30 minute set which included Losin' Sleep, Blessed By The Wind, Got It So Bad and Crying Over You. All of which were well received by an appreciative audience who had foregone the likes of Peter Gabriel (who was on at the SSE Hydro) to attend!

Al made reference to his last visit to the venue and explained that at that point he was just back to playing live music after an eight month lay off and he was far from 'on form' that night. I think he was being overly modest as he wasn't that 'off form' back then, but there was a confidence about his performance tonight that was palpable. He chose to end on a great cover of Lefty Frizzell's wonderful Saginaw Michigan (Lefty also wrote the peerless Long Black Veil) and Al left the stage to a well earned applause.

Check out Al Shields here.....

The great thing about these sorts of gigs is that whilst Al was performing on stage, Otis stood at the back and enjoyed a few songs along with the rest of us. Also, everyone in attendance was a fan in the sense that we were there to hear the songs performed live and not bask in reflected glory from being seen with or next to the 'star'! We were all 'brothers under the bridge' as Springsteen sang back in '83. No autograph hunters here, no embarrassingly posed photos with the 'band' tonight! 

And so, Otis took to the stage at 21:00 and acting as MC, he asked the audience to "put your hands together and welcome on stage, all the way from Wanamaker, Indiana, Mr Otisssss Gibbs"! We were all as one, in attendance to participate in a communal musical experience, as Otis was to say later on.

Let the show begin!

First up was Second Best from Otis' current album Harder Than Hammered Hell which got things off to a great start and it was obvious that his gravely, sonorous voice was in good form, as indeed was his guitar playing. Then we were treated to the sublime Where Only The Graves Are Real from 2010's Joe Hill's Ashes. As I said at the start, Otis has a talent for words and this song has some cracking lines in it including the acerbic:

"Where are my true friends? Where did they go? God dam all of my fake friends, the ones who cling to me like I'm a star. Everyone's your best friend when you're closing down the bars, god bless the ones who really are"

Mr Gibbs, who has been likened to Woody Guthrie, Steve Earle or Nebraska era Springsteen, is a story teller par excellence and I don't just mean the lyrics in his songs. His inter-song banter was entertaining, humorous, moving and at one point extremely emotional. Along the way he regaled us with stories of how he learnt to appreciate & sing Hank Williams and Jimmie Rodgers in the questionable company of his 'uncle' Brisco. Stories of his days as an underpaid 'doorman' ('bouncer' to us!) when he almost shook hands with Johnny Cash and tales of his days planting trees! In his time, Otis told us, he has planted in excess of 7000 trees and so perhaps it is no surprise that the cover of his current album is of a root balled tree flanked by two shovels. It was at this point that things got pretty emotional and that can't be easy for a man of such obvious sensitivity. We heard about an exceptional young man who Otis encountered during his tree planting days. The two became life long friends, saving up so that they could have some wonderful 'life experiences' together, sadly these times together were to be limited as fate stepped in and took Otis' friend at the age of 30 years old.

It seemed utterly appropriate that, after his "manufactured enthusiasm" for 'uncle' Brisco, Otis asked if we would mind if he sang a song for his friend, the applause was deep felt and genuinely encouraging as he sang Something More the final song from Joe Hill's Ashes:

"I was thinking about the lord above and why do the good die young and why do the worst of those amongst us never fail. I am trying to believe that there is something more to this world besides keeping score, but frankly I'm losing faith as all my friends pass away"

To lighten the mood Otis then told us about a guy in England who patted him on the back as he left the gig saying "Toodle pip old chap". To which Otis said he didn't know if he should "shit or wind his wrist watch". Classic!  

And so, after a few more songs Otis worked towards the end of the show. As any of you who read this blog regularly will know, I am not a big fan of the whole encore charade and so it was very refreshing when Otis explained that he had no intention of playing that "encore rock n' roll bullshit". So he suggested that after Kansas City he would take a step back and we could go batshit and then he would 'reappear full of surprise, wonder and humility' at our adoration! It was a fun and humorous way to draw things to a close. And we did indeed go batshit as we had really enjoyed a superb gig during which we had heard songs from most of Otis' albums. We had listened to some great finger picking guitar playing, some wonderfully meaningful lyrics sung to great melodies with catchy hooks and been regaled with some funny and uplifting stories of life on the road as seen by Mr Otis Gibbs of Wanamaker, Indiana.

Then and with a final touch of the unusual, Otis stepped off the small stage and walked around the audience playing acoustic guitar, unplugged whilst he sang Karluv Most the opening track from 2004's One Day Our Whispers album. A nice touch which brought us full circle, back to everyone being part of the shared experience.......thanks Otis and here's to your next visit!

Check out Otis singing "Caroline" (a favourite of mine!) here.....

Set List:

Second Best
Where Only the Graves Are Real
Unknown song
Caroline
Small Town Saturday Night (tribute to 'uncle' Brisco)
Unknown song
It's Never Enough
Joe Hill's Ashes
Unknown song
Preacher Steve
Something More (tribute to Otis's friend)
The town That Killed Kennedy
Kansas City

'Encore'
Detroit Steel
Karluv Most

PS. If anyone can update the three 'Unknown' songs listed above, it would be much appreciated!