I have a confession to make. I didn’t know who Thunder were 😀
That is, until I heard their new album of acoustic reworking of their 80’s rock material. That was why they played the Bridgewater Hall with all of it’s seats. The album is called “Please Remain Seated”.
I thoroughly enjoyed myself. It was obvious the songs they did would be catchy whichever way they were performed. Must check out the original sounds sometime.
Dan Reed
Support was provided by Dan Reed – solo. I’m told by my other half that he has a band, but he was on his own for the Thunder gig.
I’ve subscribed to him on youtube music, so I must have liked what I heard. will definitely have to check him out again when he tours around here in future.
Haven’t missed the Fairport Winter tour in years. This is the first time seeing them at the Royal Northern College of Music though. In recent years, they’ve played the Lowry.
They were on form as usual, with a mix of old, not so old, and new material. The jokes fit into the same three categories 🙂
Four of Us
Support for the evening was provided by the (inaccurately named) Four of Us. Apparently they count the guitars as well… OK… Whatever…
The two of them, along with their guitars, had plenty of songs about growing up in Northern Ireland next to the border during the troubles. Worth checking out if they tour near to you.
The Deaf Institute is a cracking smaller venue. The lower floors are a pub that I really must try out some time, but the venue is at the top of the building.
There is very limited seating at the back of the room, and plenty of standing room in front. The quirky decoration adds to the character of the venue.
First saw Jarrod Dickenson supporting the Waterboys, and have seen him at this venue a couple of times since. Must like the place 🙂 Jarrod hails from Texas, and writes mostly miserable songs, but then again, most folkies do. He sometimes puts them to an almost cheery tune though.
Never been to a gig at the Victoria Warehouse before, and I don’t think it’s been open as a venue very long.
At 3,500, it nicely fills a gap for a standing venue that is bigger than the Academy (about 2300) and smaller the Arena (upto about 21,000 depending on the setup).
There were three acts on the bill, with Frank headlining, Jimmy Eat World second, and Grace Petrie openning up.
Don’t like missing support bands. The number of gigs I go to for bands I saw supporting someone else… Well, we got to see about half of Grace Petrie’s set because parking isn’t easy around the Victoria Warehouse. Never like “event parking” where you get parked in completely and have to wait until the people in the cars blocking you in have gone, before you go home. Ended up parking a few tram stops away and getting in that way. We’ll know in future I suppose 🙂
What I heard of Grace Petrie I enjoyed though. Might have to look at seeing her when she plays near here again.
Jimmy Eat World
I wouldn’t claim to know anything by Jimmy Eat World, but there were lots of people who evidently did. The atmosphere was bouncy, and I realised I did recognise a couple of tunes towards the end. Added them to my subscribed artists on youtube music, and The Middle has turned up a few times on my mix tape.
Frank was performing his 2301 gig with his band The Sleeping Souls. I left the place with a sore throat, a grin on my face, and wondering why I hadn’t seen Frank Turner before… The audience was a good mix of ages, and the atmosphere was friendly and LOUD 😀
The best Welsh songwriter you’ve probably never heard of.
Martyn Joseph
I’ve lost count of the times I’ve been entertained by this man. He’s been touring for decades, and has quite a back catalogue. The set was a nice balance between old favourites (like Dic Penderyn and Cardiff Bay) and new material like Here Come The Young.
This was the second time seeing him at one of my favourite venues, the Band on the Wall in Manchester.
First concert of the year was the lovely Edwina Hayes at Bury Met.
Edwina Hayes
I’ve seen this very talented singer / song writer several times at festivals, but this was the first time seeing her in a gig of her own.
She tells random stories between songs, and I don’t think she’s fully aware of how funny she can be. A very entertaining evening with a number of her own songs interspersed with a few covers.
If you’re new to this lady’s work, check out her ‘Pour Me A Drink’ album. The title track is a veritable ear worm, and is the track you’re likely to find first in a YouTube search.
2nd of January, so I suppose I should start by wishing everyone a Happy New Year! 🙂
Starting this blog isn’t a new year’s resolution though, I’ve been thinking about it for a while, and got the cannycapers.com domain at the same time as a business domain I needed.
I want somewhere to keep track of the fun things – Canny Capers – I get up to. Something to remind me of what I’ve seen, listened to, or done
If you enjoy any of my posts, or have anything to add to the discussion, please leave a comment.
