Live In 2024: Sarah McQuaid at Pontardawe arts Centre on Thursday 23rd May 2024

 

Please accept my apologies but I'm going to get on my soapbox.

Tonight I witnessed a beautiful show by one of the best songwriters living here in the UK at the moment. But the big problem was, the audience was so small for Sarah McQuaid it probably didn't even cover her travelling costs.

Now  -I know it's tough out there for everyone at the moment but Music Lovers and gig goers like myself really have to wake up to the fact that if we don't support these artists then they aren't going to play live for us. Especially here in Wales. 

We know what we have to do. Buy the tickets early, don't just turn up on the door. Use our Social Media presence to sing the praises of a good show.

West Wales desperately needs a venue for Singer Songwriters like Sarah.

Swansea once had The Chattery. A Fabulous Greenwich Village Cafe inspired venue in the Uplands in Swansea. This would have been the perfect venue.

Now, Pontardawe has an excellent Folk heritage but The Arts Centre is much too large a venue for the likes of Sarah and her ilk. But I can see why she played here. The sound is fabulous, the venue well run but it's just too big.

If I had the available funds I would set up a venue in the Swansea area similar to Acapela near Cardiff. Seating approximately up to 150 with decent views and most importantly an excellent sound system.

Sarah is actually coming to Acapela in 2025. Get tickets here

Get tickets for Sarah's Acapela show by clicking this link

Anyway, sorry about that - rant over - but it needed to be said. Audiences YOU hold the power of live shows in YOUR hands.

So, what of tonight's show.

It's always a treat when artists choose a local performer as a support artist, especially young and upcoming talent. Tonight, I could see why Sarah picked Laila Woodward to support her.

Hailing from the Swansea are, I encountered Laila when she supported Climbing trees in this same venue last year. She was good then, she was even better tonight.

Laila has just released her first EP Hidden Blue and there's something special in catching an artist right at the beginning of a career in music. Seeing that vulnerability and sensitivity in her performance it just made me want to hear more. Which is always a good sign. I hope she was taking notes of Sarah's performance and choice of material as it will certainly point her in the right direction. Her 5 song set just flew by and I look forward to hearing more material from her in the future.

She's Blue

My Mind Is Like An Ocean

Hidden

Now I'll lay me cards on the table, I'm no stranger to Sarah McQuaid's music having seen her several times over the years but tonight I thought her vocals were the best I've heard her sing.

She came onto the stage and gave the first song an a capella performance. Just beautiful. Now 6 albums into an interesting career, Sarah chose songs from most of her albums tonight. Using a piano, acoustic guitar, an electric guitar and a drum, Sarah kept the sound tight and relevant to each song she sung tonight.

Her most recent album was recorded live (with no audience) during the Pandemic at a church local to her in Cornwall, St Buryan's and the atmosphere tonight was like having your own private performance of this album. Absolutely delicious.

Songs included Charlie's Gone Home and Johnny Lad

Charlie's Gone Home

The album that Sarah released prior to the St Buryan's set was the dense and fabulous If We Dig Any Deeper It Could Get Dangerous. This song got a great airing tonight as Sarah played the electric guitar once owned by legendary songwriter Michael Chapman, sadly no longer with us.

If We Dig Any Deeper

Indeed, Sarah took to the piano to play one of Michael's songs tonight, The excellent Rabbit Hills

Rabbit Hills

Sarah even went back to her first album When To Lovers Meet for the title track.

When Two Lovers Meet

Sarah then turned to her electric guitar once more for the instrumental The Day Of Wrath, That Day.

Quite often Sarah looks to her family for inspiration for her songs and tonight she played Yellowstone - inspired by her young son.

Yellowstone

Next up we had the lovely In Derby Cathedral which culminated in a stunning array of Sarah's voice looped to create a mini choir.

Now, Sarah tries to include a cover on most of her albums and tonight she debuted what will probably be the cover on her next album. To my surprise it was the Radiohead song Fake Plastic Trees.

Radiohead - Fake Plastic Trees

I bet most of the crowd had been sitting there thinking 'what does she want that drum for?' Well, they found out the next song when it was just Sarah and the drum playing One Sparrow Down. It had the biggest cheer of the night.

Then we were down to the last track of the night - and Sarah once again strapped on the electric guitar for the plaintive Tug Of The Moon.

The Tug Of The Moon

There was always going to be an encore - and what better to say goodbye with than an a capella version of The Parting Glass. 

There was no faulting Sarah's or Laila's performances - I just wished there were more people there to enjoy such a beautiful evening of Music. C'mon Wales - you can do better than this!!

click here for the Official Laila Woodward Website

click here for the Official Sarah McQuaid Website

Live In 2024: Blair Dunlop Live at Acapela Studios, Pentyrch on Thursday 16th May 2023

It's always a pleasure to have Blair Dunlop back in Cardiff and especially back in Acapela Studios where he seems so at home. He's always enjoyed playing the venue with its pristine sound quality and respectful audience and tonight was no different.

But before Blair took to the stage we were treated to a duo called Painted Sky. Consisting of siblings Hollie & George Brandon. They would both join Blair later as part of his band but tonight took the opportunity to play several songs from their just released album From The Blue.

A nice connection being that Blair Recorded, mixed and produced said album'

Unfortunately I cannot find any of the songs they played tonight on YouTube so I've included the couple I can find to give you a taste of the songs and type of music they play.

From The Blue

Songs from the album they played tonight included The Lakes Of Colfinn, Dead Man's Jumper, The Three Tuns and Coming Home.

The Unquiet Grave

Both excellent instrumentalists they played with verve and passion and when their voices blended together in harmonies it resonates as only siblings singing together can. 

Blair has made a excellent album with them and I hope they go on to bigger and better things as their careers develop.

Within minutes of Painted Sky closing their set Blair Dunlop came to the stage. He only has two dates to go on this current tour, arranged to coincide with the release of his new album, Out Of The Rain.

And most of the songs in tonight's set were chosen from this new album. A superb choice as it's probably Blair's strongest set of songs to date and has been spectacularly produced by Folk Royalty, Mr Jim Moray.

Now it seems as if I have been following Blair since he was in short trousers and definitely before the release of his debut album Blight & Blossom in 2012. Part of my Holy Folk Trinity with Luke Jackson & Benjamin Francis Leftwich, they all emerged at more or less the same time and I've been lucky enough to see all three perform this year with only Luke Jackson left to release his 2024 album it's been a fabulous year for the boys. 

Blair took to the stage with just his guitar and first track played tonight is from the new album, For All The Trees highlight's Blair's considerable guitar skills which he has honed over the years. It's a gentle start to what will be a fabulous night of music.

Second up tonight was the first 'single' taken from Out Of The Rain, if there are such things these days, the upbeat I Wanna Be Running.

I Wanna Be Running

With the crowd now obviously on his side Blair keeps the uptempo vibe going with the extremely catchy Sweet On You from 2018's Notes From An Island album.

Sweet On You

A lovely surprise of the evening's performance came next as Blair explained he had been listening to Bob Dylan and had decided to slip this song into the set. From the classic Blood On The Tracks album, You're Gonna Make Me Lonely when You Go - minus harmonica!! He had an excellent response to playing this track and maybe signposts as to where his next record might take him.

Bob Dylan - You're Gonna Make Me Lonesome When You Go

After this triumph, Blair is joined on stage by Hollie on Fiddle and Archie Churchill-Moss on Diatonic Accordion

The first song for the trio was taken from 2016's Gilded album, the dynamic No Go Zones.

No Go Zones

Now with the added instrumentation, the songs took yet another dimension. Keeping these songs fresh over the years must be a consideration for Blair and by changing the instrumentation he has found a simple but effective way of playing the songs without their usual electric guitars and keyboards.

We then return once more to the Notes From An Island album for it's opener, the sultry Spices From The East which gave Archie a chance to show his skills with some gorgeous accordion work filling out the sound.

The rest of tonight's performance is then dedicated to the new album, Out Of The Rain - which you really need in your life.

It's always a tough sell playing an evening of mostly brand new unheard songs but the Acapela audience lapped them up tonight. Every song got a splendid response which made the band up their game and for them and the audience it was an evening of smiles.

Getting their debut Acapela performances tonight were then

Midday Mass & Boots On The Side 

It was then time for George to Join in the party as the band launched into 1989 San Remo Conqueror - another of Blair's 'Car Songs' to make an album. Album opener Ain't No Harm comes next, another slow burner.

It's then time for the band to get upbeat again and close tonight's show with Brick On Brick and current single Let's Get Out Of The City - one of the highlights of the new album.

Let's Get Out Of The City

For the encore Blair turns to the as yet unreleased theme he composed for the Countryfile Podcast called The Plodcast, the lovely Take Me With You and a special way to close an assured and beautiful show from a young man now happy in his skin and making music of quality and distinction.

Click on links below for

PAINTED SKY OFF ICIAL WEBSITE

Blair Dunlop Official Website

X (Twitter) - @paintedskyfolk

@BlairDunlop

Live In 2024: Benjamin Francis Leftwich live at Acapela Studios, Pentyrch, Cardiff on Thursday 11th April 2024

A well chosen support act can make an evening and Ben did a great job when he picked Talia Rae. Ben has written songs with Talia and tonight gave her the opportunity to give an emotionally intense performance with some excellent songs and performance. Definitely a lady to look out for in the future.

Not A Heartbreak

No Surprises

It was definitely late 90s. I picked up a magazine - can't remember which one. It had a free cd. Now normally I'd find about one track that vaguely interested me on this type of cd but this one had THREE.

Three young male English singer songwriters. Just about to start their journeys, they hadn't even released an album yet.

The three were Blair Dunlop. Luke Jackson & Benjamin Francis Leftwich. Absolutely astonishing how three superb brand new artists all appeared on this one cd. Just blew me away!! And I've actively followed each one's career ever since.

Luke - The Voice. Blair  - The Musicality.  Ben - The Sensitivity.

All just brilliant and each has found their own place in the company of the finest singer songwriters that the UK has to offer. Normally I manage to catch up with Luke & Blair every year but with Ben, he's a bit more enigmatic and doesn't tour as much as the other two fellas. So I hasn't seen him since his Cardiff Globe show. Not the best place to see him but more of that later.

Ben has just released his 6th album - Some Things Break. Another beautiful statement to add to the fabulous canon of work he is building. 

albums and eps to date

2011 - Last Smoke Before The Snowstorm LP    2012 - Into The Open EP    2014 - Home Covers LP

2016 - After The Rain LP    2018 - I Am With You EP    2019 - Gratitude LP    2019 Elephant EP

2021 - To Carry A Whale LP    2024 - Some Things Break LP

He begins his set with a track from said album New York.

NEW YORK

Ben has always had the most sensitive voice of the three boys and his songs reflect this. Armed mainly with just an acoustic guitar for the majority of the evening it highlights his voice to the full.

Now over the years Ben has had his issues. he talks about this in the show but that's where I'll leave it. Suffice to say he hasn't had an easy journey which makes the quality of the songs and his albums even more remarkable. But it is what it is and at the moment he seems to be in a good place.

Accompanied by multi instrumentalist and songwriter Jamie Squire, Ben touches on most of his albums in the performance.

For the second track this evening we had the shimmering Cherry In Tacoma from the Album To Carry A Whale

Cherry In Tacoma

As I said earlier, the last time I saw Ben was in The Globe, totally the wrong venue for such a sensitive young man and his songs. However, I think Ben found his spiritual Welsh home in Acapela Studios. The crowd was so quiet and respectful during the songs you could hear a pin drop and I'm sure this must have pleased Ben no end, a crowd that actually listens to the songs.

I'm not going to give the set away - just give you a few of MY personal highlights of a fabulous evening.

Tilikum

A stunning show - like being caressed into submission with a velvet glove over a sensuous 2 hours.

 One of the most intimate moments of the evening as Ben leaves the microphone to give an acapella version on Pictures from his debut album.

Pictures

I have never seen Ben look so comfortable on stage as he was tonight.

And with Jamie to back him up Ben kept the instrumentation and sound just right - simple with just guitar and keyboards with some well placed electronic flourishes via an analogue synth and pedal steel.

A Love Like That

Elephant

Ben straps on the electric for the only time in the evening for of my all time Ben favourites - the shimmeringly gorgeous Butterfly Culture.

Butterfly Culture

Here is a short film about the new album Some Things Break

For the second time tonight Ben leaves the microphone, Guitar in hand and gives the enraptured crowd a stunning acapella version of Atlas Hands. The crowd just went wild.

Atlas Hands

As befits such a reflective and quiet show, Ben and Jamie end the show with the gorgeous Oh My God Please.

I have never seen Ben perform better and I've seen him a few times. I hope he felt the love in the room and comes to visit us again in Acapela Studios.

As I said to his sound man after the show - He should have recorded tonight as a live album. It would have been perfect.

Oh My God Please

Twitter X - @BenLeftwich

@iamtaliarae

Click below for

BENJAMIN FRANCIS LEFTWICH OFFICIAL WEBSITE