Wheeler Street FaF gig 4 Feb Maidstone

Subject: Wheeler Street FaF gig 4 Feb Maidstone
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 04 Feb 10 - 04:50 AM

Wheeler Street
with Los Salvadores and The Didi Bergman Trio
Time: Thursday, 04 February 2010 Doors open 19:00
Location:Flaming Henry's Banqueting Hall (upstairs), 62/63 High Street, Maidstone ME14 1SR.

A fantastic evening of music in support of Folk Against Fascism. All proceeds to the Haiti Earthquake Appeal Only, I think, a tenner a head.

WHEELER STREET

'indecently talented...raw and immediate' - Mike Harding, Radio 2

http://www.wheelerstreet.org
http://www.myspace.com/wheelerstreet

LOS SALVADORES

'eclectic, genuine and original' – purerawk.co.uk

Subject: RE: Wheeler Street FaF gig 4 Feb Maidstone
From: melodeonboy
Date: 04 Feb 10 - 05:11 AM

Ooh! Sounds interesting! A great band - possibly more than one great band (!) - and in a good cause.

Subject: RE: Wheeler Street FaF gig 4 Feb Maidstone
From: Fred McCormick
Date: 04 Feb 10 - 05:40 AM

Two good causes in one. You can't do much better than that.

Subject: RE: Wheeler Street FaF gig 4 Feb Maidstone
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 04 Feb 10 - 11:53 AM

See you there dudes

Subject: RE: Wheeler Street FaF gig 4 Feb Maidstone
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 04 Feb 10 - 06:22 PM

All right, there you weren't.

Wheeler Street were rather good.

Subject: RE: Wheeler Street FaF gig 4 Feb Maidstone
From: melodeonboy
Date: 04 Feb 10 - 07:54 PM

I had intended to get there, but having promised to go and see my nephew do a set with his band at Earl's (only a stone's throw away), it was too late to come by the time he'd finished.

I hope they got a good turn out. By the way, Wheeler Street are never less than "rather good", and usually outstanding!

Subject: RE: Wheeler Street FaF gig 4 Feb Maidstone
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 05 Feb 10 - 08:23 AM

Shit the system just ate a long and thoughtful review!

Subject: RE: Wheeler Street FaF gig 4 Feb Maidstone
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 05 Feb 10 - 08:24 AM

But I might have managed to rescue it: -


As it happened, I also took a quick look in Earl's but was underwhelmed.

The room at Flaming Henry's has a high pitched roof with exposed trusses and the band was across the short way - and the speakers were the little Mackie's and Behringer clones. No subs. The sound man was given an impossible job to combat that with his desk behind the FoH. As a result all three bands suffered from less than clear vox.

I think Didi Bergman probably has talent if you like singer songwriter stuff, but her guitar sounded as if it needed new strings very very badly, and she made the mistake of playing through a Fender guitar amp, not DI-ing, so the guitar sound was woolly (as well as her probably essential words going a bit missing).

Los Salvadores are undoubtedly talented, but the somewhat South American sound (and devotion to a Bm Em chord shift) got a bit samey after a while, and I heard no surprises in the harmony lines. Again the acoustic guitar sound was somewhat unclear, and the bass on the cajon was muddy.

Wheeler Street are very good indeed (tight as the proverbial duck), and by and large the mix held up well, but if the soundman had been out front he would have been able to hear when things needed tweaking. Kick drum would have benefitted from some big subs, and there could have been more snap on the snare (although the drum solo was both excellent and amusing, particularly the bit played while holding a glass of beer in one hand and drinking it). Words hard to follow in original songs. It might be worth trying a Beta 58 or the big Shure vocal mic, is it the Beta 87A(?) on the female vocal channel. Overall a celtic sound rather than English - but that was not inapt for the night. Very impressed. It would also have been nice to hear the vocal lines swapped about in songs, to free the female voice to go for a top harmony before reverting to the tune. Enjoyed them a lot! Frontman has definite presence, despite the St Patrick's night jacket and hat. Enjoyed them a lot!

Subject: RE: Wheeler Street FaF gig 4 Feb Maidstone
From: melodeonboy
Date: 05 Feb 10 - 08:54 AM

Earl's is always underwhelming! It was the first time I'd been in there for years, and it may well be a few more years until I go there again!

Disappointed, of course, at missing Wheeler Street, but no doubt they (or at least some of them) will be turning up at one of the sessions at The Swan in the near future.

Finished the evening gently (Earl's is wall to wall noise - even when there's no one playing!) with a late pint of Goacher's at The Flower Pot with Derek (Gumbo).

Subject: RE: Wheeler Street FaF gig 4 Feb Maidstone
From: GUEST,Daddy Paul
Date: 05 Feb 10 - 09:29 AM

The system last night was thrown together from about four sources, the major advantage of it being it was free, there was never a chance of making a lot of money on the night and it was decided to give preference to the Haitians. Sound man was rear of the FOH because there was no snake to put him further back. I think that Graham (aforesaid sound man) did his usual magnificent job considering the limitations. It was a great night with a lovely atmosphere and well done to Helen for putting it together. Kevin is quite right we will all be at The Swan this Monday again. The hat and jacket are of course intended to be ironic and thanks are due to Bower Grove School where the jacket was sourced from the dressing up box.

Subject: RE: Wheeler Street FaF gig 4 Feb Maidstone
From: GUEST,Daddy Paul
Date: 05 Feb 10 - 10:02 AM

Another point that I neglected to make is that the drum solo wasn't intentional, it was a brilliant seamless reaction on Pete the drummer's part to the loss of power to everything except the lights. Wheeler Street are of course far too tasteful to include something as naff as a drum solo in the normal course of events (excepting all the times when they do)

Subject: RE: Wheeler Street FaF gig 4 Feb Maidstone
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 05 Feb 10 - 11:59 AM

I liked the drum solo, and did say that the soundman's task was impossible and that by and large the Wheeler Street mix held up well. I hope I did not appear over-critical, that was not my intent.

I have fairly long snake (very elderly and odd, with Jones plug connectors) and with a little warning can rustle up subs (one needs putting back together) and electronic crossover and power amps (again a bit odd - but with the right speakers about 3k on the bass) and a good Shure kick mic for future reference.

Subject: RE: Wheeler Street FaF gig 4 Feb Maidstone
From: GUEST,Sinead.
Date: 05 Feb 10 - 12:33 PM

I think that last night, Wheeler Street did what they do best- converted some young people, who previously "didn't like folk at all" into raving lunatics who couldn't stop moving and singing along all night.

Probably my favourite young band in british folk and I'm sure they will go far. I'm really looking forward to their single launch on the 29th of March amd absolutely love the new single which was performed last night also.

Subject: RE: Wheeler Street FaF gig 4 Feb Maidstone
From: GUEST,Daddy Paul
Date: 05 Feb 10 - 12:34 PM

I realise it was not criticism but I just thought I would clear it up. Usually of course WS have the PA provided by the booker but thanks for the offer you never know when we might need it.

Subject: RE: Wheeler Street FaF gig 4 Feb Maidstone
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 05 Feb 10 - 01:21 PM

Incidentally, drum solos have been naff for so long that there was a curious kind of freshness about having one, even if it was (then unbeknownst) a necessity. It produced a moment's incredulity before one thought "Hey, this IS fun after all".

Subject: RE: Wheeler Street FaF gig 4 Feb Maidstone
From: GUEST,Daddy Paul
Date: 05 Feb 10 - 01:40 PM

If there is to be a drum solo there are fewer drummers who execute them with such wit and panache as Pete. He is also the drummer and only non family member in my Family Band (3 members of WS, the equally talented brother of two of them and some old twat who justifies his place by driving one of the cars and staying relatively sober) and the only way to stop him performing a drum solo is by removing the skins and hiding his sticks in a convenient orifice.

Subject: RE: Wheeler Street FaF gig 4 Feb Maidstone
From: melodeonboy
Date: 05 Feb 10 - 05:58 PM

"I have fairly long snake..."


Eh, we've gone from folk to blues now!

Subject: RE: Wheeler Street FaF gig 4 Feb Maidstone
From: Richard Bridge
Date: 05 Feb 10 - 06:13 PM

Sober? Folk music? Shome mishtake shurely?