Live Music Night @ The Herald, Thursday 8th April 2010 - Little Wing/Emergency Blanket/The Arkanes

www.theheraldlive.com

Last Thursday we (myself and Adrian Gautrey in the duo Little Wing) took to the stage in local venue The Herald to play a forty minute introductory slot for two bands - Emergency Blanket, a five-piece Peruvian Rock band who had literally stepped off the plane and into the venue - and The Arkanes, a four-piece, Scouse Indie/Rock band who had, by all accounts, been causing a stir for a good while. Our slot was, if I'm honest, a bit of a favour for an old mate. It turned out to be one of the great nights of all time for a multitude of reasons, and one that I am so happy to have taken part in. So, to the rather manic details. . . . . . . . . . . .

We arrived a little early - that is myself, Adrian, my mate Paul, and my mad mate Glenn. He had agreed to come in the blink of an eye when he realised the equation: Mrs away = beer + music. Unfortunately our set got delayed since the majority of unfortunate regulars were cheering on their ailing team Liverpool in the Toilet Roll Trophy, or whatever the competition is that they have ended up in. I didn't mind so much because there were plenty of interesting folk knocking about to meet, least of all the other musicians, and Glenn certainly didn't mind as he lay, mouth open, under the John Smiths tap. The venue really impressed me - an effective, long room with lots of character and flashing neon lights. A really good looking, great feeling place for live music. A large stage with all the mod cons added to its charm, as did the building atmosphere amongst a host of genuine music loving spectators. All in all, the kind of place that makes a musician feel good about going on stage and really giving it some.

By the time we took to the stage the venue had filled up suitably. The beauty about this place is that the punters want to hear original music - all so often you feel guilty about playing your own compositions because people just don't want to hear them. In certain places, which I wont even honour by mentioning, only Abba will do. This provided a much refreshing change. We journeyed through an eight song set that included seven original numbers from our recent debut album Alchemy In The Garden, and threw in a pretty epic, acoustic cover of Lynyrd Skynyrd's Free Bird for good measure. The atmosphere was, at that point, so good that I decided to pack away the gear as quickly as possible, run the car home, and venture back in for a pint. Or ten.

I arrived back just in time to see the second band take the stage - Emergency Blanket, all the way from Peru. There was a real buzz about the place for this one - it's not often that we have such bands passing through this little old town, let alone places for them to play. Full of energy and with immense, infectious personality, this tight five-piece blew the roof with their own Pearl Jam meets Led Zep meets Foo Fighters explosive Rock. Highlights from their set included the brilliant Next Passenger, and Shadows, both from their exceptional debut record, Combi + Nation. Front man Paco Holguin and bassist Lufo Armester shared a magnetic rapore on stage, aided by the mesmerising lead guitar of Jaime Urteaga. A top band with an undoubted future. Glenn and I, being Southport's biggest muso's, couldn't quite believe our luck. Balancing between glugging his John Smiths and doing his best Japanese tourist impression with his video camera, Glenn looked as bemused by the likelihood of the whole event as I felt.

Having indulged in rather a few Guinness by the time Emergency Blanket finished their riveting forty minute set, I looked around and felt like this could become a regular thing. Not long after, the final band, The Arkanes, took to the stage. A young and charismatic four-piece from Skelmersdale, these guys are one of the most impressive outfits I've seen for a long time. Full of mischief and archetypal Scouse cheek in between songs, lead singer/guitarist Chris Pate and backing vocalist/bassist Lee Dummett in particular played the crowd with consummate ease. Their fantastic, quirky brand of driving Indie/Rock, guided by the searing vocal of Pate, and supported by a rock solid backbone of Dummett, drummer Andy Long, and Adam Sheeran on guitar, was as refreshing a performance as I've seen for a long time. On top of that they had some tunes! The infectious Sharpshooter springs instantly to mind, as does the thumping Don't Act Like You Know Me. Their debut EP, also called Don't Act Like You Know Me, is a superb introduction to this promising, energetic young group. They even bring along a break-dancing, stage-diving loon known as "our Graham." Now that is a sight in itself. . . . . . .

And so, what a great night! Little did we know that it was only just beginning. After purchasing the necessary records as mementos of a genuinely unexpected evening, Glenn and I could come to no better conclusion than to have another beer. Ten minutes later, we came to the same conclusion. Then again, ten minutes after that (I think). By this time myself and the Peruvians are deep in conversation about music and the like, Glenn is taking a nap on the bar (blocking the bar staff in with his beer filled belly), and the other stay behinds are sifting through the tremendous (FREE!) jukebox, lining up anthem after anthem to take us deep into the morning. Before you know it the time is about 3am, we have the guitars out once again playing all sorts of common-love classics from The Beatles to Neil Young, and Glenn is stretched flat out snoring on one of the benches at the side of the pub. Honestly, you just can't take him anywhere. . . . . . . .

I woke up the next morning feeling like I'd had a pig defecate in my head. It wasn't good. However, I had two records lying by my bed - Combi + Nation by Emergency Blanket, and Don't Act Like You Know Me by The Arkanes - reminders of one of the best nights I've had in my home town, Southport, for many a year. I urge people to check this venue out - The Herald at the Lord St end of Portland St - simply because this is the venue to be for live music on a Thursday night. Dan Morrison, the brains behind it all, has seemingly performed miracles by getting anywhere near setting this thing up. I sincerely hope that all local musicians, muso's, fans of live music, and anyone with any interest in having a really good night out with a bunch of good people help to support the scene that is slowly building here. Live music can only exist if there is an audience to play to. I hope that we will be back to play there very soon, and that these nights continue to gather momentum in the meantime. I shall be doing all I can to spread the word. . . . . . . .