Always nice to dust off the Christmas dec's. This tree's from my old Live Journal days with a little bit of twinkle from my Internet partners Google . Strange thoughts - feel quite sad but only happy memories (December 2007).
The new year will be upon us before we know it and I'm starting to form plans in my mind for 2014. More later (maybe). My 2013 social life has again revolved around live music and I've seen some great shows. The last week hasn't been too shabby with 3 Teesside shows, a fitting end to my year.
Saturday 14 December
Any addition to the Middlesbrough Music scene is welcome but the monthly Saturday event at the MIMA has been brilliant.
I love the MIMA? It's a great building, it showcases prestigious modern art and plays host to other events such as the bi-annual AV festival, lest we forget AV08. Btw, thanks again to the much maligned Google you can still find details of my input . I'm really looking forward to AV14. Hopefully the Tory disease "austere times" hasn't fucked that up for us.
Generally the future of The MIMA looks bleak. The council can no longer afford to run it so Teesside University are taking it over. We'll just have to see how it goes, but I'm not convinced it will be a happy ending.
Last Saturday was definitely one of those "we are the Boro" moments I used to talk about. They somehow got Newcastle's mighty Lanterns on the Lake and Sunderland's Frank and the Heartstrings to come up and play with local Teesside bands Avalanche Party and Dead New Blood for £5 all in.
I've seen Lanterns on the Lake a few times before. At EOTR 2011 (think), No Direction Home 2012 and supporting Explosions in the Sky at The Sage, also 2012. There are a lot of similarities between Explosions and Lanterns. Explosions in the Sky are acknowledged exponents of the "post rock" genre along with the likes of Mogwai and Sigur Ros and I would describe Lanterns on the Lake as "post rock lite". Their songs have a touch of the anthemic about them but Hazel Wilde's beautiful vocals bring a delicacy understated feel to the party.
(photo courtesy of the extremely talented Tracy Hyman. Needless to say I expect the great and good who read my blog to respect her intellectual property rights and not to reproduce the photo without her permission. You can contact Tracy here)
The construction of Lanterns' songs often lead to a dramatic climax which always goes down well but there is more to them than that. The guitarist played quiet, not sure he intended to play so quiet but it was so refreshing nontheless and I liked his use of a violin bow in a number of songs. Hazel, sat at her electric piano and introduced the last song. "Don't take this too literally" before singing "Have yourself a merry little Christmas".
I thought it would be good and I wasn't wrong, it was a beautiful performance.
I'd heard good things about Frankie and the Heartstrings before I heard their debut album, the Edwyn Collins produced Hunger but I thought it was only average. Retro is fine but I don't like it when the references are too obvious, you might as well just watch a show band doing covers.
From that low base they actually really surprised me at the MIMA. They were full of energy and their engaging singer, the wonderfully named Frankie Francis was a hoot. I couldn't take my eyes off him all the show. Even some of the songs sounded good, I really enjoyed them. Since Hunger I've seen the movie about the Northern Irish record shop and label Good Vibrations which reminded me how much I loved The Undertones, Protex, The Outsiders back in the day. Frankie and the Heartstrings very much reminded me of that era and scene and that's no bad thing in my musical universe circa late 2013. They even have their own record shop in Sunderland! I'm going to revisit the album. Get ready for another Spence "hands up, I was wrong about them" about turn.
I've noticed a lot of UTB creeping in to Teesside speak and that's no bad thing. We all love the Boro so we know exactly what "up the Boro" means but long time readers will know I talk more about "we are the Boro" moments about the unpredictability of the Boro which I think is just as meaningful. Saturday night was one of those.
I was sure the concert would sell out the 200 capacity venue. Saturday night, just before Christmas, only £5 in. Indie stars, Frankie ....... and soon to be touring Europe and North America, Lanterns on the Lake. Sadly the MIMA was only about half full. I sometimes despair of this town, we get what we deserve. We are the Boro.
Another we are the Boro moment was the order of the bands. Top billing was given to local band. Avalanche Party who were playing their first show. Apparently they were 3 Foot Ninja and I recognised a former member of the Chapman Family. I know I should say something about them but I've been told before if I've got nothing good to say about bands before I shouldn't say anything. So I won't.
I thought the whole thing was a bit embarrassing really. I'm sure it was set up to show the importance of Avalanche Party but if you're going do that sort of thing, at least be good, eh?
Oops!
PS
We are the Boro.
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