Chapter Eleven + Ian Britt: the Good Ship
Posted by jamie on Jan 25, 2012
Chapter Eleven, Ian Britt
The Good Ship, Kilburn
21st January, 2012
Jamie
For the record, the Good Ship, on Kilburn High Road, is actually on the opposite side of the road from Sainsbury’s (you know who you are). Here they have nice, clean wooden floors, a good little stage and are positive and open-minded about all sorts of performing arts and live entertainment.
Oh, and they’ve got banana flavoured beer, so Saturday night’s already a banger, and while I’m being ID’d for that, Ian Britt strums the opening lines to Run Lola Run. Watching Ian is, as always, a delightfully surreal experience such is the contrast between his songs: delicately soulful acoustic reggae songs based around the lilting, soothing melodies in voice, and the uncompromisingly deadpan delivery of the dry wit in his links.
After Run Lola Run and Back Home, for example, Ian explains that his next song was written to impress a girl who was “mad as a Mexican dancing bean.. when you get below that [pretty] exterior, she was a bit of a numpty”. It’s the next bit, though, that I won’t repeat that’s the real shocker. That those words can come out of the same mouth as that voice still takes some understanding at times.
His poor sister, nearby, looks very embarrassed.
Ian’s in chipper form, breezily treating us to a quick tour around some of his best known work. Chapter Eleven’s Asher Baker, watching, awestruck, next to me, whispers that King of the World is “a bit amazing”. It is, really: gently candid emotionally and soothingly melodic, it’s an absolute treat.
After Wishing Well, Ian cheekily asks us to guess which Michael Jackson song he’s going to play. “Yup: Earth Song”. It is, of course, his delicious cover of The Way You Make Me Feel.
There’s just time for one more family moment: Ian’s Mum has come as well, and admits to a distaste for his song Crazy Jane, making for an easier decision, and leaving Dedicate as his last tune. Again, a stunning little set.
Tonight, Asher ends his set with the words “I’ve been Chapter Eleven”. And he has: Buttery Biscuit Bassist Sweep is promoting Slowyear tonight, so Asher’s riding solo.
Undeterred, he whistles through a short, sharp set on an acoustic guitar: it’s peppier than I’ve seen him play before, quicker and with more rhythm. It really suits his songs. This Ship, of course, is excellent, and all the better, angrier, for its new tempo.
The set as a whole is strikingly personal, that emotional immediacy lending real meaning and leaving each song incredibly vivid: served up rhythmically and with vigour, it’s a winning combination.
Canoes, again, and the final track Home pare particularly earnest, heartfelt. The softness in Asher’s voice gently illuminating the melodies of the rhythm guitar parts that, tonight, are carrying the tune as well.
It works out perfectly. An excellent show.
Photos to follow.
Ian Britt, Chapter Eleven: free London show
Posted by jamie on Nov 17, 2011
Our BFFs at Men With Hats have created a lovely acousitc show in North London that costs nothing (yes, really) to attend. Aparently they have fruit-flavour beers and everything. It’s going on (and off) at the World’s End (in Finsbury Park, not the Camden Town one).
You can watch:
Smash Peters (Miacca)
See it on facebook here.
Ian Britt: update
Posted by jamie on Sep 2, 2011
A little bit of news from the lovely Ian Britt.
Relentlessly minded as I am, there’s a brand new single in the pipes, the new band “Blame” with its very different, heavier rock direction is ready to start performing with demos up soon, a new acoustic EP, Dutch & UK tours in the planning, all this and more I’m sure. Fresh new breath is what I want to bring into the lungs of it all. I
You can also buy various bundles of CDs, vinyl, downloads, T-shirts, limited edition, personalized tour posters etc. at IanBritt.com, go check the site out for ways to keep in touch & hear the music if you haven’t already.
I want to say a massive thanks to everyone who has supported & shared the music by sharing links and helping convert their friends onto His Lordship of Mr Brittness and also to everyone who’s helped support me through the various stages of its journey. Things are growing and building all the time so keep spreading the word! I hope to move things along much more regularly from now on. I seriously don’t want to bore you as much as I bore myself!
Ian Britt: Box (reviewed)
Posted by jamie on Aug 4, 2011
Ian Britt
Box – Self Released, 2011
2nd August 2011
Jamie
Ian Britt has come up with something of a surprise here. In fauirness it was though to know what to expect, given the contrast between the bubbly enthusiasm evident in his constant stream of cheeky-chappy updates on his facebook and twitter pages. He’s witty, entertaining and you sort of sense that he’s eager to be liked. Then again, on stage, he’s very Yorkshire, all no-nonsense and nonchalantly off hand, deadpan and the atmosphere lo-fi, intimate, and surprisingly serious.
Box is strikingly intelligent, and, wonderfully put together. Ian’s clearly bursting with talent, and this is an excellent collection of songs performed brilliantly. Happily, it’s all put together in such a way that the contrasting moods in some of the songs complement, rather than detract from, each other. Opener Back Home for example, though hardly a happy song in terms of its subject matter, is so beautifully catchy and so packed with melodies that’s impossible not to be cheered by it. I mean, it’s got a xylophone. What’s not to love? With its lovely little melody, and the perfect harmonies between lead and backing vocals, it’s an excellent pop song, and a must for the hot weather.
The same could be said of few of the other tunes on Box. Most recent single Boom Boom, for example, fairly shimmers with harmonies and that xylophone again. Click that little link and treat yourself to the video, it’s joyous: along with those harmonies, and that xylophone, Ian’s picked out the melody with some top notes in his lead vocal and added a key change for good measure. Then, Run Lola Run, he’s gone and got all of the Sonic Boom Six to appear as well. It was done a while ago, so you even get Ben Childs on there too.
It’s a winning formula, and could surely have made Ian one of the ultimate sunshine feel-good albums if he’d wanted it. There’s more to Box than that, though, and songs like Me and My Friend Cupid, In the Middle and Heathen Boy are totally different. Although the xylophone reappears briefly on Heathen Boy it’s not as prominent as before, and instead the melody is carried mainly by a sole acoustic guitar. Ian’s lyrics and the tone of the songs is just as plaintive and emotionally candid, but the mood is more reflective, while not quite sombre, and the tempo’s slower. It’s a little more singer-songwriter than the acoustic-reggae-pop than the earlier songs. By the very end, Beau Paris and Sweetness have slowed the tempo to a soft, soothing stroll.
Throughout, though, he’s got the vocal range to pull all of this off, and the songs are of such excellent quality that they could hardly disappoint. From the off, there was never any danger of that. Box is impressively diverse both musically and in its range of emotions and atmospheres. More than that, though, it’s deeply empathic and, still more than that, it’s brilliantly good fun.
Stand-out tracks:
Back Home
Run Lola Run
Boom Boom
Walk Alone
Beau Paris
Ian Britt: “Box” now up for pre-order
Posted by jamie on Jun 27, 2011
Ian Britt’s new album Box is now available for pre-order. You can get it here.
Ian Britt: single out TODAY
Posted by jamie on Jun 13, 2011
The lovely and improbably charming Ian Britt has released the video for new single Boom Boom. The tune is out today (TODAY!).
Watch the video here.
Download the single here for free.
To promote the single, and iminent album Box, Ian’s off on tour during July. The full dates are as follows:
Saturday 9th July ALBUM LAUNCH: Sheffield - Brezza
Tuesday 12th July: Manchester - KRO (near Academy)
Thursday 14th July: Bristol - The Pilgrim Inn
Friday 15th July: Bristol - The Urban Wood
Saturday 16th July: Liverpool - Zanzibar
Monday 18th July: Leeds - Oporto Bar
Friday 22nd July: Sheffield - Frog & Parott, Tramlines Festival
Saturday 23rd July: Sheffield - Soyo, Tramlines Festival
Sunday 31st July: York - The Rhubarb Bash
Friday 5th August: London - Filthy McNasty’s
Ian Britt: back at the Frog and Parrot
Posted by jamie on May 18, 2011
Google says The Frog and Parrot has “Apparently the best beer and burger in sheffield” [sic]. It’s also got probably the best pub name I’ve ever heard, and, on 25th May, they’re also going to have Ian Britt and Tarka Dawn playing acousitc songs and that.
See it on facebook here.
Chapter Eleven: launch EP in London
Posted by jamie on May 10, 2011
Chapter Eleven launch their EP Death is Far Away on 20th May. To celebrate, they’ll play at the brilliantly named Filthy MacNasty’s Whiskey Cafe in Islington on the Saturday, 21st may.
Support comes form the lovely Ian Britt, Daniel Nolan and Torn Out. Doors are at 19:30.
See it on facebook here.
Ian Britt: mini-update
Posted by jamie on May 10, 2011
Ian Britt’s off on tour in the summer. He’s also given us a (little) insight in to what’s going on in his world.
Will be in touch with the plan asap. Single in June, album Album July… will let you know the score though…
Thanks, Ian.
Ian Britt: electric
Posted by jamie on Apr 1, 2011
Ian Britt’s facebook hints at something exciting..
