Reviews

The Dusty Stars, Alex in the Void, Cute Loony, Ash, Ian Perry.

Oh back to school this week so better make the most of the school night freedom and check out the latest musical extravagance at the Battle of the Musos final. This was an evening of judging and desperation and back stabbing as all competitions are, you just hope that it

gets people going rather that pushing them into submission forever. Thankfully the judges tonight were full of constructive criticism, which made every performer feel pretty good, or at least from where I was sitting.

First on were The Dusty Stars. Oddness, beauty, sublime and Dickensian were thoughts that immediately came to mind. The lyrics were the focus point here, sung like Bright Eyes over some delay atmospheres. The vulnerable songs about desolation, confusion, abandonment,

were illustrated like a childrens book using the web of deceit of the spider and the warm cocoon of the silkworm. Surrealism and Freudian concepts delivered by the son, the friends and the father looking over his shoulder literally. You could hear a pin drop in the audience as the characters from the songs played out their parts along side the singer.

Next was 'muso' winner Ian Perry, a fantastic blues guitarist playing a Spanish guitar. The bass tones on a Spanish guitar are warm and strong unlike a steel string of which Ian made full use. The sound was full, warm and passionate by an incredibly talented musician. Although sung with a sweetness and gorgeous voice words and melody were lost in waves of lyrics deploying too many times the words eyes and ocean, leaving me desperate for the poetry of Alasdair Grey or even Jim Morrison.

Alex in the Void played a passionate set also, a girl and a boy with guitar, pop diva voice a kin to 4 Non Blondes, which luckily over-rode the cliche lyrics.

Brit-folk duo Cute Looney played memorable laments about modern day Robin Hoods, 20ft long scarves and blood between their toes! A more lyrical Justine Freichman made this bohemian duo the more interesting of the acts tonight.

And then there was the complete medieval nut ball Ash. Complete with a handmade Viking hat Ash looped through some sampling loop build ups much like Rose Kemp and SJ Esau does except the songs got a little lost in the mire. The last song he played he threw caution to the wind and leapt like a spring leprocorn into a tale of a dragon breathing fiddle de des and fiddle de das on to the aghast audience! Fantastic presence to be continued and honed we hope.

So Ian Perry deservedly won a guitar from Duck Son and Pinker for his fantastic passionate guitar show, be sure to check out his warm sounds on the acoustic circuit in and around Bath.

Miss Gardiner.

Miss Gardner