One of the best things about being a musician like me who doesn't really fit into any boxes (it's a Worst thing sometimes, but let's be positive), is that I get to see so much music being placed by so many different people.
Friday night was no exception. I had been invited on to the bill by the Hannah Barberas, who I'd never seen live before. I listened to some of their songs on Youtube and really liked their stuff, and because I like Jetstream Pony's songs and their sound, I knew it was going to be a really good night.
There was an addition to the night, a keyboard player called Partisan Way. He had a very good voice, and his set heralded the fact that the sound engineer at The Amersham Arms really knows what he's doing. Everyone sounded really good (I hope that I did), and actually Jetstream Pony had the best sound I've ever heard them with. Beth's vocals rang out as clear as a bell. I wonder if it's because the venue gets really stuck in the covers-band groove? Apparently not many bands playing original material can fill it up but there was a pretty good-sized audience there, at one point seeming largely to consist of my friends and family who turned out in quite substantial amounts, which was rather sweet of them all.
There were some loud talkers at the back during my set but there were plenty of people down the front listening and joining in lustily (fnurr, fnurr!) with At The Bathing Pond. I also sold a few CDs but have come to the conclusion that I'll need to get a card reader, because for the second time in a row a person paying by Paypal has put in the wrong email address and inadvertently not paid.
Well, I thoroughly enjoyed my bit anyway, and then of course I got the chance to watch the other bands. The Hannah Barberas not only have the keys to the magic chord cupboard, but they also benefit greatly from Lucy's consistent and lovely voice. At times she reminded me of Nena of 99 Red Balloons fame, but mostly I think she's a Bobbie Gentry soundalike. There were some lovely harmonies floating off that stage, and they really did themselves proud. The fact that they were so excited really came across in their playing and I was chuffed to walk out of the gig with two of their CDs, which I've been playing all afternoon. Turns out they are perfect for embroidering pelicans to.
After the Hannah Barberas Jetstream Pony ripped through their set with intensity. They have a unique sound; although they fit into the indie box in some ways in others, they are a genre apart on their own. Oddly, their actual sound, though not necessarily their songs, reminds me a little bit of a Phil Manzanera record that I used to have. There's this slightly menacing timbre behind the tunes that arouses the curiosity in your ears. You don't know what's coming next, so you can't go home early, and you miss the train. That's quite a compliment really, isn't it?
Well, it was lovely to see my family members, Karina and her pal, my Champagne Friend and her husband, Rocker all the way up from Bristol, and various other assorted people. It was also lovely to spend an evening listening to great music and thanking my lucky stars that I get to be part of all this.
Big luv to all the bands for making life really special on Friday night. Long live live music!
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