Gig Gallery

I am coming off the back of a busy week for gigs. Last Tuesday it was Michael Chapman and Hiss Golden Messenger at the Slaughtered Lamb. Friday was This Is The Kit, supported by Eliza Shaddad and De'borah at an extremely intimate gig in the chapel behind the Gallery Cafe in Bethnal Green.

I enjoyed both of those very much, but they were topped by the psychedelic extravanganza that was the Trembling Bells and Bonnie 'Prince' Billy at the Union Chapel last night. Support there was an acapella set from a quartet made up of Lavinia and Alex from the Trembling Bells and Katy and Harry from the traditional four-part harmony group Muldoon's Picnic. I am not sure this particular combination had a name, so let's call them the Trembling Picnic.

We featured tracks by Chapman and HGM last week. I don't have anything in my collection by Eliza Shaddad or De'borah. I intend to put that right but in the meantime would encourage you to click on their names and stream what is there - they both have very appealing voices. Which leaves us with the Kit, the Muldoons and Billy & The Bells. Here is one track apiece.

As a bonus I have added a track from "The Opposite Is True", the 2005 album by Morning Star (aka Jesse D Vernon, guitarist with This Is The Kit). It is a spiced-up traditional song so fits quite well.

"Fighting Talk" - This Is The Kit

"Thousands Or More" - Muldoon's Picnic

"Riding" - Trembling Bells & Bonnie 'Prince' Billy

"Cuckoo" - Morning Star

And now, in a sad and misguided attempt to show that I am a man equally at ease with all the arts, here are a load of photos I took at the gigs followed, right at the end, by a clip of This Is The Kit doing that old favourite "The Turnip Turned" last Friday. Please forgive my self-indulgence.

Michael Chapman:

Hiss Golden Messenger:

This Is The Kit:  

Eliza Shaddad:

De'borah:

Trembling Bells & Bonnie 'Prince' Billy:

The Trembling Picnic (with added Billy):