The BRITS 2012 – Some great British music while mostly mainstream and not for everyone

Coldplay, the biggest band worldwide, opened the BRITS show with their brand of colourful fun ‘Paradise’ rhythms. I am proud of British music with artists who sell well worldwide – Coldplay, Adele, Florence and the Machine, Jessie J, Laura Marling, Plan B, more.

Adele, the biggest selling British artist of the 21^st century with 17m sales, just swept the American Grammies last week with her ‘coming of age’ album 21. Back home in London Adele again won the categories Best Album and Best Female. Newcomer singer songwriter Ed Sheeran won Best Male and Best Breakthrough act. Best Band; Coldplay (50m sales worldwide); Emeli Sande won Critics Choice award.

International Female; Rhianna (20m albums), International Male; Bruno Mars (500m hits youTube), International Groupl Foo Fighters; International Breakthrough; Lana Del Rey. 

The show closed with 90s band Blur. While performers Olly Murs, Bruno Mars and Rhianna, prove this show is mostly about the mainstream.

It is not all about good vibes on the ground these days, but more importantly attention in the online stratospheres – and all about that Online Buzz now via YouTube hits, Facebook friends and Twitter friends,

The Brits may not have the extravagance and glitz of the Grammies but thank goodness, music should not be all about theatricals! Florence and the Machine put on a beautifully artistic choreographed performance. The presenter James Corden, took to the floor where some audience members walked in front of him… 
Plus quite oddly he felt it was more important the show kept to its allotted time than that Adele was given time for her acceptance speech after winning best album!  I’m all for professionalism but this seemed to be carrying things a bit too far!   

PS As respected songwriter Richard Thompson puts it, 'People in large numbers don't always have the best taste!'  Also I was reading that when Adele recorded Someone Like You simply backed with piano her label wanted the song re-recorded with a full band backing, but Adele stuck to her guns and said no! mmmm It never fails to amaze me the over-production that goes on. Surely it’s about the song and voice in the end? 

Dick Gaughan - Now Westlin Winds

*Emeil Sande 'Our Version of Events' Review

 Sande has a gripping voice that engages emotionally on many levels. Her songs have powerful timeless melodies with both classical and soul influences and her album sits astride mainstream pop and something more interesting and individual. 

I've followed Emeli Sande since 2006 when I first heard her sing at her ep launch Oran Mor Glasgow and it is  very exciting to see her reap the rewards from all her songwriting work with the successes of her recent debut album which is due to be release in America in June. I met Emeli at her King Tuts gig in 2011 and she has a natural warm smile and was very earnest about her music there.    

Our Version of Events is about her powerhouse soul voice and her distinctive song writing and we hear clearly Sande’s heart on her stronger songs -  the lyrical Daddy, Next To Me, My Kind Of Love, Clown, Maybe, Breaking the Law (which changes the albums feel and has simply guitar and her voice) and on her first single release Heaven which uses the popular energy of the Amen dance drumbeat. Her album sits astride mainstream pop and something more interesting and individual. 

Refreshingly with Emeli here is someone who has made it through hard graft and not through the Guildford School of Music or by being wealthy and privately educated. My hope is that artists are given time to develop in music. We might also wonder why would Sande, a cool, musical and clearly bright singer, wish to be aligned to Simon Cowell?  While I hope the music world is about creativity, it is also about a business. She may have written for Cowell’s X Factor winners but Sande’s music has true grit and heart to it.  

Emeli Sandé is a Scottish R & B and soul artist and songwriter. Before pursuing her musical career, Sandé studied medicine at Glasgow University. Her influences are a cross between the piano songs of Nina Simone's and rock music, and she describes her sound as ‘soul with a rockier edge.’  

I prefer not to 'over analyse' music - I prefer to follow my instinct. I ask myself would I listen to this album, would I travel to hear this artist perform? The answer with Sande’s music is a very firm yes. 

This is a strong debut album mostly receiving good reviews. How many albums are perfect without a few weaker songs, not many that I can name. Emeli has a gripping voice that is both soothing and edgy and engages emotionally on many levels. She plays piano well and breaks her set with several piano slower tempo songs. It seems to me she has paid her dues and delivered a fine album.

Sande at her Old Fruitmarket Glasgow April 2012

 

Emeli had to change her name as in 2007 as she was known as 'Adele' her first name! There are comparisons here as both have powerful voices. Adele just swept the Grammies 2012 -  then again 21 is Adele's third album.

I first heard Sande at her CD launch gig Oran Mor Glasgow December 2006 when she had picked up attention for her strong distinctive voice at university. She has changed her hair since then also from big and brown to a peroxide quiff, which certainly makes her stand out!  I met her also at her King Tuts gigs in 2010 where she kindly signed Prints. Sande has had hit songs since then with -  Professor Green’s on "Read All About It” (number one UK singles chart), rapper Chipmunk’s, “Diamond Rings” and Wiley’s “Never Be Your Woman”. 
I first heard Sande's album songs at her Oran Mor 2011 and I was impressed with how her songwriting had developed with many catchy hooks and good variety of rhythms. 

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Celtic 2012 Review

One of the joys of Celtic Connections is that there are so many top class musicians of all genres in town for the two weeks. Although for me highlights are the Scottish Ceilidh bands, unique collaborations, emerging talent, American bluegrass, traditional singers and singer songwriters, Gaelic singers, 

This year I’ve been busy with reviews and with being unwell the first week I’ve not covered as much as usual. Saying that though the Bring It All Back Home: Gerry Rafferty Remembered provided one of the best concerts I’ve been to at Celtic – I am still singing Rafferty songs 2 weeks later!

I also had a lovely trip to the Fruitmarket, the ABC and I enjoyed a few nights at the Late Sessions and the open mics at the concert hall. The Rab Noakes concert was also highly enjoyable. Celtic finished for me with the ever wonderful Transatlantic Sessions.

This year was about the craft of the Songwriter with many concerts - one for the 100 year centennial for Woody Guthrie; an outstanding concert to commemorate and celebrate one of the best songwriters Gerry Rafferty organised by Rab Noakes; 
the protest song with Scottish songwriter Karine Polwart and Justin Currie; The Transatlantic celebrated several gifted writers and musicians among them the extraordinary Jerry Douglas from Ohio, Shetland fiddler Aly McBaincand guitarist Russ Barenberg  Other concerts included – Scottish songwriter Rab Noakes, Irish troubadour Luke Bloom, Thea Gilmore sang songs written by iconic English folk singer Sandy Denny, Mercury nominated King Creosote and John Hopkins; and younger artists Rachel Sermani, Breabach, Manran, Madison Violet, Admiral Fallow,and James Vincent McMorrow. 

Celtic encourages new artists via several routes – the BBC Young Traditional Musician, the Danny Kyle open stage, Showcase Scotland, (with Celtic artists worldwide), and with BBC broadcasts.

I would have wished to attend more but was unable to due to my very heavy cold the first week. Even so it was a delight as usual to attend the concert hall, fruitmarket and other venues for Celtic 2012. Another successful festival and as the girl from Madison Violet put it – how lucky we are to have a festival like this in Glasgow. 
MY CELTIC PHOTOS GALLERY - http://pkimage.co.uk/celtic

If you watch the wonderful program 'Gerry Rafferty Remembered' - you can see me taking photos on the Ron Sexsmith song! Fame at last!  http://www.bbc.co.uk