2024
Marking the 30th anniversary of The Shed opening its doors for the first time, on 31st December 1994, I conclude my series of articles The History of The Shed.
For much of this year, I have attended relatively few gigs; those I did go to were memorable. For me, there is always one notable musical event in July and that is the first night of the Proms. I am an avid fan of the Henry Wood Promenade Concerts. No longer able to attend, I listen to them on the radio and watch some of them on the television. Music is an important part of my life and the world’s greatest music festival has attracted my attention ever since I could attend some of them personally, many decades ago.
Friday 6th September
Tonight, I was at the Soundhouse to see Harri Georgio with his band, which goes by the odd name of, The Well-Behaved Young Men. I asked Harri how this name came about; he said it was a joke but one that had stuck. Tonight’s show was a fundraising gig for the mental health charity The Pierce Perspective. Support acts on tonight’s bill were Little Juke, Amber Clare, Moody Fairy and Andrea Kenny.
On stage tonight one of the legends of Leicester’s music – the incomparable Andrea Kenny, tonight making a solo appearance. She reminded she has a really powerful voice and an astonishing degree of presence. Andrea’s first song was Noah and the Whale – which I remember from her earlier performances some years back. One-time lead singer with the celebrated band The Brandy Thieves, Andrea gave us an exhilarating experience. Engaging lyrics, rich rhythms and impressive vocals, it was a superb performance.
The supporting acts drew the audience in and gave the room a strong vibe.
Headlining this evening’s show, Harri Georgio and his band gave us a great set of songs. A fusion of Indie pop, exciting fresh and original, the highly talented artist delivered a cocktail of rock, reggae and hip hop with a few other vibes thrown in. On stage Harri Georgio, Matt Bury, Jack Freestone and Joe Doyle.
I remember Harri when he was the frontman for Tribal Riot. The first time I saw them I was very excited about what I heard. They went on to take London by storm.
This show at The Soundhouse was an evening to remember.
On Friday 5th July, I was fortunate to be at the Soundhouse to review two of Leicester’s iconic bands: Theia and Skam. My review was published here.
That gig marked the ‘last ever’ appearance of Theia. As I wrote in my review, regarding Skam, ‘Megawatts of energy pouring from the three musicians as they packed a stadium-level sound into the small venue. This band is legendary and I have been following them for about fifteen years. Their outpouring is relentless and their vibe volcanic. They know how to work a crowd. Decades of experience have made them what they are now.’
Another very memorable gig took place on Friday 9th August when I was at The Soundhouse to see a local band called Not My Good Arm. I have been a fan of this band ever since they started. The blurb for this event, on the listings page of this website, said, ‘Not My Good Arm are launching their much anticipated album at The Soundhouse, Leicester on August 9th. With support from Death in the High Street and Obi Denim. 5 entrance or pay what you can. Strap yer boogie boots on and come on down.’ There is no published review of this gig because I went there to enjoy myself, rather than to work. The performance by Death in the High Street was remarkable. The set performed by Not My Good Arm was every bit as remarkable and it was a delight to see these energetic musicians once again.
I hesitate to mention it but Saturday 6th July marked a concert by a local band called Kasabian that took place on Victoria Park, attended by a very large number of fans. I know that because my travel that day (to and from home) was disrupted by the event. In order to avoid the noise from Victoria Park, I went to The Shed for the birthday celebration of Joe Doyle, a legend of the Leicester music scene. I said to someone, whilst I was there, that I was A Kasabian asylum seeker , meaning I was there to get away from the noise and commotion in the area of Victoria Park. It was an astonishingly good evening and Doyle’s performance that night was nothing if not extraordinary.
Another musical event took place on Thursday 15th August when I travelled to Loughborough to see my old mate Jonezy perform at The Cask Bah. That turned out to be a large night out for me and I got home just after midnight. I very much enjoyed hearing Loughborough’s foremost music artist performing songs from his extensive back catalogue as well as some of his newer creations. See Jonezy’s website. https://jonezyuk.co.uk/category/info/
Coming up: I might pen a few notes about the music at my seventy-fifth birthday celebration to be held at The Soundhouse on the afternoon of 24th August.
It is now the middle of March and, so far, I have not done a great deal, musically speaking. However, the concerts I have been to have been exhilarating me and I have enjoyed them very much.
In January, I went to see a band called Spellgaze and wrote about them in a review.
On Saturday 17th February I went to the Soundhouse for the day-time event called ‘Sessions.’ On stage were some brilliant musicians one of whom was Tony Alles, one for whom I have considerable admiration. Generally, the line-up was superb and the music of high quality. It was really good to be back at my favourite venue after such a long absence.
Sunday 3rd March 2024.
De Montfort Hall, Leicester. Jude Richardson Plays Beethoven
Music is something I have been writing about for a long time. These days, I am as likely to write about classical music as about rock and pop. Throughout my career, as a music journalist, I have witnessed some unforgettable performances and historic moments. Today’s concert was one of those unforgettable moments.
The main reason I went to this concert, by the Leicester Symphony Orchestra, was to see the concerto played by Jude Richardson. Now aged twenty-three, Richardson was born in Bermuda and later graduated from the Jacobs School of Music in the USA. He now lives in Leicester.
Like Sheku Kanneh Mason, who lives in Nottingham, Jude is becoming recognised as one of the stars of the classical music scene across the UK. It is very satisfying that the Midlands continues to produce young musicians of extraordinary talent and ability.
Today’s performance of Beethoven’s Emperor Concerto, No.5. in E Flat Major, Op. 73, was virtuosic. Jude’s command of tone and breathtaking dynamics was exactly what this piece called for and he delivered it all with excellence. He played without a score, having memorised tens of thousands of notes. One would not expect anything less from a musician of his standard. The finale is a powerful exposition of Beethoven’s genius and Richardson gave us everything that we wanted. His technical proficiency was nothing short of amazing.
The audience applauded each movement. Clearly, everyone in the nearly full hall was captivated by Richardson’s artistry and presence on the piano. Brilliant that was a word on the lips of many today as they left the hall following a delightful and uplifting concert.
Older content – for 2020 – has been moved from this page to the archive page.
Last edited: 3/1/21
