It was another trip to the splendid Convent in South Woodchester to catch Ross Wilson aka
Blue Rose Code perform a stunning set of songs old and brand new.
Ross is currently preparing to release his third as yet untitled album and was a perfect choice to grace this packed out Convent gig. Being broadcast live via the superb NETGIGservice, Ross was joined by his drummer John Murray on Piano and Eliza 'Wrenne' Payne on vocals, as he led us through songs from his first EPs through to songs that'll appear on the new Blue Rose Code album.
And if song one is anything to go by - we're in for an absolute treat on album 3. It's a brave move to start a show with a new song - especially if people hadn't heard it but Ross, Eliza & John pull out all of the stops for the amazing In The Morning - a 10 minute blockbuster of a track. Ross sounds like a Scotttish Van Morrison as the track swoops and swirls like Van at his best. Indeed it would sit perfectly on Van's Common One album.
The trio produce a lovely sound that compliments the production on the first two albums and shows the delicacy and vulnerability of the songs to greater effect.
With early album favourites such as One Day At A Time, Ross has chosen some gorgeous songs to compliment this gorgeous venue and the audience are soon clapping with appreciation.
The quality of the new songs that the Trio play are really very good and included a Bluesy take on Ross' latest single, Grateful.
Matt and his team at The Convent always put a couple of videos from the shows up on Youtube - here's Grateful from the night.
Like Wildfire and Come The Springtime from the debut album North Ten, sit perfectly in the evening's show in their stripped down form - one gentle and brooding, the other uplifting and life affirming about renewal.
Another new song Sandaig, is a gentle, pastel shade of a song - but whether these newer songs retain tonight's glimmer and shimmer is yet to be seen on the final recorded release but tonight they sound gorgeous.
Ross turns to the American Poet, Robert Frost for his song Acquainted With The Night from his Julie EP, which slides beautifully into Silent Drums from his second album The Ballads Of PeckhamRye.
Ross states his favourite description of his music is like Marvin Gaye crossed with The Proclaimers - I can see where the reviewer was coming from but he's much more subtle than that. From WesterRoss To Novia Scotia from North Ten is a plaintive and wistful ballad and precedes another 'new' song from the forthcoming album - which turns out to be one of Ross' earliest songs called simply , Love. It's gentle and poetic and will pull at your heartstrings Music Lovers.
True ways Of Knowing takes on an upbeat makeover and leads into the next track - one of the show stoppers on Peckham - the sublime Edina, which is about Ross' hometown of Edinburgh in all it's nostalgic glory.
The evening has been a lovely mix of gentle and uplifting songs. Ross has proved what a great talent he is both as a songwriter and a performer. But we're not finished yet.
After the slow dance of Edina comes the jaunty and uplifting ode to London, the superb Whitechapel, track one of debut North Ten.
This is quickly followed by the uplifting love song Julie. Guaranteed to put a smile on your face and a perfect way to close a show.
But Ross has a bit more in the tank - the first of a two song encore was the brand new Polksdown Waltz (hope that's the correct spelling) where Ross is accompanied by John on Piano is truly moving. You'll find the video below.
The superb Ghosts Of Leith ends a fantastic show - with it's refrain that brings to mind Dylan's I Want You, it's a perfect song to end a perfect evening.
With the songs from album 3 sounding absolutely superb Ross can only go from strength to strength and is an artist that should be cherished. Heartfelt and vulnerable and not scared to wear his heart on his sleeve Ross has a special year ahead of him. Catch him if you can. Get the first two albums and look out for album 3 coming in 2016. You'll be glad you did.
all screenshots courtesy of The Convent & Netgigs - all other photos copyright Nick Baker
I have wanted to visit The Convent at South Woodchester near Stroud for some time. It is quickly becoming a Destination Venue for the discerning musician wanting to play in the west of the UK. Coming over the bridge from Wales it is only a 1 hour 40 minute drive from my home near Swansea.
The brainchild of Matt & Charlotte Roberts, it is a sensational music venue with fantastic acoustics, beautiful architecture and the added attraction of being the base of NetGig which gives the artists the opportunity to broadcast the gig live which can be viewed live or for seen days thereafter at a small cost. Plus a rather gorgeous boutique hotel complex thrown in for good measure. I've seen several of the NetGigs which have all been excellent but nothing prepares you for the 'live' experience of attending a gig in The Convent.
And I must admit I picked a gem of a gig for my first Convent experience.
Sarah McQuaid - born in Spain, raised in Chicago, USA who formerly lived in Ireland and now a resident of Cornwall in the UK hot off the heels of a successful USA tour played The Convent as part of a short autumn UK tour in support of her latest album, the sublime Walking Into White.
Drawing on songs from throughout her 5 album career, which includes one recorded with Zoe (of Sunshine On A Rainy Day fame) under the name of MAMA, Walking Into White is her fourth solo album.
Tonight, it was just Sarah and her guitar. Shorn of some of the unusual production techniques and touches, especially on the Walking Into White album, the performance tonight showed just how strong the songs are. I would love an album of just Sarah and guitar in the future. It's an intimate and rewarding experience.
The evening started with The Sun Goes On Rising from her third album The Plum Tree And The Rose. Sarah has a crystal clear voice throughout the evening, it's a beautiful instrument and has richness of a multi-coloured tapestry of sound.
Using sparing loops and effects tonight added just the right amount of variation required to keep the audience (both in The Convent & Online) intrigued.
You could have heard a pin drop throughout the entire performance as Sarah weaved her magic. In fact - you can catch the whole performance here - as well as visit past performances and future ones too. All for just a small fee.
Next up was a lovely song - one of many from the latest album calledThe Tide.
For this latest album, Sarah has changed producers and has enrolled her cousin Adam Pierce & Jeremy Backofen who have introduced a multitude of new sounds and approaches to her new album.
Several of the songs on Walking Into White are based around experiences from reading several of the books in the Swallows & Amazon series by Arthur Ransome
I Am Grateful For What I Have is a lovely instrumental piece from the new album and here in The Convent, it sounds truly beautiful. The sound quality in The Convent is just world class and upon viewing the concert you'll see just how good it is.
On Walking Into White there are three short a capella sections called Sweetness & Pain Parts 1-3, Part 1 introduces the title trackWalking Into White.
On the album, it is accompanied by a lone trumpet (or cornet) but here with just a lone acoustic guitar - it is truly captivating.
2015 has certainly been a vintage year for the female Singer/Songwriters - with superb albums from artists such as Bella Hardy, Ange Hardy, Olivia Chaney, Vanessa Peters. And to this list you can add Sarah McQuaid who has really pushed the boundaries of her own artistry with Walking Into White. Tonight's show features many of the tracks on the new album and the next track is one of my favourites on the album - Jackdaws Rising.
Sarah states that some reviewers of the album have said that it's almost impossible to play live and then goes on to play a superb version of the song using a stomp board and loops to accompany her shining acoustic guitar. Simply breathtaking,
One of the delights of a Convent show is that they are broadcast live over the internet and you have the opportunity to purchase the show to watch over a seven day period - with this in mind, Matt and his team select a couple of videos from the show to put onto YouTube. Tonight's selection includes the earlierThe Tide and the next song up Yellowstone, which Sarah explains has a direct connection to her son.
Sarah likes to record and play a cover version and tonight she includes several in her set - the next song that Sarah plays is a delicious version of Jean Ritichie's Blue Diamond Mine.
Although the majority of tonight's set concentrates on the new album - Sarah also dips into her first album When Two Lovers Meet gives us Johnny Lad.
Sarah then turns to her second album, I Won't Go Home 'til Morning too with a spirited version of Only An Emotion.
Sarah now lives down in Cornwall - and I don't want to give away the stories that Sarah tells in her show but one I cannot help telling for obvious reasons is the fact that Sarah has recorded an album with Zoe Pollock, who is a neighbour, - now this Zoe is the one of Sunshine On A Rainy Dayfame and Sarah includes the title track from that project - Crow Coyote Buffalo tonight.
InYellowstone, Sarah sang about an incident with her young. With the final song in the set - track one from her The Plum Tree & The Rose album -Lift You Up And Let You Fly - is about her daughter and was incredibly moving. You could indeed literally hear a pin drop and I'm sure I saw several people with tears in their eyes after this song.
My favourite track on Walking Into White is Leave It For Another Day and I was SO glad that Sarah decided to play this live. And it was equally as stunning live.
As I stated earlier, Sarah does like a cover version and for the first song of a two song encore she gives a receptive Convent audience a truly gorgeous version ofThe First Time Ever I Saw YourFace, which is also the final track on Walking Into White.
The final song of a truly gorgeous set tonight was a version of the crooner classic Mr Bojangles - I've never heard an acoustic guitar version of this song - my favourite has always been the Sammy Davis Jnr version - but this was unexpected and excellent.
And there endth my first Convent gig - and it definitely won't be the last - as I've got several booked over the next few months - it's a gorgeous venue with superb sound and atmosphere.
Get yourself down there.
And it won't be the last time I see Sarah McQuaid either - she's a captivating performer with a gorgeous voice, superb collection of albums and a truly adventurous musical nature. Seek her out, right now.
I first heard of Kenneth J Nash late last year when I managed to get hold of a copy of his new album - the sublime The Fall Of Eden. It just blew me away.
I haven't had the opportunity yet of seeing Kenneth 'live' in the flesh, so to speak, but I have caught a couple of performances on online broadcasts.
This latest broadcast was supplied by the guys at The Convent, which is fast becoming THE destination venue for performers wanting to come a bit further west. Based just outside Stroud, in the glorious Cotswolds, it's a beautiful venue.
It also has the added attraction of being able to broadcast a gig live over the internet via NetGig. For a small nominal charge, you get to see the gig live as it happens and is then available for the next 6 days. It's a brilliant way of seeing an artist and enjoying a show from the comfort of your own home.
They have had some excellent shows in the past year or so and have some superb shows lined up. You can check them out on the link below.
So Kenneth took advantage of this and broadcast his show live. And what a show it was.
His soft burr of a voice suited the venue perfectly and highlighted what an excellent songwriter he is. The Fall Of Eden is a beautifully produced record but in this show it was just Ken and his acoustic or electric guitar. Stripped back versions of the songs from the album sound exceptional.
Kenneth began the show with the song Head Over Heels.
Ken played songs from several of his previous albums as well as from The Fall Of Eden and even took the opportunity of introducing some new new songs too.
The majority of Ken's songs come from various aspects of his life and observations and the delicate quality of the delivery can contrast beautifully the more dramatic content of the lyrics.
Next on the setlist were Tigers Aren't Tame and one of the highlight's of Eden, Carol Ann, a very moving song.
It's always a pleasure when an artist decides to introduce new songs into the set and Kenneth has come up with a beauty called A Rook & A Dove. Just stunning. And bodes well for the next album, if he decides to include it.
For me, the highlight of many highlights on The Fall Of Eden is the song, The Way That SheMoved. It's a beautiful song and Ken performs it to perfection tonight. He doesn't play it live very often but it's performance tonight was the highlight of tonight's set for me.
Another excellent new song Got To Go followed next. The guys at NetGig are doing an excellent job in relaying the show and the sound and images are crystal clear.
Gitaine, a song written with Ken's uncle, Keith, came up next quickly followed with another new song Like A River. The quality of Ken's new material really is excellent.
On The Fall Of Eden, the album conjures up Nick Drake, both in style and presentation and it is great to hear these songs exactly as Ken must have written them with just his guitar as accompaniment.
The delicate Everytime We Fall and Take Me Home also highlight Ken's lovely vocals and guitar skills. He is quite some musician.
photo courtesy of Sarah Bayes
Another highlight of Eden comes next, Dignity, and the guys at NetGig/The Convent have released the video of the song so you can see for yourself exactly what the gig was like in terms of presentation and sound quality.
Falling For You precedes the final song of the set, one of Ken's most popular songs, Slowburn.
But, always one for a challenge, Ken returns for an encore with another excellent new song, Another Flag. The quality of Ken's new material is just fantastic. Let's just hope he gets in the studio soon and gives us his next album asap.
It was a stunning evening and shows just what can be achieved with a great artist, a great venue and a sympathetic broadcast.
I'e seen several of The Convent live broadcasts and each one has been excellent. So seek out Kenneth J Nash and The Convent. There are even more gorgeous things to come from both The Artist & The Venue.
Photo courtesy of Sarah Bayes
All other photos courtesy of The Convent & NetGigs
This year has proved to be a great year for The Rosellys. Not only have they produced a superb album with The Granary Sessions but have also joined The Clubhouse Records label who are releasing The Granary Sessions in the UK.
I've not made it a secret that Clubhouse Records are my favourite UK label and tonight just goes to show what quality artists they have in their roster as both support artists tonight are from the label in the form of Alex & Hannah from The Redlands Palomino Company and The Rutland Troubadour himself Paul McClure.
Paul is up first this evening. Soon to release his next Clubhouse album after last year's excellent
Paul played a 7 song set which not only plucked songs from Smiling.. but also some tunes from his next album to be released in November.
First on the setlist tonight is Long Gone Out Of Here.
Paul has a special stage presence. He's a tall fella and has no problem in dealing with an early raucous crowd at The Golden Lion. Always tough going on first - Paul soon has the crowd on his side with a fine line in witty banter.
The new songs that Paul has been playing live for most of the summer are of excellent quality and bodes well for the forthcoming album. The next song up is a new one which may well find it's way onto the next record. It's Yesterday's Lies.
The vast majority of Paul's songs are the result of things that have occurred in his own life and give them a observational quality in which everyone can find something to relate to.
Clearly now enjoying himself, Paul plays another new song Unremarkable Me before asking Hannah from The Redlands to join him on stage for one of Smiling..... highlight's, the lovely Polly.
Paul has spent a lot of the year touring Smiling.... with a series of house concerts and he treats this pub gig as such, having a genuine rapport with the audience and I think both parties have enjoyed the experience as he gets a larger cheer with each song that he performs.
The next song up has been a song that has encouraged some quality audience participation and tonight was no different as he performed Ray Of Sunshine.
To show what a talented guy he is, Paul performs a song which he wrote in the car on the way to the gig, let's call it Car Song. And damn clever it is too incorporating events that had happened in the day right up to the songs performance.
The set has flown by and it's time for the last song - another new one, Every Day Is Mine To Spend.
Paul gets a tremendous reaction from the Bristol audience tonight and deservedly so. He is coming back to Newport in November and I can't wait to catch him with a full set of songs and his new album.
After the excellent set by Paul McClure, we are treated to an acoustic set by the two leaders and songwriters of The Redlands Palomino Company - Alex & Hannah Elton-Wall.
Both artists have contributed to The Granary Sessions with Alex producing the album while Hannah provides backing vocals on some of the songs. But tonight's set are songs from all of their released albums.
They opened up tonight's acoustic set with the first track of their second album (Take Me Home) called Wasted On You.
Stripped of the band dynamic- Alex & Hannah have a sweeter sound live and all of the tracks they played tonight sounded different from their recorded versions - but none the worse for that as it was probably how the songs came together in the first place - which I always love to hear.
The latest album by The Redlands - Broken Carelessly - is a fine thing indeed and was one of my Albums Of 2014
and the next track the duo played tonight is one of my favourites - the opening track, In These Lines
Many of the songs have a melancholic air and the duo combine perfectly in the grand tradition of country husband & wife duos.
Every track on Broken Carelessly is excellent and the title track gets it's chance as the next song on the setlist tonight.
The Redlands are now four albums into their career and it was time for a song from the band's first album (By The Time You Hear This... We'll Be Gone) the lilting If You're Down, which gives Alex a turn on lead vocals.
The good thing about a Clubhouse night is that you tend to get the artists guesting on each others songs and tonight was another of these special nights as Rebecca from The Rosellys joined Alex & Hannah on stage for another song from the first album - the harmony laden Goodbye love.
Not to be outdone - Simon from The Rosellys takes to the stage and brings his fiddling skills to the uptempo Pony Song, again from the first album. By listening to the songs you can see why Alex got the gig producing The Rosellys new album. Dripping in Country Honey, the songs the duo played tonight would not be out of place in any Country album of the last 50 years.
The last song tonight is from album 2 (Take Me Home) - on record it's an electric rocker - tonight it's a harmony driven acoustic stormer - the excellent She Is Yours.
With two excellent acts having played it was time for the The Rosellys to give their new album, TheGranary Sessions, to the public.
And how should they open up the gig - with track one of course - A Thousand Miles. The band play the majority of the album tonight in track order.
Fronted by Rebecca Rosellys (Vocals/guitar) and Simon Rosellys (Vocals/guitar/fiddle) the band are completed by Alan Kelly (pedal steel) Drew Bridges (Drums) and new recruit Matt Kirby (Bass).
The Granary Sessions is The Rosellys album number 3 and the first to be released in the UK on the supreme Clubhouse Records. Produced by The Redlands Alex Elton-Hall it raises the bar on their music and is the best album they have released so far - but more of that on a later Blog post - tonight is all about the live music and in their home city of Bristol they weren't going to anything less than superb.
With Rebecca taking the majority of lead vocals, the band storm through a set heavy on The GranarySessions songs (obviously) but throw in some older crowd pleasers for good measure. After track one comes another new song the with Not That Old which gives Simon a chance to give his red Telecaster a good workout.
The Granary Sessions is a varied album in terms of tempo and next up we are treated to three of the more quiet songs on the record - the lovely Maryland and Ashville 1784 which highlight the glorious way the voices of Simon & Rebecca intertwine. And they are as good live as on record too.
The band are clearly enjoying this night with great support from family and friends as well as the normal punters and Clubhouse faithful.
The next song is the rather sensational final track on the album - the sublime Memories Of You AndMe which Simon introduces and talks about the end of the song - when it was recorded Rebecca & Hannah were not present at the final mix which left the boys in charge of the song - I won't spoil it for you but the final recorded version made this old Prog lover very happy.
Made A Choice is another gentle summer sway of a song and highlights Rebecca's clear vocals and Simon's Telecaster pickings.
It's now a chance for Simon to take lead vocals on the song Red, White & Blue, which has some killer fiddle - also provided by Simon.
Simon stays on lead vocals for the next song up the ballad, James Song. Hannah joined the band onstage for several songs during the evening and even Rebecca's mum plays cello this evening - both also feature on The Granary Sessions.
The Granary Sessions has a sway and even a bit of swagger that isn't found on many UK records these days and the next three songs - It's Not Me, It's You, Number One and Rose Tinted Glasses just go to show what a strong record The Granary Sessions is. There's not one duff song in the collection.
With the new album being completed live, it's now it's time for previous fans of The Rosellys to get their vocal chords working - which they do in style - as it's time for the older crowd pleasers to make their appearance. First up is Cocaine Train which gets the crowd bouncing and singing along.
It's then time for another Telecaster workout for Simon as their Old School Country rockerEmptyPockets really gets the crowd up and dancing.
And last but not least it's a performance of On The Porch with everyone up on stage. It was a superb way to end a show .
By the activity in the merchandising area and the number of albums I saw getting signed it was obvious that the evening had been a success both for the artists and the audience, which was a great sight to see. The Rosellys are growing in stature every time I see them and were ably supported by Alex, Hannah & Paul tonight for a superb album launch show - I just wish they were all as good as this one.
