Author: blueestai

Categories
Acoustic Duo Folk Music Gentle Gig Indie Folk Nature Folk

19th April 2024- Honey and the Bear at The Wesley Centre, Maltby

Next for us in Maltby at the Wesley Centre Live we see Honey and the Bear, a Suffolk folk duo who have ventured here for the first time with a sound more towards the indie folk, and a soundscape of music exploring the natural world. It is a nice addition as the weather starts to turn better, and the clouds retreat just a little bit more. As always, this venue is great on sound quality, value, atmosphere and friendliness. We are always keen to promote these venues where they exist and have attention to detail of both the core music experience and the little welcoming niceties.

Honey and the Bear are a duo, but here they are joined by Evan Carsen (assorted percussion including a bodhran of some description) and Tony Shaer (violin, flute, numerous). They are all really good, Shear is a versatile instrumentalist, Carsen has a most fantastic array of percussionist tools at his array which he works magic with. If there was a way of describing the sound that comes from Honey and The Bear, it is the balming wind that sails through the leaves and under the heat of the high afternoon sun. Nature can seem timeless in the odd moments, the band here encapsulate that gentle Spring and Summer brightness that rarely exists in the UK. Nevertheless the one time it is a scorching day, it is baked into the memory of us old ‘uns and thought fondly of each time.

In terms of subject and spread of the set, we have songs that cover tales from their geography and industry, lesser known but accomplished celebrities, and the odd folklorist tale here and there. There is a lot to listen to, and a lot to enjoy, so we will give you a snapshot.

Let us start with what wets our whistle the most, the folklore. Here the band talk of and sing about “Black Shuck”, a black dog (if memory serves with eyes like “saucers”) who terrorises no-er do wells outside in Suffolk. With it’s drums pounding in simplicity, as an audience we indeed “fear the black dog” when it calls. Early in the set it highlight’s the duo’s natural tones away from large instrumentation, it cannot be beat. A lighter, more breezy number later on which is almost it’s mirror is “Tinker”, a palate-cleansing song, a ramble through nature and in a sense, pure sensation. The immersiveness of Honey and the Bear is hard to deny, and much like the song says, “the soul of the forest is drifting in”.

“Finn’s Jig” by Honey and the Bear

“Finn’s Jig” is from their album “Away Beyond the Fret” which concerns their little son Finn with the song being dedicated by his older sibling Ash to commemorate his being. Blazing with woodwind, it is expansive and optimistic, “we can be daring, we can be strong, we’ll be explorers, we’ll get the job done” it reminds of those artists who have encapsulated the world through their child’s eyes in sing such as Megson and Kate Rusby. Highly melodic and light it has a youthful essence that burns bright. Similarly in the set, there is also “The Swallow” a pacey, nature-bounding escapade into the wild, a road trip through the Summer and a song full of indie folk sensibility. Here you get a sense of “Honey and the Bear” as you listen to the playful intermix of major vocals, the gentle simmering backing vocal and the hayful footpedal leading forward the epitome of their image and sound.

“Over Land and Over Sea” is a good historical number that charts the work of people from Garrett’e Engineering Works with the “Living Van”. The engines that are transferred overseas are so big the driver would continue on with them in these vans, the name given to a wooden trailer that is towed behind for the worker to live in away from home. On delivery they would then have to return home without a vehicle to move them.. and this could take a while. The percussion is industrial, the guitar is moody, and Lucy’s voice is lifting, mysterious and willowy. It has a bounce and hypnotic quality like the introspection in the mind of a long distance driver coming up to Hamburg.

Honey and the Bear have a good setup with a generally gentle sound that is bolstered by a great harmony. This earthy, green sound is bolstered by an expansive number of instruments (seriously you cannot see the wood through the strings) which are played pitch perfect by all. Honey & The Bear are a band of balance, they have a few songs influenced by this and that, natural and man-made and it is all tied into that essence, that feeling of bird song and sunshine.

Wesley Centre Live has some more gigs starting in October, check out their Facebook page here.

More Information about Honey & The Bear can be found here.

Categories
Family Stories Folk Music Historical Ingush

3rd April 2024 – Daria Kulesh at Cafe #9, Sheffield

We return to Cafe #9 for the first time in a long while.

Small, cosy and bursting with colour and adventure in decor (and cake selection), we regret its taken this long to come back; the good coffee and music is always worth the journey. There is a gentle glow from the fire that burns away though cold edges, it is a place where it looks like magic is going to happen.

We come to see Daria Kulesh, a folk singer from Russia who has made roots in England over the past 15 years. Her music is described in the media as ““Haunting and enigmatic” by the Sunday Times, and “Intensely personal” by Twitchfolk, and overall something a bit different. Her music largely covers family stories and famous people of historical Russia and Ingushetia (North Caucaus). Daria’s music has been sharpened like a battle knife in recent years, she sings in a number of configurations such as part of Michell, Pfeiffer and Kulesh, and also as a duo with Marina Osman, but today she is by herself. When performing solo, her music turns a little to the East, bringing the promise of culture, family and personal recollection of a persecuted people. With these stories creates a sharp, bright gem of memory, something quite unusual and fascinating to an audience not in the know about her set.

Kulesh has picked up listeners from around the world for her tour; the set draws in online watchers too as her laptop has a bunch of people peering through their small windows into this little slice of comfort and hygge. In terms of what to expect, Kulesh’s voice is one of those classical sounding timbres, smooth and laced with spice that wrenches on the heart strings. It is no surprise that people come back to see her from afar. Her set is a mix of unaccompanied voice, shruti box and acoustic guitar too for when a change of pace is needed.

Daria set begins with it’s focus on the theme of marriage. There is “Safely Wed” a song about an arranged marriage which ends badly. A song on contrasts, it’s floaty “Oil and milk never mix, milk and bread much better bet” orbits the brilliant message of marrying for love, even when it might be less conventional to outside eyes. Even when Kulesh goes from the personal to the bigger picture, she returns often to these quiet stories throughout the set.

A recent addition to the playlist is Kulesh’s delve into the persona of the leader, nun and spirit in “Ataman”. Here she describes the main subject, Alyona of Arzamas, a 17th Century female rebel fighter like Joan of Arc as a religious leader and warrior. Having a life of studying medicine, becoming a nun and joining the peasants’ revolt she was burned at the stake when she was captured and would not reveal her secrets. In a rich contrast to a more humble stage persona, Kulesh brings the wrath and glowing hot coals of war as she sings, “If you burn me, I won’t scream”. It is one of her most energetic and relentless numbers; it is pretty fierce, like an Amur Tiger from Siberia. The song fits her set well, you could call it a song about “Girl Power” but Alyona would probably be able to crush the Spice Girls skulls. It is always a pleasure to hear about warrior nuns; there aren’t enough of them in the song or real world (they are probably practicising their chokeholds in secret).

Kulesh opened the book on a story about her Great Grandmother who married a pilot, which was an unconventional act as she had been married before; “The Moon and the Pilot” is one of her iconic tracks whose research for led her to travel to Ingushetia. Beautiful and poignant, it is an important track and popular track for Kulesh which is epic not just as a love story but with the background of the Ingush and their struggle following Stalin’s orders. It’s lyrics are like outstretched hands under twinkling moonlight, “Shine my moon, your face made of light. Let down you hair, black is the night”. Somewhat of a focusing laser for Kulesh’s strengths as a writer, the wonder of Ingush stories course through the songs like the butter in a Caucasus Chudu flatbread. There is a pride here, her love is exhibited for all to see, and like a satin cloak it is an incredible flourish to Kulesh’s general work.

A rousing point of the set for the audience is a rendition of “Those were the days” showcasing Kulesh’s multi-lingual talents as she sings this well-travelled song. She gives us verses in English, French, German and Russian. She glows in the wonder of this viral song, which she explains feels like a song that has taken root abroad in stronger soil than it’s home turf. It is much a story of Kulesh herself and her musical journey and very welcome here.

In summary, it’s a special night, one to revel in the spell-binding quality of music and story. It is always good to hear songs about far away and Kulesh is a master at making the distant close, and the different familiar. She has a quiet joy about Caucasus cultural history and her family story whose narrative in the UK folk music scene is not shared by anyone else we are aware of, but one she shares with so much enthusiasm.

More information can be found about gigs at Cafe #9 at https://www.wegottickets.com/Cafe9

#For more information about Daria Kulesh, go here.

Categories
Appalachian British Duo Folk Music Gig Political Protest Folk Urban

15th March 2024- Megson at Wesley Centre, Maltby

After having multiple plans since we first got into folk music; the stars aligned in the sky and we finally had the opportunity to see Megson live (here at The Wesley Centre in Maltby). Warm and inviting, and pretty much firing on all cylinders since we last visited around Covid times, Nick Wilson’s curation of artists is as solid as ever. In terms of the venue, everyone is welcome, the hall has great acoustics and sound setup (I have never heard any audio slip ups here, either major or minor), and it does exactly what it needs to. Before talking about the gig itself, we confirm that it is a great place to go, and a fun night. Supporting live music is important to us, so keep on top of what is happening through the Facebook page and check out if any of the upcoming artists pique your interest at: (https://www.facebook.com/wesleycentrelive).

Megson are a pretty prolific folk-duo comprising of Stu and Debbie Hanna who have been making albums since 2004 (they have released 9 albums up to now). What makes Megson a cool folk prospect for the ears is their nature as chroniclers of the modern living experience through song that draws on a slightly wider instrumentation than a pure singer-songwriter. These songs are often a little retro in subject matter (appealing to us 40+ types) and largely punctuated by songs of family experiences but they can range from numbers about social media, the news, a family that all play in a band together, going on a caravan holiday and lots more. We would say it is “kitchen sink folk” in the way that you think of a Northern play, but kitchen sink implies dark and gritty; Megson is not this, they approach with a much more optimistic take on things. This is all underwritten with experience as Stu has worked with several folk artists producing their records, and it shows in their own work which is exceptionally sharp, clean and punchy. Debbie is classically trained and adds a great musicality.

Energetic and upbeat throughout, Megson are a duo that appear to have a lot of craft in their connective tissue. Among the set there was a satisfying mix of traditional, an Appalachian number, some mild pokery-satire and some political tracks (both new and reappraised numbers) that keep things moving. There is some cute banter throughout, I don’t think we’ve heard as much about plaid and air fryer chips at a gig before.

In terms of songs, there are some notable inclusions that certainly entertain like “The Longshot”, a parable of hope framing within a football match, “The Old Miner”, a musing on working life led with Debbie’s glass vocals, and a cover of Chris Rea’s “Road to Hell” which seems to address the anticipation the audience had for this as a desired encore song. In our sights there is, “Every Night When the Sun Goes In”. We love that the Appalachian track is in the set like a cottontail raising it’s head above the embankment on the first day of Spring. There is some stillness to be had here in a quiet, spiritual; perhaps like a prayer in between peeling the potatoes and carrots. A fellow listener commented on the delicateness of the guitar playing which we could not disagree with.

One aspect of Folk Music we have discovered in out time of listening is that we love conceptual albums with a strong basis in the environment, the psycho-geographical pull of the mountain, the brook, the stream. Here, the duo brought back an older track, “The River Never Dies”, in lieu of out current landscape where polluted bodies of water full of sewage discharge are high in the news cycle. Catchy and evoking the song pulls on those fears rooted and analogous to the what has happened to the North East, it’s history and industry. It is personal, a tight and urgent number, a bit of an anthem and not at all a James Bond movie.

A song truly fitting to the “anthem” moniker is “We are better than this”, a number from their latest album which seems squarely in protest territory. It is bright, it’s light a bunsen burner cooking with a full open eye, the songs lyrics talk about “lords” and “ladies”, “carriages”, raising “veils” and so forth. In arms with some Dylan and well known riddling songs from the past (i.e. American Pie) it asks for something more, which will butter a lot of people’s bread. We do like a song or two that spin a yarn about these power structures.

This is quite a deceptive set. Megson do excel at the personal, but when you go back and look and at what they have written and performed you realise that there are quite a few bases covered through their musical career. The set includes a wider remit then we were expecting, and variety is always welcome. As performers they are slick and rehearsed as a barista made hot beverage team; Stu is like an early morning espresso, Debbie is a spiced chai. Together they are premier recorders of lives from this time, and their folky undertones should not be under-estimated. You are expecting a folk jab, but watch out for that folk hook- it might be closer than you think.

For more information about Megson and their music, check out their website here.

Categories
Folk Music Gig Horror

Sheffield Live Update Megapost #1 2024

The New Year is here, and so is this very delayed type up of a couple of shows we saw in 2023. It is delayed but important to talk about them before going forward. Let us get into this spicy combination of live music and theatre without further delay.

Ben McElroy plus Antique Doll – 10 November ’23

We return to Bishops House (Sheffield) for more electronic wonderment in association with micro label, Sonido Polifornico. This old home for modern performances, electronics and sampling is perfect for a late, dreamy and dark night.

First we see Antique Doll, a Sheffield duo of Fiona Jervis and Richard Gibson, whose image is probably recognisable to locals, as throughout town and in publications we have oft seen the slightly kitchy, retro image, the old telephone and washes of pastels seems to be all over. Described as having the sound of “eerie ’70s kids TV Shows” by Shindig magazine they cut a space of sound that is either sat right on, or at least a little adjacent to, a folk horror nightmare of a soundtrack.

The experience of the set is accentuated with a careful pick of visual accompaniment. There are cluttered visuals of leaves, sticks, piles with a girl whose very mind seems to be exploding on to the moving canvas. It is alchemical, there are jars in rows with suspect ingredients having pickled away for who knows how long. This makes a lot of sense as later on we find out if is a Russian Alice in Wonderland with a liberal use of stop motion. It is a hypnotic loop that affirms the experience of the early act.

There is a selection of tracks to be had, there is a performance of “The Grip and the Twine”, the quiet interludes of pre-lockdown “You Got This” (from a time the band admits was not largely productive), and of course, Rocking Horse, “you should have spoken, if it was broken”. The band’s sound is a channel of quiet tragedy, though their scattering of little numbers has the bright colourisation of that badge jacket your best friend has. Their songs are a contrast between those shiny reminders of places you have spread your wings to and the jarring finality of an old telephone call with a bad line that writhes with the hisses and crackles of the clipped voice and scratchy line. A quiet, bullfinch of a set to start the evening.

Ben McElroy participates in “folk based experiments” and specialises in creating (mostly) instrumental soundscapes that wash over the mind and drip into your pool of thoughts. With a large inclusion of one of his later albums “Beacons of Wilderness” to the set (his ninth); McElroy’s confidence grows as he adds more vocal layers in fore and background to evoke what is happening within. His set starts with a looping fiddle, a calm and slow drone. The guitar is then added and the room becomes a quiet vortex of a green wilderness. A plane splutters off in the distance; the wind rushes around but at first doesn’t make a sound. The track builds to a soothing, idyllic day before a reflection washes over like the quiet drops of water on forest leaves. McElroy The soundscape gently rises and falls into the trees, nature is impishness as it reveals it’s thoughts through the tune in this title track of “Beacons of the Wilderness”. His later inclusion of “Stinkhorn”, a mushroomy aside, echos this but instead that it is characterised more by a kind of fumbling, a rumble of sound and the hint of a bark scent underneath the track. The soil of the song is a compacted hum with a bright promise of strings over the top.

We are also treated to “We wandered through memory”, a more human-centred work drawing on McElroy’s work in residential homes. It comes and goes, bright like the sun in a care home garden on a lazy afternoon, it’s flute and harmonies raising the spirit up high. The memories and history dance and are honoured in the way you would hope a nearest family member would be in such a place. McElroy’s set also takes us out of the local and into the wider world with “The Sailor and the Albatross”, a long drone-heavy example of an environmental song about the climate crisis that seemingly calls out from the earthly core itself.

Intimate and evocative as ever, the Sonido Polifonico events at Bishops House (https://www.facebook.com/sonido.polifonico/) continue to excite and intrigue with more events on the way.

Scarred For Life 12 November ’23

Television and film is not what is used to be.

Well that’s what a lot of people who look back into their past with a sense of warm nostalgia might say to you when you try to be evangelical about the newest-hotness. For every Marvel film, there is something by Cary Grant but, obviously it is all a subjective game of taste, art and personal preference lest we all be boring robots. In other instances nostalgia can be anything but comforting and it will take a distintly dark turn with us remembering the trauma of something terrifying we saw on our screens from our childhood (whether intentional or not).

As part of a tour of “Scarred For Life: Folk Horror”, a duo of fine purveyors of such a memory (Stephen Brotherstone, co-author of “Scarred for Life” and Bob Fischer, broadcaster of folklore/writer of the uncanny and unsettling) came to the University of Sheffield Drama Studio as part of the “Performance Venues”, “Three iconic venues, one university, endless opportunities” (https://performancevenues.group.shef.ac.uk/). Here the performers dig up scary old content to purposely poke and tickle our childhood traumas somewhat and evoke that sense of dread all over again.

Currently situated within what is regarded as a “boom” of “folk horror” in television and film, the show does a good job of introducing the idea of this genre with examples such as the exceedingly well known (The Wicker Man, Witchfinder General) to the more obscure (Bagpuss, Worzel Gummidge), aspects of culture that “scarred us for life”, and the historical and sociological events that shaped this genre. We loved the presentations around ’70s and ’80s television, especially the observations about the bleak, cruel and intentionally scary atmosphere of public service commercials. It also satisfied by shining a light on the witchcraft boom in the 70’s by reference to the ’71 docuementary “Power of the Witch” and some of the media offshoots from this. We look forward to when they tackle the 90’s which was when I was indeed in WH Smith buying “Prediction” magazine.

It is worth seeing just for their observation of when they believe the UK achieved “Peak Folk Horror” and a trip down nostalgia lane (even for those of us not around in the 70’s) as a means of getting even more ideas of things to watch from a much more unregulated time where the occult and horror was awash in society. They point out all the tropes here and that aspect of the first half culminates in a helpful and entertaining summary in the guise of a skit they call, “The Sex Witches of the Fens”.

There is social media for Scarred for Life (https://twitter.com/ScarredForLife2) as well as an excellent podcast where they speak to celebrities about what has left more than a mark on their childhoods (https://www.youtube.com/channel/UCP2yMUdunE11Qvo8WqOEkNg).

For reference (if the presenters are reading), here are my top three scarring bits of programming from by youth:

Princess Mombi from 1985’s dark and downbeat sequel to the Wizard of Oz, “Return to Oz”
SV7, a character from “Robots of Death” (Dr. Who).
Chucky from “Child’s Play” (1988)

The “Scarred For Life” team have some excellent books covering evverthing you can imagine from the 70’s and 80’s, please look here:

https://www.lulu.com/shop/stephen-brotherstone-dave-lawrence/scarred-for-life-volume-one/paperback/product-12qmgr65.html?page=1&pageSize=4

Categories
Horror Theatre

Gravest Fears – Theatre Review- University of Sheffield (29 Oct 23)

A picture of Robert Lloyd Parry looking academically perplexed with a pipe his mouth in the spitting image of M R James

We are off to see Nunkie Productions (https://www.nunkie.co.uk/) touring show of “Gravest Fears” as part of their M R James Project, spreading ghost stories through the land; those wonderous things that thankfully don’t ever die. The show is in association with the Enable Us Project at the University of Sheffield (https://performancevenues.group.shef.ac.uk/enable-us/) which has been showing some excellent shows as part of it’s programme.

Our return to the University of Sheffield Drama Studio is a suitable one for this show as the venue isn’t too much of a behemoth, open space that could (without modification) leave you feeling on the outside. This is a contained show that is helped by you feeling you are in the room with the narrator as if in modest urban townhouse.

Gravest Fears is a show structured around two stories from M R James which are narrated by Robert Lloyd Parry. Parry looks the part and has considerable pedigree in this department having playing him for Mark Gatiss’ BBC2 documentary and having performer and reported on across teh United States. As he sits in the chair he has the feeling of a storyteller comfortable in his own domain, yet portrayals the slight unease at the subjects of the stories well. He pour his spirits next to his table festooned with picture frames and other paraphenalia of a man of antiquary and delivers the stories true to that of a seasoned storyteller, not just someone reading from a page. There is a light the actor and the table, and little else needed here; the listener has to imagine the goings on much like they were reading the book themselves.

The first story is “The Stalls of Barchester”. Parry here is performing as the scholar Dr Black who is looking through an old diary and other assorted pieces from Dr Haynes, an Archdeacon who died at the Barchester Cathedral approximately 50 years ago (to the early 1800s). Once the evidence starts getting read, the reconstruction of events begins and what initially seems like the unlucky death of a previous Archdeacon, becomes something with a much creepier undertone.

Firstly, Parry certainly suits the part. “The Stalls of Barchester” is a story that in particular that highlights M R James’ scholarly interests and his family involvement in the church setting. Parry brings this element to the fore in his characterisation with his quiet enthusiasm for finding the 1814 records and a kind of driving mix of agnosticism of circumstance and the academic air of someone who wants to study the phenomena in front of their eyes and apply reason. The actor also carries the slightly dry love of the details, facts and biblical references you would expect to be close to M R James. The strength of this story for us is the little elements that hint at a pervading folk horror, the memories in our environment (here the Hanging Tree and intentions of the wood carver). The notion that one’s own moral failings causes Dr Haynes to be at the mercy of these strange circumstances is interesting and reminds a lot of the morality at the centre of fairy tales and the Old Testament.

Next there is “An Episode of Cathedral History”. This story looks at a mysterious tomb that is discovered in the church in the background to a plot where the Archdeacon Burscrough is forcing through renovation to Southminster Cathedral in line with a Gothic Revival style. This one shows the range of Parry as he inhabits the characters of the everyday verger (Mr Worby) both as his adult self and as a child getting up to mischief (and seeing more than he should) as well as a rather bullheaded, pompous Archdeadon Burscrough and a historian husband-wife team that go to write up the progress of the renovation. Parry gets into the spirit of things and lingers quite well in the right places such as where we peer into a coffin, look in the darkness or feel the pure disbelief of Worby’s father at what is seen. This story is the more pacy and immediate of the two.

It is a good idea to arrange the stories in this fashion. The “Stalls of Barchester” is like a details-heavy reflection of M R James mind and life with it already happening and the main character investigating like M R James himself looking into old literary sources. The second story is you discovering things as they enfold, a larger set of characters, and plenty to energise the audience as the tension grows; it is effective being after the intermission.

In summary, this performance brings to mind exactly the atmosphere and method of delivery that M R James would have intended and desired. It does not have the flash of elaborate set-pieces or technology, multiple actors or extensive attempts to rework the content in new ways; but it doesn’t need to. To say it is simply telling a story isn’t really doing it justice. It’s focus on the narrator allows the audience to imagine with their inner eye the horror, and Parry’s role as the gatekeeper to this old time horror on this wet and cold night is the perfect one.

Categories
Festival Horror Short Films

Celluloid Screams: Film Shorts (20 Oct)

For a change of pace from folk music reviews we decided to attend the Celluloid Screams horror festival in Sheffield. We needed to get some horror on while the spirit of Halloween was just around the corner, albeit sadly just for a day.

There were many films, it was delightful blur of memorable pictures.

We wanted to share our thoughts, so in our first post we wanted to talk about the short films we saw:

:

THE WYRM OF BWLCH PEN BARRAS

(https://www.wyrmfilm.com/)

Director / Writer: Craig Williams

Release: December 2023

Our first short of the day is a Welsh one drawing on a constructed folklore which will hit the right notes with many people, including those fans of historical tales which might have influenced the story such as the the River Taff Worm or even the Lambton Worm. The main difference here though, is that nobody has a hankering for milk.

There are some delightful rural shots, the terror here is not really from the dark but the wind. Among the confused, slightly reticent sun you get the sense of an early chill; the forcing of unwilling bones to go and do “what has to be done”, and the core of this horror that “to go forward we must look back”.

Like many a good film with Folk Horror at the core, much of the fear is in the mind and the landscape. This is complimented well by the characters on their journey. All the actors represent a different face to what is happening be it the person who has seen too much (Morgan Hopkins), the muscle who has a kind of complicated approval of things (Seán Carlsen), the stalwart yet saddening person in charge (Bryn Fôn), and the resigned pariah (Morgan Llewelyn-Jones). Victoria Pugh sets up the dread and fear early on too as someone else in the know.

This is a slick short that captures the mood. You do believe this hidden community shame; there are little nuances that spark and add quite a bit, i.e. when a character is berated for standing in the road waiting; the secrecy and urgency is there in the character’s eyes.

The terror of the landscape and the old ways is strong in this short. We hope it is a success, it is the kind of thing we hesitantly get out of bed for.

STOP DEAD

(https://www.otherbrotherstudios.co.uk/stop-dead)

Writer: David Scullion

Director: Emily Greenwood

Release: 12 October 2023

Next up is “Stop Dead”, a bloody crisis that takes part on a country road. Two police officers have pulled over and a dishevelled woman approaches. Then things take a turn for the worst.

For us, “Stop Dead” is a pretty good proof of concept for something bigger. It has the ingredients of a recipe for something really intriguing. There are two main characters at odds with each other, the terrifying visage of a broken, terrified person in the middle of nowhere, and an antagonist with some room for lore to be built around.

As the promotional picture shows, the lighting is especially good and deathly in this film. The makeup effects are top notch (Priya Blackburn’s Jennifer is a pale, scary visage) and the fate of one of characters reminds very much (in the best way) of that in a 1997 Canadian horror.

Prior to seeing the short, we saw no promotional material. If we had seen the tag line, we would have understood the particular rules of this scenario (“not to stop”) but for some inexplicable reason (it is probably mentioned in the film), it did not occur to us that this was the cause of everyone’s problems. As a result the final scenes were initially confusing to us. It might have been glaringly obvious, but we did not notice.

Even this misunderstanding did not take away the potential for an interesting villain take or stop us appreciating the set piece that was there in all it’s moodiness.

ONLY YOURSELF TO BLAME

(https://player.bfi.org.uk/free/film/watch-only-yourself-to-blame-2023-online)

Director / Writer: Noomi Yates

Release : 14 October 2023

Self-described as a feminist body horror, “Only Yourself to Blame” evokes a strong sense of panic, fear, and signals traumatic memories of assault in an almost ballet-like dance whose central choreographed scene is startling.

Artistic in presentation and strikingly conceptual in setting, the vehicle for this short is undoubtedly the emotions of the main characters (Simone and Pervis), and the menace that is all around. This foundation of acting makes the piece flourish but there are other good choices too.

The makeup and presentation in a particular scene are well selected. With this theme in the wrong hands there is a danger it could be over-the-top and a risk that the real horror could be played for cheap thrills, especially when the film is going for a serious tone. There is never a danger of that here though, and like all good media with an underlying social message, the spirit of hope is also strong and clear.

The film does a lot with the time has and it’s setting is particularly isolating and creepy, a great achievement.

WOLF WHISTLE

(https://filmfreeway.com/RUN137)

Director / Writer: Jennifer Handorf

Release: August 2022

One of the shortest of the films we see, “Wolf Whistle” is nevertheless an interesting and necessary watch.

There is a runner going to run out at night. Not much can be given away, but this is a blunt instrument of a film, and a necessary one at that. The frustrations and anger of the director/writer are very much felt here, and the tension feels very real.

The manifestations within the film are incredibly well-received at the festival. Along with the other short in their segment, this one seems to elicit the most outward expressions of positivity from the crowd. There is air punching to be sure.

TRANSYLVANIE

(https://www.imdb.com/title/tt28434810/)

Director: Rodrigue Huart

Writers: Rodrigue Huart / David A. Cassan / Axel Wursten

Release: 22 August 2023

Transylvanie is a French short that captures the soul in a distinctly sweet way. The main character Ewe (Katell Varvat) believes that she is a vampire and is looking to turn someone to stand by her and rule this province of apartment blocks. She calls on her powers to face her lonliness and looks on at her neighbours from on high.

Delightfully cute and quirky, this central premise takes place within a space of play as several of the teenage characters hanging out in the urban space together with Ewe being considered he outsider from every conceivable angle.

Probably the most popular short of the day, Transylvanie’s heart is comedic as Ewe’s seious proclamations, Hugo’s wonder (Lucien Le Ho) and Gwen’s (Emma Gautier) exasperation combine into a quietly charming mystery that with Ewe’s conviction makes hard to know for certain what the truth of the matter is.

Characterful and sharp in filming and dialogue, this is a short that probably resonates with that young wonder of horror that latter blossoms to full on fandom.

POOL PARTY

Director / Writer: Ellie Stewart

Release: 2023?

The last short we see for Friday at Celluloid Screams is Canadian short film, “Pool Party”.

We start by seeing a slumber party through the eyes of Freya (Glen Dela-Cruz) and feel her pain as from the beginning she wants to escape the pain that is talking awkwardly about intimate personal grooming and being made to participate in the coming-of-age ritual of getting leathered on cheap spirits.

This short feature surprises though as the awkwardness of growing pains turns into something else together. As the short progresses it becomes like a hazy dream, the bright colours glare and the pastels swirl and blend. Most of all, the piece describes the fears of this transformative time, but also the wonder of it and the self discovery of sexuality.

Warm and rewarding with some excellent prosthetics, this short brings the heat, excitement as well as pain, of young adulthood to the fore.

Categories
Duo Electronic Folk Music Folk Stories Gig Roud Trad Covers

Live Review: Burd Ellen, Carusias Arise!, and Aeourth (5th October)

Bishops House

Recently we got a chance to revisit Bishops House for a gig. Bishops House is a venue close to heart as this where I got married last year. This was not the Bishops House I remembered though. True the building is still intact, the old wood looking regal under the dark sky, but on entering to a three-part gig we have been invited to, we notice a pure ocean of electronics, be it loop peddles, samplers and many many forms and functions we had no idea about. The lights all blink their own rhythm in their own space and time like peddlers shouting out their wares and overlapping each others voices in the dark.

As part of Sensoria (the festival) and Sonido Polifonico (the micro label), we look forward to an evening of sounds and visuals with the intention of escapism, inner thought and at times mild terror.

Aeourth

The night starts with Aeourth. The floor is surrounded by his instruments, the mood is set as he kneels down to start the music. There is something about the start of the session that sounds cellular, quiet at times with a biological hum. The sounds transition into the feeling of tiny pricks of legs, the skittering of spiders as everything shuffles as if navigating in the micro-world.

Throughout there is a sense of awe, the soundscape is growing from small to large. Flashes of a powerful figure appear on the screen, and we move to a tunnel and the sea as it fades in and out of view. . You feel water Aeourth brings out a fiddle bow and bows on a guitar. Later he plucks what looks like a dulcimer, and as the electronic soundscape seems full of bells, we see reeds and the sound becomes all so oppressive. It comes full circle and feels small, microsopic but the visuals and sound combine and it sounds like tiny invisible robots swinging limbs, maybe nanobots; the piece hints at something dark to come later in human society (maybe).

A good introduction to the rest of the evening. Whilst we are sure no harm came to the violin bow or guitar strings, the sound it produced was rather hair-raising (to a fiddle player myself) and traumatic in all the best ways.

Carusias Arise!

Next up was Carusias Arise! Starting in a dark wood, you see a silhoutte of a Male figure, and the set takes off from there. The artist has a number of switches and buttons, and as the sounds emerge he chants over the top, we are not sure for certain but it seems at one point there is reference to a cradle, (we might have misheard this). Like a trance, the visuals back up the looping performance, severe splashes and dashes of colour combine and explode to form an eye that watches, and the lines spiral around and around in an electronic terror. The performance hints at the horror at the fringes of knowledge and experience while sometimes showing glimmers of hopefulness. The artist chants over the top reaching inward, like a commanding inner voice or conscience. The whole sessions ends with an anxiety, a feeling of dread even, but all-in-all this slightly trippy experience has been a good one.

Burd Ellen

The last segment of the night is Burd Ellen, the acclaimed electro-folk duo of Debbie Armour and Gayle Brogan. There is much anticipation, and we have been keen to see them for a while. We were treated to their project of “Neither Witch Nor Will Warlock” a commissioned piece for the WITCH // HAG Festival (how good does that sound?).

Burd Ellen are recognised by the BBC, the Guardian and Songlines, and frankly, can see what the fuss about. When the music is combined with Kieran Milne’s evocative landscapes and visualisations, something special happens indeed. A sense of brightness and optimistic starts with the efflorescent light, the musical well that we begin by peering into. The video starts with a walk over the fields and of the whipping grass as the woods approach.

This image has an empty alt attribute; its file name is 20231005_213338-768x1024.jpg

When we get there, we hear the affecting, cutting words and the atmospheric chimes of “The Lovers”; Burd Ellen’s take on a version of “Maiden Hind” [Roud 205]. The song’s tragedy around personally discovered incest between siblings and tragedy has the soundings of doom. You do not see the act, but the track grinds like a heavy metal tool on an anvil. It feels like the weight of society’s disapproval crushing the joy of a carefree, fun act with a misery. The worlds of the brother’s life at sea and that of the woods of the sister collide in the display, the sun ends somewhat blindingly implying a malady of the mind yet to come.

When it moves to the sea, we get some fiddle strings, swirly clouds and the drone of more misfortune to come with a rendition of “The Lass of Lochroyan”. The earthy, ill-fortunes of the people in these stories resonate against the power of the Witch at the centre. She pulls the strands of fate as the Tarot flashes up in a sequence and the esoteric takes over.

Well worth the wait, this magickal exhibition of forms is a collision of occult art, folk music and storytelling in all the best possible ways.

Categories
Acoustic Appalachian Bluegrass Duo Folk Music Gig Trad Covers

Derby Folk Weekend – 1 October 2023

On the final day of the Derby Folk Weekend after being buoyed by the proceedings thus far, we come to the final run of acts.

We have enjoyed the variety and the different flavours of the folk world, and the final day continued this trend.

Old Spot

(www.oldspotmusic.com)

Having already skirted (or dipped in an out of) some Appalachian numbers previously with the Magpies Duo, we awake to the background of the sun shining over the mountaintop and go full Old-Timey with the band “Old Spot”. Old Spot is comprised of Rowan Pigott and Joe Danks playing fiddle and banjo respectively as they tackle the melting pot that is this region’s music. If you search for “Old Spot” pigs on Google you will undoubtedly find a description of them as “a hardy breed able to cope with most conditions” and having a reputation as an “excellent forager”. This is a funny but accurate description of their reach towards this genre of music.

For their set we see and hear some marvellous numbers be it starting with “Louis Collins” a Mississippi John Hurt murder ballad with an enigmatic origin and subject matter, “the angels laid him away, laid him six feet under the clay”. Another great number was the Aberystwythian, Red Kite track, “Fly That Red Kite”. Delicately played it is both the hangover response and some of the previous night’s revelrie floating in the distant vision much like the collection of Red Kites and sore head that inspired the track. A rich, bitter travelling number, “Otter Creek” is a contemporary old-time number written by Brad Kolodner that still oozes atmosphere despite the downsizing from additional hammered dulcimer and double bass.

We get the feeling that Old Spot were more like a “Dark Horse” than a pig, as their merch stall gets swamped afterwards. They have clearly lit the beacon on Mount Mitchell and they (the audience) have all gathered.

Kieran Towers and Charlotte Carrivick

(http://www.towerscarrivick.co.uk/)

The vibe continues with an established duo of artists who have their own hands in interpreting Appalachian Music. It is good to see this combination of artists for a snapshot in Derby as they have been all over, and it is doubly good that the high energy, generous enjoyment of this old music is as interesting as it was around the first time we saw them (when they were just starting out as a duo, in what seems like another world).

There were many tunes that warmed like the late morning sun, “Wolve a-Howling” is a good one invoking the lupine presence on a balmy prairie. A fairly fast number, the fiddle and banjo sparkles as always. Similar animal-centric there is the even more frantic scramble which is “We’ll Die In The Pig Pen Fighting” a raucous, sweeping melody that in it’s succint way describes a pig describing how they will escape. In terms of a plan, Chicken Run it is not. They also gave us a version of one of our favourites, “The Blackest Crow” which works due to the characterful fiddle work by Towers and Carrivick’s mournful voice par excellence. A hot combination following the Old Time early morning we had just heard.

As a cool bonus, Towers & Carrivick teamed up with Old Spot to play together at the end of the set, see our sample here. Excellent stuff.

Trish & Mark Kerrison with
Fi Fraser- “From Como Boy to Coram Girl”

After a bit of a break we return to something quite a bit different. “From Como Boy to Coram Girl” a story described as one about, “war, work and love – travels through the Industrial Revolution”. A gentle and affecting story that spans the Alps, the lace industry in Nottingham, Liverpool and the sea there is a lot to like with this performance. Aspects of this play reminded us of how far we have come, and hearing my own family’s stories of the experiences of mothers out of wedlock and how society treated them. There is not much we want to give away, but the throughline of acoustic guitar and song paints a vivid picture, especially when a member of the family the story follows was in the audience listening.

Certainly something different for the final day of the festival, but like previous festivals in Derby, it is especially nice to have something a bit more theatrical in the mix.

Katie Spencer

(HOME | Katie Spencer)

What can we say about Katie Spencer? An artist new to us, but one who inspires people who are fans of Joni Mitchell and Michael Chapman an their style of singer/songwriter stylings. Spencer’s set was the kind of stuff you go to festivals for with it’s contemplative, emotional welded strings and moody bite, it is an understatement to say we were impressed.

Spencer’s “The Edge of a Land” is much like many of her other works, steeped in the industrial heart of Hull and it’s changing face and role. Her voice evokes another time, and here she uses it to vibrate the sinews of the sea as they lose hold of the memories they keep. “Shannon Road” is a snapshot to a place where Spencer weaves a picture of an old road she returns to with the hints of the characters underneath, her spiralling voice and lyricism prods the exterior of the area to see the shades of light and dark within. There is much else to like here including her commission from the Yorkshire Folk Archive, the “Shipyard of Beverley” and “Forevermore”, a newer song which had the feeling of the “silver lining” on dark clouds.

We don’t purport to be naturally enthusiastic to solo guitar artists and their work, it usually takes something a bit more special to hook us in. Katie Spencer has spun the mind around with her introspective lyrics that when paired with voice and guitar peel back and intrigue is in the best way of the phenomenon that is music.

Doug Eunson and Sarah Matthews

(Doug Eunson and Sarah Matthews DUO)

The penultimate performance is a well-received and anticipated performance by Doug Eunson and Sarah Matthews. A set littered with old favourites and drawing on collections familiar to trad fans, they are a strong, accomplished duo who bolster the entire festival.

Probably the funniest, cleverest lyrics of the festival we strongly remember a rendition of Robert W Service’s “In Praise of Alcohol” that was sung, it’s comedy only getting bigger by the second. Folk mainstay, “John Barleycorn” also made an appearance to which everyone raised their voices in joy, and of course, knew the words. We were also treated to a melodic, beautifully performed “Willie’s Lady” about a disapproving mother capable to giving out curses (one of our favourite stories in folk). Eunson and Matthews have great chemistry, their voices fit like chocolate and peanut butter. They are definitely a duo to see if you like if you enjoy your folk music adorned closer to your picture of traditional tunes, albeit with great composition, performance and reworking. Think of Steve Reeves with a loin cloth, classic.

Tarren

(tarrenmusic.com)

Ending the festival, we come to Tarren a fairly young, fresh but pedigreed group of artists (Sid Goldsmith, Alex Garden, and Danny Pedler) whose skills cover the concertina, cittern, fiddle and accordion. There is a lot that stirs and excites in this groups music and their takes on classic compositions. Hornpipes and irregular fiddle tunings aplenty, we look forward to the show they are putting on.

“Hot Wax” is a fantastic original tune conceived as a kind of “slow jig”. It wanders, and much like the substance drips flashes of heat and energy as it progresses. A steady tune, the mix-up of instruments is sweet but with a rough, granular edge; it isn’t showy, but rather reflective and hypnotic. “Rigs of the Time” is like a spiky gauntlet, it catches on a social feeling in whatever age it is worn really, but its constant reminder of corruption and feelings. Tarran continue the tradition of inventing new verses now, and several will probably continue into the endless future where there exploiters, greed, and people who have power over others. One of our favourites from their set, their instruments make a groove in the vinyl of our society.

Categories
Acoustic Americana Appalachian British Duo Electronic Folk Music Gig Historical Trad Covers Traditional

Derby Folk Weekend – 30 September 2023

After the events of the first day, the second day at Derby Folk Weekend really kicked into gear and we were delighted to see known artists and some new faces who have been making the rounds on our social media feeds.

Apologies must be made as we were unable to go and see the political powerhouse that is Maddie Morris (https://www.maddiemorrismusic.co.uk/), or the stalwart Winter Wilson (https://winterwilson.com/) during our stay, though they would undoubtedly be well received by the audience. There were a few artists that we managed to see:

Frankie Archer

(https://frankiearchermusic.com/)

Frankie Archer is an artist who relatively described as, “a bold mash of electro alt-trad”. We are certainly inclined to agree with this descriptive statement.

Archer’s use of loop peddles and other technology along fiddle do the job of honouring the Northumbrian tradition and leaning on the inherent sadness or joy of the tracks without distorting them all out of recognition. Think of a shiny slinky, coiled and full of kinetic energy which to the unsuspecting child is an explosive, magical stepping instrument of movement and purpose.

Archer’s version of the old, old tune “Lucy Wan” is a good, personally grief-stricken take of the old murder ballad from the woman’s perspective. The samples drip behind the fiddle foreshadowing the grisly end, and whilst the brother of the piece does not get his comeuppance, so to speak, his guilt plays a darker course in end. Archer continues her wealthy showcase of her home area with a lively rendition of “Elsie Marley” that weds you to the time and place, as well as “Peacock Follows The Hen”, sounding more like it’s self then some of the other numbers. Archer is a fresh, assured start to the second day, an artist that should certainly assure all those electronic soundscape tinkerers and trad lovers that there is always room for reinterpretation. This along with her determination and drive for women’s persepective in folk make her a must see for us.

Jim Moray

(https://jimmoray.co.uk/)

We then put our hands together for Jim Moray.

Moray is the kind of artist with an esoteric mix of songs and subjects that are really appealing such as the curious “The Straight Line And The Curve”, a song about John Dee, an occult advisor to Elizabeth or, the exceptionally strong closer to the session, “Sounds of Earth” detailing the Voyager spacecraft and the audio recordings stashed on it. Moray himself is a lynchpin in several aspects of the modern folk scene with his indelible mix of traditional songs and original material, and his application of producing skills in support of newer artists such as Frankie Archer.

The audience seemed in particular anticipation for Moray, most likely because of his grounding in traditional numbers (a Child ballad, a broken token, a classical regional piece) and the variety he trundled along with him. A nice treat was him taking the stage with Frankie Archer to perform the aforementioned “broken token” song, “Jenny Of The Moor” , a beautiful inclusion to a good set. Moray has an enviable reach and seems to be especially dedicated to the folk scene, we look forward to seeing more.

Threaded

(https://threadedmusic.com/)

As the darkness is looking to fall, the evening lineup starts with an intriguing group from our homeland (The Midlands). Comprised of Jamie Rutherford (guitar/lead vocals), Ning- ning Li (violin/vocals) and Rosie Rutherford (clarinet/vocals), Threaded’s sound is not merely a vein of optimism but rather a left ventricle pumping in the spirit of high adventure and fun into proceedings. Their music is not initially familiar to us, but there is a spark which resonated somewhere and then we realised why. They have been involved with Red Earth Theatre, the excellent Deaf-accessible, story-telling wondermachine that we have previous reviewed (see our review of Soonchild from the annals of history here). This explains why their wide-eyed creativity and joy has a place with us.

There is a lot to like to here starting with; “The Colony”, an unruly, bright song about massive ants, “The Lady Next Door”, a situated and loving piece about one of Rutherford;s neighbours, and a newer number “Raven Road”, a song full of warning and woe. Threaded’s music has a kind of family-friendly wonderment about it. You could call them the “E.T.” of the folk world as their tunes are the musical equivalent of the fruits of Steven Spielburg’s producing flair. If you get the chance, you should check them out.

The Magpies

(https://www.themagpiesmusic.com/)

The late part of the evening was allowed to soar a little higher with a chance to see The Magpies Duo (Bella Gaffney and Holly Brandon), the TransAtlantic Folk Band that hops all around the musical variations of the Atlantic. We have been vaguely aware of their journey whilst we were becoming new parents but missed them on the live circuit following this and Covid and everything else, so this was a rare pleasure. Their music is always moving like a bee collecting bits of pollen and influences from all over.

There is the earnest sounding “No More Tears” from the “Tidings” album, a quiet but forthright break-up song, the bouncing “Colin’s Set”, a modern tune written by Holly and arranged by the group, and the old-time Appalachian Song “Fall on My Knees” of (as the group rightly points out) a guy being “overly dramatic”. Their set was characterised by a dry humour, and excellent musicianship from their growing catalogue. They also gave the crowd what they wanted with (what they are well known for) their cover of the Eurythmics, “Sweet Dreams (Are Made of These)” that takes the jazzy electric synth and holds it down to an earthy, woody folk standard.

So all in all, a great second day, stay tuned for our third and final day writeup!

Categories
Acoustic British Chill Duo Festival Folk Music Folk Pop Gig Singer-Songwriter Traditional

Derby Folk Weekend – 29 September 2023

This year we managed to get to the Derby Folk Weekend.

Not quite as large as it has been previous, it still continues to get a good selection of artists from across the folk genre and it all takes place in the Old Bell Hotel (one of our favourite venues).

There are some other exhibitions going on around the Market Square, we hope to get to these in due course.

On the first night after setting our weary feet and joyful heart down for a whisky, we were able to see three(ish) acts from the first night: The Herron Brothers, Blair Dunlop, and Leveret.

Herron Brothers

(https://theherronbrothers.com/)

It all started for us in the front bar with The Herron Brothers; we were running a little late and did not settle for too long. What we heard was encouraging, bright and a cheerful pop act that had character. From what we have seen they are like Mirror Universe Gallagher brothers bringing the cheer to Derby in their own rather than projecting an image of fighting you for your bag of chips, like a seagull. Independent music is great and this band is carving a place with some cool music.

Before moving on we have to plug their clip of “Babu”, what a great, joyous listen.

Blair Dunlop

(https://blairdunlop.com/)

Then, from nearer our neck in the woods, Blair Dunlop arrives from sunny Chesterfield. Dunlop is a good entry to ticketed part of the festival with a mix of mellow, insightful in his acoustic performance. He credits Jim Moray as being a big influence (which seems to be a theme emerging in this festival so far) and, like Moray, he has found a plethora of interesting topics to tackle be it recent historicals or more obscure interests, (The expenses scandal, a Porsche, and condiments).

Dunlop is like a rag and bone man, he has a bit of something for everybody. For us we were particular enamoured by “Sweet on you” (a bad relationship, but a good melody) which has a hook as good as Arturo Gatti, “In the day I think you are trouble, in the night I’m sweet on you”. We also enjoyed the time travelling nature of “Spices From the East” which brought back a historical talk we had on a guide tour of the Salt Mines near Krakow. Fascinating, beautiful place and also a metaphor-filled spice rack of good lyrics once again. Check out the link below for the previous release for “Sweet On You”.

Leveret

(https://www.leveretband.com/)

Leveret don’t really need much introduction for those swimming in the pool of traditional music. For many, they are probably “all about the playing”; as they said themselves on stage, “We don’t talk much”. They actually talked more than you might expect with this sentiment, but there were definitely some interesting stories from the road alongside the continuing excellent musicianship.

We’ve seen them a couple of times and hadn’t been aware of the changing roles they take during their sets depending on how they feel. Such fluidity must come from a place of prior technical excellence and practice. We loved the abundance of hornpipes, including the 3/2 ones such as “The Good Old Way” which is the tune that always instantly springs to mind when we hear their name. A beautiful change of pace was the set of airs, “The Height of Cader Idris” with “Jack a Lent”. The first tune certain conveys a kind of majesty within it’s performance, “Jack a Lent” has serious Spring overtones and probably less of the implied dark contradiction in this rite than you would imagine. If you want a listen, take a listen below:

An impressive entry to the Folk Weekend covering a few different bases in the musical tradition. There is a lot to like here and much more coming up for the Derby Folk Weekend https://www.derbyfolkfestival.co.uk/