Tag Archives: Ian Prowse

Ian Prowse, One Hand On The Starry Plough. Album Review.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * * *

To turn the means of another person’s war to that of peace, requires insight, observation, skilled diplomacy, righteous anger, and patience. Although in a world that is slowly turning itself inside out, threatening to tear proverbial limb from limb, and in a place where its wrongs have forever either gone unnoticed by its populace, or even aided by its subjects, to have One Hand On The Starry Plough is not only act of defiance against a set of people in ties and suits using nefarious means and counting on blind faith to push back against progress and compassion, it is a right of self-preservation, an appropriate response to the mass hate, the rank hypocrisy of those who offer you nothing but subjugation.

Ian Prowse, One Hand On The Starry Plough. Album Review. full post

(551 words, estimated 2:12 mins reading time)

Ian Prowse, Here I Lie. Album Review.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * * *

In a world that insists on pushing more than one handcart towards Hell, it often takes a sincere conveyor of words and acute observation to make you stop and think of just how love and honour can arrest the final slide into oblivion, how a small momentary glance can unveil a wealth of information to which many who insist that they are blind, will force their eyes open and make them challenge their personal, and sometimes dogmatic, views.

Ian Prowse, Here I Lie. Album Review. full post

(468 words, 1 image, estimated 1:52 mins reading time)

Ian Prowse, Gig Review. Music Rooms, Philharmonic Hall. Liverpool.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * * *

Ian Prowse at the Music Rooms, Liverpool. July 2017. Photograph by Ian D. Hall.

High summer and the thought of many moments turn, the dog days of August are imminent, festival season sees the passion of music burning brightly in many a foreign field and all seems warm, all is O.K. with the world; yet the clock and the shadows have already turned, the gap between Summer’s praise and Winter’s embrace is noticeable and alluring and it turns the gig goer’s mind to the pleasure of the indoor gig and the intimacy it provides.

Ian Prowse, Gig Review. Music Rooms, Philharmonic Hall. Liverpool. full post

(531 words, 1 image, estimated 2:07 mins reading time)

Ian Prowse, Gig Review. The Music Room, Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10

Summer, in all its British damp and rain soaked glory, in all its burning one day haze, which with nostalgia over time becomes as sweat driven and lethargic as the one that hit the nation in ’76, long, luxurious and never ending, summer is only possible to dream about because festivals give the music lover hope and certain musicians always make sure they play in the same place each year, around the same time, to give thanks to their fans, the ritual is one of cool dynamic, of mutual thanks.

Ian Prowse, Gig Review. The Music Room, Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool. full post

(456 words, estimated 1:49 mins reading time)

Ian Prowse, Compañeros. Album Review.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10

Ian Prowse has set aside drawing on his own prolific output to introduce the listener to some of the songwriters he has encountered over the years. “Troubadours”, as he describes them, whose songs have been “lost, trodden down in the mud, or were kicked sideways into the ditch by an unforgiving music industry.” It’s a magnanimous gesture and one that will reward all concerned in the album Compañeros.

Ian Prowse credits Kevin Jamieson (Town and Country Blues) for inspiring him to imbue his music with the Celtic Soul that had “entered his being like a musical Toronto Blessing.” It’s a Latinate/country romp during which Ian Prowse seems to have discovered a new vocal style, almost a growl.

Ian Prowse, Compañeros. Album Review. full post

(459 words, estimated 1:50 mins reading time)

Amsterdam, Gig Review. The Flapper, Birmingham.

Ian Prowse of Amsterdam. The Flapper, Birmingham. Photograph by Ian D. Hall.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * * *

Sometimes you have to go back to where it began to understand why you are where you are now. Sometimes the journey can be a little painful; it can be exciting and almost certainly overwhelming. For Ian Prowse and the energetic ensemble of musicians that make up the band Amsterdam, coming back to Birmingham after a five year absence proved not only to make the wonderfully vocal crowd’s hearts inside The Flapper grow as fond as a father’s love for his daughter but also showed exactly why lovers of music in Birmingham and Liverpool share a common thread.

Amsterdam, Gig Review. The Flapper, Birmingham. full post

(647 words, 1 image, estimated 2:35 mins reading time)

Ian Prowse, Who Loves Ya Baby? Album Review.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10

In a city that has produced so many voices, so many ideas and whom all of which have added greatly to the cultural importance and passionate stand against conformity and the bland, Ian Prowse certainly stands out as late 20^th and early 21^st Century hero. His voice and hand on heart declarations has led to many following his footsteps and as he proves time and time every week at his the ever popular Monday Night Club, the voice cannot, nor will ever be, silenced.

Ian Prowse, Who Loves Ya Baby? Album Review. full post

(482 words, estimated 1:56 mins reading time)

Liverpool Sound And Vision: The Saturday Supplement, An Interview With Anna Corcoran.

Anna Corcoran’s voice and beautiful melodies have earned her a great accolades and plaudits for her work, especially alongside her great friend Robert Vincent and since the release of her E.P., Anything Better, the owner of that recognisable voice has just kept growing in stature and quite rightly so.

Before she took to stage at The Unity Theatre, Anna took time out from the worries of the day to music world and relaxed in the café and loosened up before her show she spoke of her new video for the outstanding single The Show, her work on the E.P. and the reasons why she still calls Liverpool her home.

Liverpool Sound And Vision: The Saturday Supplement, An Interview With Anna Corcoran. full post

(1459 words, estimated 5:50 mins reading time)

Ian Prowse, Gig Review. Rodewald Suite, Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating 9/10

For the seventh successive year, Ian Prowse stood upon the tight but much loved stage nestled in the heart of the Rodewald Suite at the Liverpool Philharmonic Hall. Armed with his guitar, a few special guest musicians and the biting wit and emotion that makes him stand out as one of Merseyside’s favourite sons, started work at tearing down the walls, the ceiling in readiness for the refurbishment that is due on the grand old lady soon with a set of music and local acerbic passion which will be hard to match during the year.

Ian Prowse, Gig Review. Rodewald Suite, Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool. full post

(592 words, estimated 2:22 mins reading time)

Amsterdam, Gig Review. Liverpool Calling, St. Luke’s Church.

Liverpool Sound and Vision Rating * * * * *

There is something about the majesty; the feel of the past and what the Bombed Out Church of St. Luke’s stands for that just makes it a great place to watch live outdoor music. The gothic look, the refusal of a city to bend its knee towards oppressors, doubters and the shameful is all around the city and the life blood in its people. No more so than Ian Prowse and Amsterdam and as the band come on stage as part of Liverpool Calling, the sound, the joy and defiance from the audience gets notably louder. If ever there was a man who can get a crowd thumping the air whilst placing one hand over their chest in remembrance of the fallen then Ian Prowse is the man and Amsterdam are quite rightly the band of the day.

Amsterdam, Gig Review. Liverpool Calling, St. Luke’s Church. full post

(451 words, estimated 1:48 mins reading time)