Gentleman of the Road (Mumford & Sons) Review

So last weekend I was fortunate enough to travel over to Dublin, Ireland to see Mumford and Sons live at Phoenix Park.

The sun was out, the beers were in and to the credit of all the acts, the day was great! The days lineup consisted of Ham Sandwich, Edward Sharpe and the Magnetics, The Vaccines, Ben Howard, and of course the main act themselves Mumford and Sons.

First up were Ham Sandwich. I can honestly put my hands up and say before seeing them live I had never heard of them. Ham Sandwich is a five piece indie rock band from Ireland. Like with any relatively unheard band at these one day gigs, the crowd can be pretty unresponsive and tame. Although the band did have a couple of good songs, in particular their final song of the set "Ants," there was little more they could do to warm up the crowd!

Next up were Edward Sharpe and the Magnetics. If you know little about this band check out my previous post: Edward Sharpe and the Magnetics. I loved their set, and was seriously impressed by how much stage presence the lead singer Alexander Ebert had. For me, and arguably the rest of the crowds favourite part of the set was their final song "Home." Everyone by the end seemed in great spirits, singing and dancing along with this american folk band. I for one will certainly be keeping a close eye on their upcoming tour dates.

Now for some British players - cue The Vaccines. Again for more information about this band, check out my previous post regarding them: The Vaccines. I was excited to see this band live after recently hearing how good they were at Glastonbury. I was certainly not left disappointed. Their hugely energetic performance was a nice mix to the relatively chilled out line up that played before them. They played a strong set, and included many of their popular singles which seemed to be a hit with the crowd.

Now for my fav - Ben Howard. Having seen him live in London three weeks ago, and twice before that, I knew I was in for a great set. His half hour set included the popular tracks The Fear, Only Love, Keep Your Head Up, Blackflies, Old Pine and his new single I Forgot Where We Were. Although it was evident that Ben Howard was a huge hit with the crowd, I must say from previous performances, he is a lot stronger when playing at smaller venues.

And finally, the headliners of the evening, Mumford and Sons. Again having seen these four times previously I was confident this was going to be good. Opening with their new single Babel. the irish crowd all seemed to go wild. Others song featured in their set included "I Will Wait," "Holland Road," "The Cave," "Little Lion Man," "Ghosts That We Knew," and "Hopeless Wanderer." I thought their set was truly brilliant. Not a band to ever let a crowd down, these four boys soon has the jam packed crowd on their feet, singing, swaying, jumping, dancing and cheering along. Although I thoroughly enjoyed their entire set, for me one song particularly stood out to me. For their final song of the night they made the standard move of inviting all the previous acts back onto stage to sing a cover together. Although this was predictable the song they chose to perform was not so much. Galway Girl. As someone who loves Dublin and frequently goes over to see friends, this song was perfect (i cant quite say my irish friends were as impressed however...).

So overall I have to say I had a truly fabulous day. Although Ben Howard was slightly disappointing I would still without a doubt go and see him live again (for a 5th time) and seriously can't stress enough how good his new album is going to be. Mumford and Sons proved again to many why they have become such a hugely popular band all around the world. For me though I was most pleased to have seen Edward Sharpe and the Magnetics -  Having never seen them live before and being such a big fan, I was truly stoked.

Mumford & Sons

Ben howard 

Edward Sharpe and the Magnetics 

Ben howard

Mumford and Sons 

Mumford and Sons and co. 

Green Man Festival

Folk music your thing?

Green Man Festival is a music festival that has grown from a one day event(2003) to a four-day extravaganza. This festival is held is the Brecon Beacons, Wales and offers so much more than just music.

This independent festival has comedy, poetry, music (obviously!), hot showers (always a plus!), all night bon fires, and fun things/areas for people of all ages.

This is a festival, so although all the above sounds very exciting the main attraction is obviously the music. Although mostly folk, Green Man Festival delivers other genres: indie, dance, and Americana, across five stages. On top of this, every night an array of DJs play everything from electro to rock.

With a capacity of 20,000 this festival is nothing on Glastonbury (which has around 150, 000 people) however if you are looking for that quieter/ smaller alternative, than this is the perfect option.

In terms of the line up, this year's headliners are; Ben Howard, Band of Horses, and Kings of Convenience. Other acts to perform include Lord Huron, Roy Harper, The Horrors, Local Natives, and Patti Smith.

For more details check out the Green Man Festival website; http://www.greenman.net/

The John Langan Band Review

A fun folk trio.

With elements of Celtic, Balkan and Gypsy in their music, this scottish band are pretty unique. The John Langan Band is made up of John Langan on guitar, vocals and percussion, Dave Tunstall on double bass, and Alastair Caplin on fiddle.

I saw these three guys perform at the very low key "Folk Rising" event held in Camden, London this week. An incredibly upbeat band who evidently love playing together, this trio soon had the seated crowd bobbing their heads, and tapping their feet to the beat.

Although their set only consisted of a handful of songs (including Winter Song, Midgets on Acid), each one was roughly 5 minutes plus and was jam packed with different sounds and styles. What I found most endearing about this band is you were never quite sure what to expect next - what starts out as a pensive and acoustic track can instantly turn into a stomping yet highly rhytmic instrumental piece. I love it!  

Over the years this band has built up quite the fan base and have recently released their debut self titled album "The John Langan Band." Check them out - this alternative folk band brings a lot more to the table than you could ever imagine.

Tour dates:
19th April. The Cornerhouse - Cambridge
23rd April. Russet Cafe - London
11th May. The Glue Factory - Glasgow
8th Aug. Mandstock Festival 2013 - Arco

For information regarding tour dates and tickets check out: http://www.ents24.com/web/artist/177947/The_John_Langan_Band.html

The Lumineers Review

10 out of 10. I loved it.

I was fortunate to see The Lumineers live at O2 Academy Brixton, London last month with my friend. I cannot stress enough how fantastic they were. I have previously posted about The Lumineers: The Lumineers.

The evening started with support act Langhorne Slim, a country folk singer/songwriter from Pennsylvania, US. Langhorne Slim did a tremendous job of building the crowd up before the main headliner came on stage, and even came back on stage during The Lumineers set to accompany them for one song. Having never heard of this artist before I would certainly suggest folk fans to check him out - he was great!

Langhorne Slim (Support)

With the 5,000 strong crowd closing in around the stage, the atmosphere soon became electric with anticipation and excitement. As soon as the five piece folk band stepped on stage the party began! From start to finish, The Lumineers frontman Wesley Shultz had the sold out crowd eating out of his hand, and on their feet, singing and dancing along!

The evenings set list was: Submarines, I Aint Nobody's Problem, Flowers in Your Hair, Subterranean Homesick Blues (Bob Dylan Cover), Ho Hey, Classy Girls, Dead Sea, Slow It Down, Love, Love Love (new song), Charlie Boy, Stubborn Love, Big Parade. The encore: Morning Song, This Must Be The Place (cover), Flapper Girl.

Jeremiah Fraites, Neyla Pekarek, and Wesley Schultz together with the rest of the band delivered a flawless performance of upbeat, soulful and raw folk music. For me, one of the highlights of the evening was Wesley Schultz singing the first half of my favorite track "Slow it Down" all stripped back and acoustic.

Musicians to the core, this band is all about the music. As the crowd sang and danced in a frenzy to their hit single "Ho Hey" Wesley mid way told the crowd to "put away cameras and recording devices and just be human with us for a while." If anyone was on the fence about this band before that statement, it seemed clear they were sold! A huge cheer rang out from around the venue as people put away their phones/recorders and let themselves get lost in the music.

As the show came to an end, the crowds cheers and applause was huge. Wanting to show their appreciation (and hear more), the crowd knew they had just been treated to a joyous evening of live music.

If I ever get the opportunity, I will certainly buy tickets to see them live again. This group proved to London that they are by no means a one track wonder and are here to stay.

Pictures from the evening:

Langhorne Slim joining The Lumineers on stage

Tour dates: 

7th June.CMAC - NY

8th June. Mountain Jam - NY

9th June. The Grovernors  Ball Music Festival - NYC

13th July. T In The Park - Scotland, UK

27th July. XPoNential Music Festival - Camden, NJ 

23rd August. Leeds Festival - Leeds, UK

25th August. Reading Festival - Reading, UK

For more information regarding tour dates and tickets check out: http://thelumineers.com/tour-dates/

Beth Orton

One word: Folktronica. No one mixes electronics with folk like this woman. 

Beth Orton is a british singer/songwriter from Norfolk. Although it wasn't until 1996 that Orton got noticed, she has been around since 1993. To date Beth has released six albums: Superpinkymandy, Trailer Park, Central Reservation, Daybreaker, Comfort of Strangers, and the recently released Sugaring Season.  

Beth songs are frequently played on hit american shows such as Greys Anatomy, Charmed, Dawson Creek, and Vanilla Sky. If music by Martha Wainwright, Cat Power and Natalie Merchant are your thing, than you should check out Beth Orton. 

As well as her folk/eletcontric songs, Beth Orton is instantly recognisable by her vocals. Her gravely/ husky vocals not only work on the more emotive, slow songs, but also on the meow upbeat dance orientated sounds. 

Her performances are pretty stripped: Beth doing her thing, with only the accompaniment of one of two guitarists behind her. This simple format however works perfectly for the type of music she writes. She has great rapport with her crowds and often leaves them pretty awe-inspired. 

Tour dates: 

6th April. The Junction - Cambridge
8th April. Newcastle Volvo Tyne Theatre - Newcastle Upon Tyne
9th April. The Liquid Room - Edinburgh
10th April. Leeds Irish Centre - Leeds
12th April. The Kazimier - Liverpool
13th April. O2 Academy - Oxford
15th April. St George's Bristol - Bristol
16th April. Wedgewood Rooms - Southsea
17th April. Royal Festival Hall - London

For more information regarding tour dates and live shows check out: http://www.songkick.com/artists/308960-beth-orton/calendar?page=1

Jacko Hooper

Although I stumbled by this singer by mistake, I am glad I did.

Clearly still stuck in my  'deep and meaningful' ' acoustic guitar performance phase, this guy filfulls the quota perfectly! Jacko Hooper is a singer/songwriter from Brighton that reminds me a great deal of Athlete, Aqualung, Benjamin Francis Leftwich and James Vincent McMorrow.

Although Jacko Hooper is not hugely known (yet), he shows great potential and is already growing a steady stream of fans. In March of last year, Jacko released an EP "From Home," consisting of five beautiful folk tracks - my favorite being River.

So if wistful folk music is your calling, than this is an artist you must certainly check out.

Tour Dates: 
12th Feb. The Marlborough Theatre - Brighton, UK (supporting Rae Morris)
11th April. The brunswick - Hove, UK

For tickets and/or further info, check out; http://www.songkick.com/artists/5423688-jacko-hooper/calendar

The Lumineers

I love the Lumineers.

If Of Monsters and Men, and Mumford and Sons are your thing, than you have to check out this band. The Lumineers are an American folk band from Colorado. Their self titled debut album "The Lumineers" (which includes their hit single, Ho Hey) was released back in April of this year, and proved to be a great hit - going straight to number 11 on the billboard charts.

In terms of live performances, you can relax - this trio is good! Made up of Wesley Schultz on guitar and lead vocals, Jeremiah Fraites on drums and vocals, and Neyla Pekarek on cello, piano and vocals, these three provide the perfect ingredients for a great folk band. In an interview recently Jeremiah stated "We're not reinventing the wheel or doing anything that different, the songs are super simple" - simple they may be, but rubbish they are not. If their album is anything to go by, this band has huge potential to do as well as other successful folk bands like Mumford.

Having just announced they will be supporting Dave Mathews Band on their N. American tour, this band will also be embarking on their own UK tour early next year. 

I got my ticket. Have you got yours?

Tour dates:
17th Dec. Upstate Concert Hall - Clifton Park, NY
20th Dec. iHeartRadio Theater presented by PC Richard and Son - NYC
21st Dec. Barclays Center - Brooklyn, NYC (supporting DMB)
17th Feb. O2 Academy - Liverpool
18th Feb. Stereo - Glasgow
19th Feb. Manchester Academy - Manchester
20th Feb. O2 Shepherd Bush Empire - London
22nd Feb. The Fleece - Bristol
23rd Feb. HMV Institute - Birmingham
24th Feb. The Haunt - Brighton
11th March. O2 Academy - Brixton.

For more information regarding tickets and their N. American and European tour, check out: http://www.songkick.com/artists/2827981-lumineers/calendar?page=1

The Staves Review

I first posted about this band in July when I came across them randomly on youtube.

I had known The Staves were going to be supporting Bon Iver on his tour, and so I was very excited to finally see them perform live.

The Staves are a folk band made up of three sisters; Emily, Jessica and Camilli Staveley - Taylor, from Watford, England.

In 2010 this trio appeared on the Tom Jones album "Praise and Blame," and later appeared on Fionn Regan's third studio album "100 Acres of Sycamore." Although they have yet to release their own album, The Staves are looking to release one by the end of the year. After supporting Civil Twilight on their North American tour, The Staves have proved to be very popular, and as a result have gained a lot of positive reviews and attention from both the fans and the media.

These three sisters remind me a great deal of  the other sister act "The Pierces." Both bands are able to successfully combine their incredible vocals and harmonise them to make beautiful and meaningful tracks. Their songs are very soulful and it is clear that a lot of thought goes into the lyrics of their songs.

Although I was really impressed with The Staves vocal talent, and was a huge fan of many of their tracks, I have to say I found them incredibly awkward to watch. Despite touring with the likes of Civil Twilight and Bon Iver, the girls looked very uncomfortable and not at all in sync with each other. Between tracks the nerves would show when they tried to have 'banter' with the crowd. Hopefully as the girls tour more this awkwardness on stage will subside, and they will be able to give the performance i know they are more than capable of producing.

Awakwardness aside, The Staves have lovely voices and many great tracks. If you are a fan of folk music than this is certainly a band you should check out.

Tour Dates:
28th - 29th July. Cambridge Folk Festival - Cambridge, UK
17th Aug - 19th Aug. Summer Sundae Weekenderr - Leicester, UK
6th - 9th Sept. Bestival 2012 - Newport, UK
8th Nov. Wembley Arena - London, UK (supporting Bon Iver)
9th Nov. Manchester Arena - Manchester, UK (Supporting Bon Iver)
10th Nov. The SECC - Glasgow, UK (Supporting Bon Iver)

For more details regarding tickets and tour dates check out:http://www.ents24.com/web/artist/147168/The_Staves.html

Goodnight Lenin Review

I saw this band from birmingham when they supported Dry The River at the HMV Institute.

Before seeing them I can honestly say I had never heard anything about them or their music. Although a relatively unknown band, Goodnight Lenin has grown quite the fan base, with gigs frequently selling out. In addition to performing at gigs, Goodnight Lenin have been playing at a number of festivals including the Wood Festival and Glastonbury.

I really enjoyed these boys performance. A folk-esq band with the enthusiasm and spirit of Mumford and Sons when they perform, these boys definitely deserve a chance. With strong vocals and a vast array of instruments there was nothing dull about their set. When listening to the boys I was reminded a great deal of Low Anthem - in terms of both vocal and music style.

Give them a go - you may be pleasantly surprised.

Tour Dates:

20th Nov. The Castle - Manchester 

21st Nov. The Bodega - Nottingham 

23rd Nov. The Great Gatsby - Sheffield 

26th Nov. Kasbah - Coventry

27th Nov. The Boileroom - Guildford 

28th Nov. The Cookie Jar - Leicester 

29th Nov. Sebright Arms - London

1st Dec. Birmingham Cathedral - Birmingham 

2nd Dec. A Nation of Shopkeepers - Leeds

For more information regarding tour dates and tickets check out: http://www.goodnightlenin.com/live

Dry The River Review

I finally got the chance to see this band live, and boy did they deliver a great show.

I was fortunate enough to get tickets to see Dry The River perform live at the HMV Institute in Birmingham. To check out previous posts about Dry The River, click on the following link: http://musicgigsnfestivals.blogspot.co.uk/2012/07/dry-river.html

The evenings set list included: Shield Your Eyes, New Ceremony, History Book, Demons, Weights & measures, No Rest, Bible Belt, and Lion's Den. For their encore, they performed my personnel favourite single Shaker Hymns (see video below).

For me, the highlight of the night was definitely the encore performance of Shaker Hymns. Not only is this a truly great single, but the five boys performed it unplugged on the main floor, amongst the crowd. With lights only coming from crowd members phones,  this was one stripped performance like no other. Peter Liddle's  high, torturing but purely beautiful vocals were on top form, which combined with the onstage banter  and high energy from the rest of the band, made for the perfect evening of chilling and emotive music.

I would definitely suggest seeing this band live if you have the chance to. Despite being relatively unknown and charging only 8 pounds for tickets, this band sure did attract quite the crowd. What was surprising to me however was the diverse following that they seem to have accumulated - the old, the young, the rocker, the businessman, and student, all there together to experience the show.

For information regarding tickets and dates for their European, tour check out: http://www.songkick.com/artists/2437361-dry-the-river/calendar?page=1

Unplugged performance in crowd of Shaker Hymns

Dry The River 

Reuben Hollebon

In a previous post I have stated "Through this artist I was able to identify the true brilliance of Twitter. Twitter not only enables avid music fans like myself to discover new music, but it allows upcoming bands and artists to promote themselves and their music"....well once again, through Twitter, I  was brought to the sounds of Reuben Hollebon. 

Reuben has recently released an EP which can be heard: http://soundcloud.com/reubenhollebon

His live performances have been described as "stark, raw and intimate." Having listened to the debut EP,  Clutch by this British Folk artist I am reminded of the vocal talent and style of Bon Iver and James Blake. 

I would really urge you to check this guy out, I am certain you won't be left disappointed. 

Tour Dates: 

6th October. The Gallery Cafe - London, UK

12th October. Oxjam Islington 2012 - London, UK

21st October. The Old Queen's Head - London, UK 

Angus Stone

Angus Stone, most notably known for being in "Angus and Julia Stone" with his sister, is a folk singer from Australia. Together this brother/sister duo followed their parents footsteps into the folk scene and have to date released two albums together; "A Book Like This," and "Down The Way."

In 2011 the sibling act announced they would be parting ways to concentrate on their solo careers. When asked Angus said "Recording with Julia is cool but we both have our hands on the wheel. This was an opportunity to grab the wheel and do some burn-outs."

In terms of his solo career, Angus Stone has been hugely successful. His two albums "Smoking Gun as 'Lady of the Sunshine," and the recently released "Broken Brights," have proven popular and even went straight to number 1 on iTunes in Australia.

Tour Dates
29th Sept. The Bower Ballroom - NYC
8th Oct. The Lexington - London, UK
9th Oct. The Lexington - London, UK

For more information regarding tickets and his N.America and Australia tour dates check out: http://www.songkick.com/artists/5423258-angus-stone/calendar?page=1

Lucy Rose

According to Vogue,  Lucy Rose is "one of indie music's breakout stars for 2012."

This English songwriter/singer from Warwickshire can be heard as backing vocals on a number of Bombay Bicycle Club singles including "Flaws." As a solo artist, Lucy Rose has released four singles; Middle of the Bed, Red Face, Place and Scar, and is due to release her debut album "Like I Used To" sometime in September.

Having toured with the likes of Bombay Bicycle Club and Noah and the Whale, Lucy Rose is due to perform at Leeds, Green Man Festival and Bestival. When listening to Lucy Rose I find I liken her voice and style to Feist, Birdy and Laura Marling. Although this girl boasts a somewhat timed personality, I feel it makes her songs seem that much more genuine and honest. 

It is safe to say there will be nothing wild about this live show, however with her strong vocals, you can be promised a stress free night of soothing live folk music. 

Tour Dates:
23rd August. O2 Academy - Bournemouth (supporting Bombay Bicycle Club
24th August. Reading Festival - Reading
25th August. Leeds Festival - Leeds
6th November. The Kazimier - Liverpool

For more information regarding tickets and tour dates check out: http://www.songkick.com/artists/1920466-lucy-rose/calendar

Mumford and Sons

 Mumford and  Sons are an awesome band!

I love everything about Mumford & Sons; their songs, their charisma, their attitude, and their voices. I have been fortunate enough see Mumford & Sons live twice, once at Glastonbury Music Festival and once in New York. They definitely didn't disappoint! Each gig was performed flawlessly.

Not only are these four Londoners great live singers, but they have great personality's which always come out during their shows. Both times the boys worked the crowd, and had us all craving to hear more by the end.  I can honestly say this gig has been one of best in terms of euphoric atmosphere.

During both gigs Mumford & Sons performed their popular hits Sigh No More, Little Lion Man and The Cave as well as new material such as the unreleased song, Below My Feet.  

Since finishing their US tour, Mumford & Sons have been working on their next album which is said to be "Doom folk, kind of like Black Sabbath meets Nick Drake." I urge you all to get tickets to see them as it is really is a gig not to be missed.

Tour dates: 
1st Aug. Pier A - Hoboken, NJ
7th Aug. Marvin Sands Performing Arts - Canandaigua, NY

For more information regarding tickets and their N. American and Australia tour check out: http://www.mumfordandsons.com/live?list=0

Laura Marling

I am a big fan of this artist. 

Laura Marling is an English Folk singer from Hampshire. This talented young singer can not only sing beautifully, but she also plays a variety of instruments including the guitar and the piano. 

Marling first hit the music scene when she was a member of original Noah and the Whale line up. Since parting with the band, Marling focused on her single career and has to date released two albums; "Alas, I cannot Swim," and "I Speak Because I Can." 

Laura Marling has, over the years, accumulated quite the fan base. Don't be put off by Laura Marling's shy and timid appearance - her vocal ability and sweet melodies will have you enrapt. Winner of a Brit Award and NME Award, and a successful tour under her belt, this artist is definitely someone you should check out. 

Tour dates: 

7th July. Royal Albert Hall - London, UK

13th July. Latitude Festival 2012 - UK 

For information regarding tickets check out: http://www.ticketmaster.co.uk/Laura-Marling-tickets/artist/1223165