Famine or feat round here, innit? Here are the fruits of my freelance labours over the past couple of weeks:

1. A review of the new Erasure album, which came out on Monday of this week. Strictly for the fan-faithful, this one - and not helped by its track sequencing, which starts with the bangiest, danciest (and best) numbers, and slowly winds down from then on. Consequently, I can't help wondering what the album would sound like if played in reverse sequence...

2. A concert review of my dear old friend Jason Donovan (how we shared!), which was greatly enlivened when he came bounding off the stage, into the stalls, and eventually into the row of seats directly behind us. Having reached the seat precisely behind myself and Chig, he was then hoisted onto the seat back by his minders (I think Chig might have "given him a little hand" at this stage), from where he serenaded the rear stalls. It was all simply too thrilling.

3. A re-assessment of the artistic legacy of Bucks Fizz, no less! OK, so the contrarian in me couldn't resist bucking expectations, and if truth be told then there are some dud tracks along the way - but when Da Fizz were good, they were very very good, and they deserve to be remembered for more than That Awful Song With The Skirts.

4. An interview with Rodrigo out of Rodrigo Y Gabriela, who played my favourite gig of 2006 at the Rescue Rooms almost exactly a year ago. A transcriber's nightmare, this one, since Rodrigo "talks like he plays" (as my editor put it). Never work with children, animals, or members of Mexican acoustic guitar duos. Great guy and all that, but I gave up even trying to tidy up his quotage when I got to this bit:(Well, how would you have summarised it? A little journalistic exercise for you there...)

Next week: the new Marc Almond album, Rodrigo Y Gabriela live at Rock City, and an interview with the trolly-dolley comedienne and all-round Friend Of The Gays, Pam Ann.

(This article originally appeared in the Nottingham Evening Post.)

Speaking to EG from his home in Mexico, Rodrigo Sanchez was looking forward to playing his third Nottingham date in twelve months. Clearly, we must be doing something right.

“They asked us which cities we wanted to play, so I just remembered the cities where we had a good time and a good response on the last tour. Nottingham’s definitely one of those cities. We like it – it’s a little bit ****ing mental there.”

At both the previous Nottingham shows, the audience shouted for Pink Floyd’s Wish You Were Here, and then sang along while the duo played their instrumental version. Does that happen often, or is that just a Nottingham thing?

“I think it happened first at Glastonbury. It’s so funny, because thanks to YouTube, wherever we are in the world, there’s always someone asking for it – but it was born in the UK.”

The duo’s playing seems very spontaneous on stage – but in reality, it must take a lot of practice. How much does the performance change from night to night?

“We try not to keep to the same order. To begin with, we used to play the same set – but we were getting bored, so we started to add surprises. By the end of our first big tour, we were improvising every night. Sometimes, you have a certain belief that some tunes go together in the middle of the set, and some are better at the end – but that’s just in your head, you know? That can make you a bit insecure. But when we started improvising the set, it was amazing – because then you feel free.”

On stage, Rodrigo and his partner Gabriela Quintero display a lot more energy than you might expect from a typical acoustic guitar duo. They also play very fast, and for a very long time. Is it physically difficult work? Do the hands suffer?

“We have to take care. It’s like playing tennis or soccer. Straight after every gig, we put our hands on ice, and Gabriela will put ice on her back. It’s just normal procedure.”

A lot of the duo’s musical energy stems from their background on the Mexican thrash metal scene. Now that they perform acoustically, have they had to learn a new playing technique, or are there similarities between the two styles?

“You’re playing a totally different instrument. When I switched from electric to acoustic, I had to re-learn a different way of playing. I’ve seen some guys play an acoustic guitar as if it was electric, and I don’t like it. I can always see when a guy is more used to playing electric than acoustic. Now, whenever I have the chance to grab an electric, it’s quite difficult for me.”

Despite this difference, one feature which unites Rodrigo and Gabriela’s acoustic playing with their metal background is a shared rhythmic complexity.

“That’s right. It’s mostly Gabriela who leads the rhythm section, but when I play the metal riffs which I’ve introduced to our music nowadays, it’s quite the same. If I take an electric guitar, I can still play the rhythm, no problem. But if I take a solo on an electric guitar, then it’s totally different.”

Both players – and Gabriela in particular – also use their guitars as percussion instruments, plucking the strings and slapping the bodies of their guitars at the same time. It’s a technique which many listeners won’t have experienced before.

“There are a few other similar guitar players that we now know of, although we didn’t before. Gabriela’s style is something that she developed, and those other guys don’t really play like her. Some of is more like tapping the fretboard with the right hand, but the way Gabriela moves her right hand is totally different. It’s a mix of different rhythms: from Latin styles that she heard when growing up, to flamenco – although she doesn’t play flamenco herself – to some of the traditional bodhrán playing that we’ve heard in Ireland.”

Having started out by busking on beaches and in restaurants, it was in Ireland that this Mexican duo enjoyed their first taste of major success, having arrived in Europe as complete unknowns.

“To be honest, we didn’t go to Europe looking for more opportunities. It was the other way around: having played in bands, we didn’t want to have anything more to do with the music industry. So once we started doing gigs, it was a surprise to be back in the industry. Suddenly, things were there. We had a manager, and so on. But it was pretty much organic; we didn’t want to be disappointed again. That kind of feeling probably helped us to break through and make it happen.”

“I still feel now pretty much in the vibe of enjoying what we’re doing, and not becoming super-happy or super-excited about things, because it might still all end tomorrow. That’s what freedom is.”

Rodrigo Y Gabriela play Nottingham Rock City on Thursday May 31.

Labels: eveningpost, interviews, popmusic

(An edited version of this review originally appeared in the Nottingham Evening Post.)

Poor old Bucks Fizz. Although winning Eurovision established their careers, they have never managed to escape the dubious legacy of Making Your Mind Up. Forever associated in the public eye with cheesy chirpiness and strategic skirt-ripping, the remainder of their musical output has almost totally faded from view. Since they never recorded anything as excruciatingly lightweight again, this seems more than a little unfair.

Instead, guided by producer Andy Hill, Bucks Fizz went on to record a series of varied and increasingly sophisticated singles, eleven of which made the Top Twenty within five years. On material such as the intricate, sparkling My Camera Never Lies, their work approaches the greatness of Trevor Horn’s productions for Dollar. Now Those Days Are Gone features some lovely a cappella harmonising, while even the superficially sugary Land of Make Believe conceals a “virulent anti-Thatcher song”, as its composer described it.

Of the later material, the slinky, sinuous I Hear Talk is a forgotten gem, while New Beginning is a percussion-driven pop symphony of epic proportions.

17 of the 18 featured tracks are included in video form on the accompanying DVD.

***

Labels: albums, eveningpost, popmusic

(An edited version of this review originally appeared in the Nottingham Evening Post.)

It has been nearly fifteen years since Jason Donovan’s last hit single and sudden fall from grace. Even six months ago, a concert tour of this scale would have been unimaginable. How quickly fortunes can change. Following his successful appearance on I’m A Celebrity, and buoyed up by the current success of BBC1’s Any Dream Will Do, the former heartthrob’s stock has risen dramatically. A perfect time for a comeback, in other words.

There’s always a danger in revisiting past glories. What if you end up making a desperate, undignified spectacle of yourself, ruining the memories of those who once held you dear? Thankfully, all such worries were swiftly dispelled by the trim, relaxed and confident performer who bounded onto the stage, to squeals of delight from the overwhelmingly female audience.

Mixing his perky Stock Aitken Waterman hits with newer, more “adult contemporary” material and lengthy chats to the crowd, Jason delivered a varied, well-paced set. Of the new songs, forthcoming single Share My World (out on June 11th, as we were frequently reminded) drew the best reception.

Throughout the show, dozens (if not hundreds) of images of the Jason in his glory days were projected onto the back wall, allowing him to pass amused comments on some of the dodgier looks. During the tender ballad Amazed By You, these were replaced by recent family snapshots, giving us a remarkably intimate glimpse into his private life.

For the final run of hits, Jason left the stage and wandered into the stalls, perching on seat backs and serenading the upper tiers from on top of the mixing desk. An authentic “technicolour dreamcoat” was donned for the encore, and swiftly discarded to reveal his jungle gear. Any Dream Will Do provoked the inevitable massed singalong, and the equally inevitable Too Many Broken Hearts sealed his triumph.

Labels: eveningpost, gigs, popmusic

(An edited version of this review originally appeared in the Nottingham Evening Post.)

Although long past their commercial peak, Vince Clarke and Andy Bell have settled into a comfortable niche which could sustain them indefinitely. It has been over twenty years since their last flop single; two years ago, Breathe even went Top Five. Like the Status Quo of electro-pop, they plough their particular furrow, oblivious to the changing musical landscape around them.

Following what Vince has called a “mid-tempo crisis”, the thirteenth Erasure album sees a return to short, snappy, mostly upbeat pop songs, with an overall mood of romantic optimism. The opening three tracks form a terrific opening salvo: lively, danceable, and stuffed with hooks, they suggest a confident return to form.

Thereafter, as the mood progressively mellows and softens, the essential conservatism of Erasure’s approach becomes increasingly problematic. Vince still has a winning way with a melody, and Andy’s voice is as fine as ever – and yet the material sounds formulaic, overly familiar, and curiously unaffecting.

This is pleasant, business-as-usual fodder, that will please fans but fail to make much of an impact elsewhere. Maybe that’s all we have a right to expect.

***

Labels: albums, eveningpost, popmusic

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