Issue 74 / February 2017

42
Bido Lito! February 2017 Reviews
room is enveloped in the very palm of his hand
throughout, hanging on every word, every
gentle fingerpicked guitar melody, every lyrical
twist, and even every cough. If anything, the
slight (and in truth, it was really only slight)
crack in the vocal only serves to add depth and
drama to these beguiling songs of love, life and
longing. The audience sits almost hypnotic in
attention, drawn in by the tales held in old
favourites such as Shipwreckers, or Broken
Wave, a haunting depiction of the pain in the
loss of a close friend, in Yorkston’s case that
of Doogie Paul, his best mate and bass player.
Anyone who’s experienced such a visceral,
burning, and all-encompassing pain can relate:
the ‘if only’s, the need for more time, and the
dreadful and absolute finality of the goodbye.
The room is left stunned by its beauty, and his
devoted and distraught performance, as the
song’s final notes seem to hang in the air long
after they’ve faded into a deep silence.
We find in James Yorkston, on that cold
winter’s evening, the warm charm, and selfdeprecating
humour of a performer, wide-eyed
with wonder and appreciation at the reception
he receives from a dedicated and committed
roomful of music lovers, more family than fans,
guests at a party more than mere gig lovers,
such is the intimacy of the songs, the room, and
the many happy moments he brings.
Paul Fitzgerald / @NothingvilleM
BILL RYDER-JONES
By The Sea – Matt Maltese
Harvest Sun @ Floral Pavilion
Has Bill stitched us up tonight? He’s brought
us over to New Brighton’s Floral Pavilion,
looking out onto the lashing waves of the
Mersey on one of the coldest nights of the
year, where there’s still frost on the ground.
It had better be worth it. Although, I think we
know it will.
The conference room is well carpeted and
spotlessly clean – a little too corporate for
this kind of event, perhaps, but once the light
goes down and MATT MALTESE emerges we’re
beginning to lose ourselves a little. Maltese
is a revelation as it happens. His songs are as
cinematic as their delivery is theatrical. There is
no denying the flourishes of Rufus Wainwright
but the lyrical content is way more off the wall.
Sat alone at his keyboard, Maltese’s songs of
the city are bittersweet in the extreme, and
tell of 21 st century romances in the strangest
Bill Ryder-Jones (John Johnson / johnjohnson-photography.com)
of places, Tesco being one of them. Perhaps
the highlight of his set is As The Earth Caves
In, a love story that involves Putin and Theresa
May, snuggling up on the couch on the night
the red button is pressed. It’s a perfect mix
of politics and twisted romance. Maltese has
been working in the studio with BILL RYDER-
JONES, but any similarities end there; he has a
unique sound and lyrics to match.
BY THE SEA provide perfect support tonight,
the fellow Wirralites headed, conveniently, by
Liam Power of Bill’s band. They are a great band
in fairness and are satisfying for anyone who
left their heart in 1986, even if they weren’t born
then. Power’s vocals sound eerily like Lloyd
Cole at times and the songs are cast from the
same mould. Jangly guitars give way to darker
times in the middle section and Cornucopia
rounds up the short set with pure Bunnymen
flourishes. Power may be overshadowed by Bill
Ryder-Jones, but potentially he has talent in
spades that could one day draw even.
Our headliner enters the scene about 15
minutes earlier than planned so everyone can
get home safe. Phew! New Brighton does feel
a million miles from civilisation tonight so we
are grateful. Nice touch Bill.
He’s not well, this is clear, but he’s not letting
that get in the way. We’re only a few songs in
and already the slightly moody, subdued singer
we saw at the Arts Club has been replaced by
a consummate pro. The set has a structure,
the banter between songs is hilarious and the
band are as tight as the proverbial camel’s arse
in a sand storm.
True to his word, Bill treats his own “Leisure
Peninsula” to a strong opening run that
includes He Took You In His Arms (rapturous
applause), Let’s Get Away From Here and
There’s A World Between Us. He’s got a great
back catalogue already and it’s never sounded
so good. Although Let’s Get Away… is from the
last album, (he’s gone off track already).
His solo spot opens with By The Morning
I, which sounds uncannily like Strands era
Michael Head as Bill’s vocals are a little fragile
tonight. It’s a beautiful moment, closely
followed by pared down versions of Seabirds
and Put It Down (possibly the highlights of the
night). Baby, a new song is dedicated to Bill’s
Mum who’s not here tonight, and he makes
sure we don’t think the song is actually about
her. Admittedly, that might be a bit weird.
The expected chatting in the crowd during
these quieter moments is becoming annoying
and people are shushing them down “thanks
for that” says Bill to “the shushers”.
As promised, the second half is a run through
the best bits of West Kirby County Primary,
the album that won us all over last year and
transformed Bill from “Him from The Coral”
to a bona fide artist in his own right. Two To
Birkenhead is always going to be a crowd
pleaser and Catharine And Huskisson is the
only track that can better it tonight.
The album run is interrupted by another new
song, There Are Worse Things. There certainly
are, this is a brilliant song that could be next
year’s Two To Birkenhead, riffing on The Velvet’s
Sweet Jane – it’s perfect.
The show ends with a wonderfully
predictable trio of Daniel, Wild Roses and
Satellites. If it’s all about pleasing the crowd,
then Bill just scored a blinder and off we all go
in time for the last train. Thanks for that Bill.
Del Pike / @del_pike
MINOR VICTORIES
Loved Ones
Harvest Sun @ The Magnet
On a bitter Sunday night in mid-December
we find ourselves in The Magnet’s underground
basement. The likes of Mogwai, Slowdive and
Editors are names more readily associated with
stadium tours than small back rooms so the
chance to catch members of each under the
guise of MINOR VICTORIES seems too good an
opportunity to miss.
First, we get a rare chance to catch elusive
LOVED ONES. Having been a stalwart on the
Merseyside scene for years, Nik Glover, formerly
bidolito.co.uk