Music in port

[Globaltruth]

Well, as there are at least a couple of us going, let's break out a new thread....

Here's a Spotify playlist the Musicport people have put together to kick things off...
http://open.spotify.com/user/jamesam...fAiO9vIWo5e5Sd some of the artists appearing, some just good tracks. And, of course, one or two stinkers.


there is also a twitter feed #musicport, latest from there is that Hugh Masakela has been spotted in Tesco's. For all the fast-moving celebrity gossip stay tuned in

[Lateralthinking1]

Have a good time GT. It looks interesting - http://www.musicportfestival.com/fes...info/2011.html. I see that AK is described as a world music "envagelist". Things can only get better.

I agree with your "winter" comments. I was really rather surprised how there were so few great winter records. Two possible reasons - 1. The season is unlikely to be inspirational in warmer worldly parts and 2. Christmas gets all the focus.

[Globaltruth]

So far, sofa, well the Fireworks outside were endearingly amateur, 4 roman candles, some hypno drummers and 'local fire artists' waving flaming brands about and blowing meths into them.

The young lady with the angle grinder producing sparks from her stomach in time to the drummers was a curious hit with some of our party.

Klezmer Band later...

[Paul Sherratt]

Gosh, this almost like being there. You and everyone you know and Joe have a jolly good time.
There'll be some pets' sounds waiting for you when you get back ( or, who knows with you tech-wizzers, they may have arrived already ! )

http://spotibot.com/img_cache/originals/37Pqz0xxNd7JROyR2hsgl1.jpg

http://farm4.static.flickr.com/3382/3496998040_8b2cb6da4d.jpg

[Globaltruth]

They have thanks, and listened to partly - not found a bad track or a muddy pawprint there yet. Thanks.

Klezmered out, there was talk that aK was doing a set in Cloudbase at around the same time, liive music vs records? No competition - so I didn't make it. AK was Amsterdam Klezmer...

. Packed day today, nonstop from 10.30 I think, however not a packed venue yet - wonder which one's JoeG?

Joe - I'm the guy in the gorilla suit with the fedora and the space helmet. The red fedora.

Mercedes Peon and Mary Coughlan on list, plus a rather intriguing Vietnamese artist who's name I will misspell later.
Then there's a yoiking Sami woman..
Weather mild, sea choppy, seagulls noisy, wish you were all here.

[Paul Sherratt]

Top move choosing a red fedora, GT, otherwise you would have been quite tricky to
spot in Brid. Hope you find Joe. I think he may be the one in the glasses. That cd is quite
something imo. All those artists donating to a Leeds animal charity and it was being sold
for a fiver. I wonder if it's ever been aired on the radio - Radio Aire even ! Now didn't some
evangelist chap start off on there ? JC will know.


Aire you are

http://www.davidmuscroft.com/wp-content/uploads/2011/05/Andy-Kershaw.png

For you and everyone with you

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XmJVXHLjVhk

[Globaltruth]

Diddley om pom pom indeed.

Now Where did I put that striped jacket...aire it is

[Globaltruth]

More later perhaps but...
New material from Chris Wood including a Blake poem set to music (who remembers that theme) and a new collab with Hugh Lupton.
Here's one of his songs from tonight courtesy of Musicport

http://t.co/iNZ4L80E

New discovery: Randolph Matthews & Byron Johnston; to describe them as Bobby McFerrin meets Juan Martin with help from John Martyn is a bit of a broad brush but may give you an idea. Splendid, upbeat, hugely fun


Hung Thanh from Vietnam was deeply relaxing, varied, intriguing and accomplished. A little didactic but hey, that's ok. Supported by the Nguyen brothers on ouds and rebab. Diversity of styles across the 3 regions of Vietnam was immense.

Cigdem Aslan not so good, just the same sound over and over and a band called Norfolk and Good surely lived up to their name.

[johncorrigan]

More later perhaps but...
New material from Chris Wood including a Blake poem set to music (who remembers that theme) and a new collab with Hugh Lupton.
Here's one of his songs from tonight courtesy of Musicport
http://t.co/iNZ4L80E

Thanks G - HP continues to be shocking in its gentleness with every hearing - sounds like you're having a fine old time of it. How're you holding up? What's on the cards for the fedora today?

[Globaltruth]

Thanks G - HP continues to be shocking in its gentleness with every hearing - sounds like you're having a fine old time of it. How're you holding up? What's on the cards for the fedora today?

Fine thx, but numbers are well down on any other year - which makes the atmos at times a little cold.

Ergo Phizmiz on the cards today doing a 1 hour version of Flann o'Brien's 3rd policeman; and the destruction of the Lhunpo monks sand mandala. There's the possibility of Faerd Dorge Becker Hjetland whose dream is fuelled by dried whale according to their blurb. Or none of the above and instead some lounging in deck chairs at the random acoustic session on the South Sea stage.

At the moment listening to Clarence Carter (vinyl) in preparation.

[johncorrigan]

There's the possibility of Faerd Dorge Becker Hjetland whose dream is fuelled by dried whale according to their blurb.

That shouldn't read blubber should it, Global?

At the moment listening to Clarence Carter (vinyl) in preparation.

At the moment listening to Theodore J. Swystun doing the rather wonderful 'Yak Poidu Z Kimi Na Nicz' on Cerys.

It's sunny but cold up here - first hefty frost of the year. Don't eat too much candy floss.

[Globaltruth]

Overall numbers were definitely down a lot - now, whether this was because Musicport was moved from their normal slot (which co-incided nicely with half-term in those parts) or whether the economy 'crisis' has truly kicked in it's difficult to say. Maybe both. The plus side is that it was easy to move about, the down side was that at times it was oddly quiet.

Sound wise, the main stage still has (and I suspect always will have) problems - I suspect this is due to the hall, not the valiant engineers. It was refurbished a while back, all the money (20 million quid according to well informed locals) went on making the place look pretty, whereas a few sound baffles would have worked wonders. Shame . But the other stages are absolutely fine, and the little theatre is an absolute gem acoustically. A fact proven by Mr Wood who did his first number without any amplification.

Organisation was great, the female announcers on the main stage were in head-mistress mode - well meant bossiness [we r3 WM people are used to this]. Food and drink well sorted, there's a sort of general canteen area 'Cloudbase' where we managed to miss AK doing a set.

Randolph Matthews & Byron Johnston were one of the best live acts. There is a website, but nothing on Spotify. The live performance was better than the CD and the music on the web - they've evolved the music considerably since the Cd with tapeloops, guitar pedals.... (one for Max I think)

Deglulen were also a great live act - doubt if it would come across on a Lopa Wo3 session. Can't find an example anywhere - but one to listen out for, if they ever break out of London again. Especially the 'dynamic drumming' session - not Just Senegal and Mali can make this kind of music, these boys are from Gambia and featured an excellent kora player, Sura Susso.

Julaba Kunda are a definite tip - here they are on YouTube

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=c4wWHaMkZwQ

Combination of nyckelharpa and riti worked well - that's what happens when you a lass from Clackmanshire and a Senegal griot get together. Watching them, there was something familiar about him - it is, of course, Juldeh Camara, formerly of Adams and Camara. This is a good career move in my opinion. High energy, trance music, great varety of different combinations of styles. Somehow I managed to miss getting their CD, Traders
. (one for MAK - PS take note please)

The Tashi Lhunpo Monks were in action - one of them broke away from his brethren and started dancing to Deglulen but with a stern wag of the finger was brought back into the flock. Where was my camera?

the rework of the Flann O'Brien book, the 3rd Policeman didn't work for me (and, oddly or not, I'd just read the book). It was like an art college project.But without any of the saving graces that sometime accompanies those. We lasted 18 minutes (I counted them), then, along with half the audience, stampeded the exit. The performers seemed to have forgotten that this is an IRISH book - you cannot do a representation in posh English voices; and the humour is absolutely baked into it. That'll be IRISH humour. Enough on that I think.-despite the spooky appearance of a red fedora at one point. [ a few other negatives were Holly Tamar, Natalie Duncan [i'm a minority on this one - she was received rapturously, just.didn't.get.it], and Danto Aiyaa (combination of lone Tuareg with western musicians just didn't work)

Faerd Dorge Becker Hjetland were fine in an ok sort of way - and their sound worked well on the Main stage (not much bass). Tiny sax. On spot ...

http://open.spotify.com/track/6xN5mE3YOizlTaEiK38x28

http://open.spotify.com/track/2hwQjnzakcDa3KOm1ujVrw

[one for Fiona]

Managed to only catch a little of the 3 piece Krar Collective - they looked great and from what little I heard definitely an omission on my part. The krar is like a 6-stringed Greek lyra, and is used solely to play secular music. And you know I am a fan of Ethiopian secular music. Why didn't I break away to listen? Drat.

there was a lot more - I'm sure you've had enough?

There'd been a massive storm a week or so ago and the beach was littered with tons of dead mussels, huge crabs, lobsters and some flatties who had been dropped onto the beach by the freak waves.. All rotting nicely. so a bracing walk, and a hastier one back with the wind forcing the stench into our noses. Kept the seagulls happy though...

And here is where you have to go for your fish and chips - was this the inspiration for One in a Million I wondered as the fish fryer sang a song to the chippy girls?

there are photos - may post at some point. including red fedora

Enough.

[johncorrigan]

Thanks for the rundown Global. Didn't get Randy and Byron - wouldn't let me go there - I'll try again later.
I agree that Mr Camara has made a good move - enthusiatic fiddler indeed.
....and Faerd Dorge Becker Hjetland were pretty much as you described them Global....quite nice really without setting the heather on fire.(except in Oban).

[JoeG]

Hi all - no mobile web facility so hence my late response

Sorry I didn't spot you GT as I didn't have the description in advance - I was the one in a Musicport T shirt - though I did have a Hartlepool Tall Ships T shirt on one evening which was unique there I think

As you say it was much quieter and I think this impacted on the atmosphere at times but did mean there was usually a good seat to be had up or downstairs

My highlights were:

Sail Pattern on Friday night (mind you they were a band I recommended - supported by Jon Harvison - following me putting them on at the Aire Do in Keighley in July)

Krar Collective - really liked the sound of the Krar - made a lot of music for a 3 piece

Deglulen - close to being in my top 3 of the festival

Natalie Duncan - amazing voice and loved her solo set on Saturday

Fran Smith from Wakefield - even though she is local to me not seen her before and very impressed - though all her songs seem to be about men who have broken her heart. A bit more variety and she would definitely be on my recommendation list for folk and acoustic clubs

Loved Mari Boine who I have wanted to see for years - she did not disappoint. And of course Kanda Bongo Man made an excellent end to the festival in his white shell suit - but was his dancer drunk or just troubled by a slippy floor?

Of the non musical items I really found Man with Tape on His Face hilarious and Andy Kershaw was also hugely entertaining in conversation with Ian Clayton - well monologue may be a better word than conversation

This year's T shirt design was a great improvement on last year

Disappointments

Mercedes Peon - amazing voice but I was hoping for a full band not samples and over enthusiastic attacks on cymbals

Jonny Kearney & Lucy Farrell - far too twee for me

At least with fewer people about the Wold Top bitter lasted to the end!

[Globaltruth]

Joe - you may know more than me, but I'm given to understand that quite a few artists struggled to get visas to perform this year, which is why there were more local groups?
It's a shame if true, under the new national policy if only they'd turned up at the airport on the right day they could have just wandered on in.

Forgot to mention Marie Boine (amongst others) - she has albums on Spotify, and they are definitely worth further investigation.
And on YouTube of course...

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aYevBLUtuLc

[I'm getting to like this particular album]

As are a bit of a somewhat confined Deglulen -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fiew30D72hw

you get the general idea...

and the Krar Collective

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sZ5AShSEwpE