RiverSea - The Reasoning...

The Reasoning (acoustic) gig at Rotherham was good, the gig at Crewe great but the Bilston gig last night was simply awesome! In fact, I’d go as far as to say it was my best gig of the year - I even found my bouncy feet again when the band played Fallen Angels! The Reasoning are now well established on “the circuit” and the ever-growing band of followers are more than ready to let their hair down. This summer I’ve missed the Bluehorses crowd, and the fun we have, but The Reasoning have more than made up for it this past week!

Last night started off for me with a couple of minor problems... half way to Bilston I realised I’d forgotten my camera. Never mind, no time to turn back, live without it. Once at Bilston I hit a slightly bigger problem, the chip shop was shut! This was not so easy to live with! After walking the streets for a while, and even asking a Policewoman if she knew where I could get food, I came across a Chinese takeaway. A short while later I was back in the car eating a huge bag of chips and battered onion rings! Not gourmet stuff, but just what I needed.

As for the music, the evening started off with a support slot by new band RiverSea. This was their first live gig with a full sound system but you’d never have known it - they played one of the better support gigs I’ve seen in a long while. The band are still looking to add a bass player and a drummer to the line up - at the moment they are “getting by” with keyboards, acoustic and lead guitars - but the foundations are certainly in place. I’ll be watching out for more live dates in the future.

At 9:15PM The Reasoning started their set and from then until almost 11:00PM it was non-stop quality rock. The band played 13 tracks in all with the full set list being...

Sharp Sea
Dark Angel
Fallen Angels
Aching Hunger
Chasing Rainbows
Shadows Of The Mind
Call Me God
Absolute Zero
Breaking The 4th Wall
How Far To Fall
Talk To Me
A Musing Dream
Awakening

Best track on the night, for me, had to be Fallen Angels, the track that had me joining in with the bouncing! Rachel Cohen started it all off on stage, the crowd quickly joined in! Okay, we’re not quite talking Bluehorses quality from the “dance crowd” yet but it’s getting there!

Over the past week one track has taken a real turn with me, Call Me God. When I first heard this track, on the Dark Angel CD, I wasn’t sure what to make of it, having heard Rachel explain the song, and it’s meaning, I’ve seen (or should that be heard?) it in a whole new light. It’s now become one of my favourite tracks on the CD.

So, that’s the end of my own little “Autumn Chill” music tour for now. My next gig will be the Oysterband in a month’s time, quickly followed by the mighty Neverland - unless something else comes along in the mean time!

Mermaid Kiss - The Reasoning...

On Thursday Lynda and I drove over to Crewe for another evening of great music. This time it was The Reasoning supported by Mermaid Kiss. Mermaid Kiss kicked the evening off with a short but very good set. They played for just over half an hour and went down very well with the Limelight crowd. Highlight for me had to be the superb Siren Song - by far my favourite Mermaid Kiss song.

Jamie Field - Mermaid Kiss.

Evelyn Downing, Wendy Marks - Mermaid Kiss.

Colin Henney, Richard Northwood - Mermaid Kiss.

The Reasoning took to the stage at just before 10:00PM and played for almost two hours, including an encore. The set list was made up of much of the new Dark Angel album plus a number of older tracks from Awakening. The whole set was superb but Call Me God, Dark Angel and Breaking The 4th Wall deserve special mention. The final track of the night was Awakening and a huge cheer from the crowd greeted it - the vocals of Dylan Thompson and Rachel Cohen were amazing.

In a couple of hours time I’ll be setting off for Bilston to see The Reasoning play their final gig on this leg of the tour. Yet another trip to the fuel station, yet more miles covered, yet another late night - but it’s all more than worth it!

Evening! Just a quick update on what’s been going on.

My sponsorship for the British Heart Foundation bike ride is coming along nicely; so far I’ve raised almost £140. There is still a long way to go before I reach my target of £350 but I’m keeping my fingers crossed that I can get there. If you haven’t sponsored me yet please do consider it. It doesn’t have to be huge amounts - every single pound raised makes a difference, and those pounds soon add up if enough people donate them! Please click on the icon below to visit my online sponsor page. Thank you!

In preparation for the bike ride, I took a trip into Derby to do a bit of shopping last weekend - I came home with a new cycle helmet (the first I’ve ever owned) and a pair of padded cycling boxer shorts! The helmet is something I’ve been intending to get for a while now, but never got around too. The padded boxers may not get used too often but I’m hoping that they will more than pay for themselves during the 36 miles or so that I will cover around Sherwood Forest. Mountain bike saddles aren’t the most user friendly of things you know!

So far, I’ve managed to avoid Lynda’s efforts to get a photo of me in the helmet but it looks like the one below. No doubt I’ll get caught by Lynda, and her camera, on the day of the ride. By then I may have gotten used to being seen with half a blue and silver melon on my head!

This week has seen my “Autumn Chill” music tour stepped up a gear with an acoustic gig by The Reasoning on Sunday afternoon and then a Karnataka gig last night. Sunday’s gig proved to be a nice way to spend a Sunday afternoon; we had a steady drive up to Rotherham, lunch in the pub and then almost an hour and a half of great music. After seeing Neverland acoustic and now The Reasoning acoustic I’m starting to get a taste for these sort of gigs. Being held in pubs, on a Sunday afternoon, helps too!

The Reasoning, having fun!

Karnataka last night was a more serious affair - almost two hours of full-on “prog rock”. It’s over 18 months since I last saw this band play live and, half-way through the set, I found myself wondering just why I’d left it so long. There has been a change of drummer, and the addition of a backing vocalist, since I saw Karnataka last and the overall sound has benefited from it. I’m not saying there was a problem with the music before - far from it - but it sounded even better last night. Pity that I’ve so much going on right now or I’d go and see them again later in the tour.

Tomorrow, I’m off to see The Reasoning and Mermaid Kiss play in Crewe and then on Sunday it’s The Reasoning, once again, and RiverSea as support. I love my live music but it does start to get just a little costly when everyone starts touring at the same time!

A Dark Angel day!

It’s been “one of those days” today. One of those days when all I wanted to do was get on my bike and get away from work as quickly as possible. At 5:30PM that’s just what I did - got on my bike and rode home like a man possessed! Not only did the ride help to burn off some of the stress it also pushed my mileage over the 500-mile mark. I only started to log my cycle rides on June 13 so I’m reasonably pleased with how quickly I’ve reached 500 miles. My next target is to have ridden 1000 miles by the end of the year.

Another reason for wanting to be at home was the possibility of arriving home to find that the Dark Angel was waiting for me on the doorstep. Sure enough, when I went to check the mail she was there - the Dark Angel has arrived! For those “not in the know” Dark Angel is the latest musical offering from one of my favourite bands, The Reasoning. It was back in January that I first got word of Dark Angel whilst chatting with Matt and Dylan after the gig they played in Crewe. The talk was of a limited edition of the album that would have a bonus DVD with it. Matt was unsure about the viability of such a venture - I was trying as hard as I could to convince him it was a good idea!

Today, fans of The Reasoning have started to receive their pre-ordered limited edition CD/DVD album and I reckon that there will be some very happy people this evening! The album is a stunning piece of work! I’ve read one review already that describes the album as coming at you “like a hurricane wielding a baseball bat!!!”. I can see what they are trying to say but I think that the effect is more like a gentle summer’s breeze that suddenly attacks you with an AK47! The first album from The Reasoning, Awakening, received critical acclaim in the music press - Dark Angel is set to raise the profile of the band even higher.

The official release date for Dark Angel is October 6 but, if you’re quick, you may still be able to get your hands on the limited edition CD/DVD. I can’t guarantee that they haven’t already all gone though!

Full details at... http://www.thereasoning.com/

Whilst you’re checking the web site for details of the Dark Angel make sure you have a look at the TOUR page too - lots of live dates are just around the corner! See you there!

Sunday at The Robin...

Sunday at The Robin turned out to be a great gig, as I expected, and I was also very pleased to be joined by my good friend Mike, who was attending his first gig in something like 10 years! If I hadn't been to a gig in that long then I'd have been more than happy with Sunday's two bands - Breathing Space and The Reasoning.

It was the first time I'd seen Breathing Space play but it will not be the last. They played a great set of tracks and had the large crowd on their side from the moment they took to the stage. I guess having names such as Ian Jennings and Olivia Sparnenn (who is also rather pleasing on the eye) in the line-up does help a little when it comes to creating good music and also pulling in a crowd.

Straight after they had finished their support slot I went and purchased their latest CD - Coming Up For Air - but as yet I haven't had time to give it a listen. If Sunday night is anything to go by then it's going to be a great album.

The Reasoning played an outstanding set - more or less the same as at Crewe but with a couple of changes to the running order, which made things flow even better. The full track listing was...

Within Cold Glass (Intro)
Talk To Me
Fallen Angels
Aching Hunger
Playing The Game
Chasing Rainbows - Part 1
Billie Jean
Chasing Rainbows - Part 2
Breaking The 4th Wall
Awakening
Sacred Shape
Sharp Sea
Shadows Of The Mind

Encores were...

Dark Angel
Stormbringer

The sound at The Robin was excellent, as usual, and the light show was the best I've seen at a club venue for a number of years. Even the use of a smoke machine got my seal of approval for a change - I hate the things usually - as it wasn't used to the point of the crowd, and band, not being able to breath! Well done to everyone involved at The Robin.

Looking back at the two shows last week I think that The Robin was an even better gig than the one at The Limelight. Breathing Space just got the edge over Mr So & So as the best support band and on Sunday The Reasoning played another brilliant gig to a larger crowd, so the atmosphere was great.

2008 is up and running...

All of a sudden, 2008 has kicked into action for me. I’ve been to my first gig of the year - The Reasoning, at The Limelight Club, Crewe - I’ve been on my first birding trip of the year - Martin Mere in Lancashire, yesterday - and tonight I’m off to see The Reasoning again, this time at The Robin in Bilston. A little too much travelling in just four days but that’s the way it’s worked out!

The Reasoning.

The Reasoning gig on Thursday was without doubt the best I’ve seen them play so far. The set they played was made up of seven tracks off the Awakening album, another five “new” tracks plus a little bit of Billy Jean, by Michael Jackson, thrown in halfway through Chasing Rainbows. If you think that sounds a strange cover to do then you are probably right, but it worked great. The final encore track was an amazing cover of Deep Purple's Stormbringer.

The Reasoning - Billy Jean/Chasing Rainbows

The support band on Thursday was Mr So & So, a band I’d never seen or heard before. At the time, I didn’t really take to them but, looking back, I think that was more down to the fact that I’d had a terrible journey to the gig - lots of traffic, heavy rain and standing water on the roads - rather than their music. I’ve played some of their stuff again, a time or two since, and am starting to enjoy it. If nothing else, they got me in the right mood for The Reasoning!

Mr So & So.

Yesterday saw Lynda and I on our first birding trip of the year; we went to Martin Mere WWT reserve with the Derby RSPB Group. We should have been going to Slimbridge WWT but, due to the heavy rain and flooding in that part of the country, a change of venue was forced upon us. For me, this was by far the best choice - I love Martin Mere in winter!

The sight, and sound, of the thousands of geese and swans that over-winter around this reserve is one of the best wildlife spectacles this country has to offer, in my opinion. Add to that the chance of seeing owls, harriers and other birds of prey and you have the perfect day out. Just to make it even better; the rain didn’t arrive until we were back on the coach and about to set off for home.

Whooper Swans feeding near one of the hides.

Birds seen during the day included Whooper Swan, Pink-footed Goose, Barnacle Goose, Wigeon (Lynda’s favourite), Pintail, Hen Harrier (my favourite), Sparrowhawk, Buzzard, Kestrel, Merlin, Peregrine Falcon, Red-legged Partridge, Water Rail, Barn Owl, Little Owl, Great Spotted Woodpecker, Grey Wagtail and Brambling. In total, we saw 57 species.

Two Peregrine. (photo taken through my birding 'scope. These birds were a long way off!)

Lynda and I also took some time out to walk around the captive collection so that we could feed the Hawaiian Geese or Nene as they are known. These friendly little geese are always happy to come and take feed from your hand and will often come running to meet you as you approach.

Lynda with a Nene!

So, that’s the past few days. All that is left of the weekend is a trip down to Bilston to see The Reasoning again later this evening.

Just a quick fly-by posting...

The home workout sessions have started okay (that means I've actually been doing them) and I feel as though the move away from gym sessions has kick started my enthusiasm again.

Today saw a break in the weather - no rain all day - so I was able to use the mountain bike to get to work again. I'm not a fair weather biker but the amount of rain we've had over the past few days was just too much for me! The route I took to work this morning meant that I avoided the flooded underpass that saw me waterlog my shoes on Saturday - I didn't fancy facing the now much deeper water!

Tomorrow evening, I'm off to Crewe straight after work to see The Reasoning play. It's only a matter of a few weeks since the last gig I went to but it feels like months. I'm so looking forward to this gig!

I've said before that I'm not a big fan of mid-week gigs but the venue tomorrow - The Limelight Club - is a good one and The Reasoning are one of my favourite bands. Getting home in the early hours of Friday morning, and then having to get up for work, is a small price to pay I suppose!

Don’t worry, I didn’t slit my wrists during last Monday's shopping trip into Derby! In fact, the whole experience was rather enjoyable. No, you didn’t read that wrong, I did enjoy the Westfield Centre in the run up to Christmas! I was in Derby for just before 9:00AM, the shops were more or less deserted and there were no queues worth mentioning. Only problem is I didn’t take full advantage of the situation… I need to go back and face the hoards once more before the big day!

So, onto the rest of the week. Every day was very cold, but dry, with temperatures below freezing each night. This enabled me to use the mountain bike to get into work again and, more importantly, to get back at night without having to be stuck in traffic jams - the traffic in an evening was horrendous as people battled to get into town for the late-night shopping. The cold front looks to be here for the rest of the week at least, so I will be using the bike up until Christmas I think.

Last Friday saw the long awaited release of the new Bluehorses album, Thirteen Fires; it has been almost three years in the making! *(Check out the comments, at the end of the end of this post, for the official word on the release of Thirteen Fires!) Friday was also the first gig on a three day Christmas mini-tour for the band. The Flowerpot in Derby was the venue and as usual, it was a great night.

Liz - getting ready to try and kick my head in!

The set list was made up of 17 tracks, seven from the new album and the rest old favourites from the past few years. Highlights for me included Witch In Wedlock, Dance With Me, Ray Of Light, Calling My Loves and the mighty Skyclad. The biggest hit of the night almost came during Waes Hael, a new track from the new album. Liz kicked out in time to the music and her New Rock boot missed my face by a matter of inches! Being so close to the stage at The Flowerpot does, at times, have its disadvantages!

Lyndon Price.

Due to the recent departure of the bass player the band had a bit of a change around for these gigs - Jay, the lead guitarist, changed to bass player whilst Lyndon Price from Redrock Studios (birthplace of the new CD) stepped into Jay's boots and picked up the lead guitar role. The result being a four-piece band that totally gelled with each other. Lyndon had just two weeks to learn the set but you’d have thought he’d been with Bluehorses for years!

Lyndon, Nic and Jay.

On Saturday evening, Lynda and I were at Pride Park Stadium, home to Derby County Football Club. Luckily, with the results that Derby have had so far this season, we were not there for a game but for Lynda’s work Christmas party. The plan had been for me to be driving us there and back so that Lynda could enjoy a drink or two, in the end I finished up drinking and Lynda took the driving role. This was nothing to do with me… Lynda hadn’t been feeling too well during the day so alcohol was the last thing she could face!

The food was great, for such a big party night, and the service was okay too. Maybe if one or two of the staff were transferred from waiting on tables to playing on the pitch then The Rams may start and get one or two wins under their belts! Then again…

Liz, at The Robin.

During the week, I had been alternately talking myself into, and then out of, going to the Bluehorses gig at The Robin, Bilston, last night. In the end it was the band themselves that convinced me that I should indeed be there. As Jay said after Friday's gig… “It would be rude not to”! So, off I set last night at 6:30PM on the hour-long drive to The Robin. It was already -2° c when I set off from Derby and felt much colder as I arrived at the gig. A large tray of chips and mushy peas, from the chippie just across the road from the venue, warmed me up a little but not half as much as the heating in The Robin, the place was like an oven! No need for coats in there last night!

Liz, Nic and Lyndon.

The set list was the same as Friday night, and it was well received by the crowd once again. There was no close shave for me from Liz and her boots this time - the stage is higher at The Robin and the sound monitors add extra “crowd protection” here!

One little extra bonus for me at this gig was the attendance of Matt and Rachel from The Reasoning, another band I love to listen to. I was fortunate enough to get to spend a good while chatting with them before Bluehorses came on stage and to receive a “live” CD of an earlier Bluehorses gig that Matt had for me. It’s evenings like last night that make the music scene so enjoyable. Come January, it will be The Reasoning that I will be off to see play live - and I can’t wait!

MORE PHOTOS FROM THE FLOWERPOT!

MORE PHOTOS FROM THE ROBIN!