GIG REVIEW / GLEN HANSARD / LIVERPOOL / APRIL 2024

Glen Hansard. Image (c) @rybazoxo

Saturday 13th April 2024 St George’s Hall, Liverpool, UK 

Words by Ryan Oxley 

For me, ONCE is one of the finest indie music films ever. Released in 2007, the film is a musical that stars, and has a soundtrack co-written by Glen Hansard. Before the film's release, I did recognise Glen from the cast of The Commitments, the celebrated Irish film based on a book by Roddy Doyle but I wasn't aware of his incredible talent. 

Glen Hansard. Image (c) by @rybazoxo 

Glen Hansard is a journeyman/troubadour of a musician, and following 'ONCE' I became an immediate fan of his solo work, The Swell Season, and The Frames. Based in the UK, I doubted I'd ever get a chance to see this regular European touring artist (who’s also hugely popular in the USA) then I found out he was playing a gig in my favourite music city (sorry Manchester) I grabbed a ticket online, booked a bedsit for the night, and got a train to Liverpool. Promoting his latest album ‘All That Was East Is West Of Me Now’, I downloaded it on Spotify and had the tracks on repeat.  I was excited to see if Glen would do any songs from the ONCE soundtrack, and he peppered them throughout the gig, tracks from the new album are also folksy balladeering stories that enamoured this small venue, and enthusiastic crowd. 

St George's Hall, Liverpool. Image (c) by @rybazoxo

Of course, I took a few images, and as you can see, St George’s Hall is a beautiful venue - historically, aesthetically, and acoustically. Glen is also a great storyteller - in between songs, he told a few funny tales of life, love, ancestry, and everything you’d expect from an Irishman. ONCE is a timeless classic, and it was worth waiting 17 years to see Glen Hansard live.

Watch my YouTube video of ‘When Your Minds Made Up’ from this special gig here 

Learn more about Glen Hansard & buy his latest album here 

www.ryanoxleywriter.blogspot.com 

‘WILD GOD’- Nick Cave And The Bad Seeds ***** Album Review

 

Words by Ryan Oxley      

Nick Cave and The Bad Seeds released their latest album ‘Wild God’ at the end of last month and the reviews have been unanimous, in what has been described as a biblical return to form.

As an artist, Nick Cave has been around for decades, and so have I, yet I only recently discovered his music via the Peaky Blinders soundtrack. Heading to Spotify (a premium member), I devoured his back catalogue and became instantly enamoured. Nick Cave weaves indie music with biblical storytelling of loss, love, grief, resentment, and joy. Add a hint of gospel-tinged backing vocals and it's quite the spiritual awakening. Listening for the first time was like discovering the solo sounds of Morrissey. I have a new Wild God to worship, yet the congregation remains vaguely similar. Upon hearing that the band announced a world tour (to coincide with the release of WILD GOD) I got myself a ticket to Manchester this coming November and waited with ague for the album to be released. 

It's been a few weeks since release day and I’ve managed to come out of that ‘new album’ obsession (I’m autistic, it’s a literal obsession) and I decided to write a review of it! Here it is, track-by-track:

1. Song of the Lake - A characteristic intro synonymous with the bad seeds sound. There are no surprises here but with the gospel singing, and Cave’s ‘never mind’ lament - this is everything you’d expect it to be. This song reminds me of something from ‘Push The Sky Away’ which I discovered recently.

2. Wild God - the title track borrows from ‘Jubilee Street’ and tells a story of a ‘Wild God searching for a girl who died in 1993’ (or 2013?) the piano, gospel singing, and pounding drums are a driving force.  

3. Frogs - A slower song, released on Spotify first, as an album taster, and is my favourite from this latest Bad Seeds offering. The ‘Sunday Rain’ refrain and choral crescendo, juxtaposed with Nick Cave’s always powerful vocal, and frogmarching beat give this an extra-special feel   

4. Joy - Darkly beautiful. Some songs only need a two-word description and this is one of them. I’ll add ‘stunning’ as an extra superlative.  Some people would say this is a depressing sound, but I’d call it uplifting. ‘Have mercy on me, please’.

5. Final Rescue Attempt - an electro drone remains throughout the track (which reminds me of Jeff Wayne’s ‘War Of The Worlds’ for some bizarre reason) Imagery remains strong in Cave’s lyrics in this (now essential) Bad Seeds love song.  

6. Conversion - Atmospherically morose, Nick Cave preaches from his musical pulpit alongside gospel-esque backing vocals. If this song is ‘Touched by a Flame’ as the lyrics suggest, we’d all be on fire. It is a match-strike of a song that could have easily opened the album.

7. Cinnamon Horses - ‘ I told my friends that life was sweet’ but is it? Are the ‘Cinnamon Horses’ a metaphor for sadness, a lost love perhaps? Again, it's not an unexpected sound from Nick Cave, but those lyrics are beautiful, and that is something we should always expect from this master songwriter. 

8. Long Dark Night - Sometimes, you just need Nick Cave and a piano to deliver a song with moreish moroseness. 

9. Oh Wow, Oh Wow (How Wonderful She Is) - It's a Bad Seeds song with some electronica-type vocoder on it, which works. The audio sample is intriguing and worthy of further investigation. The lyrics don't need in-depth interpretation, and that's fine cos it’s Nick Cave - we don't need that when the music is as exquisite as this.

10.  As The Waters Cover The Sea -  is a slow and tender finish to the album. By this point, the ‘wild god’ has settled, but as a new convert to Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, I’ll be worshipping this ‘Wild God’ for quite some time. 

Nick Cave is on tour for 2024 / 2025 and you can find out more on his website. 

www.ryanoxleywriter.blogspot.com

Book Review: Ronnie Spector - "Be My Baby: How I Survived Mascara, Miniskirts, and Madness"

Words By Ryan Oxley

A recent charity shop find of mine was a music memoir of incredible revelations. One of my all-time favourite songs is 'Be My Baby' by The Ronettes and upon picking up  Ronnie Spector's memoir, Be My Baby: How I Survived Mascara, Miniskirts, and Madness for a bargain £2.00, I was looking forward to finding out more. The real surprise was how utterly compelling her life story was (she died in 2022) and even features a story or two about my other favourites: The Beatles. 

This is a fascinating account of Ronnie's life in the limelight as the lead singer of the iconic girl group, The Ronettes, and her tumultuous marriage to the infamous producer Phil Spector. First published in 1990 and later expanded with a new edition, the book offers an unvarnished glimpse into the highs and lows of a music career intertwined with personal struggles and survival.

From the outset, Spector’s voice in the book is candid, energetic, and conversational. She invites readers into her world with warmth, reliving the glory days of her youth growing up in New York's Spanish Harlem and the meteoric rise of The Ronettes. With their signature beehive hairdos, thick eyeliner, and unforgettable harmonies, The Ronettes became one of the most influential girl groups of the 1960s. Their hits, including the famous "Be My Baby," were characterized by Phil Spector’s "Wall of Sound" production style, and the group enjoyed international success. Ronnie Spector’s recollections of this period capture the excitement and pressures of fame, but her anecdotes are what truly bring the story to life. From hanging out with The Beatles and The Rolling Stones to performing on television and world tours, the first half of the memoir is a thrilling journey through the heart of 1960s pop culture.

However, the book takes a darker turn when it delves into her troubled marriage to genius/madness record producer, (later, convicted murderer) Phil Spector. While he was an undoubted musical genius, the book paints him as an incredibly controlling and abusive husband. Ronnie describes in vivid detail the emotional and psychological torment she endured while living with Phil, including being locked inside their mansion for days on end and having her career nearly destroyed by his obsessive control over her. These revelations are chilling, and they shed light on the dark undercurrents of an industry that often allows powerful men to manipulate and silence women.

Despite these harrowing experiences, what makes Be My Baby so compelling is Ronnie’s resilience. She openly discusses her battles with alcoholism and depression, but also her determination to regain control of her life and career. After years of abuse, she finally managed to escape her marriage in the early 1970s, and the latter half of the book focuses on her attempts to rebuild her life as an independent artist and a mother. Her tone is never bitter but rather one of strength and hope. A stark comparison to that other famous beehive/tragedy- Amy Winehouse. 

Beyond the personal drama, Be My Baby is a treasure trove of anecdotes for music lovers. Spector's reflections on her peers, the changing landscape of the music industry, and the evolution of pop and rock music add depth to the memoir, offering readers a backstage pass to some of the most pivotal moments in music history. The in-depth analysis of the recording of the Christmas Album is worth £2 on it own! 

Be My Baby is a deeply personal and inspiring memoir that chronicles the journey of a woman who, despite facing overwhelming challenges, emerged as a symbol of strength and survival. Ronnie Spector's voice — both on the page and in music — is unforgettable, and her story is a must-read for anyone interested in the world of music, celebrity, and the complexities of personal resilience.

www.ryanoxleywriter.blogspot.com 

'On Strike!' - {A Sheffield Sketch}

 

A suited commuter and a railway worker are standing outside Sheffield railway station. A miserably grey Monday and the start of another working week. 

The railway workers are on strike, and a suited commuter is frustrated and struggling to get to the office;

Commuter - Cancelled. Again.

Railway Worker - What is?

Commuter- My train is!?

Railway Worker - Why's that?

Commuter-  On strike. Again!

Railway Worker - Who is?

Commuter- Trains!

Railway Worker - trains are on strike?

Commuter- No

Railway Worker - Who is then? 

Commuter- Railway workers,... I think 

Railway Worker - Are they?

Commuter- I think so

Railway Worker - Why’s that then?

Commuter-  You should know

Railway Worker - Should I?

Commuter- Well, that's why you're standing here?

Railway Worker - Am I?

Commuter- Yeah, your lot - with your placards and banners. All the same!

Railway Worker - Ah We?

Commuter- Yes! 

Railway Worker - Why's that? 

Commuter- Greedy! - I can't get to work cos a' your lot!

Railway Worker - Can’t ya?

Commuter- I’ll lose my bonus now

Railway Worker - Good job, is it?

Commuter- Yeah

Railway Worker - Good hours, is it? 

Commuter- Yeah

Railway Worker - Good pay, is it? 

Commuter-Yeah 

Railway Worker - Nice house, have ya?

Commuter -Yeah

Railway Worker - Garage?

Commuter- Yeah 

Railway Worker - Garden?

Commuter- Yeah 

Railway Worker - Mortgage?

Commuter - Yeah 

Railway Worker - Can work from home then, can ya? 

Commuter- Yeah - laptop, internet, wifi, skype, even got a smart screen TV that I can read my emails on

Railway Worker - I can't!

Commuter- Can you not?

Railway Worker - No. 

The suited commuter and the railway worker look at each other before leaving the outside of Sheffield railway station. One goes left, the other goes right. 

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On Strike! a Sheffield sketch by Ryan B Oxley Written in July 2022 © @rybazoxo 

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(Once again) I have used Sheffield train station as the setting for my writing. If you liked this you may like 'Late night, Sheaf Street' which is also on this website  © @rybazoxo

www.ryanoxleywriter.blogspot.com