Preview - John Cooper Clarke - Caerphilly’s Workman’s Hall on 24 March

‘I WANNA BE YOURS’ UK TOUR - A SPECIAL WARM-UP GIG FOR THE LAUGHARNE WEEKEND 2023

‘I Wanna Be Yours’ is the latest tour from the legendary Dr John Cooper Clarke. Also known as the Bard of Salford, Clarke is a phenomenon: Poet Laureate of Punk, rock star, fashion icon, TV and radio presenter, social and cultural commentator – he’s one of Britain’s most beloved and influential writers and performers.

John’s new show is a breathtaking showcase of poetry and spoken work, sharing stories from his incredible life and hugely successful career. JCC will take you on an incredible journey with pieces from the new book as well as his usual musings, off the wall chat, riffs, gags and wicked humour.

The new book follows on from John's poetry collection, ‘The Luckiest Guy Alive’, published in Autumn 2018, one of the best-selling poetry collections of the year selling over 25,000 copies in three months.

John’s memoir, entitled ‘I Wanna Be Yours’, was recently released in the UK by Picador. The book explores his extraordinary life, filled with remarkable personalities: from Nico to Chuck Berry; Bernard Manning to Linton Kwesi Johnson; Elvis Costello to Gregory Corso; Mark E. Smith to Gil Scott Heron and Joe Strummer and on to more recent fans and collaborators like Alex Turner, Plan B and Guy Garvey. Interspersed with stories of his rock and roll and performing career, John also reveals his mind-boggling encyclopaedic take on popular culture over the centuries: from Baudelaire and Edgar Allan Poe, to Pop Art, pop music, the movies, fashion, football and show business – with more than a few laughs along the way.

John Cooper Clarke shot to prominence in the 1970s as the original ‘people’s poet’, and since then his career has spanned cultures, audiences, art forms and continents.

His influence can be heard within the keen social observations of the Arctic Monkeys and Plan B. These collaborations mean that John has been involved in 2 recent global number 1 albums - with The Arctic Monkeys putting one of John's best loved poems, “I Wanna Be Yours”, to music on their critically acclaimed AM Album.

A Tale Of Two Cities - Lust For Life/London Calling - Review

Images Copyright Tony Woolway

Lust For Life - Bristol Exchange, London Calling - The Globe, Cardiff

A Tale Of Two Cities. Two gigs, one week, the first over the bridge at Bristol’s Exchange for Lust For Life, a group put together by Iggy Pop and Bowie guitarist Kevin Armstrong to celebrate Iggy Pop’s iconic Lust For Life album released in 1977 and produced by David Bowie.

What was intriguing about the gig, the first night of their short U.K. was the line-up that featured such rock luminaries as former Sex Pistol and Iggy sideman Glen Matlock on bass and Blondie’s powerhouse of a drummer Clem Burke alongside the aforementioned Armstrong. On keyboards was Florence Sabeva, who tours with Heaven 17 and Luis Correia on guitar with vocals by broadcaster and occasional Pet Shop Boys collaborator Katie Puckrik.

Opening with the title track Lust For Life the band punched their way through the entire album at blistering pace halted only for Clem Burke to holler for the stage lights to be turned up as “I haven’t travelled 7,000 miles to play in the fucking dark,”.

The evening provided some real ‘pinch me’ moments with “The Passenger” in particular causing goosebumps whilst the choice of songs that followed the full album featured songs that some of the band had played on like Blondie’s “Rip Her To Shreds” plus other classics from the Iggy Pop collection with “Night Clubbing” and Stooges “ I Wanna Be Your Dog”.

Focal point of the evening, was Puckrik who was quite superb in the Iggy role bounding around and bursting with enthusiasm that proved contagious.

As if all the above wasn’t enough the encore provided a true moment of pleasure as Matlock took over the vocals as the band powered through their version of the Sex Pistols “Pretty Vacant” followed by The Stooges “Search And Destroy,” a quite stunning finish for a exceptional evening at a great venue.

Next up…. London Calling at. The Globe, Cardiff

Another great venue and another nostalgic evening with Bristol band, London Calling, the premier Clash tribute band playing the group’s debut album, also released in 1977, and rightly considered a classic, in its entirety.

The opening drum intro to “Janie Jones” set the tone for a quite brilliant set as the band, resplendently dressed in their punk era attire recreated the early days of Punk with lead singer and Strummer doppelgänger Reg Shaw spitting out vocals to a very enthusiastic crowd who were soon bouncing in unison.

There was certainly no let up in the pace with the only breath being taken was during the bands version of the reggae classic “Police and Thieves.” whilst Dave Devonaid aka Mick Jones stepped up to provide able vocal support and a real Mick Jones sound alike.

Other Clash classics “Tommy Gun” “Safe European Home and “White Man In Hammersmith Palais” sent fans home happy but exhausted such was the pace and the power.

Tony Woolway

Joe Jackson “Sing, You Sinners Tour,” St David's Hall, Cardiff 02/08/2022

Two years can be an eternity when the anticipation is so great waiting for the incredibly talented Joe Jackson and band to make a rare Cardiff appearance and It certainly proved well worth the frustrating wait.
Quite simply it was a jaw-dropping performance by The Man, who mesmerised a good sized crowd with songs both old and new in a quite stunning set, played at the highest level. accompanied by his talented band of musicians, one of whom, bassist Graham Maby, has been a stalwart alongside Jackson for most of his considerable career.

It was a rather Beatlesque intro reminiscent to the opening of Sgt Pepper's with a tune-up/tuneless opening breaking swiftly into 'One More Time' from Jackson's 1979 debut album Look Sharp, followed by the excellent 'Big Black Cloud' from his last recording Fool, a lost gem of an album.
New-ish songs like 'Fabulously Absolute' and 'Dave' slotted in effortlessly amongst the big Jackson hits with a deliciously acapella version of 'Is She Going Out With Him' (with just the bass for accompaniment) and 'Different For Girls'.

There was a break mid-set with Jackson alone at the keyboard. Jackson said that he gets to play one cover song from a band or artist that influenced him during a set and this time it was Joni Mitchell's 'Big Yellow Taxi', played in the style of a New Orleans pianist much like his hero's Dr John and Professor Longhair.

It was becoming a superlative evening with driving high-tempo versions of 'Sunday Papers', 'I'm The Man' and a curiously stylish 'Steppin Out' and frantic 'Fool'

Whilst there was no doubting who the boss was, there's no denying that the powerful and incredibly talented band that is Ted Kumpel, guitar, Doug Yowell, drums, and the aforementioned Graham Maby, bass, certainly played their part in an evening to remember for a long while...until the next time'

SETLIST

One More Time

Big Black Cloud

Sunday Papers

Dave

Look Sharp!

Fabulously Absolute

Solo (So Low)

Real Men

Big Yellow Taxi

(Joni Mitchell cover)

Kings of the City

Blaze of Glory

Fool

Sing You Sinners

(Tony Bennett cover)

Is She Really Going Out With Him?

It's Different for Girls

I'm the Man

Encore:

You Can't Get What You Want (Till You Know What You Want)

Steppin' Out

Gallery Block

These are example images. Double-click here to replace these images with your own content. Learn more

Review - Kiki Dee & Carmelo Luggeri - The Long Road Home Tour - Acapela Studio - 13/11/2021

It’s been a year in waiting for the return of Kiki Dee & Carmelo Luggeri, and certainly, after their performance on a chilly Saturday evening, it was well worth the wait.

The Acapela Studio is fast becoming a beacon for live music in the area and a venue where you can get up close and personal to the artist in a quite chilled environment and something that no doubt attracts both performers and fans who find large concert halls both antiseptic and cold.

Yet the 13th proved rather prophetic for the duo as the gremlins struck during their opening number with a power issue, but they battled on gamely despite the false start with Kiki Dee casually annoucing that a glass of red wine would help calm the jitters, whereupon, a glass appeared at the front of the stage, courtesy of the management, and a very grateful singer.

If getting through the first number “What You Wish For” appeared a little traumatic, the rest of the evening was simply plain sailing with a lovely acoustic version of her biggest hit (with Elton John, his first No 1) “Don’t Go Breaking My Heart”, “Small Mercies” a song about appreciating life, and a quite stunning version of Kate Bush’s “Running Up That Hill”.

There were a few exceptional covers during the two-set performance. Leonard Cohen’s “Dance Me To The End Of Love” a heart tugging “Let It Be Me” by The Everly Brothers and best of all Sinatra’s “Very Good Year”, in a suprising, yet classy selection.

Dee’s voice, as strong as it ever, was supremely complimented by Luggeri’s virtuoso guitar, creating soundscapes that provided the perfect foil for Dee, who pitched in with some occasional keyboards .

It’s been a long and rewarding career for Kiki Dee, something which was emphasised by her hit “Amoureuse”, released in 1973 and performed so perfectly in 2021, as she turned back the clock in quite stunning fashion, a very youthful looking 74 years of age.

For those Strictly fans in the audience it was interesting to hear that she had turned down this year’s series, saying she was to be the ‘token’ oldie in the competition, but, declined her inclusion due to a family illness. On this evening’s performance, It was obvious she was quite capable of putting a few of the younger ones in the shade, had she been able to perform.

But, back to the music, and the highlight of the evening. “Until We Meet Again”, a touching song about her mother and how the death of her father affected her and having to re-invent herself and embrace her life without her husband and life partner.

Ending proceedings with another hit “I’ve Got The Music In Me” a big UK and American hit, it was a triumph after such a frustrating start for the duo. They say good things come to those who wait, so hopefully, for Kiki Dee and Carmelo Luggeri, an early, post-pandemic Acapela return will be on the cards.

Review and Pix - Tony Woolway

Review - Level 42 - St David's Hall, Cardiff

Arguably the best bass guitarist on the planet, Mark King was again in the Welsh capital to thrash out the hits of Level 42.

A regular to the City with his household funky-jazz band that hit the early 80s and 90s is still got the notes both in voice and that trademark bass sound.

The high energy evening was set by Johnny Hates Jazz, who went down a storm with the audience that were looking for a good night out, and yes most of the guys had grey hair.

And for a 35 minute set a near full crowd were ready and waiting for the main act to arrive to take the evening to the next level.

The theme of sirens, sounds with blue/white flashing lights were taken up a couple of notches as King and his 6 piece band were ready to rock the hall.

The more classics tunes came towards the end third of the gig, Something about you, To be with you again, Lessons in Love, It’s Over, The Sun goes down, The Chinese Way, Hot Water and Running in the family     

With 6 top ten hits under their belts King belted them out admitting that he was tired during his 1hr 40 stint/, ‘I’m knackered, I’ve been doing this for the last 40 years,’ he joked. 

But as long as King keeps producing this magical 80s production and tempo he can go on for another 40 years.   

By Mark Bloom