Mancunian Blues
Created | Updated Nov 25, 2004
Gigged Out
It's been a busy couple of weeks gig wise for me.
So shall I tell you about them? Might as well.
Wednesday 10th I headed over the mountains to reach Sheffield and the classic rock bar. To be honest, I was pleasantly surprised that a bar would happily offer an out-of-town band a paying gig without having heard us. It's a nice bar that plays American metal and is a haunt for bikers. Support was from the fantastic Michelle Baxter and she got a much-deserved, attentive audience. Narcissus played well after a collection of technical hitches, but their set was rather spoiled by the smoke machine. Not that the venue was a smoke machine, it was a 1200cc Suzuki Bandit that was parked in the corner of the room. The landlord decided half way through a song was the best time to start the bike, covering 2 of us in fumes (smoky indoor venues with air intakes facing a wall, not the best way to get enough air for a clean burning engine!).
Tuesday saw the last of the 2-11 Blues (72114 Blues as was) nights before the Bowling Green goes though a management change. I'd carefully planned how much I was going to spend, but didn't account for getting a lot of free beer and free burger. It was a change to go there and not play. However it was the first gig for yonks that I haven't touched, better still not carried, a musical instrument. The standout set was by David Novan and I couldn't find anybody willing to argue with me that Tracy, from Minus One Raver, was one of Manchester's best vocal talents, so the motion is carried.
Wednesday saw me and 6 others wander down to watch Midland Railway at the Roadhouse. It's not a bad, if officious, venue. Refreshing to see a band playing songs that veer away form the normal topics for lyrics. However, one gripe with them is that a good part of their set consists of songs played by the singer's former band Pink Fluffy Cloud Machine and written by the Fluffy's then lead singer, Stephen J Sarson. While nobody has too much of a problem with Midland Railway playing these songs, in the 7 or 8 performances I have seen by the band or just the singer's solo set, he hasn't ever credited the writer of these songs. As a songwriter it riles me that the man behind a lot of good songs - and if the band want to play them, they must like them - is not given the credit he deserves.
The Roadhouse operates a 'no covers' policy, but since there is no publishing deal on the PFCM covers, they got to play them, again without crediting the writer. I enjoy watching the band, but feel that taking a relatively unknown persons songs and, in effect, passing them off as their own, isn't the nicest thing to do.
Friday saw the last night of the current owners at The Bowling Green, which included a set by The Master Bluesman, a set by Narcissus, one by their guitarist Tim Brie, another Tracy Brown set, folk duo Silent Quarter, as well as a couple of other acts and a Jazz Band. More free booze and a buffet (hint, set the buffet out when the fat guy is on stage, means there is more for everybody else.). Night finished with me off to a party that seemed to involve knocking a wall down in the early mornings, before having an hours walk back from Moss side in freezing temperatures.
Saturday was down at a tennis club on the lemonade watching Midland Railway again (only 5 mins walk from me house is no real excuse since I was also supplying a mic stand.
In the meanwhile, I was remixing an album and also rehearsing with a band. So am kinda knackered now.
Till next time
Love, peace and blues
tjm
