The Bill:-
Ellie Lawson (purchased album Lost Songs with 18 tracks on it!)
Maeve O’Boyle (purchased album All My Sins)
Dan Ward-Murphy
with special guest Julia Johnson

Dan’s Set List:-
She’s A Knockout
The Sun Is In Your Eyes (f Jen Delaney)
All In A Memory
My Beautiful Predicament
The Genius Of Myra (f Julia Johnson)
Under The Wire (f Julia Johnson)
The Queen Of Something New
So Simple
Act Of Defiance

So here we are again at The Bedford. It’s another Tuesday night and the traffic was awful but it still didn’t take long to schlep across Sarf London to the oh-so-convenient supermarket car park just over the road (arrive after 7pm and it’s free – FREE I TELL’S YA!). That’s what makes it so easy, and the venue itself cries out to be used – good food, good real ale, great ambiance and usually good music.
I say usually because tonight was an exception – it was EXCELLENT MUSIC! I’ve gotta tell ya that I’m usually happy about the music I hear there, but tonight it was such a class line up that even I was staggered by the quality!

Seriously, go check out Ellie Lawson and Maeve O’Boyle (who had to squeeze into a car with her band and drive back to Glasgow last night!. Suffice to say that I purchased an album of each of them – Maeve was especially good with an excellent vocal delivery of some cracking songs – stand out for me were Old Greenwich Mean Time and Facing Home – treat yourselves and track ‘em down!

Dan and his new line up were on last and I was prepared for some changes to the songs I wear like an old dressing gown, and mindful that this was the first public outing with Henry Gilbert in the line up, taking on the double bass and bass guitar, but the sound is really quite different. I remember when Pravin Mukhi (drums, percussion, looking cool) first joined and how odd all the tracks sounded with <I>drums</I>, so I’m perhaps more open to change now, but I’m not sure that all the tracks benefit from the changes, but c’est la vie, and as I said, I wasn’t sure about adding the drums way back when, and now I can’t imagine the songs without them! So what do I know eh!
She’s A Knockout opened the proceedings and I definitely liked the new arrangement for that one as that double bass kicks – though I’d noticed some “bass” vibrations from the venue through the previous two acts too and might have turned it down a tad to stop it had I been on the desk!

Jen takes us through The Sun Is In Your Eyes next and I never tire of hearing Jen in general, or this song in particular. The “All of your winters …” verse never fails to raise the hair on the back of my neck. We’re then treated to one of Dan’s new songs, All In A Memory, and it’s a corker. I’ve heard it a few times now and it’s becoming an old friend. Not sure he has it recorded anywhere so you’ll have to try and catch it live at The Bedford sometime (in person or streamed) or just take my word for it. It’s another really strong song that I hope will make his second album when he gets around to it!
My Beautiful Predicament finishes off what could be called the first segment of the set and is still a strong song, leading us into the middle eight of the set where everyone but Dan leaves and Julia Johnson steps up. Those of you with Dan’s excellent album, Until The Morning Light, will doubtless be aware of Rosabella Gregory playing piano on The Genius Of Myra and those dainty shoes were amply filled by Julia who also shared the vocal. This is a beautiful song anyway but with the keys it really shines. Julia stays to join Dan singing Under The Wire which is often my favourite track on the album!
Julia leaves and the rest of the band return for The Queen Of Something New and the new(ish) song So Simple, which just leaves the crowd to roar for more and Act Of Defiance as the encore!

Utt

The Bill:-
Lee Broderick
Robert McCracken
Francis Rodino

Francis’ Set List:-
Don’t Say Never
Walk With Me
Burn
Any Day Now
Science
Drink
Eternity
Blood (Acoustic++)
One Love

Yet another night at The Bedford in Balham and yet again it’s a great night out. Great to see Dave The Esthameian out to play, and taking loads of photos too! As usual, a quick chat about the other Artists – Lee Broderick was awesome and well worth checking out whereas Robert McCracken’s acoustic guitar/violin/cello set didn’t really do it for me, but maybe that’s because it was the first time for the violin/cello or maybe I was just so keen to get Francis on stage that I didn’t pay enough attention?

From the very beginning Francis and the boys foster the air of a full on stadium rock band, although maybe some of the extended breaks between tracks to tune, etc, could be worked on – I guess that’s where the full on stadium rock band scores with pre-tuned “spare” guitars, etc. Oh roll on that day for Francis and the boys!

Allan, sans shoes, and Andrea kick it off with Matt giving an extra long keys intro to Don’t Say Never, letting Nik come onstage and plug in. A further wait as the intro continues to build tension before Francis struts onstage and the crowd cheer. Not as big a crowd as I’ve seen here for Fran before (but this was a Tuesday remember!), but all seem to be in the mood to be ROCKED! Francis continues through the well picked set of songs from his excellent Sellaband album Circles and Squares and the crowd listen intently (a marvelous “Bedford” tradition), even joining in when enticed to do so! Finishing off with an interesting version of Blood which comprised the usual cut-down acoustic version usually performed by just Francis, Nik, and Allan but with Matt and Andrea coming in at the usual place on keys and drums, but with a lighter touch (Andrea playing for much of the time with just his hands). I heard them discussing it at the bar beforehand and it’s a fascinating insight into the world of the accomplished musician that a 5 minute chat over a bottle of beer and bags and bags of haribo is enough to put together something new, and a glimpse into the relationships they have fostered amongst themselves to have a crack just for the craic!

Muggins here on Merch & Email list duty at the end is swamped by FRB newbies clamouring for copies of the CD, and some even hunting out the culprits to get their copies signed. Such was the enthusiasm for all things Rodino that I even had some interesting offers for my FRB t-shirt, but NO SALE!

Thanks Fran, Allan, Nik, Andrea, Matt – another great night out! Cheers.

The Bill:-
Sherika Sherard
Dan Ward-Murphy
Holly Rubenstein
Kenny Bogan
Dave Gibson

Dan’s Set List:-
So Simple (w Jen)
The Sun Is In Your Eyes (f Jen)
White Decay
Act Of Defiance

You all know I love The Bedford, so much so that on at least one occasion when I couldn’t make it I fired up the old PC and watch the live webcast – the picture isn’t great but the sound was pretty good and well worth a try!
This is one of the regular The Bedford evenings with a bunch of artists all singing a couple of songs in the first half, then with often an order swap, singing a couple more in the second half. This breaks the night up a bit and allows them to put on 5 or so artists.

First up, a mention for the other Artists. Sherika Sherard is quite young but definitely has something, not least of which is her voice and demeanour. Holly Rubenstein sang very nicely, but not in a genre I’m particularly fond of, though she’s having some success apparently, while Kenny Bogan had a lovely soft lilting Irish accent to really set off his songs. Lastly, Dave Gibson is apparently a bit of a coup for The Bedford in that he’s recently signed to Sony and has not been allowed to gig for the last 6 months or so because of it (?). Perhaps more fun for those “OK Magazine” readers amongst you is that he had David Sneddon playing keys for him. He’s off to the US to record an album or something now … so let’s see if he can become a household name eh!

After the cancelled DWM gig I’m still waiting to hear the full line up but I’m still not going to pass up an opportunity to see Dan and Jen singing and as always I’m not disappointed – So Simple starts the (Dan & Jen) night off nicely. This is a new one and a cracker – if you’ve not heard it you could have heard it last night on the webcast but you missed it! HA! Jen takes the lead for The Sun Is In Your Eyes which is as beautiful as ever. I don’t think there were many DWM fans in the hizzouse but the full room still gave a rousing ovation with a number of cheers and whoops – THIS is what Dan needs to do more of to build his fanbase and he’s out there doing it!
The second half sees Dan on his lonesome on stage as Jen joins us to watch. Was it something he said … To be fair, it was funny, but oh so unrepeatable! Dan opens his second half with White Decay and finishes with the usual Act Of Defiance, though this time suggesting people click their fingers instead of clap and I’m not sure that works so well as it’s not loud enough to get quorum and it soon peters out – still a good song and still got an enthusiastic round of applause (and cheers and whoops) from the crowd!

Definitely looking forward to seeing the full band on Nov 17^th back at The Bedford, and on a PC near you if you’ve got broadband …

Utt