Ben Childs: UK TOUR 2011
Posted by jamie on Jun 15, 2011
Ben Childs is going to bring his new project, Killbillies, to the UK at the end of this month. In case you didn’t get lucky last year, support again comes from Mike Scott, and, on selected dates, from Bananatown favourites Chapter Eleven.
See it on facebook here.
UPDATE:
Asher from Chapter Eleven has confirmed their dates on the tour for us:
Sorry geez,
We’re playing with Mike Scott and KillBillies on the following dates:
June:
29 Swanage - House Show (w/ Killbillies, Mike Scott, Ren Spits at Magpies)July:
1 Southampton - Crapshack (w/ Killbillies, Mike Scott)
4 London - House Show (w/ Killbillies, Mike Scott)
Mike Scott / Fruitbag tour
Posted by jamie on Jan 31, 2011
Mike Scott and Mike Only (fka Fruitbag, ex-King Blues) fame will tour together in February.
Fri 04th – SALISBURY, The Winchester Gate (w/ Robb Blake)
Sat 05th – SOUTHAMPTON, House Show - everyone welcome! (w/ James Hull)
Sun 06th – CROYDON, Scream Lounge (w/ Robb Blake)
Sat 12th – CHELTENHAM, Slak Bar (w/ Jim Lockey)
Sun 13th – SHATTERFEST 2011 @ YORK, Stereo (w/ Mike TV)
Mike Scott / Joe Tilston acoustic show
Posted by jamie on Jan 16, 2011
Mike Scott, Joe Tilston and friends play this exciting looking acoustic bill in Luton tomorrow night (Monday 17th).
See it on facebook here.
Ben Childs / Mike Scott: Purple Turtle
Posted by jamie on Jun 30, 2010
Ben Childs / Mike Scott
Purple Turtle, Camden, London
27th June 2010
Jamie
There was something ever so slightly apologetic in the way that Ben Childs explained to me that his new CD, a split EP with Mike Scott, wasn’t being given away for free. It’s a bit of a blur, thinking back through a few ciders to a rushed conversation in the fuzzy, warm half darkness of Camden’s Purple Turtle, and, as I do so, it’s tough to think back beyond the overpowering feeling of elation from the show itself, but I’m sure that he actually looked me in the eye and said “I’m sorry” not once, but twice.
I’ve been lucky enough to meet Ben a few times, and, though self assured enough in person, and, of course, with a back catalogue stunning records and live shows under his belt, it’s somewhat disarming that he could come across in this way. He could, after all, be forgiven a degree of swaggering rock star arrogance: quite the opposite, in fact, in keeping with the atmosphere throughout the show, he’s refreshingly down to earth and up front.
The Purple Turtle have become a lot more chilled out, we’re told, since a recent change of ownership, and, what with the sudden local heatwave and the debatable disappointment of England’s humiliation at the hands of Germany of all teams, this afternoon, there’s only a few people scattered around the venue when we arrive.
A pleasant social stroll through tropical Camden town, and an urgent quest for food later, we arrive to see the second act, another male solo acoustic artist whose name I missed, finish his last song, take the plaudits and then leave.
Surprisingly it’s Ben who takes the stage next, as he and Mike have chosen, for the first time, we understand, to chop and change and to share the headline spot between them, taking two songs each. Ben’s first is a gutsy rendition of Sonic Boom Six’s the Reckoning and then his song about Barney that isn’t Honesty. I forget what it’s called. It’s a really strong performance – his ability as a singer and guitarist have ever been in doubt, and the songs, of course, are excellent, and ably embellished by Luke Yates on violin. There’s an urgency about Ben, in particular, on stage, and, early on in particular, the performance is pretty emotional. His whole family have come to see him, it emerges, and Sister, the first of three tracks from the acoustic Babyboom EP, is dedicated to his sister in particular. There’s one later for his Mum, too.
As Ben performs, Mike sits hunched, stage left, on a step. For the geeks, Mike takes stage left, with his own mic stand, and Ben the middle and Luke on the right. After the Reckoning and the song that wasn’t Honesty (that’s really going to bug me), he rises slowly to his feet and greets us with a crisp, dry wit and a little introduction before opening with All I’ve Done Since I was 21 and a couple of little jibes at Luke. Something, I think, about him looking like someone out of FalloutBoy, or something. There follows a moment that jars us all in to a painful consciouness for a second, as Mike explains the meaning behind his second song – his second song – about a friend who would have been here tonight had he not been murdered by a bunch of pikeys on Halloween. In the stuffy, musty gloom it’s a sombre moment.
The show gathers pace, Ben returns for Get the Devil Off My Back and the aforementioned Sister, continuing the two-songs-each routine that is slightly odd but works well, allowing space for a bit of banter and helping the evening to ebb and flow a but more than perhaps it would have done otherwise. Of the two performers, Mike is noticeably more comfortable in stopping to chat to us and link between his tracks, and tells jokes and stories, mainly about Luke. In an inevitable nod to the World Cup he rubs it in that Luke is half Italian and half English and has therefore seen his two teams eliminated inside a week. Much funnier is the one liner that follows: that Luke is the world’s only ginger Italian. Oh well. He also uses that dark, dry, sardonic delivery to really labour the punchline in his introduction to That Bitch Took A Random Guy on Holiday to the Czech Republic Without Me Knowing, the song about his ex wife that does exactly what it says on the tin, and that’s the joke of it. It’s perfect for him, as is a wry observation about the increasing presence of larger bottles of beer in mainstream shops and mainstream drinking culture. It’s dark stuff, but he’s astute and the observations, in his speech and in his songs, are true and relevant and he forges a strong connection with his audience, holding us in a hushed silence before shocking us in to cackling darkly. He’s a great foil for Ben, and in many ways the opposite of him.
Settling down, Ben plays Folk Like Us with The Day that Gerry Died and the more recent Florida Song, impassioned throughout, and using this to underpin a powerful set. Next to Mike, he might not have the off the cuff patter or the practised ease of someone who has fronted bands for a long time: Laila and Barney do almost all the SB6’s stage banter, and it’s meticulously planned so that all the other bands are thanked, tours and releases are plugged and the set as a whole gets its beginning, middle, climax and end. This isn’t like that, but that’s by no means a problem, as the immediacy in Ben’s voice and manner, and the energy that grows in to his performance nevertheless give him a commanding stage presence. They’re very different as performers, but the quality that’s on show from both of them is exceptional.
It’s left to Ben to wrap up – he plays an old Richard Thompson song and then a Gaslight Anthem one, Asher Baker climbing on stage to sing a verse of The 59 Sound, and then another old one Not Yet. Ben’s best mate and best man, whose name is Ollie and who correctly guesses that noone will recognise him, also gets up to play one song with an American girl in a polka-dot dress before Ben finishes off the night.
CD will be reviewed quicksharp. We’re hoping to add photos of the gig too, but waiting on permission. Thanks.
Ben Childs / Mike Scott: UK tour
Posted by chips on Jun 4, 2010
The heroic Ben Childs is off on tour with serial touring-man Mike Scott. Again, dates all on the facebook thing.
