Aberdeen City Archives - Page 74 of 206

Aberdeen Scouts Prepare For American Adventure

Aberdeen City, Featured, News No Responses »

May 152015

With thanks to Mannofield Explorer Scouts.

This weekend over 20 Explorer Scouts took part in an unusual camping challenge at an iconic Aberdeen landmark. The Mannofield Explorer Scouts held a camp at the David Welch Winter Gardens in Duthie Park on Friday night, in preparation for their upcoming trip to Yosemite National Park.

The group will embark on a road trip through California this July, with the end goal to spend a week exploring Yosemite National Park.

The journey will also see the group of 14-18 year olds travel through Death Valley, visit the historic Alcatraz prison in San Francisco, and meet their American counterparts in the Boy Scouts of America.

On their journey, the Explorer Scouts will travel through a variety of terrains – from barren deserts to luscious forests, from sandy beaches to rocky mountains. The group’s overnight stay at the David Welch Winter Gardens allowed them to experience all of these different landscapes in just one night.

Explorer Scout Liam Aiken, 16, says:

“We are all really excited for our trip to Yosemite this summer. We have been fundraising for the last year and a half, and can’t believe it’s almost here!

“The camp in the Winter Gardens was really fun – we have never stayed anywhere like it before – and it was a great preview for the big trip this summer.”

Assistant leader Eoin Smith adds:

“Scouting is all about offering young people new experiences and everyday adventure, helping them develop skills which are applicable across many areas of their lives.

“As a teaser for this summer’s American adventure, we wanted to do something special with the Explorers – and what better way to prepare them for the ever-changing landscapes we’ll face than by visiting them all at once?”

The Mannofield Explorer Scouts’ journey to America follows an exciting few years which have seen them meet Chief Scout Bear Grylls, who wore one of the group’s personalised hoodies on a tour of the UK; attend a talk by Ray Mears with a chance to meet the outdoor hero in person afterwards; and travel the length and breadth of Scotland on a series of adventurous summer camps.

Communities, Housing and Infrastructure Committee Vice Convener Councillor Jean Morrison says:

“We hold all kinds of events in the Winter Gardens from weddings to school projects but we’ve never had anything happening as unusual as this before.

“We’re glad we could help the Explorer Scouts and we wish them all the best in their trip to Yosemite National Park.”

The Mannofield Explorer Scout Unit, based in Aberdeen, is open to young people aged 14-18 and offers a wide range of activities that are challenging, adventurous and thought-provoking.

Their aim is to enthuse, energise and inspire young people in the community, through a range of fun and educational activities and camps that are designed to build confidence, improve leadership and team-working skills, spread a message of community spirit, and embrace the spirit of everyday adventure.

For more information about the Mannofield Explorer Scouts, visit www.mannofieldexplorers.co.uk; follow them on Twitter and Instagram @MannofieldESU; or like them on Facebook at www.facebook.com/mannofieldexplorers

For more information about joining Scouts, as a youth member or a leader, visit www.scouts.org.uk/join

Ramboll Oil & Gas Aberdeen Wins Major Contract

Aberdeen City, Featured, News No Responses »

May 152015

With thanks to Leanne Carter.

The recently launched Aberdeen office of Ramboll Oil and Gas has continued its strong start to the year by securing a £275,000 contract with a major North Sea operator.

The crude oil booster pump replacement project has been one of the key achievements in an above-anticipated performance in the first quarter of the year.

It is less than a year since the global engineering consultancy launched in Aberdeen, but the company has already won new work with a range of major oil and gas companies operating within the UKCS.

The latest contract win is to deliver a full multi-discipline detailed design and construction engineering project for replacement crude oil pumps on a North Sea platform. The team in Aberdeen will provide 3D cloud scanning services, design and construction engineering.

Managing director Tim Martin says it had been anticipated it would take time for the Ramboll name to become known within Aberdeen, and that the current difficulties facing the energy sector would also impact on its early performance.

He adds:

“This incredibly strong start to the year has been above our expectations and all the indications are that the Aberdeen office of Ramboll Oil and Gas will continue to experience a period of growth as we move into the second quarter.

“We anticipated that the current tough market conditions being experienced in the North Sea and the wider oil industry would negatively impact on our projected growth, but the opposite of that is actually happening and we are making significant breakthroughs.

“The feedback we are receiving is that the Ramboll project management model of offering cost-effective engineering solutions is exactly what is needed at this time.

“Although our clients will work directly with the Aberdeen office, our position of local presence and global knowledge allows us to work with the most talented engineers in a number of international offices to deliver safe, reliable and importantly at this time, cost effective, engineering solutions.”

It is the second major contract win announced by Ramboll Oil and Gas this year, and follows on from the company being awarded the detailed jacket design for Maersk Oil’s Culzean field, located 145 miles east of Aberdeen.

Ramboll Oil & Gas is a business unit within the Ramboll Group. With four decades of experience, the company is a well-established, independent and highly regarded provider of offshore and onshore engineering consultancy services for the oil and gas industry. Today, Ramboll Oil & Gas has offices in the USA, Qatar, Abu Dhabi, India, Denmark, Norway and UK, and employ close to 1,000 specialists.

Team Aberdeen’s First ‘Adopt An Area’ Project Comes To Fruition

Aberdeen City, Information No Responses »

May 072015

With thanks to Phil Moar, Citrus Mix.

Team Aberdeen supporting Aberdeen Inspired’s Civic Pride Campaign

An initiative aimed at instilling a sense of civic pride in Aberdeen has seen the products of its first ‘Adopt an Area’ project come to fruition.
Spearheaded by business organisation Aberdeen Inspired, the Team Aberdeen campaign is committed to fostering pride in the heart of the city by encouraging residents, visitors, businesses and other stakeholders to join together to enhance its aesthetic appeal.

Late last year, the campaign enlisted the help of volunteers from Aberdeen City Centre Community Council (ACCCC) and Skipton Building Society to spruce up an area on the corner of the city’s College Street and Bridge Street.

The site, often been criticised for its unsightly appearance, had a number of containers installed in November, along with a deep clean and tidy up from Aberdeen City Council, with the recent fine weather allowing for the first shoots to begin to show.

However, despite the recent deep clean and additions, the location has continued to be blighted by discarded cigarette ends and litter. The team from Skipton has reinforced its support of Team Aberdeen even further by carrying out another tidy up of the area in an effort to combat this ongoing problem. It has also committed its support to the next ‘Adopt an Area’ project once a location has been finalised.

And as Aberdeen Inspired moves towards its important renewal ballot which is to be held early next year, it has issued a rallying call for other businesses to get involved with adopting other parts of the BID zone.

Angela Joss, project manager of Aberdeen Inspired, said:

“The ‘Adopt an Area’ initiative was an important milestone for the Team Aberdeen campaign and it really has shown how big a difference little additions can make to a specific area.

“We were delighted to present this plaque to Skipton Building Society in recognition of its continued work in the area. The team is a fantastic example of how voluntary contributions can help improve the aesthetics of the BID zone and we really can’t thank them enough for their efforts.

“As Aberdeen Inspired moves towards its important re-ballot date early next year, we’d now like to roll the ‘Adopt an Area’ scheme out across other parts of the BID zone but to do this, we really need the help and support of businesses within the area. We’re looking for a group of volunteers to give up a few hours to help sweep, wash or even plant some seeds as we look to continue the good momentum that the campaign has already gained.

“We have a few sites in mind and we’d be delighted to speak to anyone who is interested in getting involved. Your help could make a massive difference to an area that so many people regularly use, whether it is working, living in or simply visiting.”

Aberdeen Inspired is the banner under which the Aberdeen BID (Business Improvement District) operates. It is a business-led initiative within the city centre in which levy payers within the BID zone contribute. Proceeds are used to fund projects designed to improve the business district and driving footfall to the zone.

For further information on the work of Aberdeen Inspired visit www.aberdeeninspired.com

Comments enabled – see comments box below. Note, all comments will be moderated.

Team Aberdeen Turns Its Attention To St Nicholas Rooftop

Aberdeen City, Information 1 Response »

May 072015

With thanks to Phil Moar, Citrus Mix.

An initiative aimed at instilling a sense of civic pride in Aberdeen has secured nearly £200,000 of funding as it moves forward with plans to refresh the green space on the rooftop of the St Nicholas Centre.

Spearheaded by business organisation Aberdeen Inspired, the Team Aberdeen campaign is committed to fostering pride in the heart of the city by encouraging residents, visitors, businesses and other stakeholders to join together to enhance its aesthetic appeal.

The upper deck of the St Nicholas Centre has been earmarked as the location for the organisation’s next city centre project as it aims to make a number of additions to the space in an effort to encourage more people to use it on a regular basis.

Nearly £200,000 of funding has already been secured, with Aberdeen City Council committing £50,000 to the project. A further £50,000 has been pledged by social enterprise Greenspace Scotland, more than £50,000 will come from Bon Accord & St Nicholas, £20,000 from Aberdeen Inspired and £10,000 from Atkins and Creative Core.

Plans for the once popular lunch-break spot are at an early stage but could include improved seating, innovative planting and improved lighting which all would come together to aid the revitalisation of the area alongside enhancing its appeal to families. A portion of the money secured from Bon Accord & St Nicholas will also be going towards the repair of paving stones in the area.

Gary Craig, chief executive of Aberdeen Inspired, said:

“Over the past months, we’ve been working hard to secure funding that will be used to enhance the upper deck of the St Nicholas Centre and we’re delighted to have nearly £200,000 of that in place already.

“I’d like to thank Aberdeen City Council, Greenspace Scotland, Bon Accord & St Nicholas, Atkins and Creative Core for their commitment to the project and we’re looking forward to working with them all as plans for the space move forward in the coming weeks.

“We want to really encourage people to make more use of the space and we want to introduce little changes to the area that will breathe new life into it. A big part of this will be adding to the greenspace that is already there and we’re currently looking at innovative approaches to planting that will hopefully bring something different to this specific part of the city.

“We feel there is real potential to enhance this area and help it become a space that people will be able to enjoy for years to come. This could be as a location for individuals to enjoy on their lunch break or simply as an attractive connection walkway from Union Street to Upperkirkgate. The potential for the area is already there and it is our aim, along with support from a number of our partners, to allow it to flourish.”

For further information on the work of Aberdeen Inspired visit www.aberdeeninspired.com

Comments enabled – see comments box below. Note, all comments will be moderated.

Wicked At HMT – Duncan Harley Reviews

Aberdeen City, Featured, Opinion No Responses »

May 072015

Wicked UK & Ireland Tour. Photo by Matt Crockett

Wicked runs at HM Theatre Aberdeen until Saturday May 30th. Photo by Matt Crockett

By Duncan Harley.

In 1900, American writer Lyman Frank Baum introduced readers to a fantastical land filled with witches, munchkins and a girl named Dorothy from Kansas in The Wonderful Wizard of Oz.
He lived for a while in Aberdeen – Aberdeen South Dakota that is – and went on to write 13 more Oz books before his death in 1919.

His stories, which continue to fascinate audiences to this day, have formed the basis for popular films such as Metro-Goldwyn-Mayer’s 1939 The Wizard of Oz, starring Judy Garland and Disney’s 1985 Return to Oz.

Even The Muppets got in on the act in 2005 with Miss Piggy playing all the witches in The Muppets Wizard of Oz.

Writers as diverse as Stephen King and Alexander Volkov have penned alternate versions of the original Frank Baum stories and in 1995 writer Gregory McGuire added The Life and Times of the Wicked Witch of the West to the tribute list.

Based on Winnie Holzman’s adaptation of McGuire’s novel, Wicked the musical opened on Broadway in September 2003 and tells the back-story of what happened before Judy Garland’s gingham clad Kansas dreamer Dorothy followed the Yellow Brick Road.

Essentially, the story follows the ups and downs of the self obsessed Glinda (Emily Tierney – Kate Modern and West Side Story in Concert) and the green tinged Elphaba (Ashleigh Gray – Susan Boyle in Concert and NHS The Musical) who meet at the Hogwart-like Shiz University for Sorcerers in Gilikan, the Northern Province of the Land of Oz.

The two wizardly undergraduates vie for the Adonis like charms of Fiyero (Samuel Edwards – Robin Hood and Les Miserables) and come under the spell of Steven Pinder the seemingly not so powerful, Wonderful Wizard of Oz.

On one level a dark tale of the West’s fear of alien cultures emerges as the animal kingdom of Oz is suppressed but as the gags proceed at a pace, the theatre audience are led willingly into the feel good, or on occasion feel bad, land of munchkins and flying homesteads.

The toe tapping dance routines are spellbinding and Stephen Schwartz’s music and lyrics move the story forward effortlessly. The origins of the Tin Man, the Scarecrow and The Lion are effortlessly explained and despite a distinct lack of Dorothy Gale, this is after all a prequel, frequent references to shoes and hurricanes keep the future heroine distinctly in the wings.

Of particular note is the powerful performance of Marilyn Cutts as Madame Morrible, the headmistress of Shiz.

Conspicuously evil and named with the all the comic subtlety of a steam hammer the role is superbly played by a seasoned actor who effortlessly takes girl power to its logical extreme.

Packed to the brim with technical wizardry and special effects, Wicked is also packed with enough show-stopping songs such as Defying Gravity and March of the Witch Hunters to satisfy the most ardent musical fan.

Throw in a few flying monkeys, a munchkin or two plus a cute cuddly lion cub and you have an enchantingly spellbinding show.

Wicked runs at HM Theatre Aberdeen until Saturday May 30th.

Tickets from Aberdeen Performing Arts Tel: 01224- 641122

Words © Duncan Harley, Images © Matt Crockett

Virgil And The Accelerators: The Tunnels, Fri 15 May

Aberdeen City, Opinion No Responses »

May 052015

With thanks to Graham Robertson, Blues Rock Aberdeen.

Virgil and the Accelerators.

With their incendiary and seemingly-telepathic live delivery, Virgil and the Accelerators will be playing at The Tunnels, Aberdeen on Friday 15 May, great news for live music lovers and aspiring local musicians.

At four years old, Virgil McMahon was playing his father’s mandolin and, by his early teens, he was absorbing the sounds of Hendrix, Billy Gibbons, Joe Bonamassa and Stevie Ray Vaughan.

Joining his father’s band The Accelerators, it became apparent that Virgil’s destiny was sealed and the band was reborn as Virgil & The Accelerators.

In 2008, McMahon’s 14 year old brother Gabriel stepped up, quickly developing into a powerhouse drummer and the seeds were sown for the growth of a formidable band. The addition of Jack Alexander Timmis on bass, saw the final chapter written and the dynamics, raw energy and emotionally-charged power of this creative young act exploded on to the UK music scene.

Touring relentlessly across Europe in their own right and supporting Michael Schenker, Uriah Heep, Tracer and Wilko Johnson has built the band a loyal, growing fan base and with a 20-day tour of the UK about to start, fans are in for a real treat.

Now with two critically-acclaimed albums, The Radium and Army Of Three behind them, the band’s chemistry onstage is perfectly summed up by Pete Feenstra of Get Ready to Rock:

“One minute guitarist Virgil dredges up a few Billy Gibbons licks, the next he’s going back to Keith Richard for source classic rock riffs, before he memorably loses himself in the moment and drags the audience to another place. He’s not on his own of course, as his brother Gabriel evokes the ghost of Keith Moon with furious excursions round his kit to launch the band on to another level.

“And standing stage right is the indomitable Jack Alexander Timmis, the veritable anchor of the band, who makes sure the wild musical excesses are kept in check with some essential root notes, while his back-up vocals bring extra depth to the hooks.”

Check them out here:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xp5vkPKzsP0
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DbS-1BCMp8A

The band will be performing at The Tunnels, Carnegies Brae, Aberdeen on Friday 15 May. Doors open at 1930. Advance tickets cost £10.00 and can be bought by calling 01224 641122 or online at http://www.aberdeenperformingarts.com/events/virgil-and-the-accelerators

Links:

http://www.vataband.com
https://www.facebook.com/VATABANDhttps://twitter.com/vataband

Cahalen Morrison & Eli West – Blue Lamp, Wed 6th May.

Aberdeen City, Opinion No Responses »

May 012015

Cahalen Morrison & Eli West are to appear at the Blue Lamp, Wednesday 6th May.

With thanks to Martin Raitt.

Cahalen Morrison & Eli West are, simply put, two of the most innovative and subtle roots musicians around. Their music draws from old folk sources, but it sounds vibrantly alive.
Cahalen Morrison writes songs that sound like a Cormac McCarthy novel: simple, beautifully crafted, and seemingly formed from raw natural elements.

Eli West brings jagged, angular arrangements based in bluegrass and old-time, but refracted through a 21st century lens.

Like Ansel Adams’ photography, their music is instantly accessible and built from the simplest materials, but at the same time seems to transcend its base fundamentals. Together, Cahalen and Eli tap the root of the old country and bluegrass duets. As the sparse landscapes of Cahalen’s vocals reflect the warm glow of Eli’s voice, it’s clear that this duo was made to sing together.

See a review of their appearance at the Salmon Bothy, Portsoy, written by David Innes for Aberdeen Voice.

Tickets are £10, and it’s sure to be a busy night.

Almost Blue Ticket Link
See Tickets Link
Facebook Event Page

Traveller Has The Lampie On His Itinerary

Aberdeen City, Opinion No Responses »

May 012015

With thanks to Rob Adams.

He became a star student at one of America’s most prestigious music schools but Alan Benzie, who returns to the Blue Lamp on Thursday, May 7, was in demand as a jazz pianist while he was still at school here in Scotland.

Now twenty-five, Benzie was a pupil at St Mary’s music school in Edinburgh, where he originally studied violin, when the owner of the Jazz Bar in the capital, Bill Kyle, used to phone him, sometimes at the last minute, to come over and play with some of the best musicians on the touring circuit.

“I remember once getting a call just after I’d gone to bed,” says Benzie.

“It was Bill, phoning to say that the pianist he’d booked hadn’t turned up and asking if I could deputise. So I got up, had a quick shower, got dressed, dashed over to Chambers Street, and played the gig.”

His experiences at the award-winning venue were not always quite so impromptu. As a teenager who had shown considerable promise, he had been asked to play the Saturday afternoon slot regularly and he would later go on to play residencies at the club with musicians including the Russian trumpeter Valery Ponomarev and American vibes player Joe Locke.

Once he arrived at Berklee, after winning the inaugural Young Scottish Jazz Musician of the Year competition in 2007, Benzie played with other notable musicians including saxophonists Jerry Bergonzi and Joshua Redman. He also won the college’s Jazz Performance Award in 2008, the Alex Ulanowski Award for outstanding composition in 2009 and 2010, and the Billboard Magazine Endowed Scholarship, which is given to the year’s outstanding student, in 2010.

Such achievements couldn’t have been further from Benzie’s mind when he began studying violin at St Mary’s. He enjoyed playing the instrument and sat in on the school’s monthly jazz classes but when he heard Swedish pianist Esbjörn Svensson, whose trio EST enjoyed huge worldwide popularity in the early 2000s, he decided he had to become a pianist.

Svensson, who died in a diving accident aged forty-four in 2008, became a mentor to Benzie as the pair had long conversations about music on EST’s frequent visits to Scotland.

Now Benzie is leading his own trio, featuring Edinburgh-born, London-based Andrew Robb (bass) and Hungarian drummer Marton Juhasz, and releases his first album, Traveller’s Tales, this month. It features music inspired by his own travels.

“I’ve been lucky enough to spend time in different places and this has had a big impact on the way I look at the world and how I write music. I also love a good yarn,” he says.

“All of the tunes on the album have a story behind them, some of longer ones being like diary entries and the shorter ones more like capturing an image.”

And although his travels have taken him to play at some of the world’s best known venues and festivals, he still has a soft spot for the Blue Lamp, where he last appeared two years ago.

“Speak to musicians in London and from places further afield and if they discover you’re from Scotland, they almost inevitably mention the Lampie, as everyone seems to know it,” he says.

“It’s a great room with a special atmosphere and I’m really looking forward to being back there.”

VisitAberdeen Wins Awards In Scotland And … China

Aberdeen City, Information No Responses »

May 012015

With thanks to Eoin Smith, Tricker PR.

The organisation which markets Aberdeen as a leisure and business destination – VisitAberdeen – has scooped two major awards for its performance.

VisitAberdeen won a marketing award from the China Outbound Tourism Research Institute (COTRI) for its Chinese language website, social media presence and attendance at trade fairs both in person and via its partner CBN.

The destination marketing organisation also won the accolade of “The Most Effective Stand For Doing Business” at VisitScotland’s recent Expo.

VisitAberdeen’s Tourism Executive Jenni Fraser was on hand in Bejing to pick up the Chinese Tourist Welcome Award in marketing at the COTRI awards, which coincided with the China Outbound Travel and Tourism Market (COTTM) Fair.

COTRI is the world’s leading independent research institute for information, training, quality assessment, research, and consultancy relating to the Chinese outbound tourism market.

VisitAberdeen’s chief executive Steve Harris (pictured) says,

“We launched a Chinese version of our website earlier this year in a bid to attract a share of the $128 billion China spends every year on overseas leisure and business tourism. We wanted to be ahead of the curve on targeting this highly lucrative market. The Chinese are the biggest overseas spenders in the world, spending on average 50% more than Americans when they are on vacation.

“With a total population of 1.357 billion, only 10m of China’s residents can speak English. With forecasts suggesting 500 million Chinese people will travel overseas in the next 15 years, we believe that it is critical to promote the city as a leisure and business destination to the Chinese in their native language. Receiving this award when we’ve only been working on this project for such a relatively short space of time is especially pleasing.”

The award for “The Most Effective Stand For Doing Business” was presented to VisitAberdeen at the recent VisitScotland Expo held in Aberdeen.

Expo provides a platform for companies and organisations with a Scottish tourism product to showcase products and services to potential global buyers from all sectors.

The Visit Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire Pavilion which was created in partnership with Aberdeenshire Council hosted over 525 prearranged business meetings with buyers from across the UK and abroad. The stand was made up of several local partners including Ardoe House Hotel, Banffshire Coast Tourism Partnership, Visit Royal Deeside, Thistle Hotels and Secret Malts of Aberdeenshire.

Steve Harris continues,

“Expo gave us a collective opportunity to create personal relationships with genuine buyers and decision makers, many of whom had a low level of knowledge of our area prior to Expo. Personal interaction and the chance to convey the passion of our partners for the beautiful area we live in leads to long lasting business connections, leading to positive business outcomes for all.

“The on stand meetings were just the start, we now need to follow up on these leads to bring more groups of travellers to Visit Aberdeen and Aberdeenshire. Picking up this award shows we’re leading the way in maximising the business opportunities these types of trade shows bring for the area.”

VisitAberdeen is a partnership between Aberdeen City Council and the industry including Aberdeen City and Shire Hotels Association and Aberdeen Inspired. For further information contact VisitAberdeen on 01224 900490 or visit www.visitaberdeen.com.

Wire: Live Wires Live

Aberdeen City, Featured, Opinion No Responses »

May 012015

Lemon Tree 26 April 2015; it’s been snowing, most people are cancelling their plans to stay home and be warm. The result is an audience size below what was expected for Wire. But completely undaunted and unphased, they air their new album Wire to Aberdeen’s hardcore, devoted live music fans. Suzanne Kelly reports. Pictures by Dod Morrison.

I wish I’d stayed until the end. I wish I’d stayed until the end. Having to leave this show early is a huge regret a week later.

With a new album to promote, long-running, ever-evolving punk/art/rock act Wire played a, well – sweet and strong set to an audience that loved it.

The Lemon Tree was not packed, but almost everyone I’d ever met in Aberdeen who loves music was there.

One proud fan had bought everything the merchandise stall had to offer. A beautiful silver foil on black poster, signed by Wire, was his prized possession.

The geometric graphic was composed of many smaller elements making a striking, elegant, strong overall design. And that’s kind of how I see their music as well. Complex, perfectly executed percussion layered with bass, guitar and vocals combine; and rock-solid, cohesive and compelling music is the result.

As another person who loved the show said:

“they’re artists; this is art.”

Wire formed around 1976 and today are Colin Newman (vocals, acoustic guitar , electric guitar, keyboards, and more); Graham Lewis (bass, effects, keyboards, vocals, backing vocals); Robert Grey (drums) and since 2012 or so Matt Simms (electric guitar, 12-string electric guitar, lap steel guitar, effects, keyboards)

Of this new album they’ve said:

“Their 13th studio album — simply titled ‘Wire’— comprises material that was written with the album in mind, but toured extensively first, as well as songs that Newman introduced to the group in the studio just prior to recording.

“The idea was to get the most spontaneous reaction possible from the musicians, and far from the rough and ready results one might expect from such a tack, Wire is full of swooning pop melodies with a ’60s tinge and an irresistible, near motorik rhythmic momentum. One can recognise certain melodic inflections, guitar and bass motifs, and drum rhythms from Wire’s idiosyncratic vocabulary but it has a remarkable freshness.”
http://www.slicingupeyeballs.com/2015/02/12/wire-new-album-tour-dates/

The new guitarist Simms in particular seems to be enjoying himself and is smiling at his bandmates and the crowd; other than that the rest of the act seems focused on every note. I wonder how they’re feeling: it’s the end of the UK tour; it’s Sunday night; it’s snowing; they’re probably shattered. But they’re here and we’re glad of it.

A sound engineer is darting all over the place; some said as I left the vocals could have been higher in the mix and brighter, but I’ve no complaints myself.

No point in pretending I know what the new songs were or what the complete set list is. (If someone out there wants to share the set list, please do weigh in). What I did hear was infectious and beautifully delivered. Know the names of the songs? I wasn’t sure whether I was in the 1980s 90s or the future. But I liked it a lot.

If you want a sample, here is Joust & Jostle.

I’d not previewed the new album; this show was mainly dedicated to tracks from this their 13th album, the self-titled ‘Wire’. As my friend said later:

“They’ve finally put out an album named ‘Wire’ – its brilliant, it IS Wire.”

I find them crisp, smart, sharp; the drummer is absolutely amazing; at one point I’m not at all sure how Simms is getting his guitar to create the most amazing sounds; I’m a bit mesmerised by this and several other passages.

My phone’s SoundHound app didn’t recognise any of the new pieces, which I thought I’d try for a variety of reasons; but I was far too busy listening to them to worry about it. But I’m sure that once this album’s been properly launched, everyone, even SoundHound will be familiar with this impressive new material. Aside from the people who came and stood directly in front of me after the third song and didn’t’ stop talking once, it was a gripped and attentive audience.

By the time this review is out, the UK tour will have finished; the band will tour the US in May. If you can’t get there, I’d get the album.

Is it punk? Is it new wave? Is it PostPunk? Is it electronica? Is it rock? Yes. And I’d like more of it.

Album and Wire info here: http://www.pinkflag.com/

Older Entries Newer Entries