SpideWriter

Wild Paths: Day Four Part 1 Vanity Fairy Goes to Church It's been a tremendous few days so far. Manageable, fun. Peopled by a wonderful variety of musical performances. I couldn't get to everything I wanted to on Thursday, so it was on Friday, hungry for more. I had to make choices without FOMO. C'est la vie, as Vanity Fairy would say, before undoubtedly turning it into a disco smash hit.  Vanity Fairy sets a high bar for Friday fun. In an act that just gets sillier, funnier and so very enjoyable, watching her explore every nook, cranny and architectural feature of St Lawrence's church to a disco beat, set the Five PM audience dancing, swaying and definitely smiling. Vanity, singing with a backing track, with day still lighting the windows high in the celerestory, brought all the glamour of a Friday night out in Mykonos, then some, to the first gig of the fourth day of Wild Paths, 2025. In her set of old and new tracks, Vanity Fair twirled and whirled around the magnifi...

Wild Paths: Day 3 - Evening SPACE Studios, Swan Lane The Wednesday of this year's Wild Paths was quite wonderful and there was more to come.  Having located SPACE Studios, which is housed up very steep stairs in a building on Swan Lane, right in the heart of the old city, I was impressed by the intimate dive club venue.  I had been briefly once before for an electronic music junket, when lighting was deemed an unhelpful distraction, but a necessary evil. To see it this evening with its trippy, bright walls and full lighting arrangements was a bit of a treat. The very serious DH Temple corporation at work DH Temple, resplendent in black leather waistcoat and strides, with a matching ten gallon hat, or maybe six gallon hat, (I wasn't too sure), to top it all off. What would that be in litres, forty, thirty-six? His band, of drums and guitarist / keyboard/ effects man and bassist with backing singer, were just about all set for an on-time lift-off.  They looked great, with t...

Sound Issues At The Octagon Chapel: Quinn Oulton trio John Ivory's building, opened as the New Meeting House in 1756.  The master carpenter, Freeman of the City, who had previously built the Methodist Hall up on Chapelfield Road, adjacent to The Champion pub, (for reference), clearly took great care to shape a building where a speaker would be able to address a large congregation with minimal vocal effort.  Preparations underway to bring down the old chapel Acoustically, it is an almost perfect building, as proven by the self-indulgent couple who 'whispered' through out their time at the disastrous Quinn Oulton gig on Thursday night. Thankfully, they left after being glared at, then shushed by a distracted audience member, who'd finally had enough of their ignorance. Unfortunately, this wasn't the end of the sound problems that beset Oulton's blyth attempts to play on despite obvious technical issues with the sound system.  A very successful show by Sofia Grant,...

Behind The Sun Collective at St Laurence's. Wild Paths: Day 3 Evening I wasn't quite expecting what I got at the church of St Laurence. I had popped in and seen a local art show during the summer. The space is impressive. There's a lot of headroom, (several metres), the nave is wide and much longer than the old church of St Swithin's, home to Norwich Arts Centre. St Laurence's is a biggie. Without any furniture, other than a temporary bar, it offers an exciting opportunity for music promoters.  What I hadn't expected was two sets of gigantic speakers, possible four metres high by three metres wide, either side of the chancel, suggesting some heavy-duty noise was about to be generated. I put my ear plugs in pronto - that amount of power in a stone and flint construction could have hearing diminishing consequences.  It was a good move, because those of us who trooped down St Benedict's were about to be reminded that jazz is a very broad church.  St. Lawrence...

 The Maid's Head: Act 3 Anolah And The Bonez Another trio. Same format, but wow, how different can you get?  I was again concerned, when I entered the room, that this band were already into their set, but with everyone in the substantial audience chuntering away!  I should have remembered where I was. Norwich gig goers have utmost respect for their musicians. As soon as the trio were ready everyone, bar two, stopped chatting and tuned in. With the light fading outside, the stage lighting came into play, giving Anolah's understated band just the right level of lux to cast a sultry spell on an audience still buzzing after the previous bunch had done their work. This trio were lounge jazz with a bit of edge. Anolah's voice, was pure, hot chocolate; a classic jazz vocal. Not wanting to be unnecessary, I am going to use word the 'sexy' to describe it, because there are few other words for its tone and delivery. A gorgeous singing voice. Bass, played from a chair, was lai...

Archie & The Astronauts: Maid's Head Hotel 16/10/2025 Three in a band. A power trio. A bass player, who really plays that heavy piece of equipment. The guitarist doing the general lifting, obvs. A drummer setting the pace.  Painters' whites are also available in white. Of course, the prospect of a three-piece band can be a worry in the post-Nivana world, but these three swerve that particular pitfall, flirt with the sound of Motorhead and end up, via their amazing bass musicianship, getting into bed with The Dead Kennedys, although leaving the acerbic political commentary at the door.  High energy, volume dialled to 11, pounding rock. A bloody good act. Minstrels? Debateable, although they conjured audience participation in their concluding song, with some ooohs and woahs. A spirited band, giving it all at ten-to-five on a Thursday afternoon, a week or so before the clocks go back. Very enjoyable rockers. I'm sorry these reviews are brief (mercifully brief?), but I'...