The weather outside is fantastic and actually quite warm, this is where 2009 really begins! And it’s also where MaD begin putting on events for this fresh year, the first being the first “Serve Chilled” and it’s an apt name in more ways than one. The hall of Christ The Cornerstone is a pale blue (note the projection above, a genius idea from the guys), the date is on the border of the winter and the acts on are a collection of some of the finest acoustic talents in MK.
And the atmosphere is one of the first things you notice, I find myself walking into a brief tour from Natasha and the layout is just laid-back, it’s fantastic, a grand central hall with a stage and a lot of open space to sit down, lay back and forget about your worries, the music hasn’t even started yet and I’m already into the general theme.
And let’s not forget the activities too, it isn’t a MaD gig without something to get your creative juices flowing so there’s a room where you can write on the “scribble floor”, make cushions, look at art and generally release the Picasso inside you. Then when you’re done you can grab a smoothie (if these make a return at the beach party I’d recommend the strawberry!), chat and, well, as the name of the event implies, just “chill”.
Still, I could wax lyrical about the venue and activities all day, but I have to admit, I’m there for the music too, and you bet the lineup was well worth it.
Starting up the night is Speeding Mellow, I’ve seen them around for a while from where it was Garry and Nicole in the open mic sets in the Cannon, but there’s usually been an interesting twist with the lineups, featuring various other musicians, this time sporting a whole band with Daniela Bove lending a hand with the vocals and various other local talents, the result is a rich, full sound that compliments the tone of the original material without being too overpowering, “textured” is probably the best word for it, and it’s a pretty sweet start…
Of course, seeing Daniela with her material is just as rewarding too, I can never understand how she can pack such a powerful voice but it’s always a treat to see her in action regardless. This time backed up with a similar lineup to Speeding Mellow’s previous set, it’s another case of layered music that blends well with her soulful vocal talents, going for some softy ditsies and a little illustrious and funky finish. Add the acoustically designed church-hall and it really makes the sound something else, something you won’t quite hear anywhere else.
Going for a much more minimal sound and also being a fairly regular sight on the open-mic circuit, Claire Lutterloch is one of the more recent local pianists on the scene, with so many guitarists gracing the scene it’s refreshing to hear something different. Like any good set, she mixes up some covers with her own tracks and some soul-tinged vocals to boot. I also have a confesion to make, I actually Lily Allen’s “The Fear” , but hearing Claire play it makes me wonder if it’s more suited to piano than the form in the charts, just a thought…
Yet another familiar face are Isabelle, I remember catching these three young musicians at a showcase down at the Cannon, though now they’ve got a few changes under their belt, most notably the addition of a piano replacing on of the guitars which actually marks a sweet, subtle change to their sound. Especially looking at their delicate sound with tracks like “Rolling Back The Years”, I’d have to say that along with the general acoustics around the room, they sound on a completely different level tonight. Oh, and much love for the Radiohead cover too!
Going back to the notion of local pianists, there doesn’t seem to be many around, but we do have more on the way tonight from Phillippa Moyle who is helping out at the venue too. I’ve yet to do any kind of set myself so I can imagine Phillippa being a tad nervous about the night, being her first live set and all. It’s always great to see someone new though, along with their own ideas. Even throwing in a track only written four days ago (“Who Am I”), the young lady has more guts than I could ever have and needn’t be surprised about the applause she recieves.
After that and finishing off the whole night is another young band by the name of Benny And The Razorblades, another first for me. In fact, the acoustic setup is a bit of a first for them too, usually opting for a heavier sound I can imagine a transition to a banjo, acoustic guitar and a snare drum being a bit of a strange one at first. Admittedly the sound isn’t exactly hitting the right spot at first, but as their set makes it’s way onward they seem to get the hang of it, even cranking out a decent Queens Of The Stoneage cover alongside their own tracks, “What Would Jesus Do?” being a bit of an apt number for the venue, or depending on what way you look at it anyway…
It was a great event on the whole though, if you’ve read Steffi’s latest article on No-Time then that would probably explain how it felt, just a loose, relaxed end to a week where you could zone out. But I’ve still missed some key points, I guess. The turnout was the main thing, with 200 tickets going for free and selling out I was expecting a lot more people around, there were a fair few people around but just nowhere near what was due, I’ve had good times with MaD over the past few years and tonight was no exception, what can I say, if you weren’t there you missed out on a pretty unique night!
And now you have to wait another year for the next one, but it goes without saying that a huge thanks goes out to all the vounteers who made this night work, an amazing amount of kudos to you all!
Craig \m/
The official MaD website
Benny & The Razorblades on Myspace
Daniela Bove on Myspace
Speeding Mellow on Myspace
