By rights Jess Roberts shouldnt posses this voice. How can a white girl from Sunderland sing with such raw emotion? The simple answer is Soul. If class is a state of mind, Soul is an emotion, an attitude to life, something which can never be learnt or indoctrinated, it comes from the heart then up through the throat. Jess takes her influence from lineage of strong, independent female vocalists, think Janis Joplin transforming 'Take another little piece of my heart' from a plea into a demand, Dusty Springfield belting out 'You really got a hold on me' yet she is far from the production line plastic imitations of today's charts. Whether ripping up northern soul with Smoove, funking with Monty Casino or performing intimate acoustic songs with Freakflag, you can be sure Jess means every word.
PHOENIX WILLIAMS
ON STAGE: TBC
Since the release of Phoenix Williams three track EP in September, her emotionally charged acoustic rock has captured the imagination of all who have listened to her making her recently released album Wait And See… one of the most eagerly anticipated by a female artist in years. Highlights in Phoenix Williams career so far include:
-Invited by the BBC to perform on their stage at this years Great Escape Festival in Brighton
-Invited to play at this years Pride Festival in Brighton in August
-Live acoustic set and interview on BBC Southern Counties broadcast to over 250,000 people
-30 minute interview and acoustic set on local Brighton radio station Radio Reverb
-A-Listed and interviewed on a number of radio stations across the world
-Material included on feature films
Further information on Phoenix Williams can be found on her website www.myspace.com/phoenixwilliams
HAMISH MEANEY
ON STAGE: TBC
Hello, these are songs off my record Iggdrasil. I recorded ‘Iggdrasil’ in my parents front room, on an old eight track. I wanted to create something uniquely mine, using instruments i had lying around, like a buddhist prayer bowl, simple percussion and the old piano, thus elevating my guitar driven roots music. I arrived at the sound and style after playing live around London over the course of a year, and experimenting with different production techniques. I feel that Iggdrasil really reflects on my live performance, while expanding the songs sonically. iggdrasil is the world tree of north western european folk lore. Omnipresent and immortal, it binds everything together.
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22 March (Monday)+Jess Roberts+Phoenix Williams+Hamish Meaney
