LIVE: Dirty Sky Jones - Eastney Cellars 22nd April 2012

Now there are many reasons as to why I love living in Portsmouth, but one thing that really stands out for me is the amount of musical talent the island has to offer, despite only living here for three years I have had the pleasure of meeting many of the local musicians and witnessing their live performances. One lad in particular, who seems to be going from strength to strength is Sam Jones aka Dirty Sky Jones, an acoustic-pop singer songwriter with a unique voice and charming presence. I went down to his EP release show to see if there really is anything 'dirty' about this young man.

Luke Ferre, another local talent was the first support for the evening, who really defines the term 'raw talent' with nothing but his guitar, his voice created a beautiful atmosphere in the room and made us all laugh with his own take on Katy Perry's 'California Gurls', which he has re-written as 'Portsmouth and Southsea Girls'. Quite the comedian!

Andrew Foster also performed prior to the headline act, with a much more mellow vibe to his music, most of us all chilled out and soaked up his voice and the atmosphere. Another musician to keep your eye on!

Eventually Dirty Sky Jones took to his stage, along with his own bit of carpet for comfort (I don't know either, ask him!). He'd already sweeten'd up the crowd by providing mini bags of gummy sweets for everyone (see what i did there?!) so already he was off to a good start! Only recently has he been playing with a backing band, and although he can still perform well by himself, the extra instruments really brought his songs to life.

As he works his way through the tracks off his new EP 'This Town' we get an insight into what goes on in his life, with songs about mishaps in the bedroom and a duet with Becky Jerams about breaking up; but don't be fooled by his good-boy charm, one listen to his lyrics and it's revealed that there really is a lot of 'dirty' in the mind of Dirty Sky Jones! 

One of the great things about Dirty Sky Jones' music is that his songs are all very positive and optimistic about life, he writes about things we all go through, whether it's having a heavy night or being embarrassed about your cousin catching your whatsit on a fishing line. He's honest and that means a lot in the modern music industry, he's real and opinionated like the rest of us, it just so happens he can write fantastic songs about life. 

Overall it was a fantastic afternoon spent with amazing musicians. Dirty Sky Jones' EP is available on iTunes or from his store. If you're a fan of Frank Turner, Dave McPherson or Charlie Simpson than i urge you to check this guy out and show him some support! 

LIVE: Bombay Bicycle Club – Portsmouth Guildhall 24th April 2012

It’s not often that big-name indie bands choose Portsmouth Guildhall as a stop on their UK tours, usually travelling to Southampton or Brighton is the best bet for us music lovers in the South; so on the announcement of Bombay Bicycle Club I knew it was an opportunity that shouldn’t really be missed.

The support for the evening came from up and coming female singer-songwriters, Rae Morris and Lianne La Havas. Both had distinctive voices and played their songs well, however it would have been nice to have another band, or perhaps something slightly more uplifting to get the crowd, (who spent most of their time at the bar), in the mood for Bombay. Saying that both artists are likely to have a strong career ahead of them, with Rae Morris’ Ellie Goulding esque vocals and Lianne La Havis showing all of us ladies how a guitar should be played.

By the time Bombay Bicycle Club were due, most of the crowd had drunk the bar dry and were ready to let loose. Fitting you could say that Bombay’s introduction music was Sir Mix-a-lot’s Jump On It, not exactly what you’d expect from the indie four piece but it went down a treat.

As soon as the echoing vocals of ‘How Can You Swallow So Much Sleep’ were heard, the crowd erupted, clapping and screaming in joy (probably helped by the alcohol). Bombay appear behind a transparent curtain displaying various cosmic-style patterns, vocalist Jack Steadman introducing the song in a somewhat charming fashion, before the curtain drops and the rest of the band launch into the track.

Now, personally my appreciation for a band can greatly increase or decrease when I see them live. If a band or artist puts as much effort into the set design and lighting as they do their music, it can really make the show so much more impressive. As Bombay lead into ‘Your Eyes’ the crowd are blasted with an incredible lighting display, with strobes and flashing lights galore, only adding to the emphasis they put into the music.  It’s clear from this point on that we are all in for one hell of a show and I was really quite excited to see what else was to come.

Bombay’s set had a brilliant mix of tracks from their three albums and each was delivered with just as much energy as the next, the guys had clearly thought this tour through carefully and selected some of their best tracks to perform. Lucy Rose also made an appearance throughout their whole set, as some will know her vocals appear on almost all of the tracks on latest record ‘A Different Kind Of Fix’, making the set even better than I had imagined it would be.

The only disappointment of the show was the performance of ‘Still’, which was completely stripped back with just Jack and Lucy singing together at the piano. A song that could have sounded amazing live if the crowd just stayed quite for the length of the song. Instead I stood struggling to hear anything over all the chatter going on around me.

“Save the best until last” sums up the final tracks on the setlist. Pre-encore saw ‘Always Like This’ send the crowd in a giant dancing frenzy, with mosh-pits turning into dance-pits that were full of love and appreciation for the band, and for the first time in a long time, I shuffled my way towards the front to make the most of it.

Bombay disappear for the briefest of moments before returning and going full blast into ‘Shuffle’ which had everyone up on their feet, jumping around and singing along. If it wasn’t for the roof over our heads and the warmth from being indoors, it could easily have felt as if we were all at a festival, the atmosphere was incredible. Finishing up with ‘What If’, both band and audience gave it everything they had, using up all their energy and leaving on a massive high.

After going in not really expecting much, I left completely in awe of everything I had just experienced and with a new level of appreciation for Bombay Bicycle Club as a band. Now if more bands could make room for Portsmouth on their tours, so I could have similar experiences that would be greatly appreciated, even if my bank balance doesn’t agree! 

Photography Credit: Danny Jack Photography

LIVE: Ben Howard - Portsmouth Pyramids 14th February 2012

Now to say I was excited about going to see Ben Howard live is a little bit of an understatement. Ever since purchasing his album back in October I have fallen completely in love with his music and still daily listen to his music repeatedly. There aren’t many bands or artists that leave a lasting impression with me, yet Ben Howard has done just that, so I had high hopes for his live show.

Daughter were the support act for the evening, who completely surprised me, it’s difficult not to fall in love with Elena Tonra’s vocals and timid personality, plus there’s always something great about hearing such an innocent looking girl delicately sing the word “fuck”. The set isn’t too long, but it satisfies the audience in their wait for the main event.

As the lights at the venue lowered and the crowd opened their lungs to announce the arrival of Ben Howard, It’s safe to say I was feeling completely elated. Opening with Depth Over Distance, Ben’s husky, soulful voice filled the room that had now fallen totally silent. For those that know the song you will understand when I say it’s very passionate, with echoing bass drums and Ben pushing his vocals more than the norm. An incredible opening, which left an even more incredible atmosphere amongst the fans.

Ben then worked his way through most tracks from his debut album Every Kingdom, with Old Pine and The Wolves going down an absolute storm with the crowd, who were singing along to every line. One thing that really impressed me was the amount of effort the band as a whole had put into the show, and how well they all work together, drummer Chris Bond is clearly a very talented musician, as well as India Bourne who works her magic on the Cello, Bass and backing vocals. There was so much enthusiasm in the music; Ben in particular pushed his guitar skills to a whole new level, which I didn’t think was possible.

Clearly still bemused by his success and the amount of females that now lust after him, he still seems quite shy when talking about his album influences and stories behind his music, making quite the comical comment at a young girl declaring her love for him from the front row.

The show then draws to a close, Ben finishes off with Move Like You Want To, which gets everyone dancing around and singing along. As he departs the stage the crowd give him one big cheer, showing their full appreciation for the show tonight… and I leave completely in awe and worried that I’ll never love a man again after watching him.

But this is just the beginning for Ben; he seems to have become Radio 1’s new favourite toy and is in high demand from music types across the country. He has already announced another full scale UK tour for November, so make sure you get your tickets early to avoid disappointment!