Daylight Music is a wonderful concept: lunchtime concerts concentrated into a two-hour time slot in churches. It started in the Union Chapel in Islington, where I played and where I met Robert Rotifer and Ian Button, actually. They were part of the late Judy Dyble's band, who were playing that day.
It's now moved to Leytonstone, not far from the tube station. Going yesterday was a no-brainer because not only was Clémentine March playing, but Terry Edwards was playing between the main acts.
They have food and drink: cake, quiche, coffee. The slice of quiche I bought remained delicious even though I dropped it face first on the ground (shh!). There was a pile of blank postcards, and two artists drawing live: their drawings were projected on a screen alongside the performers.
Ben was master of ceremonies, as well he should be. He has been the driving force behind this from the start. In a bright pink t-shirt and with bright orange hair he lassooed the volunteers, performers and audience into a Saturday lunchtime community where we all felt comfortable and welcome. Thank you, Ben.
Clémentine was first to perform. the last time I saw her she had a band and was playing 'electric', with an effects pedal, drummer and bass player. This time, she was acoustic, with a basic drum machine for some of the songs. Her voice is really distinctive and (my favourite thing), devoid of any affectation. She is so different to Hollie Cook as a performer, but there is that same clear declaration of musicality in the way that she sings. There was an almost-yodel in Power of your Dreams, but that's as far as it got. Perhaps you could compare her singing to that of Joan as Policewoman, but her songwriting is very, very different. In Clémentine's chord cupboard there are Brazilian riffs, but also references to the Canterbury songwriting of Kevin Ayers. the latter is more apparent when she plays electric, but you could still hear whiffs of it in the acoustic performance. Yes, the songs... I always love it when I see someone and wish I'd written one of the songs. Lucie is such a song. As far as I can see, it's perfect. She played a couple of songs from her forthcoming album, Planets and Whispers. It was good to hear her challenging herself with new material in such an exposed setting- though she said that she loves playing in churches.
Terry is a multi instrumentalist and he played a piano interlude as the changeover took place. Ben then introduced Dominy Hooper, a cellist/guitarist from the West Country. She played a song about the perils of the countryside, called Hurricane, on electric guitar. Both the guitar songs and the cello songs reminded me of the Penguin Café Orchestra, who I really love. Her singing voice is strong and powerful and passionate, and it belnded particularly well with the cello playing.
After another Terry interlude, Isa Gordon took the final spot. Her music is much more folk-rooted in Scottish and American traditions, and she played from her new album, 8 Men. The first song, To The Wall, was acapella, then she played electric guitar along to a backing track. The subjects ranged from ancient advice to women to keep their pants on, to horrendous pig farms in Wiltshire, via War Pigs by Black Sabbath, where she demonstrated some superb guitar playing. Despite the folk origins of her work, there was a definite nod to Laurie Anderson in parts of her set.
Ian Damaged and Alison Wonderland were there and we had a nice chat. And Terry has just written a string quartet. In fact it was such a friendly session that I found myself talking to lots of people, including a conversation about Red Kites with the man on the door. Did you know they have been encouraged southwards down the M4 from Birmingham?
Well, that's it for today!
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