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Ensemble - Sad-O-Meter - Songwriting & Practice

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Ensemble - Sad-O-Meter - Songwriting & Practice

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Here are some example clips of the four of us trying out some ideas on an as-yet unfinished song. I have may such clips but I have selected a few here, two incomplete versions of a song we are working on, and a practice of another song we recorded. https://photos.app.goo.gl/Jp8XyU4zmYJLDFdK9

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For my participation in an ensemble, since October I have been in the band Sad-O-Meter, consisting of Will Aldridge, Ewan Foster, Myself and Matt Wells. We have been rehearsing regularly, usually weekly but sometimes more or less frequent depending on our respective schedules.

Our performance at live from surrey (admittedly prior to the scope of Pathways B) is available on the StagTV Youtube Channel: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=k4FKtpeIaDc&t=8257s

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We have a few tongue in cheek cover versions but we’ve largely been working on original compositions over the past 6 months, and on the 21st of may we took one of those originals into the studio to record it as a single.

Here is a link to the very earliest version of the track: https://drive.google.com/file/d/1ZXeeA9qZhA5zrEfw7waY9ALbItMRHjvG/view?usp=drive_link

(Don't share this link, it's top secret for now)

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Review - Black Country, New Road (08/05/23)

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Review - Black Country, New Road (08/05/23)

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The story and phenomenon that is Black Country, New Road has been impossible to ignore in the British alternative music scene. From their beginnings as an abrasive, artsy, post-punk 7-piece around the much-romanticised Windmill scene, to their vulnerable, critically acclaimed sophomore album Ants From Up There, and now their next phase after the amicable yet devastating departure of lead singer and songwriting auteur Isaac Wood, the band and their cult following have seen dramatic highs and lows over their short existence. It is here where I must once again admit a degree of bias as a card-carrying member of that cult following. I consider Ants From Up There my favourite album, and as such I was extremely excited to attend their concert at The Old Fruitmarket.

The queue filtered out of the rain and into the surprisingly beautiful auditorium, flanked with Victorian wrought iron galleries. After luckily finding a place at the centre of the barrier, the support act SkyDaddy took to the stage with an eclectic performance, composed of long sprawling tracks drawing from rock, pop and (according to their lead singer) Lebanese folk. For their second to last number they were joined by Black Country, New Road bassist and vocalist Tyler Hyde, whose thin alto complemented the rest of the band beautifully. For a support act their reception was exceptionally warm, and I was not the only one in the front row looking them up on bandcamp after their set.

When BC,NR took to the stage, however, all the phones in the room went away and the ovation was continuous until winds player Lewis Evans launched into the first staccato arpeggios of Up Song, the first song of their set since it appeared in that position on their recent live album. The evening would largely follow the tracklist of said album, as it contains most of the band’s active repertoire after Isaac’s departure. The only omission was The Wrong Trousers, which was more than made up for by three new unreleased tracks.

As Up Song reached its climax the crowd joined in with the memorably cheesy refrain. This audience participation would become a pattern in some of the stickier choruses. After the end of their opener, BC,NR (whose members not yet mentioned are: Guitarist Luke Mark, Violinist Georgia Ellerey, Pianist & Singer May Kershaw and Drummer Charlie Wayne) continued with The Boy, a folky, meandering ballad led by May’s raspy vocals, onto the first new song of the night. A jaunty, bossa-nova inspired number led by Lewis’s singing, the song was lighthearted and enjoyable, especially the ending joke of a live fade-out.

Following that was a trio of familiar songs, the thrilling, klezmer-inspired I Won’t Always Love You, charming and bittersweet Across the Pond Friend (Which had singer Lewis giggling at the volume and quality of the crowd’s backing vocals), finishing with the gut wrenching Laughing Song.

A pair of new songs followed featuring sublime counterpoint between acoustic guitar and pizzicato strings. I was reminded of midwest emo classics like Summer Ends by American Football, not by any means a bad thing, and the rapt reaction of the audience suggested that the future is bright for the band’s new material.

Finally, the same one-two punch that closed their Bush Hall album played out before us live, the multi-part, cinematic, spine tingling epic that is Turbines/Pigs, the two stars being Charlie’s explosive, frenetic drumming and May’s effortless emotionality, both vocally and in her piano playing. Had BC,NR not launched into the cathartic and anthemic Dancers I don’t think the applause would have ended before curfew. Dancers faded into the requisite reprise of Up Song, and it once again became clear that however niche, BC,NR give voice to a specific cultural moment. To brazenly emotional, satisfyingly pretentious, perfect chamber pop.

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Important to mention before getting to the review proper is that this is the opinion of someone who’s knowledge of classical music extends exactly as far as his music A level. Indeed, this factored into my decision to attend this particular Wednesday lunchtime concert, as the first piece Trio Klein performed was one I recalled studying in school: Short Ride in a Fast Machine by John Adams. I was intrigued by how Trio Klein planned to recreate with only three string players what is a piece typically arranged for a large orchestra.

Trio Klein themselves are, unsurprisingly, a trio. Specifically, a trio of highly accomplished string players. Their website offers a comprehensive collation of their achievements and accolades, suffice it to say that with Violinist Kamila Bydlowska, Violist Shiry Rashkovsky and Cellist Ella Rundle, the audience were in safe hands.

After briefly introducing themselves and the Trio Klein Project, the three of them launched into the aforementioned first piece, sawing furiously across all strings available to them to create the frantic yet rich ostinato upon which this minimalist piece is based. The subtle harmonic and instrumental changes which create interest were convincingly recreated by the small ensemble, with perhaps the only limitation of their reimagining being the physical inability to create the same dynamic range and force of sound as a full orchestra.

Between pieces, Trio Klein spoke about some concerts they play being themed as “Eighties Nights”. But far from playing ABBA classics, this fun framing device is used to play more obscure chamber music from the 1980s. The trio then launched into assured performances of two such examples: Alfred Schnittke’s String Trio (ii) & Sofia Gubaidulina’s String Trio (ii + iii). The playing was, to my ear, near perfect, deeply expressive, and confident enough to keep the audience engaged through the less tonal, more abstract passages.

The recital closed with a performance of a few of Bach’s Goldberg Variations, rearranged for the trio. The choice to bookend the recital with pieces adapted from their intended instrumentation is interesting, to me at least it alleviates some of the stuffiness associated with chamber music by suggesting that any piece could be played in such a setting. The more functional harmony makes for less intense listening, and a memorable end to the concert.

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For my allotted concert management I was assisting on the management team for the 2B Classical Performance Assessments alongside Gregory Troynenko. I arrived at my call time of 12:30PM and reported to the concert coordinator. I assisted in moving the piano into position, tidying the performance area. During the recitals, I helped operate the door to the green room, moved a stand out for a performer, and occasionally shushed at my fellows in the green room. I found the experience deeply instructive.