Seeing as they're almost next door to Ralph it's about time The Winachi Tribe from Warrington (and Leeds) got a shout out. They've just released their debut single Time For Love and it's seriously funked up in their own inimitable grooved up style. Although Time For Love is a debut release for The Winachi Tribe, individual band members are already well established on the music scene. Percussion legend Inder Goldfinger was a member of Ian Brown's band for thirteen years, and vocalist Liam and keys player Antony collaborated with Keith Allen in the studio and also toured with him as vocalists in his band Fit Les as part of his Olympic opera Will Cliff Be There?.
Vocalist Liam says "You can hear different influences in our music and maybe take a guess as to what we were listening to when we wrote a certain song, but you can't really pin us down into any specific genre. One thing that ties all our music together though is us. Our stamp is all over it."
The video to accompany Time For Love stars Keith Allen playing an older version of vocalist Liam. Also making a cameo is lead singer of Alabama 3, The Rev D Wayne Love as the DJ at the club. "We had a lot of fun making the video" Liam says . "I hope that comes across when people watch it. I think it captures the feel of the song perfectly."
Ralph's new found interest in Spoken Word Poetry was further piqued recently when St Helens Central Library announced that J B Barrington was performing there courtesy of St Helens Arts Service. So on Friday it was off to the library (and not to pay a fine for a change) to catch the show! Having recently published some of his spoken word and supported the force of nature that is Sleaford Mods (who have just played Glastonbury) he is very much in demand, so it was great to be able to catch him in the intimate surroundings of Central Library's Reference Room, ably accompanied by Carol Robson. Both will be performing during The Greater Manchester Fringe in July. Carol in The Kings Arms and J B in Salford Arts Centre.
Carol Robson's performance was both forthright and brutally honest, talking not only of her own health problems but commenting on what ails the NHS. Having overcome her own battles she now, through her poetry and spoken word battles for others. Not only that she performed her show at last years Edinburgh Fringe to rave reviews. Tonight she regails us with both spoken word from her book Words Of Darkness And Light as well as some wise and witty monologues. One highlight for the audience was her poem Debris with it's heartfelt commentary on the plight of the homeless.
J B Barrington takes the stage to enthusiastic applause and immediately gets the audience onside with his charming cheeky chappie style. Setting down his Addidas bag of tricks he launches into a well practised, quick fire comedy routine that sits well alongside his machine gun spoken word performance. he's witty, wise and wonderfully eloquent in his Salford twang. His asides about his Mam seem comfortingly familiar, evoking memories of similar events and sayings in my past life
Me Mam Dunt Like To Text’: ‘She said Margaret’s got rid of her BT line/ She don’t ring anymore she just texts all the time/ She sent one Tuesday saying Harry’s had heart attack/ Then I have to pay cos I ring her back’ Smartly attired and reading from his book WoodchipAnaglypta and Nicotined Artex CeilingsJ B Barrington takes us from heartwarming to heartbreaking to politically astute and incisive in swift assured steps. A highlight for me is his rendition of She Holds His Hand with it's simple but emotionally effective words.
She holds his hand He’s no longer as strong as what once he could be They fell in love in Salford 1953
She holds his hand
His legs have grown weak on his feet he’s unsteady She cleans him she feeds him she helps him get ready She holds his hand
Never once does she wish to let go Through the 65 years of blood sweat and tears He’s the most wonderful man she’s ever known
She holds his hand Just to make sure he’s alright She sings him to sleep with a sweet kiss to keep And she holds his hand all through the night
It's hard to avoid the obvious similarity between J B Barrington and John Cooper Clarke, but really it's only the accent and the nervous swagger that are the same. J B is capturing the mood of a younger generation and the travails that affect them in his often angst filled but equally poignant words. He is as likeable as he can be acerbic and if you get the chance, catch his Manchester performance in Salford Arts Centre on July 25th.
Carol Robson will be appearing in The Kings Arms, Salford on July 4th and 9th.
Ralph's been a fan of Manchester trio Peur since catching their debut EP We Can Build Astronauts back in 2013 so it's with great joy that today sees the release of their much vaunted Future Architects EP. Their music has earned them airplay on BBC radio, most recently on the Huw Stephens Radio 1 show, an up-coming visit to The Shift Radio HQ, and a range of independent and commercial FM and internet radio shows including Ralph's Indie Show on Radio KC.
If Marc Bolan and David Bowie had produced a bastard son to give their music a twist for future generations, then White Boy is the result. Although recently formed (frontman Joe Jones was previously with the much vaunted Janice Graham Band) they've produced 'Glitoris', an album of ten quality tracks that'll see them quickly rise to become firm favourites in their home city of Manchester (where they're already playing to sold-out venues) and beyond.
The Fireflys were headlining Runcorn's Brindley Theatre to a sold out crowd supported by The Spase and Chasing Infinity on the Saturday, so it was time to investigate further. The 'Storyteller' gig gave an insight into both The Fireflys extensive back catalogue and the new tracks including the recently released single 'Branches' as Lee Wylding availed the audience of the thinking behind each track prior to them being performed, more of which later.
Ralph's been a fan of Glasgow band Nieves since playing their simply sublime and sublimely simple Straight Line last year on his Radio KC Indie Show, so it's no surprise there's a bit of excitement in the kennel on hearing that their new single Black Tieis released today as a precursor to an EP later this year. Initially a duo (Brendan Dafters, vocal/guitar and Herre De Leur, keyboards) Nieves have strengthend both their ranks and their sound by becoming an extremely tight four piece.
Riding the crest a wave of up and coming young Scottish bands currently flooding the UK music scene is Dundee band Vladimir. Their industrial yet infectious brand of 'post-punk' is reminiscent of fellow Scots the late lamented Cinematics w
Now it's no secret that Ralph is a big fan of Ayrshire's Vukovi so it's no surprise his ears pricked up when he heard the new single Cathedral by Glasgow based (formerly from Fort William) band Bloodlines from their recently released debut EP Love The Taste. It's accompanied by an atmospheric video, of which more later.
It's always nice when you find a virtually brand spanking new band that sounds like they've been together for years and producing a focused and polished sound. Just such an eventuality is the case with The Empty Page (which it wont be as I've got more to say, otherwise it'd be a short review) from Manchester. With that in mind Ralph had a quick chat with Jim of The Empty Page with a view to finding out what's driven them to forming the band to bring us their version of 'fuzzy 90's Alt Rock'.
Ralph's first introduction to up and coming Manchester singer/songwriter Rory Wynne was Post Party Confusion, his new, quirky and insightful single which views the travails of being a young party animal in today's night-life jungle.
Not only has Ralph played it on his Radio KC Indie Show a couple of times it's been featured by Radio 1 DJ Phil Taggart.
Ralph has played tracks by Manchester band Multiplier previously on his eponymous Radio KC Indie Show and to good feedback. So when he heard they were releasing a shiny new EP in may he thought it'd be a good time to take a closer look and listen. The Multiplier EP is three tracks of sublime Indie Pop goodness with shades of
Ralph has had his beady eye on immensely popular Bolton band The Jade Assembly for some time now and with the release of their new single One Last Time on May 5th, what better time to look closer. Keen to stand apart from their contemporaries, The Jade Assembly say - "We're in this for the long haul and for the right reasons."
The Fireflys were headlining Runcorn's Brindley Theatre to a sold out crowd supported by The Spase and Chasing Infinity on the Saturday, so it was time to investigate further. The 'Storyteller' gig gave an insight into both The Fireflys extensive back catalogue and the new tracks including the recently released single 'Branches' as Lee Wylding availed the audience of the thinking behind each track prior to them being performed, more of which later.
Ralph's been a fan of Manchester trio Peur since catching their debut EP We Can Build Astronauts back in 2013 so it's with great joy that today sees the release of their much vaunted Future Architects EP. Their music has earned them airplay on BBC radio, most recently on the Huw Stephens Radio 1 show, an up-coming visit to The Shift Radio HQ, and a range of independent and commercial FM and internet radio shows including Ralph's Indie Show on Radio KC.
If Marc Bolan and David Bowie had produced a bastard son to give their music a twist for future generations, then White Boy is the result. Although recently formed (frontman Joe Jones was previously with the much vaunted Janice Graham Band) they've produced 'Glitoris', an album of ten quality tracks that'll see them quickly rise to become firm favourites in their home city of Manchester (where they're already playing to sold-out venues) and beyond.
Riding the crest a wave of up and coming young Scottish bands currently flooding the UK music scene is Dundee band Vladimir. Their industrial yet infectious brand of 'post-punk' is reminiscent of fellow Scots the late lamented Cinematics w
Ralph's been a fan of Glasgow band Nieves since playing their simply sublime and sublimely simple Straight Line last year on his Radio KC Indie Show, so it's no surprise there's a bit of excitement in the kennel on hearing that their new single Black Tieis released today as a precursor to an EP later this year. Initially a duo (Brendan Dafters, vocal/guitar and Herre De Leur, keyboards) Nieves have strengthend both their ranks and their sound by becoming an extremely tight four piece.
Now it's no secret that Ralph is a big fan of Ayrshire's Vukovi so it's no surprise his ears pricked up when he heard the new single Cathedral by Glasgow based (formerly from Fort William) band Bloodlines from their recently released debut EP Love The Taste. It's accompanied by an atmospheric video, of which more later.
It's always nice when you find a virtually brand spanking new band that sounds like they've been together for years and producing a focused and polished sound. Just such an eventuality is the case with The Empty Page (which it wont be as I've got more to say, otherwise it'd be a short review) from Manchester. With that in mind Ralph had a quick chat with Jim of The Empty Page with a view to finding out what's driven them to forming the band to bring us their version of 'fuzzy 90's Alt Rock'.
Ralph's first introduction to up and coming Manchester singer/songwriter Rory Wynne was Post Party Confusion, his new, quirky and insightful single which views the travails of being a young party animal in today's night-life jungle.
Not only has Ralph played it on his Radio KC Indie Show a couple of times it's been featured by Radio 1 DJ Phil Taggart.
Ralph has had his beady eye on immensely popular Bolton band The Jade Assembly for some time now and with the release of their new single One Last Time on May 5th, what better time to look closer. Keen to stand apart from their contemporaries, The Jade Assembly say - "We're in this for the long haul and for the right reasons."
Ralph has played tracks by Manchester band Multiplier previously on his eponymous Radio KC Indie Show and to good feedback. So when he heard they were releasing a shiny new EP in may he thought it'd be a good time to take a closer look and listen. The Multiplier EP is three tracks of sublime Indie Pop goodness with shades of
