Music / The Stables
I took a trip out of London the other night to The Stables in Milton Keynes, England’s renowned armpit. The recently revamped concert venue is a diamond in the rough, a beacon amongst the drab 1960’s pre-fab architecture. So that was the first delight. The second was the chance to see some legends of 60s and 70s folk music ditch their zimmer frames and take to the stage as The Gathering. Members of such iconic bands as Fairport Convention, Jethro Tull and Steeleye Span have reformed into an ensemble picked straight from folk rock’s Hall of Fame. So while it took a while for the band and atmosphere to warm up, once they got going the night was both poignant and merry. Nostalgic hits from the likes of Lindisfarne and Magna Carta, and of course the three above, were interspersed with new songs and accompanied by the strong voice of Christina Donaghue, the daughter of Fairport’s guitar virtuoso, Jerry Donaghue. They can still write great songs and perform the classic ones with the same old swagger. I’ll tip my hat to that. [see also Orba Squara]
Also by FRANCIS ANDREWS
Obama’s election campaign was something of a celebrity fanfare not seen since Reagan took up the seat back in the 1980s. While we’re yet to see whether the hype that surrounds his name is followed though, there is no question that his calls for ‘Change’ have already injected a new sense of political zest both into the US and much of the rest of the world. Politics has suddenly become exciting, and his unprecedented tactics for private fundraising have made his supporters believe that they have a personal stake in the government. So how appealing is political participation now? Read more
I’m all for squatting. The thought of hundreds of houses standing empty in London, because the owners can’t be bothered either to fix it up and sell it, or lease it, or because they’ve got too much wonga to limit themselves to one house, just sounds plain greedy. So it was with delight that I learned that a group calling themselves Da! Collective had made their home in a £6 million mansion in London’s uber-exclusive Mayfair area, and are (allegedly) in the process of turning it into a walk-in art installation. It’s been reported all over the UK news, but still no word from its owners who are holed up in the Virgin Islands. Poor them. Similarly, I was equally chuffed to hear of these guys who are turning squatting in London into a conscientious business.
The Tinariwen album, Aman Iman, was a star among the many great releases of 2007, surprisingly so given the underexposure of world music in your average annual list of must-haves (even emo-warriors Pitchfork gave it a big thumbs-up). Their story is as intriguing as the music: hailing from the Tuareg tribe in Mali, they formed in 1982 in the rebel camps of Colonel Gaddafi. The lyrics, sung in French and Tamashek, are intensely political, focused largely on the struggle by Malians for independence from their government. The music is very spatial and, like Ali Farke-Toure or Amadou & Mariam, really evokes the size and ambiance of the African Savannah. Don’t be put off by the genre: it’s a very accessible sound, and the loosely-delivered vocals are simply mesmerising.
[audio:http://www.thickspecs.com/my_weblog/files/01.%20Cler%20Achel.mp3]
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