On the 5th of June my wife and I, along with good friends Mark and Nicky went to see a line up of three bands at the Wonder Inn at Shudehill Manchester.
The building which is obviously a work in progress with bare walls had a bohemian feel to it. The staff were charming and courteous at all times and all were smiling, all night long. They had the look of people who love what they are doing and it rubbed off on the audience. The room was lit by candlelight. The tables and chairs were shabby chic and each had a blanket draped over in case anyone got cold - the room was unheated but was plenty warm enough. The building is more than just a band venue. It’s a community hub, art gallery – a place where people with passions gather.
The turnout was better than ticket sales suggested and fifty or sixty people quickly filled the room. The first act on stage was Leeds based award-winning songwriter Fuzzy Jones. Her folksy vocal was a lovely warm start to the evening. A crystal clear voice that was a joy to listen and had me smiling and tapping my foot within moments. There’s a paradoxical strength and yet fragility to her voice that is very alluring to the listener. A great way to start the evening.
Next up was Gideon Conn who is originally from Manchester but is now based in London. From the outset Conn's quirky, interesting lyrics and vocal style had the audience eating out of the palm of his hand. The songs are best described as a fusion of acoustic music, with jazz chords and hip-hop rhythms. Yes, it’s safe to say there is lot happening in Conn’s music style!
My smile broadened and the vibe in the whole room by this point was fantastic. Conn nailed it by having the audience clap along and perform the actions to one of his songs. Conn's talents also stretch to fantastic original artwork. Check out his website in the link section at the bottom of this blog post.
Finally, Mik Artistik and the band came on stage. Mik on vocals, Benson Walker on the bass Jonny on lead guitar. Mik Artistik’s Ego Trip is quite an experience. Mik is right there in the audience's face giving it all he has. He was mostly off the stage seemingly addressing the audience individually, throwing in the off quip to a bloke wearing a hat or anything else unusual that caught his roving eye.
Lyrically the band's tunes are different. No boring love songs here. Their set incorporated a track about a leaf but not any old leaf – The Sweet Leaf of the North! Mik and band also performed fans favourite Plastic Fox, written about a well....a plastic garden ornament! With belting tracks coming thick and fast we didn’t want the night to end but sadly it had to.
The Wonder Inn and this eclectic mix of differing talents, along with a distinctly friendly and Bohemian atmosphere made for a fantastic night. Thank you the Wonder Inn an aptly described venue!
Find out More at the Wonder Inn and the arstists who performed:
@WonderInnNorth
@fuzzyjonesmusic & www.fuzzyjonesmusic.com
@GideonConn & www.gideonconn.com
@mikartistik @bensonwalker
www.bensonjwalker.co.uk/bensonjwalker/Home.html
https://www.facebook.com/groups/29773546853/10152819709396854/?notif_t=group_activity
Nice post Daz. Mik Artistik brings Half Man-Half Biscuit to mind.
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