Levellers with Benji Kirkpatrick and 3 Daft Monkeys, Shepherd's Bush

After an average pint of Youngs Winter Warmer at the Brook Green Hotel we headed up to the Shepherd's Bush Empire, stopping to purchase a bottle of mineral water at a corner shop. The venue was much as I'd expected, a Victorian music-hall with some lovely features, but in need of a lick of paint. We queued for a bit then were let in to a tiny lobby, only to be told 'no plastic bottles' by security! So we drank it there and then. We headed up to Level 2 and I went to sit down at the front at one side, but Bill Badger complained about the leg room and not being able to see the drummer. So I let him choose, and he sat an the second row in front of a couple of drunken chavs, and next to a bar-trotting man. So between the chav in front swaying, lashing me with his hair, snogging his girlfriend and sitting her on his lap, and having to get up for the bloke next to us, I got far less of a view of the stage. O well. Further to the 'no plastic bottles' edict, it was interesting to note the chav girl was dangling (glass bottles of) Bacardi Breezer over the balcony which most security people regard as very very dangerous. But then she had purchased these from the bar.
But enough moaning. The music was excellent, out of this world.
Bill didn't know who the first support artist was, only that it was 'someone called Benji'. I jokingly said was it Benji Kirkpatrick but indeed it was! The hoop-earringed folkster came on stage with a guitar and bouzouki and sang some great folk-punk songs, to much applause and some screams from the girls.
3 Daft Monkeys came next, and played some of their faster, dancier songs such as 'Hubbadillia' 'Faces' and 'Hey Listen' as well as my probable favourite of theirs 'Astral Eyes'. Interesting new song 'Social Vertigo' about the perils of partying with The Levs!
The Levs came on, sober enough to remember the words and play their instruments more than competently, and gave a great performance! This came as a bit of a relief for me, having heard some bad reports from previous gigs on the tour. They played all the classics such as 'Beautiful Day' 'Hope Street' and 'Men-an-Tol' and didn't shy away from politics with 'Another Man's Cause' and pointed references to Iraq. Was glad I wasn't in the mosh pit, it looked a bit hairy to me! We managed to have a bit of a dance, as security didn't seem to mind people dancing in their places, just not in the aisles. The chav couple put on their coats and left, and their seats were grabbed by a nicer couple, then they came back and looked mournful. Everyone ignored them apart from security who said they couldn't stand in the aisle, heh heh. Boaksey came on at the end in a wonderfully camp outfit, and did some mad dancing with his large didgeridoo. For the second encore, Benji and 3 Daft Monkeys came back on stage to play 'What You Know' with the Levs, to wild cheers! What a moment on the last night of the tour.
Outside we grabbed a free Chaos Theory come-on CD, saw fake Levs t-shirts being hawked and Scouse Rich busking. Would have stopped fro a chat but he was in the middle of a song, Bill didn't stop walking being a bit man-fluey and eager to get home.
Excellent night, Levellers at their best and really good support.

BBC Young Folk Awards 2007

Made a mad dash from Redhill at 5.15pm to Islington via the Thameslink train and then bus, just getting to the Union Church for 6.45pm which was when the doors were due to open. Darren was there already, keeping a place for us in the queue bless him. This was the start of this rather surreal experience, queueing outside a forbidding-looking Congregational church watching young musicians and BBC staff to-ing and fro-ing.
When we got inside there were no tables but ordinary church pews, which I'd been told to expect but they still seemed rather bizarre. The church was tall-roofed but had relatively small floor area, so we were somewhat crammed in. The tickets are usually over-subscribed, and people at the back of the queue were apparently turned away. The stage was in front of an enormous font and a beautiful rose window with stained-glass angels.
Immediately after finding a pew for 6, Darren and Mr Badger headed for the bar whilst Ben and I guarded the seats. But it was no go - only soft drinks were allowed into the church as it was a real church, and anyway the bar was not open yet!! Bet you don't get THAT at any other BBC music awards!
Mike Harding was the host, and was very down-to-earth (much as I'd expected), introducing each act enthusiastically, clearly enjoying every minute. First on stage were brother and sister Ewen & Megan Henderson, who had come all the way from Fort William to play us traditional Scottish music on the piano and fiddle. Both looked and sounded immaculate, Megan's voice was pure and faultless - perhaps the only mistake she made was assuming that the predominantly Southern English audience were going to join in with a rather long chorus in Gallic. However the Scottish contingent were clearly enjoying the song and joining in. Second came David Delarre of the already well-respected young band 'Mawkin', a relative local boy, hailing from Essex. His clever finger-jumping guitar technique provoked some jealous coments from Mike Harding! Next Ryan Young, living up to his name as the youngest candidate for the award, stepped shyly up to the mike and announced his fiddle tunes - including 'Catharsis' whis is of course the theme for Mike Harding's Radio 2 folk programme! If deliberate, that was good thinking!! 'Last Orders', not to be confused with 'Last Night's Fun' were on next - a guitar/melodeon/2 fiddles band with lovely stripy shirts, who met through membership of Kathryn Tickell's 'Folkestra' project. The first act I felt like dancing to, they quite obviously went down well with the crowd. Next came Ruth Notman and Bryony Bainbridge, who apparently met whilst working down t'pit - orchestra pit, that is! They showed superb musicianship; I especilly loved Ruth's sensitive, powerful vocals and Bryony's fiddle playing- they were my favourites to win, till they made a mistake with a song attribution and Mike Harding corrected them. Lastly came guitarist Wilber, sharing some great jazz/blues/folk guitar tunes with us - but he had a habit of saying 'yeah' every now and them as he was playing, which I found annoying after a while. Nice hair though!
Last year's winners 'Bodega' then returned to wow us with their multi-instrumental talents and launch their new album, available to the general public soon. If only chief judge John Tams had had the opportunity to sing a few songs and show the youngsters how 'tis done.
Who were the winners? Well, it was the only time a group of folkies has voted for 'Last Orders', ha ha. Worthy winners, I'm sure they'll make the best of their prizes which included a year's membership of the Musician's Union, 3 festival gigs including Cropredy, a spot on Mike Harding's show and of course the little sculpture of two Morph-like figures playing folk instruments. The rather stunned looking lads returned to the stage to play a few more tunes, then it was off to the 'backstage party' in a little church hall!
The setting might have been a bit unusual but it was a really good night. I hope to be alble to go again someday!