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Marley documentary is gripping viewing

17 May

Some people make an outstanding impact on many in a relatively short life and singer/songwriter/musician Bob Marley is one of those. The documentary Marley directed by Kevin Macdonald encapsulates Marley’s life from his very humble beginnings in Jamaica until his death at age 36 as a superstar. The film is crafted together using a mix of interviews with the star himself, conversations with people who knew him and performance footage.

To me you can see how from an early age that Bob was a genius with engaging words that reach deep into the heart of a situation. He was dedicated to his music and to bringing people together. The early Bob Marley and the Wailers were a formidable band, including the great musician and performer Peter Tosh. The film features an amazing piano version of No Woman No Cry. Still the inspirational music combined with stirring lyrics continued through other line-ups of the group.

One of the controversies about Bob was that though he was married at an early age to Rita, he had many affairs while she was still there singing in his band. You imagined the great strength it must have taken for her to carry on through that situation.

Marley was also swept into political rivalries in Jamaica. His life came under threat and he had to play a key role in striving for peace. All the while the film inspires an empathy for Bob’s passion for mankind and reggae music, right up until the documentary’s sad conclusion. It is definitely a film for music lovers and people who want to learn more about the charismatic figure that Bob Marley was. It’s out at cinemas now.

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Review: Tina Turner celebrated in Soul Sister musical

22 Apr

The real Tina Turner:

There have been many times when I’ve been out for the evening and I’ve seen women out in the shortest of dresses – bottom skimmers. I’ve wondered to myself, do they not worry about showing it all when they start to dance. Well I was reminded of my musings when I went to watch the stage show Soul Sister at the Hackney Empire, London, about the life of Tina Turner.

Whenever you see clips of Tina Turner shimmying in the shortest, sparkliest and fringiest of dresses in her hey day, you never ever saw flashes of anything unladylike. She was a master of keeping everything in control while blasting out the most fantastic vocals.

This show also reminds us of what a talent the lady is. The musical, with Emi Wokoma playing Tina, entertains on so many levels. You see here how so many of today’s acts have been influenced. Her backing singers don’t just sing – they join in with all the moves. The live band for the show is also extremely tight with Chris Tummings playing the controversial Ike Turner.

You witness the rise of Tina, Ike and the band and also the abuse handed out to its superstar. All of this is punctuated by amazing live vocals and performances which keep you gripped throughout. The show was rounded off with a live set of Tina’s later hits. The audience gave it a standing ovation. So if you want a show to get your blood pumping, I recommend Soul Sister, if not a tiny mini dress.

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Musical review: Hello Dolly!

24 Nov

The song “Hello Dolly!” is one of those songs that once I hear it, I hum or sing endlessly for at least a couple of days. So it was very fitting that I was treated to the seeing the production of the Jerry Herman musical it’s from when it was performed by the Cassio Operatic Society at the Watford Palace Theatre this month.

The story’s set in New York as the 19th Century transitions to the 20th. Dolly Levi (Julie Lilley), a widow and matchmaker has her eye on winning over the cantankerous millionaire Horace Vandergelder (Jeff Eales). But she realises that to be successful, Horace needs to make him feel it’s his idea and see her as the best choice while she appears to be helping him.

Potential wives for Vandergelder are hat-shop owner Irene Molloy (Fiona Wilkie) and heiress Ernestina Money (Clare Cordell). Dolly sets out to make them seem less favourable candidates. She’s also on a mission to help artist Ambrose Kemper win the hand of Vandergelder’s niece Ermengarde (Jeni Bolitho-Jones). A parallel story involves Vandergelder’s clerks Cornelius (Gareth Edwards) and Barnaby (Stephen Smith) getting involved with Mrs Molloy and her assistant Minnie.

Julie Lilley’s light and enchanting performance creates an endearing Dolly who carries the show along with the help of lively cast. The Cassio team delivered a spirited evening – an antidote to any subdued mood.

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Live music review: Metronomy

5 Oct

A defining period in the Barclaycard Mercury-prize nominated band Metronomy’s gig was the uplifting sight of keyboard player/saxophonist Oscar Cash being wheeled around the stage from right to left and then back again as he played the synthesizer on the band’s song The Look. The group’s Royal Albert Hall gig this week was fun from beginning to end.

Bassist Gbenga Adelekan drove the funkiness and energy of their electropop repertoire. Anna Prior, shimmering vivaciously in a green sequin catsuit wowed as the exuberant drummer and lead singer/keyboardist/guitarist/founder Joseph Mount topped it all off with his melodious voice and love for the audience.

No one was sitting by the third song and there was certainly no cause to sit down again. Each band member sported their trade mark oversized circular lights which flashed in time to the music in different sequences. They whipped through tracks from their most recent album The English Riviera and 2008’s Nights Out. All of the songs worked live except for one of my favourites on the latest album. In Love Underlined, the swirling overlay music sounds running through the track overpowered the band’s instruments and the Joseph’s voice both times that I’ve seen them live. Apart from this imperfection, it was one big party that seemed over too soon.

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Live music review: Ice Cube and Naughty by Nature

2 Aug

Rapper Ice Cube, formerly of NWA, is more often seen in a movie these days but he graced our shores for a live gig at the O2 Indigo venue in London recently. Preparing the audience for the man himself was Naughty by Nature of Nature of Hip Hop Hooray and OPP fame. Old skool rap seemed refreshing after so many years out of the limelight. There was a true party atmosphere, even when Naughty by Nature had to soothingly talk to some guys in the audience who were a little perturbed to be visiting nineties hits.

Ice Cube was on stage with a swagger after his upbeat colleagues left the stage. He still has an edge that was mesmorising as he took us back to his roots from NWA to solo ground. Ice Cube kept the audience enthralled with his tough tales and rhymes.

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Wireless Festival 3 July: Pulp, Grace Jones, Metronomy etc

18 Jul

A little Metronomy who played at Wireless:

Despite the best intentions, I found myself drifting back in time when Pulp played the Wireless festival in Hyde Park this year. When one of their best known songs features your name over and over again and references the year 2000 – you can’t help but look back. The past can be a dangerous place to delve into. Either it’s painted with a certain rose-coloured perspective that didn’t really exist or, alternatively, you may see only pain. The purpose of life is to experience, learn and be wiser in the present and appreciate the joy that people can bring to your life if you don’t get caught up in some image that really isn’t important. Therefore I threw off the past and concluded that Pulp hadn’t really changed that much from when I’d seen them in the nineties. Yes, they have grown older but Jarvis is still a show-man regaling us with tales and jumping around the stage. The set focused on the A Different Class album but my friend and I concluded that maybe it could have benefitted from a bit more of the edgy This is Hardcore. But, as this was when their popularity seemed to start to wane those years ago, maybe it was possibly a wise move to limit it in a comeback gig.

Grace Jones, who was on stage before them, was fabulous of course. How she manages to slink around the stage in those heels and hoola hoop all through Slave to the Rhythm just has to be seen.

Metronomy added much perkiness earlier in the day. I only wish their set was longer. I was also intrigued by whether The Horrors would smile and I can reveal that the keyboard player let one slip out every now and again while other band members hid behind their hair. TV on the Radio were lively while The Hives coordinated their formal evening wear perfectly.

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Music review: Foster the People’s Torches

29 Jun

Torches is the first album by the Californian indie band Foster the People. This collection radiates sunshine with Motown influences, especially on Pumped up Kicks. Warning – anyone who enjoys songs from the more mirthless side of life should steer well clear as that’s not where Torches will take you. Singer Mark Foster and band-mates keep the tempo racing along in a direction that at times is pure pop – listen to Houdini. The summer is the perfect time for this release with its celebratory and sometimes experimental mix of drums, guitar, keyboards and synthesizers.

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Music review: Suede – Suede cd + dvd

22 Jun

Suede has been seriously back on our radar over the last year or so. The band keep popping up to play live gigs to dedicated fans, reliving the days of old in energetic abandon. The most recent activity has been the releasing of the albums one by one with the addition of the B-sides, extra songs, live footage, the promotional videos and interviews, topped off with the lyrics elegantly packaged in an accompanying booklet. I admit I was quite overwhelmed when a wonderful friend delighted me with a surprise copy of the latest version of the first album Suede, originally released in 1993. The whole bundle captures the richness and excitement of that glamorous time and the stylishness of the band. For my amazing friend I dedicate, The Drowners.

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Comedy review: The Fix presents… Brett Domino and Steven Peavis

20 Jun

I really didn’t know what to expect from Brett Domino and Steven Peavis in their comedy act at King’s Place. My inclination was tested a little by the show starting half an hour late. Soon I found out that the humour of the act was built around the pair geekily recreating hits such as Justin Timberlake’s back catalogue or rap tunes like Jump Around by House of Pain. Brett (Rob J Madin) plays the keytar, a once popular keyboard guitar from the eighties while Steven takes on the drum machine. The act exists mainly on Youtube so the backdrop featured videos from their online presence where every now and again they diversify into some other instrument like the recorder. I was amused but I’m not sure how much further the scope of the joke can go. Once you get the picture that most of the amusement is based around their appearance and deadpan delivery you have the full picture. But enjoy for the moment!

So that you can compare to the real Justin Timberlake take a look at Like I Love You by the real JT which is a song featured in Brett’s medley.

Music review: Lykke Li’s Wounded Rhymes

22 May

Cherrydial’s soundtrack to the week has been Swedish female singer Lykke Li’s second album Wounded Rhymes. Sometimes it sounds like the raging theme to a western, with opener Youth Knows No Pain setting the scene from the beginning. I don’t want to give you the impression that Lykke doesn’t have her quieter reflective moments. In fact she has many like on the sad and mournful Unrequited Love and Sadness is a Blessing. The latter song stands out for its sixties piano and booming drum backing. Not everything on this album is automatically infectious though I Follow Rivers gripped me immediately. However, this collection eventually eased its way under my skin after a few listens.

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