Today’s acts are, in order of appearance: James ‘Bar’ Bowen, Justin Saltmeris, Nick Williams, Brynley G Jones, Ashley Hancock, Jackel, Martyn Stevens, Tony Reid and Vijay Kishore.
1. James ‘Bar’ Bowen
“James ‘Bar’ Bowen is a singer, songwriter, guitarist, raconteur and all round good bloke. He leads songwriting and performance workshops and is actively involved in the promotion of gigs, festivals and events in the North of England.”
“Always writing from an unusual perspective, Bar seeks to provoke strong emotions and moves audiences with his political and yet deeply personal songs. A consummate performer, the stories he tells are as entertaining as the songs he sings.”
“Often compared favourably with Billy Bragg, The Men They Couldn’t Hang and the Levellers (and all that post-punk radical rocking folk-roots music) but with an inimitable individual guitar style and an unmistakably powerful voice.”
Songs include: Skin, Somebody Just Like You, That Summer Feeling, She Is.
Sample lyric: “She’s small and dark; she’s got her suitcase in the van. She says: that’s it, I’ve finished with my man. She says that you’re as happy as you decide to be. I’m just a working girl. I’m independent, nearly free.”
2. Justin Saltmeris
“Justin Saltmeris is an award winning singer/songwriter and experienced performer from the Isle of Wight, currently living in Bath. Winner of the Musicians’ Benevolent Fund National Songwriting Award, his songs touch all who listen.”
“Armed with no more than an acoustic guitar, Justin triumphed over well established bands to be named by the panel of distinguished industry professionals including Guy Chambers, Nik Kershaw, Cathy Dennis and Dan Gillespie Sells as ‘the clear winner’.”
Songs include: Come Back, The Only Way Out, Spider ‘n’ Fly, Murder By Moonlight At Midnight, Here Tonight, I’ll Neva Luv Another Man.
Sample lyric: “The only way out is up. Up through the ovens, like so many others…”
Listen to Justin Saltmeris on MySpace.
3. Nick Williams
Having worked with Mark Wallis (the producer of the Smiths, U2 and Travis) on his demo material, Nick is now preparing to launch his debut EP “Beach by the Harbour”.
He talks in depth about his love of Sylvia Plath and the death of modern song writing. “Song writing has become like maths, formulaic and lacking real emotion”; this may be true of some artists but definitely not of this one. “Beach by the harbour” is dripping with emotion and has drawn comparisons to Jeff Buckley and Joni Mitchell.
“Needing a break from life, Nick started writing lyrics which weaved elaborate stories. He prefers not to preach about certain subjects, so instead opts for a narrative approach. Broadly speaking Nick’s music has an ambient feel to it, which is appropriate considering his nostalgic lyrics. His style is heavily supported by his talented piano playing.”
Influences: Rufus Wainwright, Jeff Buckley, Damien Rice.
Songs include: There’s Nothing You Can Say Or Do, Letter To A Demon, The Beach By The Harbour, Caroline.
Sample lyric: “You fell asleep on the beach, so I drank the last of our wine. Saw the bums by the harbour; I wondered who they were. Were they me when I’m older?”
4. Brynley G Jones
“South African born Brynley had a colourful childhood spent in and around South Africa and the UK and gathered an extremely eclectic taste in music from a young age. His early influences include Sixto Rodriguez, Jimi Hendrix and many of the soul & Rock n Roll artists of the 50’s and 60’s.”
“His distinctive voice is often compared to the soulful, breathiness of Ray La Montage, with his melodic, lyrically driven, passionate style harder to put a finger on.”
“His song writing is emotionally invested and soul exposing, and is designed to not only to linger in your head afterwards, but make you think.”
Influences: Rodriguez, The Cure, The Police, Jeff Buckley, The Cranberries, Tony Jones, Ray Lamontagne, Eva Cassidy.
Songs include: Mr. Mannequin, Make Yourself At Home, This Ol’ World, Change, Good Company, You’re Medicine.
Listen to Brynley G Jones on MySpace.
5. Ashley Hancock
Influences: Air, Aim, Arcade Fire, Beatles, Beach Boys, Beck, Björk, Blur, Four Tet, Love, Midlake, Pixies, Elbow, Grandaddy, The Shins, David Bowie, Low, Pink Floyd.
Songs include: Turned My Life Around, Back Home, Follow Me, Sunshine, Better Off On Our Own.
Sample lyric: “I want to get higher than I’ve ever been before. I want to soar too high; to never be unsure. I’m out of my depths and I’m not worried anymore.”
Listen to Ashley Hancock on MySpace.
6. Jackel
“Jack and Elin met at a big band in their first year in university, but they thought better of it and decided to form their own band. Elin likes singing folk music but can belt out some soul when appropriate. Jack likes to jive that piano in a funk jazz fashion. They decided to fuse the art forms to create Jolk music.”
“They once kissed via a cup of tea, and things were never the same again.”
Songs include: Long Way Home, Daddy Got Gold, POP.
Sample lyric: “Only one way to save me: I won’t eat for a week. Would you lust after me? Would you love me in that dress?”
7. Martyn Stevens
Influences: “Human nature, love, thought, kindness, desperation, anger, violence, beauty, sex, perversion, crime and dogs.”
Sounds like: “An ice cream or a rusty nail? Chocolate or mouldy bread? Summer or winter? Lover or friend? You decide for yourself, its whatever you want it to be and more.”
Songs include: This Is A Song, Clean, Brother Get In Line.
Sample lyric: “I want to live where the sun breaks my skin. Leave this concrete suburban grey. I want to feel life in my blood. Not just this whiskey and condescension.”
8. Tony Reid
A classic rock / psychedelic / soul artist from Liverpool, Tony has recorded with Bob Babbitt (of the Funk Brothers), Jeff Wayne (War of the Worlds), OMD and many others. He recently supported Glenn Hughes (ex Deep Purple and Trapeze) on his first return to Liverpool in 30 years. He has fronted the band Nightwing since 2007, and has played internationally.
Influences: Peter Green, Glenn Hughes, David Bowie, Massive Attack, Led Zeppelin, Free, Lamb, Trapeze, Curtis Mayfield, Ennio Morricone.
Sounds like: “Angels flatulating in your ears.”
Songs include: Powder, Your Way Out, Neon and Blood, Set It Down, Blood In The Water, Ounce Of Faith, Black Beaches, You’d Better Run.
Sample lyric: “We were running on the shore, playing war and laughing in the sun. As the daylight turned to red, a shadow crept out from the riverbed – so I took aim with my gun.”
Listen to Tony Reid on MySpace.
9. Vijay Kishore.
“Brilliant brilliant songs. Like a brummie Jeff Buckley singing the songs of Nina Simone…” (NME)
“I think he’s amazing, with the voice of an angel.” (Janice Long, BBC Radio 2)
“Very very good indeed” (Bob Harris, BBC Radio 2)
Influences: Rob Mckenzie, Nusrat Fateh Ali Khan, Jeff Buckley, Jimi Hendrix, Radiohead, Handsworth ‘H’, Ravi Shankar, Queen, Bob Dylan, Micah P Hinson, Ray Lamontagne, Al Green, Nirvana, The Beatles, Led Zeppelin, Nina Simone, Mogwai, Pink Floyd.
Songs include: Give Us A Smile, Done It Again, Burning, Hold Me Tight, Move On.
Sample lyric: “Throw me a rope; pull me out the hell I’m in. Show me a sign; show me how, so I can begin. I lost my way over these last few years…”
See also:
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