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!

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.

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!