Some exciting musical mayhem, poetry, punk, grunge and even classical sounds witnessed by Alan Dearling
https://www.facebook.com/CelladoorBand
‘The Big Tree’ is a new name for a Calderdale venue with a mixed past. Re-branded and with a new ethos around community music. It’s upstairs above a nightclub and it will take a while to become established alongside other venues such as The Golden Lion in Todmorden and the Trades Club in Hebden Bridge which both punch above their metaphorical creative weights.
Headliners on this particular night were Celladoor. They promote themselves as “…an independent musical entity run by artist Djinn Seldom Mire (Aaron James Davies).” They (and Aaron solo) look to have released 9 albums and 4 x eps. And according to their publicity, Aaron is an “exponent of ‘swamp folk’!”
On-line they appear to be complete and utter musical chameleons. Mesmeric and seemingly ever-changing in styles. From up-close and personal to mega-thematic. Melodic and grungy too… weird… Psych-Metal-Light, perhaps? On this night they were in full, garage band mode. It reminded me of the Seattle Sounds of Nirvana and the early Pixies. Arrogant, bridled aggression – wild and really rather wonderful. It certainly woke up the punters and got them bouncing. Here are some samples of their musical wares:
‘Falling Leaves’: https://www.facebook.com/reel/787253793062238
‘Counting Heads’: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OgfeQygSilA
Album, ‘Wetiko’ on Youtube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fFTV9ebJ5hU
From Youtube, a sample comment:
@kittentacticalwarfare1140
“Chilled yet spooky /,,/
The cover made it feel as if the whole album was the OST of a horror movie.”
The Big Djinn (I think it is an invisible, impish genie), Aaron, has oodles of charisma. And the band gave a 103 per cent in energy, great stage craft, and powerful songs. A pretty epic show if you like some noisy musical histrionics.
The Big Tree night was billed very much as a sampler, a taster of local talent. Certainly it was eclectic in the extreme, kicking off with twenty minutes from suedehead, punk-poet from Halifax, Keiron Lee Higgins. Fast delivery, lots of one-liners, political and edgy. Those who arrived early, listened, appreciated the wordsmith in action, and applauded. He’s online at:
https://www.facebook.com/keironhiggspoet/?locale=en_GB
Fake – a four piece, I think recently formed in the Calderdale Valley, brought along a bundle of mates, family and fans. Young, pretty confident, full of punk-attitude with a heavy-metal style. The front-man caresses the mic like an old pro and is an effective purveyor of invective! A bit in the mould of early Undertones. They sounded like they believe in their sentiments raging against governments and politicians in songs such as ‘Scum of the Earth’ – “What are you going to do, when they come for you?”
Solo guitarist, Rik Warwick, eyed up the crowd reflectively, then blasted them with some incendiary finger-picking. His set included classical guitar pieces (I think I perhaps recognised pieces from Bach and maybe, Rodriguez) and the crowd gave it some vocal ‘welly’ during an extended, almost violent rendition of Queen’s ‘Bohemian Rhapsody’.
Give him a big hand for virtuoso skill and talent.
To check out The Big Tree, go and visit them on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/profile.php?id=100090731224688