Viking Galaxy 13th Note gig

Viking Galaxy played their gig at the 13^th Note Glasgow to an enthusiastic crowd!  They were so much fun and I Ioved the vibrant orange and their Viking space outfits! !  Their sound is packed with fantasy, high energy and drama. They are a band of Viking explorers from outer space who plunder, pillage and raid far away planets! 

William Hill is such a cool front man - my son Ross Keightley is the bass player, Mathew Brown on keys, Mike Parkin on guitar, Andrew Scott on drums. The band has played successful shows at Bannermans Edinburgh where fans turned up in Viking gear! Three of the members are long time school mates and they have all played in  other bands.

Geoff Ellis : Interview

Geoff Ellis and Vic Galloway

GoGoBots

 Geoff Ellis at the Fruitmarket Glasgow February 2012 (Unesco Glasgow City of Music)

Ellis hails from Manchester. He went to study Building and then transferred to Middlesex to study Film and TV. He started writing music reviews for the student magazine, which unusually was covering music rather than politics. He also put in time working as security at the Student Union. He then got a position as Event Manager. Few will put themselves out and look for opportunities or to make their own opportunities, he stated. 

He then moved to run the Marquee Club in London which was known for heavy rock at that time and he tried to change it to include more Indie music. These were tough times then with the recession and some gigs didn’t sell well such as Radiohead on their first headline tour, where he made a loss and they hardly covered the door. There were always risks to take. He put on club nights with little advertising to help keep things going.

In the 80s he applied to run King Tuts in 1990 (when this now famous venue started) and moved to Glasgow. Ellis said it is about relationships, while still standing your ground and not being a soft touch so people will respect you. He said that he had made loads of mistakes and that it is important to learn from mistakes. There is no guidebook for concert promoters. He said it is important to have resilience, humility and don’t expect a pat on the back but do expect to put the hours in. That roles can shift.

T in the Park. He and his co-workers thought, why we don’t do a festival and at the time there was only Glastonbury and Reading and no outdoor festival in Scotland.  They lost money the first year and only had 5 acts. T now takes a year to plan. There is a huge adrenalin rush from the moment the gates open and its such a huge buzz to see everyone at the main sage having a great time. After the gigs finish and the City that is T in the Park is gone, there is a flat feeling. Attendance is between 25,000 to 85,000. Radio influences attendance at gigs.

DF Concerts. Ellis took the risk of putting Robbie Williams on at Hampden in 1998 when his song Angels came out, when others wondered would they possibly sell so many tickets. DF concerts is now the biggest promoters in Scotland with a team of 30.

Highs. Such as Kings of Leon at Murrayfield. He spoke of the conversation between promoter and agent – will the stadium sell out and the 50,000 tickets. It is about convincing agents that the event will sell and the hope that the organisation works out and also the costing,

Low. Failure of Connect festival, when we lost an enormous amount with the high level of delivery and over spend on bands.There can be long hours. Future Plans - A festival in China.

Advice for Promoters. Dealing with the council and Building control in order to help to make Glasgow an event friendly city. Back then public money mainly went to highbrow and not to rock n roll. Tenants were the only ones willing to back T.

Bands. Its important to build relationships with journalists, radio, and producers, it used to be Record shops that would say what was selling. Now all the research is done on YouTube, Facebook, Twitter and other online sharing sites. They ask the Labels who they are prioritising for the next 12 months. Get to know your audience – who buys the tickets. Experience is the key, and to have flair and creativity. Be bold and take risks.  He said it is necessary to love and have passion for this industry. 

Unesco and Creative Scotland offer Live Music initiative and are a resource for information and advice for new bands. Plus there is The BBC Introducing Stage. Ellis said that teenagers were the lifeblood of the Live Music industry. Vic Galloway talked about how radio was a selector from the billions of artists out there.

Support for New Artists. The booking team at DF Concerts has a commitment to discovering new talent, helped by the good relationships bookers have with artist agents, management and other promoters. As part of the infrastructure to support new talent, King Tut’s also has its own record label – King Tut’s Recordings and label bosses look to sign up the hottest grassroots talent.

T Break Stage – for the freshest unsigned talent in Scotland. Make sure you're the first to hear when the call for demos opens by checking out www.facebook.com/TBreak or visit www.tennents.com/tbreak.

Ellis said it that it is not about goals, but that opportunities fall into place. 

Comment: T in the Park music festival has become more mainstream in recent years. I’d like to see a more creative and Indie tent also. The song writers seem ‘marginalised’ to studio work – or to produce what the mass market might dictate. As songwriter Richard Thompson put it, ‘People in large numbers don’t always have the best taste.’

Creativity is the lifeblood of the music industry! 

AND.. Are teenagers the life blood of the live music industry these days? Maybe back in the 60s they were. I attend many gigs and at many the average age appears more like 35 or even 60 than 15! My guess (without doing a survey) and with ticket prices so high (!) would be that the average age at T is more like 30 than 15!

T In the Park tickets went on sale this week 29th Febrary2012. . http://www.tinthepark.com/

2011 T in the Park saw in its 15th birthday in style with a whopping 180 acts taking to 12 stages. 

130 music events each week in Glasgow, more than any other Scottish city.

*Fleetwood Mac live!

It was a thrill to see Fleetwood Mac live in 2010 at their Glasgow gig! I remember listening to their Rumours album often and I loved the edge and rock n roll in Stevie Nicks voice and songs, and the stirring voice and piano of Christine McVie. They consisted of two couples; English Mick Fleetwood and Christine McVie, and Americans Lindsay Buckingham and Stevie Nicks  - which brought together British rock and Californian singer songwriter cool. The ensuing sexual tensions led to their most successful and ‘before break ups’ album – Rumours.

(This was making me think of other renowned albums that were also written as bands were breaking apart – maybe emotions were running high! Bridge Over Troubled Water with Paul Simon and Art Garfunkle, the Beatle’s Abbey Road – I feel sure there are more!

They were simply such a cool band – and they are still out there touring today. Favourite Fleetwood Mac songs – Dreams, Go Your Own Way, Angels, Rhiannon, Songbird, 

*My Journey with Bob Dylan

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'It is not about the quality of his voice, it is about the songs. I love the attitude in his voice.' 

My journey with Bob Dylan never ceases to surprise me!

I saw Dylan live at the SECC Glasgow in 2006 with my son Ross who was then 16, came with me. The wonderful thing was it was all kinds of people, all ages and all walks of life in the audience - everyman. When Dylan came on stage with his band there was no introduction by him ( or anyone!) - he simply strode on stage and started to play. Well I guess he doesn't need to introduce himself!

Many learn the skills, however the real test and important challenging part of being an artist is having something to say to others. He was always on that artistic journey and probably still is. He soaked up many other artists particularly Woodie Guthrie and after reading the poems of Dylan Thomas he then changed his name from Zimmerman to Dylan. With Guthrie he found the persona and image he was looking for - the travelling questioning troubadour.  As well as questioning songs he also wrote some of the most insightful love songs ever.  

His song 'Mr Tambourine Man play a song for me' - I feel expressed his joy of art and music and how that wonderful positive side of life lifts us up and is what matters ultimately.      

Dylan cares deeply about the ills of the world, and he expressed this so clearly in his song 'Masters of War' which talks of the corruption and greed by those who 'play with my world like it's your little toy...all the money you make will not buy back your soul.. You aren't worth the blood that runs in your veins.'' 

And that his words of love might help to balance that by exposing their 'evil' and negative ways.

The beauty of Dylan is he attacks those darker shades of humanity head on! No avoidance there! That's important too. I've wondered what young troubadour is there today that writes as insightfully about our present problems? 

I started to seriously listen to Dylan after watching Martin Scorsese's informed documentary 'No Direction Home'.  After which I read his incredible autobiography 'Chronicles' which revealed some of his artistic journeys - a complete eye opener. 

Since then I've bought many Dylan albums. My favourite Dylan Albums are 'Blood on the Tracks',  'HighWay 61 Revisted' ,' Nashville Skyline', 'Blonde on Blonde', 'The Freewheelin Bob Dylan'.

'Some' of my favourite Dylan songs.  'Mr Tambourine Man', 'Forever Young',

'I Threw it All Away' ,  'Just like Tom Thumb Blues', 'Tonight I'll be Staying Here With You', It Takes a Lot to Laugh; It Takes a Lot To Cry', 'Tell Me It Isn't True', 'Visions of Joanna', 'Gotta Serve Somebody', 'Like A Rolling Stone', 'Jokerman', 'Shelter From The Storm', 'Lay Lady Lay', 'Tangled Up in Blue.'   http://www.bobdylan.com/

And not forgetting my favourite album cover ever on 'The Freewheelin Bob Dylan' of Bob Dylan and Suzie on that snowy New York street, I love the perspective and feel of it.  I also love the Forever Young images by Douglas Gilbert.  Happy 70th Birthday Bob, May 2011! - he continues on that artistic journey of his...

In a sense Bob Dylan is now a part of my life...

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A Few Quotes on Dylan: 

'His talent lies in finding and exploiting the tough contours that give the songs their bite, and that in his best moments can be devastating.' 

Dylan embodies cool. Wheras Farina is clearly anxious to please, to fit in. Farina was all, 'Look at me - here I am dig me! ' Dylan was like, 'Look all you want. You'll never see me.' 

'His album 'Highway 61' has a feeling of a Buick speeding down the thruway. Wheras Farina's experiments in new folk-rock sound suggest a man perched uncomfortably on a kiddy car. .. dated and ill at ease with itself.'

Like few performers before him, it creates a space that remains entirely its' own, that forces you to remember it, to notice it, that invites you in even while holding you at a safe distance. 

His delivery avoid the obvious emotional stretches (just listen to most covers of his songs to hear how much is lost by overplaying them) veering into a less expected inflection at the turn of a syllable. 

'Part of his ability, almost paradoxically comes from the nearly effortless quality of Dylan's vocals, a quasi-deadpan that knows not to overplay emotion, but rather to let it insinuate itself through the lines.'   Mark Polizzotti ( Highway 61 Revisited)  

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Radiohead

It's hard to explain in mere words the feelings this wide and encapsulating music generates - that reverberates and expands and contracts and ebbs, send shivers or vibrates you soul.
Yorke has a voice that grabs your attention as it surrounds the bass, drums, guitar, and piano. It's a fluid instrument that can be scary at times, exhilarating, escapist, mesmerising, unpredictable... In fact the opposite of your average MOR sounds! So beware! Their music is not for the weak of heart - but rather those who wish the journey to challenge, surprise and inform their senses.. If I feel full of unresolved conflicts or confusions - their music heals. I'll never forget how I felt at their gig in Edinburgh 2006 - and to appreciate this band you need to hear them live. It was a warm summer August night during the festival and it felt as if their music floated us upwards into the air, the way the wind might surge and groan... Well maybe it was simply the crowds all singing along to their songs - and jumping and waving their arms in the air or was it rather Colin Greenwood's bass thudding upwards through the grass under our feet.

In February they surprised us all, yet again, with a new album- with none of the usual pre-album build up or single releases (how wonderful!) - yet everyone wants to listen. It all reminded me of the Beatles in their day- when everyone simply couldn't wait to get their hands on their next album.

On watching the new 'Lotus flower' video - I was struck how closely photography, dance and music can be as one. One of the joys of Radiohead is knowing you'll discover more and enjoy the album more over time. Radiohead released their eighth album, The King of Limbs (2011) in a variety of formats.

Rod Stewart - Reason to Believe

Feelin' Nostalgic....
Many moons ago in my school days in Edinburgh - Mr Rod Stewart was played constantly - the one song that was great to sing was 'Reason to Believe' written by folk singer Tim Hardin (along with B side 'Maggie May' of course) . Ah lovin' the joys of Youtube...! Even if I've never seen the old crooner live I can watch him live there. He's not one of my favourites to listen to his albums - but he sure did record some singable songs.

Reason To Believe - sung by Rod Stewart :
This was written by Folk singer Tim Hardin, who originally recorded it in 1965. Hardin wrote some popular songs and was a very influential musician, but he had severe drug problems and died in December, 1980 at age 39. His death came shortly after John Lennon's. Stewart released this again in 1993 as a live, acoustic version for MTV Unplugged. Appearing on the album Unplugged... and Seated, this is the version that charted. Stewart's original version was released as a single with "Maggie May" as the B-side. Disc Jockeys liked the flip side better and played "Maggie May" instead, which became the hit. The 1993 Unplugged version was recorded at an MTV special with Ron Wood, who played with Stewart in The Faces. It was the first time they performed it together in 22 years. Stewart commented that his wife at the time, Rachel Hunter, was 1 year-old when it was first released.

T IN PARK- tickets on sale Friday 25th February 2011. Headliners, Foo Fighters, Coldplay, Artic Monkeys, (plus Tom Jones, White Lies, Noah and the Whale, Hurts, Bright Eyes, more )

Brits 2011

Late February - and Awards ceremonies time yet again began with the Baftas and the lavish Brits this week. Often I have to admit to complete boredom with the samey brash American dancing girls, and wonder is this awards ceremony really about music at all.. On the other hand perhaps awards help us to reflect on the past year. My year always starts with Celtic in January. Then I enjoyed Mumford and Laura Marling in March 2010. I noted that Mumford had a terrific gig response at the summer festivals - and the packed audience at the ABC was certainly bouncing through their set.

BRITS 2011:  Mumford won - British Album, Laura Marling - British Female Solo Artist,  Plan B - British Male Solo Artist, Take That - British Group.  Arcade Fire - International Album.  The lovely Adele sang her 'Someone Like You' - I am sort of impressed this year.  The Brits

I even wrote up a little poem (!) last April to  -   
Mumford and Marling in Mombai

Along with

Winston, Ben and Ted Twane, 

Our English countrymen,

We find India.

A place of exhilarating colours, confusions and contradictions..

We perform at Bandra Fort

Where the seats are grass steps.

We crossed those lines, sought

Refuge in high stars and strange crowded pathways.

In Delhi, we caught the feared Delhi runs

Where cows and naked children run free -

In the bustle and chaos of street markets

We wander.

We do the Dharahar Project

With Indian songs over 500 years old -

And that's when our English folk feels oh so new. 

'The Burns Unit' Celtic Connections Old Fruitmarket 2011

'The Burns Unit' first debuted at Celtic 2009. I took photos at this gig - and was immediately struck by the diverse colourful nature of the young talents of this Scottish and Canadian eight-piece line-up. From well renowned folk singer songwriter Karine Polwart to Emma Pollock of Delgados fame; to Fife's King Creosote and guitarist AKA pilot to pianist Kim Edgar; to exuberant Canadian Michael Johnston and rapper MC Soom T; and to producer and drummer Mattie Foulds.  I had previously seen Karine perform her emotional acoustic folk songs at several gigs - and to see her pounding those drums ( I assume to initiate her into the rockier rhythms of the band) appeared a big change in direction! 

At first glance it appears a disparate while accomplished group with little in common except their love of music and Celtic roots. However they have brought together a unique blending of influences to produce challenging and interesting songs, and they appear to enjoy their musical collaborations.  During their set the mood altered from mainly folk/rock to the dancing Caribbean-tinged rhythms of singer MC Soom T very catchy numbers. 
The Old Fruitmarket is full of old-world charms and the perfect venue for this kind of line-up and they appeared more relaxed together. The stand out performances were from singer songwriters Emma Pollock and King Creosote - along with strong vocal harmonies.  Karine performed some of her touching and sincere acoustic guitar songs.

'Broken Records' Celtic Connections 2011

Broken Records Review - Old Fruitmarket 16th Jan 2011

Broken Records are a six-piece indie folk band from Edinburgh Scotland. The band are signed to 4AD and released their debut album, Until the Earth Begins to Part in 2009.  Their second album Let Me Come Home was released in October 2010. They played a well-received set at T in the Park's T Break stage in 2007.  The band attended SxSW Festival in Austin, Texas in 2010 and their music was featured in the TV dramas "Skins" and "Lost". They have supported The National on part of their European 'High Violet' LP tour.  In May the band completed their second album, Let Me Come Home in October, 2010 with producer Tony Doogan (Mogwai, Delgados, Belle & Sebastian)

They played at the Old Fruitmarket 16th January 2011 as part of 'Celtic Connections 2011', and as support for the Burns Unit ( an 8-piece Canadian and Scottish folk/rock band formed over a song writing week in a cottage up north for Burnsong).
Broken Records displayed a tight accomplished unit and blasted through their set. Not many bands command the stage - and Jamie, along with his brother, often appear lost in their rocky yet Celtic-tinged sounds as Rory's violin adds at times an eerie haunting air. Their music moves from intimate piano ( the Promise) to charged violin and drums rhythms (new single A darkness Rises Up). Jamie finished their set with the song 'Nearly Home' with simply his vocal alongside synth keys. Their songs are mystic, exploring many wide-open and spacious emotional themes.

The band were originally formed by brothers Jamie (Lead Vocals) and Rory (fiddle, accordion) Sutherland.  I have heard this band before - and noticed then their musicianship alongside memorable songs and energetic playing, and that Jamie used his vocals as a finely tuned instrument.  They have now shed the cello and worked on arrangements and their second album sounds so much more together and balanced.  I heard this band at several venues and the best was in the reverential setting of the Queens Hall Edinburgh - where they blasted through a set of strong songs in the packed converted church that left me enthralled and exhilarated. 
Aching and troubling yet uplifting sounds.  They tour America and Europe in 2011.  

Set List 

1. Leaving Song

2. Modern Worksong

3. Motorcyclce Boy

4. Wolves

5. A Darkness Rises Up

6. A Promise

7. You Know

8. Nearly Home

Viking Galaxy Nice n Sleazy's Glasgow 11th Dec 2010

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This is  a young band having fun with it all. Behind the scenes you sense that thought and care has gone into their music. The band say they are fans of Bach, Earth Wind and Fire, and metal band Mastodon and that they draw from classical, folk and metal for their music - which all makes me think genre matters not at all. 

Viking Galaxy Set list. The Shaft of Agony, The Hall of the Slain, Space Chariots, Galactic Plunder, The Sickle of Hate. 

Band members - Liam Hill (vocals) Matthew Brown (keys), Ross Keightley (bass), Mike Parkins (guitar) and  Andrew Scott (drums).  

The band appeared on stage in their helmets and wigs. Liam is a strikingly tall, engrossing and entertaining front man and he was cool in a leather waistcoat and fur top. They have been writing and rehearsing for several years and it was clear the boys were high about their first gig.

MUSIC 2010

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Music 2010 has taken some exciting new turns - subtle electronic to retro yet contemporary folk. The genres are blurring more and more and I see this as a positive.

The biggest band of 2010 was Arcade Fire who earned their place at the top end of stadium rock, and their sound reminds me of 70s rock tunes. Their gig Glasgow Barrowlands was one of the top live gigs of all time. 2010 was a year of many great gigs and albums - both large and small scale. Here are some of my thoughts on my own personal views on the biggest sounds of 2010. It is all hard to define now with the complexity of the media - is it about the ticket sales, the album sales, the downloads or the youtube hits...

My favourite new albums anyway, which I hope also represents a slice of the variety of sounds out there. *The biggest Albums - 'Suburbia' by Arcade Fire (indie rock); 'High Violet' The National (indie rock); 'Total Life Forever' the Foals ; ' The XX' won the Mercury with their album 'Crystallized' (Romy has an unforgettable vocal and look - new wave rock); 'I Speak Because I Can' Laura Marling (folk alternative); 'Hill of Thieves' Cara Dillon (folk, released 2009).

Emeli Sande King Tuts 15th November 2010

Emeli describes her sound as 'soul with a rockier edge'.  Emeli commands the centre stage with a powerhouse vocal and songs that cover every emotion. She mixes rock, folk and soul influences to produce her own very unique sound. Her gig King Tuts was the last show of her mini-Scottish tour that included Aberdeen, Dundee, Edinburgh and Glasgow, and they were her first gigs in a while.

She sang her new album songs, as well as her hit singles. I enjoyed the atmosphere of 'Stop the Clock' the moodiness on 'Vegas' and the upbeat vibes of 'Lifted'. Her set also included a medley of her hit songs, including 'Never be Your Woman' (with Wiley 2010) and 'Diamond Rings' (with Chipmunk 2009). She sang songs from the expected release of her first album - 'Kill the Boy' and 'Daddy.'

Tim Robbins and The Rogues - Oran Mor 2nd October 2010

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I was looking forward to hearing Mr Robbins live. Just a few months back I'd read Tim's thoughts on Dylan - and that his favourite song of all time was Joni's 'A Case of You.' I thought here's a guy with good taste in music - plus he acted the lead role in one of the best movies ever made.

Tim Robbins and his 6-piece band, the Rogues Gallery, played a highly entertaining set that went down well with a packed Oran Mor. Tim is 6ft 7 ( the tallest to person to receive an Oscar!) and his head practically touches the stage's ceiling - about which he makes a few jokes. He has a relaxed warm air about him for a Hollywood A lister and has a 6-piece top quality band with him - which included a mandolin, clarinet, accordion, double bass, many guitar changes! and drums. The band featured such talents as Roger Eno, David Coulter and Kate St John.

While his voice may not be the strongest and he is not a seasoned performer all his songs tell of an emotional journey and few artists do this well. He sang songs of Americana roots blues from his new album as well as songs by folk legends - Johnny Cash's 'Flosom Prison Blues', Tom Waits 'All The World is Green', and Billie Holliday's 'What A Little Moonlight Can Do' - as well as some more upbeat rocky numbers. He also had the crowd singing along for 'Mary Don't You Weep.' His liberal political views run through his music with songs such as 'Crush On You'; a song about meeting Mandela entitled ' Lighting Calls' and a 'Time To Kill' a song about talking with an Iraq war veteran.

Snowpatrol Bellahouston Park Glasgow June 2010

No One does melodic rock pop better - this is a band reaching their top form.

I first saw Snowpatrol at T in the Fringe Edinburgh 2006. Their album 'Eyes Open' had just been released then, and it is often better once a band has had time to tour the songs from an album and to get a feel for which songs work best with the audience. They have so many top quality songs that people simply love to sing. Gary Lightbody really worked the crowd this time - and he kept the photographers on their toes running after him! There is something closely emotional about Lightbody's voice and love songs - they brim full of charisma, yearning and hopes... and float on the warm breeze.

Q tour King Tuts 11th May 2010

Goldhawks

This youthful band reminded me of a cross between London mods and American 70s rock bands such as Springsteen, and shades of U2. They play with fiery abandon with a rich vibrant sound.

Tiffany Page is vibrant and sassy - and she plays her guitar with a sexy swagger and sings with a husky edgy voice. She has several catching tunes - my favourite being '7 Years Too Late'. Her voice has been compared to the tomboy edge of a new Chrissie Hydnes (of Pretenders fame 'Brass in Pocket'). Her band are strong and energetic too. She is signed to Mercury Records, and has a single "Walk Away Slow" and expected album "On Your Head."

Detroit Social Club are an indie rock band from Newcastle. Their front man commands the King Tuts stage with the fun soul of a young Joe Cocker. Their music has a punk dance vibe, and 80s feel and they are entertaining to watch. They have been tipped to achieve national success by several British music magazines, notably NME. They are signed to Fiction Records.

NME Radar tour King Tuts Glasgow 26th April 2010

Three very different bands! - from dancing upbeat, to charged rock and lastly stylised 80s rock.
First on stage was the very likable Darwin Deez from New York, and he and his dancers were a lot of fun. They literally bounced on stage and then performed the first of several slick dance routines, and very fit they are too! Darwin seemed to smile his way through his set, and he made eye contact often - and at the end of the set he said,'oh you like us!' They were also set up to focus on the edges and middle of the audience and in so doing kept us with them. I got some energetic fun shots of them. After I noticed them mixing and chatting with the audience which I thought lent a good touch and only adding to their popularity - rather than any 'aloofness'. Darwin's music was in the Conor Obrest style. I also spotted Darwin dancing at the front with his very long arms waving loosely during Everything Everything's set!
Next up were 'Everything Everything' - a rock band in red lights. There was a positive energy from this fresh rock band, while their lead singer has a strong voice with the elastic range and punch of a younger Tom Yorke. They had a good crowd of supporters there who seemed to enjoy their set. I was handed their set list so here it is - Intro, Suffragette, Schoolin, Qwerty, Engine Room, Tin, Photoshop, MY KZ, Weights.
We then waited patiently as the stage was set up for the last act another Manchester band called Hurts. Their set had a white backdrop with lights facing the audience - and this was in stark contrast to the reds of Everything Everything with their charged rock music. Hurts were named in a BBC poll of one to watch in 2010. I met Adam earlier when he came out to the bar area, and I said how much I liked their songs that I'd heard on YouTube - and he looked very smart in a red waistcoat. He said he had played at King Tuts before - with their previous band Daggers maybe?

Hurts are a duo with Theo the lead singer and Adam their keyboard player.

Laura Marling Old Fruitmarket 13th April 2010

She seems so young - and she is! She has a soft, clear focus and grip on reality - if mainly through books, her upbringing and her father. She sings a Neil Young song 'Damage Done' taught to her by her father. She speaks of her father's view in Hampshire where she grew up and his wanting to be taken there one last time.

Her new folk songs are of old stories and of England, with something peaceful and dreamlike in her voice. She has a sweet sensitivity, and her eyes are gently expressive. Laura crosses her ankles as if rocking softly on her toes and on her melodies that weave and spin gentle spells. Her lyrics tell of sparkled stories that catch the breath of winds and deep forests. You sense she has read a lot. She stands a bit shyly centre stage with her guitar, and yet while Laura looks demure she starts with her strong and charged single ' Devil Spoke.' She follows with songs from her new album - 'Goodbye England' 'Made By Maid' and 'What he Wrote' - with the lyrics 'He wrote, I'm broke, please send for me, But I'm broken too, and spoken for, do not tempt me.' She also takes the tempo up with songs such as 'Darkness Descends.'

In the City Hall foyer they are selling very classy and artistic Laura merchandise - T shirts and posters.

Mumford & Sons ABC Glasgow 3rd March 2010

Mumford & Sons, an indie folk band from London, warmed the winter chills as they took to the ABC stage amid red and atmospheric lighting and a cheering sold out venue. They play with soaring keys, pumping banjo, and pristine vocal harmonies. Their lead singer Marcus has dark good looks and a glint in his eye, along with a voice that aches and moves with energetic passions. The band consists of Marcus Mumford (guitar, drums, mandolin), Country Winston ( banjo, dobro), Ben Lovett (keyboards, organ), Ted Dwane (double bass). They formed in late 2007 out of London's folk scene, along with other artists such as Laura Marling, and Noah and the Whale, and they have supported Marling at concerts. Mumford and Lovett met while attending King's College School alongside Noah and the Whale bassist Matt Owens, whilst Marshall attended St Paul's School along with Charlie Fink, lead singer of Noah and the Whale. The band are signed to Island Records and their debut album, Sigh No More, was released in the UK in October 2009, and in February 2010 in the US. The band has achieved success in Australia, and also played live on CBS Late Show with David Letterman.