May's Gig Extravaganza

We're only 11 days into May but it's been a good month for gigs so far.
First up was Shawn Smith, better known to some as the voice behind Seattle bands Brad, Satchel, Pigeonhed etc. I saw Brad 11 years ago and it still ranks in my top 10 gigs ever, so when I found out about Shawn playing in the UK, I had to go. He's playing an unconventional set of venues but we plumped for York as it meant we could have a trundle round rather than wading our way through the mire of Birmingham!
The gig was in the Centre for Early Music in York, a converted church. It was one of the oddest settings for a gig I've been to, but I was getting pretty excited when we were waiting, sitting in the sunshine in the church yard and seeing that inside was a piano and maybe a couple of hundred seats. We managed to sit on the 'wrong' side so couldn't see much of Shawn whilst he had his music holder up, but once he was a bit more relaxed and closed it, we had a great view. He seemed a little nervous when he came out and started with 'The Day Brings' (I think - I was going to make a note of songs played but I was mesmerised and forgot!) as he got halfway through and forgot where he was up to. It felt like a privilege to be sat a few feet away in such an intimate setting. In his trademark hat and making use of his vocal range from dreamy to falsetto, I think we got 'some never come home' next, followed by Mother Love Bone classic Crown of Thorns, when you could almost feel like everyone was trying not to cry. We got a good set made up of Brad, Satchel and his solo stuff. Lots of good memories! There was a bit of banter with the crowd and a discussion around him bringing Brad over which prompted someone to call Stone lazy to which Shawn replied he's anything but. He said he'll come back soon anyway, which is an exciting prospect.
The crowd were chuffed when 'Buttercup' was played and though he must have played it a million times, he still sang it like every word was meaningful. We got a short encore with Purple Rain, which took me right back to when I saw Brad in '97. It morphed into a short rendition of Amazing Grace and back into 'The Day Brings' which brought things full circle and a fitting end to the show.
I had a quick chat to Shawn after the show but forgot to get a cheesy photo. I asked him if he'd play Crown of Thorns for a friend going to the London show and was more than chuffed to find out that he did - a man of his word indeed.
Next day we were off to a gig which could not have been more different. Not a piano or Panama hat in sight and certainly no room for falsetto vocals here. We were in the Witchwood in Ashton-under-Lyne to see some friends of ours in their band 'Profane'. The weather here's been unseasonably warm so the beer garden was packed and inside was pretty warm. Profane have been making waves on the rock/metal circuit for a few years now and have supported some long-established acts over the years like Life of Agony and up-and-coming big names like Enter Shikari. This was a headline show and there was a fair turnout and definitely some devoted fans up front. Their music is intense and we got a mixture of songs off their debut album 'The Day we Scorched the Sky' as well as some new material. They really don't sound like anyone else with their angular sounds, though if I had to place them next to anyone musically, there is more than a hint of Tool in there. I've always been impressed with Phil's vocals since seeing them years and years ago, back when they were called Day of Hate and playing Alice In Chains covers and there is a healthy mix of screaming and singing, which is always a winner in my eyes! They feel like a band on the verge of making it big and hopefully this will be their year. Check them out on Myspace and go and see them supporting Skindred later this month if you can.
Friday night brought an altogether different musical experience in the form of Jonah Matranga at the Roadhouse in Manchester. It nearly didn't happen thanks to my ever-manky sinuses but we got down there just in time. Those of you who don't know him/haven't heard me enthusing/weren't at our wedding (our first dance was a version of one of his songs that he recorded for us), he was the singer in 90s band Far and later in New End Original and Gratitude and has also released solo recordings under the moniker One Line Drawing. Now he is 'just' Jonah Matranga and is touring in support of his new album, 'And'. I've seen a lot of bands and artists over the years but few are as honest and genuine as Jonah is. He started with some songs on his own and then almost made me collapse by playing 'Nothingman' by Pearl Jam - one of my favourite singers playing a song by one of my favourite bands - and really well. He confessed to being a big Pearl Jam geek too - see, it's not just me! He got the band on stage with him after that and played an almost Greatest Hits set. We got New End Original songs like 14-to-41 and Lukewarm, Gratitude numbers like This is the Part but the warmest receptions were for old Far songs like Mother Mary and Bury White which still sound like he could have written them yesterday. This is what emotional music is to me - none of this crappy pop music that gets labelled 'emo'. There weren't even many fringes there. I like the way his voice is never perfect but always so genuine and expressive. Like I said before, there's always room for a little bit of screaming too, so that box is ticked.
Going to a Jonah gig always feels a bit like a gathering of friends. He was saying how he's really pleased to be able to play his music for a living and that he thinks he's quite good at it, and there's not a hint of arrogance in him. Everyone you meet who knows of him will tell you the same thing and I'm yet to meet someone familiar with his music who isn't totally floored by seeing him live.
So there - there's 3 bands/artists you need to check out - something for everyone there. I don't think I've much lined up now till LAP at the end of the month but the 3 great gigs this week will keep me going for a while! Like buses...