Jez Wing at Leaf. Photograph by Ian D. Hall
Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *
Jez Wing may have been out of the live music scene in Liverpool for a while now but that should never stop talent, in any shape or form making an impact on a crowd. When you have the aptitude of Jez Wing it is a shame to let it go to waste and thankfully for the music lovers in the city, he chose the perfect time to bring his superb music back to Leaf and a welcoming crowd.
Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * * *
There are some musicians who can just stand on the stage and their very presence is enough to send a venue into rapture and unreserved ecstasy. The former lead man of the superb London band The Kinks is one such man and as Ray Davies came on stage to thunderous applause it really felt as though time had been wound backwards to the days when they were one of the most talked of and much loved groups.
Mark King in action at the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall. Photograph by Ian D. Hall
Originally published by Liverpool Live. October 17th 2012.
Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * * *
For many of their fans, Level 42 are an institution, a band whose ingenious use of funk/pop/jazz made them a household name throughout the 1980’s. They are also one of only a few bands that can tour with aplomb without having a new album in tow and also get the sort of reception from a Liverpool crowd that involves a standing ovation from the very start of the gig.
Photograph by Ian D. Hall
Originally published by Liverpool Live. October 15th 2012.
Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * * *
Karine Polwart continues to amaze and beguile audiences whenever she steps out onto a stage, whether in her native Scotland or when she ventures across the border and comes down south to places such as Bristol and London.
One area where she needs no introduction is that of Merseyside. In the past she has performed in the now sadly missed Pacific Road Art Centre and in the incredible setting of the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall, now she wowed all before her in the intimate and sanguine setting of the Floral Pavilion in New Brighton.
Photograph by Ian D. Hall
Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * * *
There is fission of excitement that sparkles wildly when a music lover read down a list of bands names that are due to play at a gig they attend that is almost unique in the world of music. From the early 70s when great progressive rock bands of the time thrilled audiences with names that seemed positively futuristic, it seems that a name can carry hope and an awful lot of symbolism.
Photograph by Ian D. Hall
Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *
One of the signs of a band having something about them, the spark of creativity that will stand them in good stead in years to come, is being able to perform at the drop of a hat and surprise an audience by being an unlisted addition; it is how you conduct yourself as a group at the very beginning that sets the seal on how you will be seen later on in your career.
Photograph by Ian D. Hall
Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * *
Paul Straws might not be a name that the vast majority of music listeners in Liverpool and the surrounding area are aware of just yet but with his impish grin and delectable guitar playing, it won’t be too long before the music lovers of the city catch him somewhere.
Coming on stage at Leaf can be pretty daunting. It’s not a large area for sure but its close knit proximity to the audience means that there is nowhere to hide for someone who is anyway self-conscious or worse self-absorbed.
Photograph by Ian D. Hall
Originally published by L.S. Media. September 30th 2012.
L.S. Media Rating ****
Eagles may soar high but only really sadly tour seemingly sporadically now and despite finally coming together to produce one of the most acclaimed albums of 2007 in Long Road Out Of Eden, it really doesn’t look as if it is going to be an ongoing concern for the band. Thankfully then for fans of the American band, The Illegal Eagles always seem to step up to the plate and deliver a set worthy of the illustrious band.
Photograph by Ian D. Hall.
Originally published by L.S. Media. September 22nd 2012.
L.S. Media Rating ****
A night of two halves joined by a very talented individual thread, that is the key behind Nik Kershaw’s fantastic night at the Liverpool o2 Academy show,. It was a night where both performer and audience reminisced in the depths of music and came up with a set list that defied time and made the most of some of the excellent new songs from his latest album.
Photograph by Ian D. Hall
Originally published by L.S. Media. September 21st 2012.
L.S. Media Rating ****
No doubt Leaf on Bold Street will host many important night in the years to come, the space above the busy tea drinking den lends itself superbly to the music that has been performed there since it opened. However, the launch of Liverpool musician Alan O’ Hare and string virtuoso, Laura McKinlay’s latest project, the magnificent Only Child and their eponymous debut E.P. will take some beating.