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After a family tea to say goodbye to Marisa (who’s off to travel around Europe and then India before starting Uni) we popped along to 7 in Chapel Allerton to see our favourite Latin American band Mestisa. Ana Luisa (Chile) Barbara (Germany) Tenley (USA) and Mike (UK) are a tight unit with a rich sound. They were joined for a few tunes by Matt Hurt whos delicate playing of the Cuban Tres added to the massive array of instruments used tonight (including a ‘Quatro’ that almost became a ‘Trio’ due to an irreverent string)

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They do traditional songs from Chile, Venezuela, Bolivia, Argentina, Cuba, Mexico…..all with a little story to introduce each slice of South American life, and all with a ‘Mestisa’ twist. Happy fiesta songs and rebel worker songs rub shoulders with ‘day of the dead’ laments – all done with style and grace. I was particularly taken with (now a PhD in percussion) Dr Tenley’s exquisite played of the glockenspiel with 4 mallets – just amazing! The South Americans in the audience didn’t need any encouragement to clap and sing along and get up and dance….and by the end, even the reserved Brits were up dancing. A great night – Catch them next at the Leeds Flamenco Festival.

Lets dance

Bob the Chiropodist

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I suspect that like many, I first heard Laura Cantrell on John Peels show. He had a soft spot for her and plugged her ‘Not the trembling kind’ LP relentlessly (“It’s sweet 16 this year”). She also has a new LP out of BBC sessions from around that time. Pure country music – no frills, just from the heart. I thought she’d be good…….but I didn’t think she’d be THAT good!

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Met up with Gary and Steve (who saw Laura last time she played Leeds at the Wardrobe) and Mark and Kev who I hadn’t seen for far too long. First up was Georgie Breakfast (“Geordie Breakfast?….isn’t that a Greggs pasty and a bottle of Newcy Brown?”) who’s English, but moved to the USA where he met Laura and has since returned, to write songs about the rain – he has a mellow finger picking style.

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How to describe Laura Cantrell’s voice? ‘Perfect’ is word that springs to mind. Effortless and beautiful. Pure and straight to the heart. Her band were all wonderful players and sang great harmonies too, but guitarist Mark Spencer was something else…..how does he do that!? He also got to play the Brudenells battered old piano which they’d somehow got on stage. Stories of postcards from John Peel, seeing Merle Haggard live (and this one about his wife), Gig disasters with only 10 people, 2 of them a drunken couple kept the evening running along just fine.

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The encore was a version of New Order’s ‘Love Vigilantes’. Then someone asked for ‘Whiskey makes you sweeter’ “Ah, you’re still thirsty for the old stuff. We’ve not been doing that one on this tour but…” and she did a wonderful job at getting all the crowd to join in. “What a great room, and it’s only a Tuesday night!”. Ms Cantrell could light up any room on any night – you really, really should go and see her!

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A wee pick of Gary’s beard meeting Laura after the show…..

Bob the Chiropodist

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QUIMS ultimate band

Jez had been holding a dream for some time to form a QUIMS Supergroup.  He had pitched the idea before only to be knocked back due to the apparent complexity of the idea.  Basically everyone would nominate their singer, guitarist, bass player, drummer and other band members, bringing a playlist along with an example of their nominees’ work.  Then on the night, we would all vote for our faves and hey presto, the ultimate QUIMS Supergroup would be formed.

Well we finally went for it.  Jez hosted in Ilkley and invited a number of the QUIMS Ilkley branch along too.  So we had Bob, John F, Roger (although he brought no music… again), Simon P, Jez, Matt and Simon E, Gary and Duncan from Ilkley.

The compulsory categories were vocals, guitar, bass and drums and we also pitched in for a selection of other members of the band such as gust vocalist, keyboards, samples, Svengali producer and Bez.  Well I mean every Supergroup ought to have a Bez.  Despite no name as yet – I proposed “Audacious Q”, nor what songs they might play (the entire back catalogue of AC/DC, perhaps?), the backbone of the group was voted for using a single transferrable voting system, much to the bemusement of everyone except chief (and only) scrutineer Jez, who occasionally proclaimed things like, “It’s a close call between Johnny Marr and Thurstan Moore” and “Clem Burke has just been eliminated!”.

Anyhoo, whilst a minor case of death does preclude one member of the band from actually performing… here it is, the official line up of the Ultimate QUIMS Supergroup:

Vocals: David Byrne (a runaway winner on the first round of voting)
Guitar: Thurstan Moore (beating Johnny Marr into a close second place)
Bass: Tina Weymouth (Talking Heads are doing really rather well)
Drums: Stewart Copeland and John Bonham (inseparable even after three rounds of voting)

Guests may include: Sufjan Stevens (banjo), Keith Relf (deceased, harmonica), John Cale (electric viola) and Huun Huur Tu (throat singing), and of course Bez, well there is really only one of those, but Danbert got nominated for his role at the Chumba’s farewell gig as chief cocktail maker.

Not sure who might produce this masterpiece ensemble: Brian Eno, Lee ‘Scratch’ Perry and Rick Rubin were all suggested.  Let’s give it to Rick on the basis of the beard.

As one commentator observed, “It will happen, it’s just a matter of when…”

Jez

 

Nominee Band Song Nominated by Category
1 Howlin’ Pelle Almqvist The Hives AKA IDIOT Jez Vocal
2 David Byrne Talking Heads Pulled Up Bob Vocal
3 John Shuttleworth Have you seen my wife John vocal
4 Grace Slick Jefferson Airplane White Rabbit Matt Vocal
5 Ottis Redding Hard to Handle Duncan Vocal
6 Rufus Wainwright Beautiful Child Simon E Vocal
7 Screamin’ Jay Hawkins All Night Gary Vocal
8 Johnny Marr Lots How Soon is Now Simon P Guitar
9 Mick Jones The Clash Police & Thieves Jez Guitar
10 David Tattersall Wave Pictures Little Martha Bob Guitar
11 Richard Dawson The Vile Stuff John Guitar
12 Thurstan Moore Sonic Youth Cross The Breeze Matt Guitar
13 Jimi Hendrix Jimi hendrix Experience Voodoo Chile Duncan Guitar
14 Bob Mould Steam of Hurcules Simon E Guitar
15 Dave Rawlings Gillian Welch Scarlet Town Gary Guitar
16 Peter Hook Joy Division / New Order Ceremony Simon P Bass
17 Norman Watt-Roy Ian Dury & The Blockheads Hit Me (withyour rhythm stick) Jez Bass
18 Jah Wobble Om Namah Shiva Bob Bass
19 Tina Weymouth Talking Heads Slippery People John Bass
20 Matt Freeman Rancid Maxwell Murder Matt Bass
21 Bootsy Collins Parliament Ride on Duncan Bass
22 Jaco Pastorus Simon E Bass
23 Deborah Scroggins ESG Tiny Sticks Gary Bass
24 John Bonham Led Zep Good Times Bad Times Simon P Drums
25 Clem Burke Blondie Hanging on the Telephon Jez Drums
26 Mimi Parker Low Just Like Christmas Bob Drums
27 Robert Wyatt little red riding hood John Drums
28 Matt Helders Arctic Monkeys Pretty Visitors Matt Drums
29 Stuart Copeland The Police One world is enough for all of us Simon E Drums
30 Jim White Cat Power New York Gary Drums
31 Dave Greenfield The Stranglers No More Heroes Simon Keyboard / piano / organ / synth
32 Kate Tempest The Beigeness Jez Guest vocal / backing vocal / rapper
33 Lee Scratch Perry Curly Locks Bob Svengali producer
34 Matmos Ultimate Care II John
35 Keith Relf (Harmonica) The Yardbirds I Wish You Would Matt Miscellaneous instrumentation
36 Photek Azumith Simon E DJ / samples / sequencer
37 Sufjan Stevens banjo Casmir Pulaskin Day Simon P Miscellaneous instrumentation
38 Don Snow The Vibrators Judy Says (Knock You in the Head) Jez Horns / sax / woodwind
39 Public Service Broadcasting Everest Bob DJ / samples / sequencer
40 Grubby Mitts last stop for the good old times (for quintet and marble game) John
41 Lou Reed Vicious Matt Rhythnm guitar
42 Wilko Johnson Dr Feelgood Duncan Rhythnm guitar
43 Dave Gregory XTC Funk Pop a Roll Simon E Rhythnm guitar
44 Richard Barbieri Japan Nightporter Gary Keyboard / piano / organ / synth
45 Maceo Parker Maceo Soul Power 74′ Gary Horns / sax / woodwind
46 Rick Rubin Johnny Cash & Joe Strummer Redemption Song Jez Svengali producer
47 John Cale Paris 1919 Bob Strings
48 Rob Collins The Charlatans Bullet Comes Matt Keyboard / piano / organ / synth
49 Nils Fram Light Night Tales Simon E Keyboard / piano / organ / synth
50 huun-huur-tu peel session 2004 gary Guest vocal / backing vocal / rapper
51 Danbert Nobacon Chumbawamba Add Me Jez Bez?

 

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John’s list: https://itunes.apple.com/gb/playlist/a-great-supergroup-quims/idpl.7f6921687316467d89b5ecb5c24f9d5e

Si East:  https://open.spotify.com/user/sjeast/playlist/6ZzbDvD0omVSzPSBocyM9U

Matt: https://open.spotify.com/user/mattyoung18/playlist/4FCA7n0HAaseX2R7uQtIIO

 

 

 

 

 

 

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Mitsu was over from Paris for her birthday (not allowed to tell you which one) so we squeezed in a gig amongst her other activities. The Blind Shake were supposed to be playing with Swami John Reis but when ‘All Tomorrows Parties‘ was cancelled – so was the gig. Betunizer still made it over from Spain and moved from the back room to the main stage. Unfortunatly we only caught the last tune of Wub but they sounded great…as did Betunizer – dead loud with with amazing drums and bass!

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Mitsu had a look around The Royal Park which was her 2nd home when at Leeds Uni and we also met up with Dave (who’d I’d met earlier singing in a choir) who’d arranged the Chumbawamba gig Sledge had been to many moons ago, when there was a riot outside – they were all Engineers too!

Bob the Chiropodist

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We always look to see if there’s a gig 0n when attending the Staffordshire Conference on Clinical Biomechanics and managed one this year. Earlier at the UK Footwear Science meeting we’d learnt how knowing what brand of shoe you’re wearing affects their comfort, how different football boots can affect the accuracy of free kicks…..and on the Queens 90th birthday, the news came through that Prince – the 5’2″ purple one – had died – 2016 has not been the best of years…..

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6 of us MSK Podiatrists went along and if there was a normative curve of the ages of those attending – we’d have been definite outliers – the mean age of the crowd was increased by at least 50%. First up tonight were Vitamin whos album was recorded at Parr Street Studios (by one Tom Longworth no less). They have a very 80’s indie-pop sound which went down well with the youngsters dancing at the front.

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The Magic Gang have a very likeable melodic sound from the softer side of the indie scene. Obviously enjoying what they do, they sent the crowd home happy and managed to shift a few T-shirts too…..

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