Show: 5.8.14 with Karmadillo

This show features a live session by Rishi Nag otherwise known as Karmadillo singing songs about scientists, cassette tapes and a good old-fashioned love. He will be performing at CB2 along with me as part of Romsey Art Festival on Saturday 9th August. The show also features some of the other performers you can catch during the two-week festival.

5.08.14 With Karmadillo by Headstand on Mixcloud

Oysterband - When I'm Up I Can't Get Down

Loudon Wainwright III - Spaced

Bo Diddley - Nursery Rhyme

Nikki Marrone with Wooden Arms - Thanks for Listening

Karmadillo - Live

Tom Adams - A breath

Mouth - Leadership

T E Morris - Memorial Day

John Otway & Wild Willy Barrett - Body Talk

Karmadillo - Live

Dr Peabody - Michael Bay

Jet Jaguar - Tram Lines

R. Seiliog - Peripheral Thermal (left)

In Pictures: Cambridge Folk Festival Saturday

Martin and Eliza Carthy, Sarah Jarosz, Moulettes, Loudon Wainwright III, Peatbog Faeries

Show: 8.7.14 with Tom Adams

It was great to be joined by musician and composer Tom Adams who talked about his soundtrack to the forthcoming film The Knife That Killed Me and played a few songs including a couple of new songs from his new solo album, due to be released next year.

8.7.14 with Tom Adams by Headstand on Mixcloud

Interview: Euros Childs

Headstand favourite Euros Childs plays Brighton this Saturday. The former frontman of Welsh indie band Gorky’s Zygotic Mynci, has had a prolific solo career.  Last year’s album Summer Special was nominated for the Welsh Music Prize and he has already released the follow-up Situation Comedy. 

The album was recorded with a band in a live environment. “I've worked this way on quite a few albums,” he says. “It's probably the first album I've made in which all songs are sung from the perspective of different characters.” These include an Avon lady and a singer who realises: “nobody is really listening,” on Holiday From Myself. The album finishes with a 13-minute mostly instrumental piece, Trick of the Mind. “I wanted the album to finish on an unexpected note,” he says.

There was an unexpected note or two at a previous solo gig in Brighton. He recalls: “I played a solo gig with a piano in a church a few years ago. I was in the middle of a song called Poodle Rocking and a piano string snapped and hit a woman sitting in the front row. Luckily she was unharmed.”

He will be playing with a full band on Saturday towards the end of a national tour, then it will be time to take a break and plan the next album.

Euros Childs plays Sticky Mike’s Frog Bar, 9-12 Middle Street, Saturday November 2nd, 7pm, Tickets £10. Support: Laura J Martin and The Wellgreen.

In Photos: Shindig closes the Romsey Art Festival

Shindig brought the first Romsey Art Festival to a dramatic close last Saturday with music, dance, film and spoken word along with Katy Mcdonald's installation ‘Light Up Your Dreams.' The paper lanterns that decorated the dimly lit church were all made by local workshop participants truly capturing the festival's theme of community. You can read my review on Local Secrets here.
The next Shindig featuring Ghost Outfit, Bernard and Edith and Holden Girls is on September 14th. Details here.

Light Up Your Dreams

Toby Peters and Diane Morrison

Gaze is Ghost

Filipa Pereira Stubbs

Filipa Pereira Stubbs and Toby Peters

Diane Morrison

‘Light Up Your Dreams.'

‘Light Up Your Dreams.'

‘Light Up Your Dreams.'

‘Light Up Your Dreams.'

‘Light Up Your Dreams.'

‘Light Up Your Dreams.'

‘Light Up Your Dreams.'

‘Light Up Your Dreams.'

Photos: Shindig with Wooden Arms // August & After and Milly Hirst

Wesley Freeman-Smith seems to know endless exquisite singers and acoustic groups. This month's Shindig once again at St Philips featured the angelic sounding Milly Hirst, finely crafted acoustic folk from August and After and a stirring performance by Wooden Arms joined by Milly Hirst.
As usual it wasn't just a gig with three acts. There were visuals accompanying the music and spoken word in between. There was also an unexpected appearance from a gorilla in a dress!

 Milly Hirst

 August and After

 Gorilla artwork!

Wooden Arms

Show: 16.6.13 with Fake Maria

My guests on this show Fake Maria are playing 2 shows next weekend. On Saturday 22nd they are playing Shindig on Mill Road with Clorinde and Gaze Is Ghost and in Sunday they are at Allographic: Other Voices with Hollie McNish. You can hear pieces from all those other acts along with their live session in this special 2-hour show.

Playlist

Magazine - Shot From Both Sides
Darren Hayman - Seven Months Married
Hollie McNish - Mathematics
Fake Maria - in Session
Gaze is Ghost - Cloud Hidden
Stephen Morrison-Burke - Strings and Stars
Half Man Half Biscuit - Running Order Squabble Fest
Fake Maria in Session
Marnie Stern - The Chronicles of Marnia
Nick Mulvey - River Lea
Hyelim Kim - Pochagi
Fake Maria in Session
Clorinde - Pollen
Orbit over Luna - Asahi
Jet Jaguar - Poster Child
Raymond Antobus - The Town in This Dream
Teho Teardo & Blixa Bargeld - A quiet life
The Breaches - So Tell Me What Is Left
Six By Seven - Fall Into Your Arms
The Love Language - Calm Down
Tim Clare - Pub Stuntman
The Rolling Stones - Doom and Gloom
The Handsome Family - Woodpecker
I am a Man With a St Tropez Tan - There is No Death
Zombi - Shrunken Heads
Halo Halo - Is It Shiny
Memoryloop - Saturate
Lubomyr Melnyk - The Six Day Moment


16.6.13 with Fake Maria - 2 Hour Edition by Headstand on Mixcloud

The Return of Upbeat and the Cambridge Band Competition Final

A couple of events to check out this week. First the return of Up Beat Open Mic. This popular open mic night fronted by performance poet extraordinaire Alex Iamb makes a return this Thursday night to The Grapes on Histon Road. There will be open mic slots and these great headline acts ensuring things start off with a bang:

ALICEBAND
http://www.reverbnation.com/aliceband

An absolute stalwart of Upbeat from the beginning, if you live in Cambridge and don’t know who Alice Walker is then you need to get out more frankly. She’s been shivering spines around Cambridgeshire for what seems like forever and was recently featured on Joan Armatrading’s Radio 2 show. Soaring piano lines, cut-glass vocals and lyrics which actually make you think a bit form a sum greater than the individual parts. Add a super-tight band with some serious dancabililty going on and you really do have something special.

WILL VARLEY
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CMxwqZVL9L4

Will toured his first album by walking around the south of England. Yes, walking. The man has dedication to the cause to say the least. One of the best songsmiths you are ever likely to hear, he does words to guitar really well. Come buy his new album, he’ll need some shoes to walk home in.

FAITH TAYLOR
https://soundcloud.com/faithtaylormusic/

Super-astute politically conscious lyrics, spine-tingling vocals and finger-picking guitar that’ll set hairs on end. Beautiful stuff.

In between expect blasts of shouty performance poetry from the night's inimitable host. I might even get down to do a slot myself. Details here.


The following night it's the final of the Cambridge band competition. Get down to the Junction to hear five of the best from the Cambridge music scene battle it out for the title “Sound Clash Champion”. Special guests, Page to Performance poets led by Hollie McNish, will accelerate the pace with their rapid fire introductions before each band attacks the stage to give the performance of their lives. Great to see poetry getting a part in this mighty local event! Tickets available here.

If you can't make it down in person Cambridge 105 will broadcasting the event live.

Patrick Sheil & Patrick Widdess at CB1 Poetry

Last month I did a gig with Patrick Sheil for CB1 poetry. We joined forces for the second set combining music and spoken word. I look forward to more gigs in the future. The next will probably be this Sunday at Allographic at The Fountain.

Patrick Sheil & Patrick Widdess at CB1 Poetry by Headstand on Mixcloud

This week in Cambridge

This week legendary musician and producer Lee 'Scratch' Perry comes to the Junction. Quite what kind of show the reggae veteran will put on is hard to say but it's an unmissable opportunity to see someone who has shaped contemporary music and continues to do so regularly putting out records, touring and working with artists across the musical spectrum despite being in his mid-seventies. Tickets are available from The Junction.
The following night there is a special poetry reading by Owen Sheers at The Fitzwilliam as part of Carol Ann Duffy's Thresholds project. Tickets are free but must be booked in advance. Details of this and other events are available at www.thresholds.org.uk.
If you haven't got a radio show to present on Sunday night there is more Allographic stuff at the Fountain. Details here.

Remember you can now follow Headstand on Twitter.

Podcast: The Doozer in Session

You can now hear all four songs from The Doozer's session on the last show in one tidy podcast. Enjoy!

Show: 10.2.13 with The Doozer

This show features four songs live in the studio by local musician The Doozer. The show also featured a wealth of new music from Suede, Temples, The Bitter Springs and Marnie Stern as well a song from the new Fuzzy Lights album. The band have been getting played all over Cambridge 105 and some of the bigger stations too.

Supergrass - Richard III
Suede - Barriers
Fuzzy Lights - Restless
The Doozer - Live session
Temples - Shelter Song
Luke Wright - The Luck of the Brungers
The Doozer - Live session
The Beastie Boys - Dr Lee, PHD
The Bitter Springs - The Mollycoddled Laughs
The Doozer - Live session
Marnie Stern - Year of Glad
Rue Royale - Blame
Kraftwerk - Aerodynamik

10.2.13 with The Doozer by Headstand on Mixcloud

Show and Tell, Fuzzy Lights and more in Cambridge this week

 Fuzzy Lights launch their new album next weekend at The Portland

Show and Tell returns to the Portland on Tuesday night with music, poetry, theatre and improv comedy on the bill including a few poems from myself and Headstand favourite Leanne Moden. Check out the review of the last one here and get all the details here. That night is also the first in a run of fortnightly Smokers by The Cambridge Footlights at the ADC. I have yet to see a Footlights show, it's easy to overlook something like groundbreaking new comedy being produced when it's happening on your doorstep. Monty Python, Fry and Laurie, Mitchell and Webb and many more started out in the Footlights. Smokers are the breeding ground for new talent and always feature an unpredictable selection of brand-new material.
Headstand favourites The Scissors play Man on The Moon on Friday and on Saturday Fuzzy Lights play the Portland. They've been getting regular airplay of their new album 'Rule of Twelfths' recently which they are launching at an event which includes a terrific supporting line up of 'Hong Kong in the 60s' and The Doozer. For details of the show and a review of Fuzzy Lights' new album check out Moving Tone.

That's about it as far as I know. If there's anything else, give me a shout!

Patrick Widdess & Tom Adams Live Recording

A recording of a recent set I did with Tom Adams is now available for free streaming and download courtesy of Only Shallow Records.