A straightforward gig review would not reveal much about last night’s experience. It would be peppered with comments about Beth Orton’s nice songs, make the odd reference to her lamentably croaky voice and mention the varied collection of musicians who played their parts like a well-mannered bunch of undertakers. But that’s not the whole story, because one way and another, we all started to feel a bit sorry ...

You should enjoy this video clip featuring four improbably young, traditional musicians, playing 'Mysterty Man' on the Cerys Matthews show this morning. As the diminutive lads, aged between 14 and 16, took to the stage in the Maida Vale studios they looked as if they really ought to be in school. But according to bass guitarist Pete O'Hanlon (16) 'School wasn't cool, so I stopped going'. But they are still ...

With three Brit Award 2013 Nominations, Alt-J are suddenly in the limelight. But they already have a devoted following and tickets for their two performances at the 2000-seater Shepherd's Bush Empire were like gold dust. Saturday night's mosh pit was full of good humoured puns and anticipation, 'Triangles are our favourite shape!' shouted one fan, echoing the lyrics. It proved to be a rallying cry. All arou ...

It was lucky that the two female vocalists had such warm smiles. A brave audience turned out in sub-zero temperatures to hear Daughter and Lay Low play in the seemingly unheated St Mary's Church, Brighton last night. This is the start of their first UK tour, sold-out, though further April dates were announced yesterday. The cavernous recesses of St Mary's must have seemed a little daunting on only their thi ...

If you are looking for the Big Society, go to the village of Rotherfield where last night they held an evening of carols, poems and musical entertainment. Upon arrival I looked in vain for an order of service. 'Don't worry, someone knows what's going on' said my friend. Indeed, why waste paper? Someone knew exactly what was going on, though it was not the vicar. The compere was one of the local highlights o ...

This is the part of The Sunny Times which tracks great new music still playing in lovely small venues at affordable prices. We wrote about this trio or after being impressed by Elena Tonra's amazing mournful voice and maudlin lyrics at the Green Man Festival. Described as mournful and maudlin it might not sound cheerful, but it hits you like an icy blast of breath of fresh air, bringing everything sharply i ...

Alt_J are hot. The four man folk-step rock group were hardly known a year ago. Now they are favourites to win the Mercury prize, previous winners including Pulp, Arctic Monkeys and last year PJ Harvey. Their music is catchy, yet hard to define. This fan simply happened to turn on the Radio 2 in February whilst Matilda was playing, and was instantly caught up in the love of Alt_J. I spoke to the band at the ...

‘It was a party, it was a party, it was a proper, proper, proper, proper party!’ sang Suggs. It was indeed a party, and the  venue was the BBC Radio Theatre where Madness played live to the nation last Thursday. Thanks to a simple twist of fate involving a brother and his indisposed wife, Calvin Barden was there. ‘They started off with the heavy, heavy monster sound, One Step Beyond. Straightaway everyone w ...

Once you have reached 100 years old, you might think of relaxing a little. But far from taking it easy, Lewes Operatic Society embarked upon a youthful adventure staging five performances of the all-child musical Bugsy Malone last week. 'We had seen a school production by Lewes Old Grammar School and saw how much the kids enjoyed it,' said the Society's chairman, Colin Reynolds.  But then they discovered th ...

An amateur choir in Tunbridge Wells is celebrating the arrival of an international star who will put them through their paces and turn them into a force to be reckoned with. Rebecca Miller, renowned conductor, has just taken the helm as Music Director of the Royal Tunbridge Wells Choral Society. The group already has every right to proclaim 'We are The Music Makers' as their voices soar in harmony whilst pr ...