Sold-out gig is just one of a number of treats
SUNDAY night is sure to be a special one at a sold-out Newcastle City Hall, when must-see Irish singer-songwriter Hozier visits the venerable venue as part of his entirely sold-out UK tour.
Born in Bray, just south of Dublin, Hozier (real name Andrew John Hozier-Byrne) is a multiplatinum-selling artist with his roots firmly in blues, soul and gospel music.
He has taken that music from his home in the Wicklow mountains to the world’s biggest stages with a couple of albums – the selftitled debut and this year’s Wasteland Baby – and a string of indelible singles. At the age of 19, he ditched a music degree course at Trinity College, Dublin, in order to sign a deal with record company Universal Ireland. Even so, that was not quite plain sailing.
After a few early attempts that he wasn’t quite happy with, Hozier was guided by a deep love of the blues – his father was a drummer in a Dublin pub-scene bluesband – that extended from the Chicago form to the Delta ‘oneman-and-guitar’ variety.
In addition, he had a strong affinity with some truly iconic voices, such as Nina Simone, Ella Fitzgerald and Billie Holiday, and he told one interviewer: “The voice was everything. I just followed what moved me. My interest even extended to 20th Century music, like vaudeville”. Hozier, who once described himself as a “gangly introvert,” really did hit pay dirt when, after years of home rehearsal and devotion to the music, he composed the gospelflavoured massive seller Take Me To Church six years ago.
The ripples extended across the globe, topping charts in numerous countries and became a radio fixture, selling by the truckload. He released a string of other singles – From Eden, Work Song Someone New and others – before last year’s gospelbased gem, Nina Cried Power.
On the latter he effectively notched a double bullseye in that the song’s titular subject was Nina Simone and he had as guest singer the redoubtable and enduringly impressive Mavis Staples.
For an artist who articulates some forthright views in his lyrics via the medium of blues, folk, soul and R&B, he has made a huge impact. Strange, then, that he once said: “I never wrote music for the mainstream. I think I was incredibly fortunate that the song (Take Me To Church) crossed over and people connected with it”. Whatever he set out to do, Hozier has remained true to his art while producing some timeless work which sounds utterly authentic, yet has a broad appeal.
That seemingly simple formula is as elusive as it is impressive. Tonight, Sage Gateshead (Hall 2) sees a visit from Los Pacaminos, the TexMex-influenced roots rockers fronted by Paul Young (formerly of Kool Kats, Streetband and Q-Tips).
The band offer a combination of Americana music - from the sounds of the Texas Tornadoes, Los Lobos, Ry Cooder, Sam The Sham and more – with a funimbued relish that is infectious.
It is a real Friday party night which is sure to deliver classy music with a large shot of fun. The band’s last album, Fistful of Statins, is a tongue-in-cheek, alloriginals showcase for what they do best.
Sage Gateshead (Hall 1) also
It is a real Friday party night which is sure to deliver classy music with a large shot of fun Alan Nichol
hosts a couple of quite contrasting gigs next week. On Tuesday night, the Cornish fishing community of Port Isaac is the point of origin of vocal group Fisherman’s Friends. The band has been together for more than 20 years, singing a capella shanties and other folk songs with a large humorous component.
Initially, they sang in the local area, fitting in gigs around their day jobs. They released three albums by themselves, primarily to raise funds for the lifeboat service (RNLI).
In 2010, the lads made a near-fairytale move by signing a record deal with Universal – all of which was documented in the feature film earlier this year which starred James Purefoy, Daniel Mays, Dave Johns and Tuppence Middleton – and subsequent album releases made mainstream chart entries after the debut was declared gold for sales.
The following night, the dynamic Mexican guitar duo Rodrigo y Gabriela bring their new album, Mettavolution – three years in the making – to the UK for the first time.
The album, their fifth studio offering (alongside three live ones), was recorded in their native Mexico and has been played to audiences across the globe, through South America, Australia and the USA, so it ought to be burnished to perfection by the time they arrive here on Tyneside.
The new album comprises six originals plus a stellar version of Pink Floyd’s Echoes. The duo also release a Live in Japan album this month.
The pair - Rodrigo Sanchez and Gabriela Quintero – started life in Mexico City and, initially influenced by the likes of Hendrix, The Beatles and Black Sabbath etc., played together in a heavy metal band called Tierra Acida (Acid Land).
But after a record deal fell through, the pair decamped to the Pacific Coast, where they played in bars and hotels. The limitations of that scene prompted the duo to try their luck in Europe, and they eventually settled in Dublin in 1999.
It’s an entertaining mix of rock, flamenco and percussive acoustic playing, and Gabriela’s hard playing style uses a complex, custom-built pick-up system throughout the body of her acoustic.
In unison, the two players strike sparks off each other and offer a visual show, too. They have played with all manner of musicians, and their adaptability and versatility enables them to slot in with just about any set up.
Down in Durham tomorrow night, the Old Cinema Laundrette has the enduring singer/guitarist Michael Chapman as guest. Chapman started out on the Cornish folk circuit (although he is a Yorkshireman) way back in 1967. Since then he has released more than 50 albums which incorporate folk, jazz, blues and many musical side roads along the way.