Live in 2023: Nick Heyward at Acapela Studio on Thursday & Friday 6th & 7th July 2023

In what gig would you find Bunty Gunn, Barry Manilow, Flowers, Rock Bastards and Mudlarking all getting an honourable mention. Only one place I can think of, and that's in a Nick Heyward gig.

Now, if you're a Nick fan, or have seen him live before, you'll know which way Nick's mind works. He's like a mental sponge. You can almost see the synapses firing in his eyes as his mind flits from one thing to the next like a butterfly on speed. He really is a unique individual. When you see him live or even speak to him you can see where the imagery, often very English, in his songs comes from.

After an excellent reception to his acoustic tour at the Acapela last year Nick has decided to play 2 nights in the venue this year. As I was there for both, I shall treat both nights as one review for the Blog.

This time Nick has gone electric and brought his Gibson and his Gretsch along with an acoustic for what will be a mainly electric performance. This time he is accompanied by Samer Sharawi on Bass/Backing Vocals and Sian Monaghan on Drums & Percussion who were excellent throughout and showed what energy and dynamism can be achieved with just three instruments in the time honoured tradition of trios such as The Police, The Jam, Cream etc.

Over the 2 nights, Nick only had a couple of changes so basically we had a full 2 hours plus per night of his greatest hits. A wise decision which paid dividends in crowd participation.

 I'll nail my colours to the mast right now and say that Nick is my favourite singer/songwriter and has been since I first heard him strike a chord on the debut Haircut100 release.

So he kicks off with his second solo single from his debut album, 1993's North Of A Miracle but with a twist. Shorn of it's horns it turns into a bluesy almost Bossa Nova version.

Take That Situation

I'm glad to see that Nick has decided to play quite a few songs from his debut album as it turns 40 this year and really deserves to be celebrated as it is an album that sparkles with creativity and superb songwriting and arranging being produced by Nick & Geoff Emerick of Beatles fame.

Next up another Miracle track, Blue Hat For A Blue Day. Last year Nick said he'd have loved to take his debut album out on an anniversary tour complete with horns etc but circumstances have overtaken him this year, more of which later.

We stick with this mini celebration of Miracle with his debut single Whistle Down The Wind which gets the crowd singing along beautifully.

Breaking the North Of A Miracle tribute, we are then treated to one of the delicate songs from 1997's The Apple Bed, the gorgeous Chelsea Sky - which was dropped from Night 2.

As I stated at the beginning, Nick's mind flits from a mental flower to flower and his introductions and explanations for songs often take a non linear course, a bit like a meandering river but it's a beautiful journey to behold and entering into Nick's world with this unpredictability makes his vulnerability and sensitivity shine through. He really is a gorgeous human being.

We are back with the final track from North Of A Miracle with a fabulous version of my favourite Nick track, Atlantic Monday. A horns heavy song, I never thought I'd hear Nick play it without the horns but play it he did. And what a noise the 3 piece band made tonight giving power when needed. And the audience didn't let me down tonight as they sang the horn parts to the song. Just Brilliant.

Earlier, I talked about Nick having an interesting year and the T shirt he wore for the first half of the show gave the game away for those who might not have known of the announcement last month, Haircut 100 are reforming for a tour at the end of the year with possible new material being released too. For us Haircut fans this was manna from heaven and tickets were purchased immediately. And talking to Nick after the gig he was so excited to have the boys back together to be able to celebrate the band that definitely should have given us more than one album (with Nick)

His solo hit, Over The Weekend came next and morphed into the Nick Haircuts final single the delicious Nobody's Fool.

Nobody's Fool

With the crowd really up for it now, Nick finished Part One with the second Haircut100 release, Love Plus One. Singing galore and a fabulous way to end Part One.

Love Plus One

After a quick break and a change of shirt, possibly his favourite (sorry!!) Nick and the band return with a rearranged version of his solo comeback hit from 1993 Kite.

Kite

Nick released his last solo album, Woodland Echoes in August 2017, which seems SO longer ago now to us Nick fans and we get a track from that tonight with the gently swinging Who?

Now it was time for another Haircut100 track but not one of the hits as he played Surprise Me Again from Pelican West.

Surprise Me Again

The 90s was a fertile time for Nick's creativity. He described his time at Creation where he had a front row seat for the rise of Oasis and from that era gave us Rollerblade from 1995's Tangled album.

Rollerblade

On Night 2 we were treated to an excellent song from The Apple Bed too - the sparkling, He Doesn't Love You Like I Do

He Doesn't Love You Like I Do

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If so, you would have heard Nick recording what is due to be a new album and next track up is a new one from those sessions, currently titled The Mudlarks it's an uptempo beast in the mould of tracks from Tangled but had a great reception as his only new track of the show. Now whether other of his current tracks will find their way onto a new Haircut 100 album, who knows, but having heard quite a few of the new tracks they'd be foolish not to work at least a few onto the new Haircut album, should there be one.

Secret Garden, which was also played on both nights is a pretty unknown song unless you have Nick's album with India Dupre called The Mermaid & The Lighthouse Keeper. It's a lovely track, even with Nick playing it solo.

On both nights we were also treated to one of the more reflective highlights of 1995's Tangled with the song London, which with Traffic In Fleet Street and Chelsea Sky would be a perfect live trilogy - just a suggestion Nick.

London

On Night 1 I was also chuffed to hear one of my all time favourite Nick song, the fabulous Caravan from 1993's From Sunday To Monday.

Caravan

It's always difficult where to draw the line in terms of review. Not giving away all of the secrets, the banter, the information shared between artist and audience that made the evening unique and special, so I won't reveal how we got to the barnstorming version of Haircut 100's debut single Favourite Shirts (Boy Meets Girl). But get there we did and the audience sang their hearts out.

Favourite Shirts

With the audience now on their feet there was only one song left that would finish the evening off with a bang and send the whole audience on their way with massive grins on their face. Indeed both days were a Fantastic Day and a brilliant way to end.

Fantastic Day

For Nick, it's surely an 80s festival summer circuit then on to rehearsals for the much anticipated Haircut 100 Tour. I wouldn't miss that for anything, Neither should you!!

Nick On Twitter - @NickHeyward

click for the Nick Heyward Website

 

click for the Haircut 100 Official Website

All photos by Nick Baker - I don't mind you using them but please say they're mine, somewhere :)

Live in 2023: Harriet at Acapela Studios, Pentyrch on Saturday June 3rd 2023

 

The Universe can be a very odd Mistress. Take Harriet as an example. 

The Universe blessed her with Beauty, It blessed her with a voice to die for. It blessed her with a songwriters ear for a melody. But in a quirk of mischief that only the Universe can conjure, it put her musical sensibility a few decades out of time. 

She would have fit in perfectly in the early 70s songwriting fraternity on the West Coast of the USA.

In a bid to make her sound and approach more contemporary she decided to write and record her second proper album in the current hotbed of European songwriting and recording - Stockholm.

The result is the enjoyably upbeat new album The Outcome and here is the tour to promote said album.

A regular at Acapela Studios this is the first time Harriet has brought a full band with her to Wales.

This certainly helped the show tonight as the sound was very much the sound of the album.

Harriet concentrated the evening's performance on her two proper albums and opened the show with the upbeat Heartbreak Holiday from The Outcome and this pretty much set the tone for the performance tonight as we got a chance to see another side of Harriet, the uptempo, almost danceable side and what a joy it was. I've seen her live in support of her ballad heavy first album and the piano session album but this is the most comfortable and relaxed I've seen her perform.

Whoever You Are from 1st album comes next and then it's time for the first single from Outcome, 

Nothing Hurts Like You.

Nothing Hurts Like You

Harriet mixed up the ballads well with the more uptempo numbers tonight as new song, Not In Love is followed by What's Mine Is Yours.

What's Mine Is Yours

Towards the release of her first album, Harriet released several eps culminating into an album of covers. She's always had a great ear for a cover and tonight she gave us her interpretation of the Backstreet Boys classic, As Long As You Love Me.

As Long As You Love Me

One of the highlights of The Outcome comes next. On the album it's a lovely duet with Nikhil D'Sousa,

tonight it's a solo performance but loses none of it's beauty.

One of the best performances of the first album, the beautiful Empty Shoes comes next

A special mention for the band here, who were excellent throughout, just letting the music speak for itself and the spotlight to shine on Harriet.

On Drums - Lewis Searle,  Bass - Nathan Garrety,  Connor McDonalds - Guitars and Scott Hayes on Keys

Next up again, another beauty from album one, the gorgeous The First & Last which shows Harriet's beautiful vocals a chance to soar. She really is in fine voice on this tour, the best I've heard her singing.

First & Last

Laleh - Some Die Young

Now in traditional Acapela fashion, the show is in two parts and the final song in the first set is a cover by the Swedish singer Laleh - Some Die Young which Harriet covers on The Outcome.

After a short break the band come back with the intro to the uptempo track Fly from album one, before they are joined by Harriet and intent on keeping the mood up and joyous,

Fly

Harriet declared her next song to be her favourite of the moment - the country tinged and Fleetwood Mac sounding I Think Of You. This was followed by another new track and possibly the next single, Something Simple.

It was now time for another Swedish cover , this time by Zara Larsson with her track Symphony which was a triumph and fit in so well with the rest of the show. Harriet said she had been teaching her Swedish producer about the joys of Christopher Cross and the Doobie Brothers and made the track with a suitable Yacht Rock vibe, Right up my Boulevard I may add.

Symphony

Another killer ballad from album one comes up next with the delicious Afterglow, which could have been a long lost 70s classic ballad. 

Afterglow

Now comes the song I've been waiting for Harriet to perform from the new album, the title track, The Outcome. It is a very atmospheric track on the album, which even includes the F word, which Harriet sensibly censored tonight,  probably for the young girl of about 8 sat right in front of her for the whole performance. And I admired her for that decision. Now this track reminds me of the left turn that Taylor Swift made with her Folklore album and I told Harriet afterward that if I was her manager I would get her on the next plane to Nashville to work with some of their left field writers like Trent Dabbs or Blake Mills. I think the Americans would love her and I'd love to see what they could do with her fabulous english voice,

The almost disco new song Drop In The Ocean then leads us into the final track of the set, which reminded me of another lady with a gorgeous voice, Rumer, with her track Dangerous.  Broken For You from album one.

Broken For You

After some rapturous applause Harriet came to the stage for the encore. Now, if it was me picking the setlist I would have chosen the uplifting song Permission To Kiss from the first album next but I didn't so we had the other gorgeous uptempo beauty from The Outcome, the audience friendly, Story Of Your Life.

Story Of Your Life

And there endeth another fabulous Acapela performance by Harriet. The crowd loved her, I loved her and I'm curious as where she goes next. I hope she takes my advice and heads west for the next album. But whatever she produces will be classy and melodic and well, that voice........ 

TWITTER - @HarrietsMusic

Click for the Official Harriet Website

Live In 2023: Zervas & Pepper live at Acapela Studios, Pentyrch on Friday 19th May

 

The Covid Pandemic has created so many ripples during it's impact. We probably haven't even seen the majority of them yet. For Musicians, and I've spoken to may about this, it had a rather polarising effect. For some it was an unforeseen gift of time that allowed them to write an record. For other it seems it caused a creative paralysis. For Cardiff Duo Zervas & Pepper, it proved the latter.

Which was such a shame as the duo were just building up a head of steam with the release of their fifth album, Endless Road, Restless Nomad. With tour booked, first single from it released they were all ready to go then Covid struck. It was the same for many musicians but hit the duo particularly hard.

Since that album they have only recently started to make music again. A time for reflection beckoned and possible new productions. But more of that later. Tonight we got Paul & Kath on home turf and ready to re-enter the fray of live music.

Remember, we are in Acapela Studios and the normal rules followed - a game of two halves - all be it a short first half and longer second half.

Joined by multi instrumentalist Charlie Piercey on guitar, keys and vocals the duo stepped up to the mics and gave us two stunning tunes from the last album 2019's Endless Road, Restless Nomad - first off, the single There Is Only Love with Paul on lead vocals followed by the equally gorgeous Cards with Kath taking the lead - a structure which they adopt for most shows but with the harmonies they produce they're almost both singing all of the vocals anyway.

There Is Only Love

The duo have never hidden their influences and wear them proudly on their sleeve. It's a harmonious American West Coast Sound from the glory days of singer songwriters in the late 60s early 70s including Crosby, Stills, Nash & Young, Jackson Browne, JD Souther and especially Joni Mitchell, of which more later.

The duo started their gloriously tuneful journey back in 2007 and I must admit as soon as I heard those harmonies back in the day I was smitten, their first album Somewhere In The City was released in 2011 copies are sought after now. Their first single, Winter Forever is as rare as unicorn manure and remains my favourite Xmas Song!!  I keep telling the guys to rerelease it but to no avail!!

During the course of the evening they visit all of their recorded albums and add a couple of brand new songs and surprises too.

The beautiful Silver To Chrome from 2015's Abstract Heart comes next followed by the now essential Lookout Mountain. If ever a song explained their sound and influences it's this one. Charlie then leaves the duo alone on stage for the final two songs of a short Part 1. No strangers to playing as a duo those harmonies shone like a diamond,

Lookout Mountain

As I mentioned earlier, the duo have been looking at new projects for the next couple of years and the one they are going to tackle first is really a no brainer. From the start of their career the band have always stated Joni Mitchell as a major influence on their song writing and sound and have always played a Joni cover on most of their shows. 

So they are going to launch their No Flight Tonight Tour, playing Joni's songs - the poster is below and the eagle eyed amongst you may have spotted the Joni connection in the poster design as the song No Flight Tonight comes from Joni's album Blue and Kath is spookily like her not only in sound but look. Tickets are selling like hot cakes so get them while you can. Next Flight Tonight is the first song they play tonight as a duo and it's a triumph. I've already got my tickets for their Acapela show. Thank God.

This Flight Tonight

The last song of the first half is a poignant one.

As I write this, the Grim Reaper has been particularly brutal this year and we have lost some fabulous musicians to The Great Gig In The Sky. This week alone we have lost three brilliant musicians in the form of Francis Monkman of Curved Air & Sky, Supreme Session Bass Player John Giblin and Andy Rourke bass player of The Smiths. And another fine Canadian Songwriter left us a couple of weeks ago, The talented Gordon Lightfoot. The duo knew the man and played his song Summer Side Of Life in tribute. A beautiful version and a beautiful gesture. Not a dry eye in the house. But I would expect nothing less from these two equally beautiful people.

Summer Side Of Life

So, After a short break the rest of the band come to the stage. Andy Brown on Bass, Charlie Piercey on Guitar, Keys and vocals once more and Sam Andrews on Drums.

We kick off part 2 with the lead track from 2013 album, Life bringer - the swirling Buffalo Crow.

Buffalo Crow

The organic lead track from the 2017 album Wilderland comes next in the shape of Roses Of Jericho with it's swaying melody and shamic chanting.

Lead track from Endless Road Restless Nomad, The Gift has Kath giving another lovely vocal performance. I must say here that I have never heard the duo in better voice. Maybe a rest has had some unexpected positive consequences.

It was now time for the first new song of the evening - White Flag Surrender. Unmistakably Z&P, the song proves they haven't lost their gift of melody and harmony. Hopefully it won't be too long before this joins more songs on the next album. Who knows what inspiration the No Flight Tonight might bring.

Another seminal musician who also left us and proved a HUGE inspiration to the duo was David Crosby and there was no way Paul & Kath would have left this go unmentioned. It was always a case of I wonder WHAT song they will play in tribute not IF they are going to play one of David's songs. The song was originally due to appear on the CSNY album Deja Vu but ultimately came out as part of a 1991 box set. It went down a storm tonight.

The Lee Shore

Another Z&P classic comes next in the shape of the ever popular live crowd pleaser, Cigar Store Indian which gives the audience a chance to join in the harmonic chanting towards the end of the track.

Cigar Store Indian

Sad Pariah keeps up the flowing momentum of the show and then it's then time for another Z&P crowd pleaser in the form of Living In A Small Town. Paul & Kath really have this show down to a fine art, Peppered, if you excuse the pun, with Paul's witticisms and Kath seemingly trying to stop him rambling it's, as Kath said, like an evening in with your friends. And some of these friends had come a long way to see this show, from all parts of England and even Edinburgh. You don't get more beautiful experiences than a Zervas & Pepper gig.  

Living In A Small Town

A special mention here to the band who have been sensational all night, excellent musicians all who unselfishly play for the music not personal advancement.

It's down to the last song now with the rocking Hotel Bible.

Hotel Bible

The guys then give us a splendid and unexpected 2 song encore. First up it's a new song from Kath, Better Days which has been their first release since Endless Road. It's a beautifully positive song and really is a song for our age,

Better Days

Now, I've seen Paul & Kath many times over the years and they always seem to sneak in Neil Young songs into the set, even if the crowd doesn't know what it is. But no issue with tonight as the band close with Neil Young's classic Out On The Weekend from Harvest. Paul said it was only the second time the band had played it. Hmm, I'll need convincing of that as the band rocked the ending.

Out On The Weekend

It was another triumphant home town (almost) gig for the band tonight and a beautiful reminder of what the duo have achieved before they set out on their Joni journey later in the year. And I'm sure I'll let you all know how that goes!!

Twitter - @zervaspepper

click for the Zervas & Pepper Official Website