Mik Artistik at La Rosa Hotel in Whitby

It was a cold windy November night and a few hardly souls shuffled to the welcoming lights of La Rosa Hotel in Whitby. Upon entry drinks were ordered, folk nodded politely to one another before descending the stairs into a red lit dungeon where the dead walk and lost souls howl for flesh and blood.

If you're not familiar with La Rosa I'd urge you to check out this unique experience. It's a hotel with three floors and every room is themed. I stayed in the Little Red room themed on Little Red Riding Hood. There are little quirks and curios in everywhere. Our room contained a red cape hung upon the door and a wolf skull in glass armoire.  Other room include the Lewis, Caravan, Sacrė Couer and if you dare stay there the Stoker....

Everywhere you look in the hotel there is a surprise. So therefore it was only fitting that the Jonny Vegas dubbed Mad Professor of Comedy, Mik Artistik, should perform in the basement which incidentally contained a Victorian seance table and a fortune telling machine.

It was a very intimate gig with just room for a half a dozen tables and about thirty people in attendance. The limitations of the room meant that we were treated to an acoustic gig which included a banjo and accordion for a couple of tracks.

Mik's set included Plastic Fox, Rastafarian Wiring, Sweet Leaf of the North and Condolisa Rice. Mik's banter was on top form and he engages directly with an audience like no other artist I've ever seen. Benson J.Walker was to his left singing the occasional vocal providing a solid back bone on bass and quite obviously loving every minute of it. To Mik's right Jonny Flockton whose talents on guitar help to shape the bands unique sound. All present had a fantastic night and we left the dungeon eager for our next night with Mik Artistik's ego trip.

A Wonferful Night at the Wonder with Fuzzy Jones, Gideon Conn and Mik Artistik's Ego Trip

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

Mik Artistik's Ego Trip

Mik Artistik is as much an old style performance poet as he is a songwriter. Think early John Cooper Clarke. His track Plastic Fox on the face of it might seem a little daft, perhaps, but he’s actually tapped into the everyday and made it interesting. That kind of sideways look at the little things in life is done so well by the likes of Cooper Clarke, The Fall and, of course, Half Man Half Biscuit.


https://m.youtube.com/watch?v=zUmsVT_R4Eg

As well as Youtube you’ll find Mik Artistik on Spotify if you want to listen before you buy. You’ll find such tracks as: 

Brian Ferry’s Greatest Hits – A track about the wonders we can find when rooting through skips but not all as it seems…

Sweet Leaf of the North – Another observational track about finding a leaf on your windscreen and realising it’s been with you for the length of a long journey. 

Window Cleaner – Is upbeat and sinister and as short as two slurps of my tea as I type this. 

She Looks Like Me Mam - And she's a Leeds fan...

Retired Corr - I'll say no more...

So if you like your music northern, witty, but most all eccentric and eclectic there’s plenty to check out online. I’m told plenty of gigs coming up too.

Links: 

Youtube:

https://www.youtube.com/user/MikArtistiksEgoTrip

Twitter:

https://twitter.com/mikartistik

Facebook:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/29773546853/

Website:

http://www.mikartistik.com/

Daniel Pearson - Mercury State

Born in 1982 Daniel Pearson is a musician and songwriter from Hull. Mercury State is his critically acclaimed second album released in 2013. I first came across him on Twitter and immediately liked his style. He’s An indie troubadour and proud of it. He’s one of the freshest singer songwriters around and his music blends elements of indie, rock, country, soul and garage blues. You can hear the depth of these influences within the tracks of this album. His songs tackle the kind of subjects you’d expect from a lad from Hull.

Factory Floor – Talks of the fading of youth doing a soul destroying job in a factory only to face redundancy. He asks plaintively what more could you want from me?

Rat Race starts – He talks of his roots and how hard the rat race is. One payday away from repossession.

All is not lost – A relationship has broken down and a lover expresses regret for the way things have turned out. He wants to pretend that all is not lost.

Old Friends – A favourite of mine. A love song to old friends. Those we’ve shared things with that will always be remembered. Even as the years fly by, still old friends remain.

The album is moody and at times melancholic but Pearson’s vocal has a clarity that makes you listen, demanding your attention. The tracks are uncluttered never detracting from the vocal and it’s clear that Pearson likes it that way. I’d compare Pearson to Damien Rice or David Gray. That fine tradition of songwriter that is unashamed to talk of how they feel.

Website: http://danielpearson.net/

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/danielpearsonfb?fref=ts

Twitter: https://twitter.com/daniel_pearson

Little Red - That's What They All Say EP

Little Red are a folk trio from the south of England. I first heard them on the excellent Bob's Folk Show in 2014. Little Red are inspired by the traditional and the contemporary according to their Facebook page.

Little Red comprises: Ian Mitchell, Ben Gosling and Hayley Bell. 

That's What They All Say was released in 2014 and is available on all the usual music download sites.

Track listing:

1. What Say You - Has a bright guitar sound and incorporates both male and female vocals. The song deals with relationship difficulties or is it something more sinister...

2. The Cause - This track talks of drunken fornication, and talks to me of a man's regret for leaving the cause. Perhaps also a relationship track? Upbeat, musically interesting with very clear vocals.

3. Petal - Long than the first two tracks but with a longer music break and less lyrics. A rose is used as a metaphor for a relationship here and again we have male and female vocalists. Hayley Bell's solo is lovely here.

4. Cures - This song oozes melancholy, an aching loss of a lover. 

5. The Garden - The final track is the longest track on the EP and perhaps the most musically complex track. The title of the EP is found within the track. Again love and perhaps the loss it features within this track. 

This EP is modern folk at its finest. Nothing is overdone and all of the tracks are well produced. The talents of musicians and vocalists shines through here. I've been listening to this EP for a while now it's not lost it's shine.

Your can find Little Red:

Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/littleredband?fref=ts

Twitter: https://twitter.com/ianmitchelllr


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