It’s been another funny old year for music…. 

Live music emerged slowly from hibernation only for it to look like it’s about to go back into hiding again

BandCamp Fridays became an essential part of our monthly routine and it does seem the EP (especially of covers) is very much back in favour.

I honestly can’t remember a year where I’ve bought so few albums but so many EP’s – therefore this year’s best of list is a combination of the two formats 

So in alphabetical order here are my top ten for 2021:

A.A. Williams – Arco EP (an achingly beautiful set of orchestral re-recordings)

Abrasive Trees – Without Light EP (could have been either of the EP’s from this year, but I love the atmosphere created on this)

Angel Olsen – Aisles EP (another set of covers but this time 80’s pop songs taken in strange and unsettling directions)

The Lost Trades – The Bird, the Book and the Barrel (lush vocal harmonies and a great set of folk tunes)

Mayhem – Atavistic Black Disorder / Kommando EP (3 original songs, 4 punk covers all in the inimitable Mayhem style)

Mork - Katedralen (the most brutal album of the year)

Public Service Broadcasting – Bright Magic (another outstanding concept album, a touch more danceable and electronic than before)

Tamarisk – Suspended Animation (80’s neo-prog bought bang up to date)

Then Comes Silence – Pestilence EP (a set of really well done gothic covers)

Sepultura – Revolusongs (only taken since 2003 for this to be officially released but what a set of covers)

 Its very likely that this week I watched Fish play live for the last time nearly 32 years after I first saw him.... It's sad because the big man has been such a presence in my life over the year (Exhibit A - I have a daughter called Kayleigh!)

As such I thought I'd look back at the gigs I've seen and some memories

1989 - Octagon Centre, Sheffield. Very brave to start your first solo tour in camouflage gear and with a cover song (Faith Healer). The set was still top heavy with the Marillion hits (Lavender, Kayleigh, Warm Wet Circles) and great to see the flying Brzezicki Brothers!

2004 - Carling Academy, Bristol. Skip forward to the Scattering Crows tour and we are down to one Marillion number (Market Square Heroes) in the encore. A very muscular set with Bruce Watson on guitar

2005 - Bierkeller, Bristol. The Return to Childhood tour and probably my favourite gig. Plague of Ghosts and the whole of the classic Marillion album. First tour I saw where a female backing singer was used and it really added to top rate band.

2007 - Phoenix, Exeter. First home town gig and the opening video for the Clutching at Stars tour was brilliant. A set list of my favourite solo album and favourite Marillion album was always going to be a winner

2010 - Orange Box, Yeovil. Strange little venue but rare outings for some songs from Suits (Jumpsuit City, Somebody Special)

2011 Thunderbolt, Bristol. An Acoustic Fishheads gig but my least favourite venue probably.

2012 Phoenix, Exeter. Slightly hazy on this one but I do remember a fair few songs from 13th Star

2013 Wharf, Tavistock. The Moveable Feast tour and early outings for songs from that album. Memorable for the impromptu rendition of Lavender after the PA blew!

2014 Phoenix, Exeter. The back end of the Moveable Feast tour and the songs are now tight and sounding great. 

2015 O2 Academy, Bristol. The Farewell to Childhood tour and unfortunately Fish's voice sound shot and the venue is too packed to be fun. My least favourite gig

2021 Cheese and Grain, Frome. And so to the farewell tour. His voice is much improved (though the lyric stand suggest the memory isn't) and a set list taken from Weltschmerz and Vigil is superb. The final encore of the Company is a fitting end for band and audience

So thankyou Fish for all the memories and slainte 

 I've never really done a live review before but live music is back and I actually went to a festival so here we go...

Lets Rock is just a large 80's nostalgia fest so you don't go there with much expectation except to see the hits and not a lot of staging. It has to be said though, the organisation is exceptional - no long queues at the bar, toilets were good and even the bus shuttle to the event worked smoothly

First main band of the day was Toyah, still hugely energetic and one suspects a little batshit crazy. She attacks It's a Mystery with gusto and then strangely decides her short set needs a Billy Idol cover (Rebel Yell) which sort of sets  tone for the other acts

Next is Five Star and it's awful to see. Only one of the original band, joined by random stand ins with very little in the way a stage show... It really is time to stop when it gets that low.

Highlight of the day next. Peter Hook ripping through a near perfects set - Blue Monday, Regret, True Faith, Temptation, Love Will Tear Us Apart. That classic bass sound booming out from the stage was magnificent

Turns out I don't appear to know much of the Midge Ure's back catalogue. Vienna is the biggest sing along of the day so far but loses something when the sun is still out. Nice touch to include Fade to Grey though

Kim Wilde surprised the most with a very heavy rock sounding set. Kids in America was just enormous and deservedly one of the songs of the day

Best voice of the day next - Tony Hadley. Shame is wasted on a lot of Spandau bland songs. The best thing he did was bizarrely ending his set with We Are The Champions...

Next up was Howard Jones and what a show. The most retro and forward thinking set of the day. At times it was part Kraftwerk with three synthesizers on the go but there was a willingness to rearrange and play with classic songs (Like to get to Know You Well, New Song, Things can Only get Better) rather than just play the album version like some acts. Then you have the amazing Nick Beggs on bass which also gives them the chance to play Too Shy!!

luckily it was ABC next so bit of a rest as I almost forgot they were playing. Couple of hits I recognise but nothing to get excited about

Its still odd to think of Wet Wet Wet without Marti Pellow - It takes away part of the reason you don't like them. They perform well enough and the new guy seem to be alright. Hilarious to hear them swearing like Glaswegian dockers during the technical issues. A good set if you like your white boy soul.

Not sure what the issue was with Adam Ant - Most of the crowd were there for two songs and when halfway through the set, he hadn't played either people started leaving for the exits in their droves. The double drumming on Antmusic was great but too many obscure choices for a festival crowd. 

Would I go again? I think the line up would determine that and also I was glad it got moved from the middle of August as the heat would have been horrible. Maybe next year.....

 I appear to have purchased a lot of singles recently so maybe we should have a closer look.....

Abrasive Trees - Now You Are Not Here

Every new song from Abrasive Trees seems to add something new to the musical palate - This time its the amazing vocals of Jo-Beth Young. Its a song about losing a loved one, but still manages to sound both somber and celebratory. As is the way with this band, its a song that doesn't follow any traditional verse/chorus/verse structure but chooses its own speed an direction. So looking forward to seeing this played live in October

Coldplay - Coloratura

I fell for it - Someone said they had gone all Pink Floyd on us and I bought it. To be fair, the single is over 10 mins long, quite spacey and there is a short sort of Gilmour style guitar solo but it's not enough. This still sounds too much like Coldplay to warrant repeated plays

Iron Maiden - The Writing on the Wall

It wasn't until Bruce Dickinson started singing that I realised this was Iron Maiden! It may be that I've not kept up with their output recently but there was a reassuring 'chug-chug' to all Maiden songs which is missing here. It's still a decent meaty hard rock song but not enough to have me pre-ordering the album

Guns & Roses - Absurd

This was surprise - The song has been knocking around since the Chinese Democracy sessions and even played live but now recorded with Slash, Duff and Axl it's been renamed and actually released.  It's an odd track, more in keeping with the Spaghetti Incident punk feel. Axl's vocals sound like they were shouted down a megaphone which makes him unrecognisable until the occasional scream. Definitely a band looking at new directions which is so much braver than retreading the past even if it won't be considered a classic track.

 Hannah Ruby - Lights Out

And lets end with something different. From the very 80's synths and percussive handclaps this is a very modern glossy pop song with the lyrics adding a darker undertone. The occasional layered vocals and the staccato beat are great and it's well worth 4 minutes of your time to listen to this.  

 Seems to have been a few years but it's time to have another rant about the Eurovision Song Contest

As ever certain sections of the UK is up in arms as because "Johnny Foreigner" dared to give us nul points - Well the hard truth is it's our own fault. Once again we send along an insipid song that was forgotten the moment the next entrant sang. It was all just so safe and middle of the road. The vocals was adequate but the tune just wasn't memorable and as for the staging all we did was hang two trumpets from the ceiling!

There is no point taking part if you don't enter into the insanity of the Eurovision - Look at the other Countries and what they did:

• Iceland looked like one of those religious cults that stalk airports but with a funky tune (4th) 
• Finland resurrected the spirit of nu-metal for some strange reason (6th)
• The Russian entrant began like an oversized cross between a dalek and a babooshka doll (9th)
• Ukraine coated the singers arms in green feathers and had a recorder solo (5th)
• It's best not to even think what Germany was trying to achieve with the big foam finger (25th!)
• Even France decided to try something different and tried to recreate the spirit of Edith Piaf (2nd)

All of these efforts were so much more memorable than the UK entrant. It's almost like we don't want to embarrass ourselves but isn't coming last with no points really embarrassing?

There will be those that say "Europe just hates us for leaving the EU" but of course they ignore the fact that those famous EU member states of Australia, Israel and Russia also gave us no points

Final point - What the hell is the talentless Amanda Holden doing on our expert jury? There must be thousands of artists, songwriters or producers who would be more qualified and less likely to make a giant ass of themselves with lame jokes about why everyone doesn't speak English 

So what should the UK do? 

Firstly maybe ignore the so called music critics - As Italy proved the public really, really like rock music, so maybe we give that a try one year. Just a thought

Secondly if someone like Bill Bailey offers to write an entry then accept. Immediately. Now.

I still enjoy the Eurovision and as long as other countries continue to embrace the lunacy it will still be the best music TV of the year.... Rant over.

  Moment of Pleasure - 5

Guns And Roses - Paradise City (1 min:19)

And a really silly one to end on...

Once that whistle sounds I just have the urge to do my worst Axl Rose impression where he snakes across the stage, twirling the microphone stand .

I think part of the fun is that a whistle is a really strange thing to hear  in hard rock but in the context of this song it just seems so right. Makes me smile every time

 Moment of Pleasure - 4

Sepultura - Roots Bloody Roots (0 min:22)

This is the one most people will look at and think it's not for them and most will definitely not consider it pleasurable.... 

Over the years I've listened to a lot of extreme metal but the ferocity and anger with which Max Cavalera roars out those three words of the song title is something special.

It's just such a statement of intent that it still thrills me whenever I listen to this song

 Moment of Pleasure - 3

Marillion - 100 Nights (3 min:05)

Now we are getting more obscure. This is the closing track on the Holidays in Eden album but it's my favourite example of something that Marillion have perfected over the years

There is just a momentary pause where Steve Hogarth sings "we close our eyes" and the track snaps from quiet to loud. And yes, it's even more impactive if you do close your eyes in time with the vocals 

It's a trick Marillion do really, really well - See Neverland, Splintering Heart or Somewhere Else as other examples of their impeccable timing

 Moment of Pleasure - 2

Heart - Alone (2 min:04)

Let clear this up quickly, it's not the drums I'm choosing here! 

The bit that gives me the goosebumps every time is just prior to the second chorus when Ann Wilson absolutely lets rips - The power in that voice is phenomenal

There are a lot of great female vocalists and some might be considered to have better voices but Ann is still one of my all time favourites 

Moment of Pleasure - 1

Going to just try something different for a couple of weeks so I'm going to post about some of my favourite moments in music - not full songs or feats of musical dexterity but literately just those single moments in time that make me happy....

Pink Floyd - Shine On You Crazy Diamond (3 min:54)

Just a really obvious one to start with. It's those four notes that Dave Gilmour picks out after that amazing extended intro. I think its just that it builds and builds to what appears to be a very simple bit of guitar.

I'm a complete and utter non musician but I would consider learning to play guitar just to replicate those four notes.