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imp: Withered Hand + Woodpigeon @ Musa, 16th January


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interesting music promotions present

WITHERED HAND + WOODPIGEON

Sunday, 16 January 2010

Musa, 33 Exchange Street, Aberdeen, AB11 6PH. Phone (01224) 571771

Doors 8pm

Entry 6 on door

http://www.myspace.com/interestingmusic

http://www.musaaberdeen.com

WITHERED HAND

Withered Hand is the musical project of Edinburgh-based visual artist Dan Willson. Live and on record, Dan may be accompanied by any or all of the following: Hannah Shepherd (cello); Neil Pennycook (banjo); Alun Thomas (drums); Benni Hemm Hemm; Chris Bryant; Faith Nicholson; Jo Foster; and Bart Owl.

Withered Hand have made three records. Their Religious Songs EP was recorded at home by Neil Pennycook and released through SL Records and Bear Scotland in 2008. Youre Not Alone is a solo EP, recorded by King Creosote and released through Fence Records and SL in spring 2009. Good News is the bands first album it was funded by the Scottish Arts Council and mixed by cult American producer Kramer (Low / Galaxie 500 / Daniel Johnston), and was released by SL Records on September 14th 2009.

Withered Hand have been privileged to play alongside many incredible artists, including Jeffrey Lewis, Calvin Johnson, Little Wings and Malcolm Middleton. They have twice played Fence Records magnificent Homegame Festival, played at both the last ever Triptych Festival and the inaugural Tennents Mutual, and during the Edinburgh Festival last year performed on The Edge and at all-day DIY extravaganza Retreat.

In 2009, Withered Hand recorded two radio sessions: with Marc Riley, on BBC 6Music, and with Vic Galloway, on BBC Radio Scotland. In 2010 Withered Hands debut album continues to gain endorsement from quarters as diverse as DJ and indie superstar Jarvis Cocker, alternative music legend Julian Cope and comedian Daniel Kitson.

The snow-bound early months of 2010 saw Withered Hand tour the UK solo, selling out almost every date on the tour, but managing to sneak in a couple of memorably raucous full band shows on the road. Withered Hand played solo shows across 5 countries in continental Europe through Spring, as Dan headed out on the road accompanying the Icelandic band Benni Hemm Hemm.

As Summer closed, Withered Hand also joined Marc Riley at BBC 6 music for a second radio session, played Wickerman Festival and headlined a sold out show at Edinburghs Edge Festival.

Dan is currently working on songs for the next recordings.

http://witheredhand.com

WOODPIGEON

Woodpigeon is more than just the most beautiful word in the English language, although thats precisely why it was chosen by songwriter Mark Hamilton as the moniker for his pretty-pretty-pop project. Encompassing a kind of ersatz collective orchestra, dispersed across a couple continents, rising and falling in number with the demands of song life and real life, Woodpigeon creates music much the same way a bowerbird crafts a lovenest: the right space is chosen and the bower goes up twig by twig, berry by berry, embellishing a basic construction thats already sound and*lovely.

Occasionally, when all goes well, a mate is*attracted.

Woodpigeons preferred habitat is slightly spooky places (friendly ghosts only) with natural reverb, with nearby vintage mellotrons and echoing stairwells, and perhaps a gaggle of singing children when feeling maudlin. They rock out on harpsichords and wrench tears out of guitars before playing them damp. Bells, whistles, handclaps all the aural tchotchkes are enlisted to serve the song, wherever they can brighten a melody or limn a mournful line. Girlish voices become instruments, while Marks lonely choirboy vocals somehow, impossibly, lodged in a lumberjack-ish bear of a man sound uncannily like theyre being sung directly into your ear. You can almost feel his warm minty*breath.

Mark mostly sings about the Unbearable Mark-ness of Being: secret love ninjas, imaginary segregated private schools, stolen kisses, confounded passion, windy days and city streets, thoughtful walking, the kind of longing that is wonderful, and the kind of longing that is sorrowful. He pushes aside the fabric of reality to create a fantastic musical realm where truth is found in fiction, and fiction is found in*song.

Long live music. Long live*Woodpigeon.

http://www.woodpigeon-songbook.com

http://www.myspace.com/woodpigeon

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Foxhunting added as first support... :up:

FOXHUNTING

Hailing from the north-east of Scotland, Foxhunting is a teenager who blends soft melodies and harsh lyrics to create catchy melodic folk-pop songs. Recording with a TASCAM and Macbook Pro, he finds things to use for percussion; previous work includes the back of a guitar and a coin jar. Work on a debut EP is currently underway.

http://huntingfox.es/

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well done offMark, its quite a coup getting End of the Road festival favourite Woodpigeon

up this far north....very strong acoustic line up :up:

He was actually up here with Benni Hemm Hemm in September!

Anyhoo. There might be a wee comp over on The Kiosque's website if anyone wants free tickets...

The Kiosque Aberdeen, Music, Clubs, Art, Film, Comedy, Theatre Blog Archive Music/Competition: Withered Hand, Woodpigeon

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Thanks to everyone who came down last night. Really enjoyable gig.

Foxhunting has his own thread over here >> http://www.aberdeen-music.com/forums/feedback-forum/63828-foxhunting-musa.html#post875950 - but I'd really like some feedback on the venue / what can we do better in there next time? Was it too busy / uncomfortable?

cheers

Get the bar staff to smack folk round the head who stand by the bar yapping to each other at an acoustic gig.

Apart from that, and the bar running out of 5am Saint, I have no complaints. Think the venue could really work well for some low key gigs in future and will result in some very special gigs.

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Get the bar staff to smack folk round the head who stand by the bar yapping to each other at an acoustic gig.

Apart from that, and the bar running out of 5am Saint, I have no complaints. Think the venue could really work well for some low key gigs in future and will result in some very special gigs.

It was a very good night, no doubts but I think Chris has hit the nail on the head "some low key gigs" could be very special. The venue doesn't lend itself for 70+. The shape isn't correct & i'm sure people upstairs (not at the front) would have struggled with it

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Only one of the speakers was working, so it wasn't the best sound last night.

I had no complaints about the sound, it was good enough. That wee bit they did at the end was cool.

I was thinking of putting on a funk group in there, not sure how that would work but willing to give it a try. You wouldn't want need to put anything other than the vocals through the PA I guess.

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I thought it was a bit uncomfortable to get a decent view/couldn't carry a pint up stairs for fear of spilling on someones head and not really convinient for wandering about for catching up with people between acts. The toilets had a funny smell.

That said I do like the look of the place, I liked the music and I liked the beer (although not the prices which were actually more expensive than Brewdog). I think I'd have preferred the whole night if I came early and got a good seat though

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I thought it was a bit uncomfortable to get a decent view/couldn't carry a pint up stairs for fear of spilling on someones head and not really convinient for wandering about for catching up with people between acts. The toilets had a funny smell.

That said I do like the look of the place, I liked the music and I liked the beer (although not the prices which were actually more expensive than Brewdog). I think I'd have preferred the whole night if I came early and got a good seat though

The toilets had a funny smell. - isn't this normal at musical gigs :) ?

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