“This one goes out to the hero’s of Tahrir Square” cries Sean MacGloin as he picks up his bagpipes and backed by the band, launches into a scintillating rendition of “Walk Like an Egyptian”.  The capacity crowd erupt, buoyed on by two Egyptian-looking women who leap onto the stage to dance. It is a rousing and impromptu start to a high-energy set by this eccentric four-piece jazz/swing-band-with-a-twist, playing in East London just hours after the announcement that Hosni Mubarak had stepped down.

Ta Mere (meaning ‘Your Mama’), use an array of instruments including violin, guitar, bass, harmonica and drums to produce an infectious sound that ranges from jazz and  bluegrass to jive and gipsy swing, mixing in Celtic and Latin rhythms. This reflects the eclectic tastes and mixed backgrounds of the hugely talented band members, not least their charismatic front man, Irish-Cuban New Yorker Sean MacGloin.

Band members each take a turn at singing: MacGloin in his throaty Satchmo voice, bass-player Wun Chan Yen a rich smooth crooner, and drummer John MacCathy with a voice like aged bourbon. All are backed by the virtuoso jazz guitar playing of Christos Chatzispyrou and MacGloin’s fluid bluegrass violin. But it is their use of the bagpipes that really set this band apart. Shakespeare writes in the Merchant of Venice that “when the bagpipe sings i’ the nose” some people “cannot contain their urine” but in the arms of MacGloin, this much maligned instrument produces a sound that is upbeat and sonorous and not in the least bit urine-inducing.

Growing up in the Bronx, MacGloin has been playing the bagpipes since the age of 4. “As a child the pipes were beaten into me and my brothers” he jokes. “Every weekend we’d be forced to play the pipes then forced to go to bible study then forced to listen to Elgar.” Jazz bagpipes were pioneered by the American musician Rufus Harley who, according to legend, got the idea whilst watching the pipe band of the Black Watch playing at President Kennedy’s funeral. Whilst pipes have been used intermittently by musicians from Van Morrison to Peter Gabriel their popularity is limited due to their lack of subtly. Not only do bagpipes only have nine notes but the sound they emit is difficult to modulate and coming out at one volume: loud. But MacGloin skips around these problems using false fingering to find half-notes and varying the volume by swaying back and forth in front of his trademark vintage microphone. The pipes inject their rendition of Summertime with a blithe originality and their song Little Boy Blue starts with a scintillating bagpipe intro which flows into a catchy thigh-slapping classic.

As well as intimate venues such as the 1950’s retro Bethnal Green Working Men’s Club, Ta Mere go down a storm at bigger events. They are regular performers at the monthly sell-out Blitz Parties and Prohibition Balls and are also booked to play several festivals this summer. On a night that the world was celebrating the victory of the people’s revolution in Egypt, there was no better way to join in the euphoria than dancing to a bagpipe version of a Bangles classic in Bethnal Green.

Stefan Simanowitz is a writer, journalist and broadcaster.

It took them nine months from originally playing this venue to come to the attention of Brian Epstein though, when he happened to turn up at The Cavern.

However, if you go along to play homage you’re going to be slightly disappointed for a couple of reasons. Firstly, the original club was knocked down in order to make way for a shopping centre. Fail. Secondly, the replica bar that has been recreated nearby is next to a franchise of the 80s nostalgia bar Flares. The presence of a cheap gimmicky club playing cheesy music next door (and usually with a big queue) hints at the major problem with the Cavern Club i.e. that its still sadly in the shadow of former glory.

However, the people behind remaking the club, including Liverpool player Tommy Smith, have been incredibly faithful in their recreation – even using some of the same bricks as the original. As such the new venue has managed to create a great atmosphere inside and has become a legendary local club in its own right.

Some months you will be looking at hundreds of live acts playing the venue, from the unknown to the greats, all feeling the imposing history lovingly recreated. If you’re in the area its definitely worth a visit. Just make sure you don’t join the wrong queue and end up with all the wrong musical memories coming back to you.

The News of The World is reporting she turned it down despite David Beckham and Simon Fuller doing their best to try to persuade her. The reason behind the refusal…well she wants to send more time on motherhood and of course..her fashion line (snigger). They quote a source saying:

“There is no way Victoria will perform with the Spice Girls ever again. She’s not a spoilsport but she doesn’t feel she’s a good enough performer to go back there again all these years on. The others are keen to do the performance but it’s just not for Victoria anymore.”

“She has established herself so well in the fashion world now that she would feel it was a huge step backwards. She’s also well aware she is not the strongest singer in the world so doesn’t want to put herself in a position to be criticised again”

Perhaps singing in front of a billion people might be a bit daunting…especially if miming is off the cards. This might well be the case given how much controversy was caused by the extreme miming in the Chinese opening ceremony.

It would be a shame though if the whole thing is scuppered by this, as despite criticism the band always did have a knack for putting out addictively catchy pop tunes. If this is part of wider reunion though, Victoria should look at the Robbie Williams/Take That example before making any decisions.

Picture Courtesy of constance7

• Seatwave.com Currently has tickets on sale HERE
• Viagogo.co.uk currently has tickets on sale HERE (between £27 and £80 at the moment)

The producers of the show, Stage Entertainment, have commented “We always knew that Whoopi as Mother Superior would give us a boost but what we’ve seen at the Palladium is totally unprecedented.”

She will only be with the production until the 31st of August though. From September Sally Dexter, who has previously been in Billy Elliot and Bad Girls, will be taking over as Mother Superior for two months. After that time the whole thing has to make way for the Andrew Lloyd Webber train as The Wizard of Oz opens on the back of Over The Rainbow.

Strangely though there will be a bit of a gap at the London Palladium as the producers have brought the date for the close of the production forward.

Oh and here’s the obligatory video.

Picture Courtesy of AndyRob on Flickr

At a festival that boasts a line-up of over a hundred top name bands one would not expect the highlight to come from an unsigned group playing on a miniature stage in a leafy glade. But this is no reflection on the quality of the other acts at this year’s Big Chill. Rather its evidence of just how good Race Horses, a four-piece band from Cardiff, are.

Playing in the afternoon sunshine Race Horse’s thrash out raw experimental pop with strong melodies that is weird, wonderful and upbeat. Combining accomplished musicianship, genuine lyrical talent and a energetic sense of fun the band soon has everyone in the small crowd dancing.

In Pony, their sound is part Roxy Music part Talking Heads with a punchy hammond organ under-pinning darker lyrics (“I want to be the one you lie to”). Cake is a catchy guitar-based love song with a twist and Marge Wedi Blino (Marge Is Tired), sung in Welsh, starts as an upbeat pop song before lurching into an elegiac hymn. The uplifting vocals of Meilyr Jones, the band’s fresh-faced lead singer, soar against the soft beat of a drum. The hymn repeats itself as dark chords build to a wall of feedback and broken guitars. Unsure what to make of it, I ask Jones after the set if it is a love song. “No, its more of a horror song” he replies with a grin “It’s about a young girl obsessed with thoughts of death.” And it is surprises like this that make the band so refreshing.

Writing the songs together the band members share a low-boredom threshold when it comes to easily with formulas in song-writing, instrumentation and production. “We consciously try to avoid thinking about our new songs in terms of who plays guitar or drums or whatever” explains keyboard player, Dylan Hughes.

“We sort of liken ourselves to some late 70s early 80s pop bands that were popular but really weird – messing with people’s perception of what pop music is” Hughes tells me. Race Horses manage to do this by synthesizing a huge range of styles from glam-rock to post-punk, psychedelia to electronica. Each of the songs on their first album, Goodbye Falkenburg, released earlier in the year, has contrasting instrumentation and style. “Its actually a concept album” explains Jones. “The songs reflect different aspects of a story told by a sailor on his death bed.” Now that’s not something you hear everyday.

Stumbling on new bands is just one of the many pleasures of the Big Chill which, although much larger this year, has retained the charms which have drawn people back for fifteen years. Not only was this year’s festival-site bigger but by securing chart-topping headline acts such as Lilly Allen, M.I.A and Plan B the Big Chill’s new majority owners, Festival Republic, ensured that whilst the size of the crowd went up their average age went down significantly. Whilst some Big Chillers might miss the more intimate feel of earlier festivals, there are still plenty of magic moments to be had, whether dancing in the Monkey Shoulder tree house, watching the sun set over the stunning Eastnor valley, or hearing exciting new bands like Race Horses for the first time.

What surprised me most, and pissed me off most, was that people bought into this – and it’s caused a few arguments between me and friends.

But as time has gone on even I have had to give them some respect for their longevity. And their latest performance in Turin adds to this. Despite Bono’s recent back surgery, he was really giving it some he and still putting on an energetic show.

They put out three new songs – Return to Stingray Guitar, North Star and Glastonbury. The last of these some kindly person put on Youtube:

Picture courtesy jdn of on Flicker

Angela Merkel has promised an intensive probe into the causes and until the results of that nobody should comment on the rights and wrongs.

Rainer Scheller, organiser of the event, has taken the quick decision to put an end to the festival for good – “Out of respect for the victims, their families and friends, we are going to discontinue the event in the future, and that means the end of the Love Parade.”

Hopefully out of this will come better safety precautions around crowd control, similar to those at football matches (which we’re similarly brought in after such tragedy).

Photo Courtesy of AcimaH

The performance is super-tight: Laura-Mary Carter thrashing out scuzzy power chords and a seemingly unending stream of catchy riffs on a lone guitar as Steve Ansell accompanies with powerful, energetic drumming.

While Steve Ansell chats to the audience between songs, Laura-Mary looks downright unhappy to be here, spending the entire gig in a perpetual scowl. At one point, she actually stops halfway through a song because her guitar is out of tune (not the audience could tell; besides, when playing an amp with enough distortion to fell a tree one flat note is fairly irrelevant).

Despite Steve Ansell’s attempts to crack some jokes, the audience become bored watching Laura-Mary laboriously tuning up her “Kurt Cobain guitar”, and when someone shouts at her to hurry up, she tells them to fuck off.

The mood doesn’t really improve from there. Laura-Mary takes a rare moment to address the audience and announces she’ll go kill herself after the gig.

It’s a shame, because despite the unfortunate atmosphere, the music is absolutely astounding. Every song they play – the setlist focusing heavily on the new album – sounds perfect, a supercharged version of their recorded equivalents. “Heartsink” (introduced as “a song for dancing to”) gets the kids at the front leaping into the air; elsewhere, the audience shouts back angsty choruses like “can’t escape anything in this town!” and “don’t ask the reasons why!”

The only disappointment of the night is “Colours Fade”, a proggy departure in style for the band. Though one of their best songs on record, it lacks the depth of sound it needs when played live with a single guitar.

Whether or not they concede to adding in some extra musicians to their stripped-down show in the future, judging by tonight’s show it’s likely that Blood Red Shoes will continue to play invigorating, energetic music as long as there is an audience out there that wants it. That is, as long as Laura-Mary’s guitar stays in tune.

Image Courtesy of MDMAZING

Opening with the The Jeweller’s Hand – the final song on third album Humbug – it’s apparent that the band have mellowed somewhat since their earlier days. Instead of an explosive introduction their arrival on stage is somewhat subdued, with the band beginning the laid-back number behind a massive red curtain that slowly opens. It’s an effective opener, and the band waste no time in laying into their more famous tracks, such as first single I Bet That You Look Good On The Dancefloor which sparks mass hysteria among the 11,000 plus crowd.

But it’s not just the album tracks which get an airing here, as recent b-side Sketchead (taken from recent single Cornerstone) is introduced as “one of our new songs”. As a song it’s difficult to place, and not one that you can see sitting alongside Crying Lightning and the aforementioned Cornerstone. It serves as more of a bridge between old and new, linking a wide gulf which is all the more evident in a live environment.

The raw The View From The Afternoon seems out-of-place in this new, mellower Monkeys set, while the seedy My Propeller and haunting synths of Pretty Visitors somehow suit the band more these days. Meanwhile, the tracks which are included from Favourite Worst Nightmare – 505, Brianstorm, Fluorescent Adolescent (complete with the end of Mardy Bum inserted halfway through) et al – sound fresher accompanied by Humbug. That said, When The Sun Goes Down arguably gets the most rousing reception of all as lead Monkey Alex Turner takes the reins to perform the introduction on his own – again inciting riots in the crowd when the song really kicks off.

It’s similar to the earlier scenario with I Bet That You Look Good On The Dancefloor, making it look as if the majority of the audience are here for the select few songs from Whatever People Say I Am, That’s What I Am Not that are performed tonight. The noise that greats Turner’s every word is deafening, and the finale – 505 – prompts nearly 20 people being hauled from the crowd by security staff.

By the end of their near hour and a half set Turner heads off, leaving the band to finish the song without him. It’s a strange ending, with many of the crowd unable to believe they’re not coming out for a second encore – but alas, the house lights come on and music pipes in over the PA. It’s not often that a band manages to keep up the quality for a entire set, but tonight Arctic Monkeys managed it in spectacular style.

Arctic Monkeys’ Humbug is nominated in our Album of 2009 vote.

Picture by thetripwirenyc

Had I the foresight to have vomited “sweat”, “angst”, and “androgyny” across my pad, I would have been set. Unfortunately, this is where my conceit ends, and I have to again descend into proper writing.

As we all know; the best shows in the world are the ones where you’re in the minority of legal drinkers. Hazily adrift in a sea of sobriety and headbands; that is when you can appreciate the glory of live music. I was excited: the line-up was as good as I could ask for. Up first: Straight Lines, a hard-hitting noise factory from South Wales and possibly the most aesthetically incongruous group I’ve ever had the pleasure of seeing – the lead singer looked as though he should be tied to his mother’s apron, while the lead guitarist’s red shirt reminded me alarmingly of the big bad wolf. Thankfully, the music was significantly better than the look.

Admittedly a bit androgynous, a little samey, and a little clunky, it was nonetheless good fun. Noisy, sweaty, shouty, and some truly inspired refrains. A particular favourite was the completely unexpected bridge lifted verbatim from Buddy Holly (Weezer); set against the vocals which you could find in any Futureheads song (seriously). Lacking in stage presence, yes, but tighter than the 40 year old virgin.

From the 40 year old virgin to Attack! Attack!, the local jailbait: loose, and oh so disappointing at the climax. Whereas “noise” was a compliment to Straight Lines, you expect a lot more from a band on their second album. You expect clean cut edges, and refined song-lists. Not so here; all the run was lifted from the crushingly disappointing second album. Fan favourite You And Me was the personal highlight, and that was just because they started mashing their instruments. Don’t get me wrong: it was good, it just wasn’t Attack! Attack! It was unstructured shouting; no epiphany moments of tinkling synth. Heavier than their studio work, but shitter, too.

Salvation came crashing down as inebriation grabbed hold, however, in the shape of Kids In Glass Houses; more ear-rapists from South Wales. Like being punched in the head over and over, it was just how it was meant to be: unreal stage presence from the Welsh Tom Chaplin look-a-like; heady nonconformism and a smattering of humour. They certainly gave me what I want.

Alas, this is where my notes tail off to unintelligible scribbles, and I remember why: I’d thrown myself into the pit, I was brawling with Jefree Star clones half my age.

Start hard. Fade out. Get kicked. Vomit. Perfect.

Picture by Chris Friese