Amy DX/Hymns for Horses/New Age Grace

AMY DX/HYMNS TO HORSES/NEW AGE GRACE

Firebug 20th March 2026

What a terrific night of music last night at Firebug... 3 quality bands each playing at the peak of their game... an absolute joy to be there.

First up was New Age Grace, but with a difference as this was an acoustic performance by just two of the band, Amy and Kenny... and they were outstanding.

Kenny playing great acoustic guitar, driving and strong, perfectly matching the mood of the songs and Amy singing superbly... the extra space left by the lack of the rest of the band gave full scope to show what a great singer she is... singing with power and passion throughout... and bringing out the sheer quality of the songs.

They concentrated on their original material, with one cover which i didn't know anyway!!... and what great songs they are!

Absolutely great performance setting a really high bar for the remaining bands... absolute quality.

Following were HYMNS FOR HORSES, a very different band, they describe the music as grunge folk, a mix of modern acoustic folk and grunge... and very good it is. At times they reminded me of Jethro Tull, but this is a totally original band delivering high quality songs in their unique way... led by acoustic guitar and vocals, supported by cohan and electric lead guitar... three high quality musicians delivering their superb set with passion and assurance. The music ranges from delicate to powerful and is at all times exciting and high quality... another really great set by a really great band

Headlining the evening, after an absence of several months, was Amy Dx and it was wonderful to see Amy and the band back and in blistering form.

Amy is at the front playing keyoard and singing with more power and assurance than ever... her superb voice filling the room while the band add masterful accompaniement on guitar, bass and drums.. always driving along, but always in total empathy with Amy's superb vocals.

Half way through the set Amy discarded the keyboard to deliver an absolutely masterful performance of the only cover of the set, Doris Day's "Que Sera Sera", which she said she had sung in a choir as a youngster... and it was a real powerhouse of a performance.

The band delivered a mix of familiar Amy favourites, starting with a superb "Parasite" (a recent single) which set such a high standard for the set... and some new material. The standard never faltered as Amy continued to give every ounce of passion in every song.

A slight surprise was in the middle of the set we had her first ever politically motivated song, written out of anger at the state of the world... a poweerful song with Amy almost bursting with passion as she delivered it.

An absolutely magnificent set, perhaps the best i have ever seen her play, by a superb artist with a superb band

Absolutely wonderful gig... to repeat.. three great bands playing at the peak of their powers... superb evening

Keep music live... keep music real... support your local venue 

Sally Barker/Martin Ansell

SALLY BARKER & MARTIN ANSELL

IMV 15th March 2026

What a simply wonderful way to spend a grey Sunday afternoon... sitting in the The International Music Venue to see Sally Barker and Martin Ansell singing the songs of Sandy Denny and Nick Drake respectively. This was the first performance by the duo in this show. The two are good friends and sat on stage taking it in turns to sing, chatting & reminiscing between songs

Martin opened up proceedings after the introductions and it didnt take many seconds to realise what a fine guitarist and singer he is, not trying to be Nick, but capturing the essence of his beautiful songs perfectly. I was also delighted that he didnt attempt to emulate Nick's live performances (he was dreadful live!!) but sang and played with warmth and assurance throughout...

Sally was next with a Sandy song... i think we all know what a beautiful voice she has and how beautifully Sandy's songs suit her... as always a sublime performance....

From there on the focus fell on the two alternately as they delivered classic after classic... i was especially happy to hear Sally include "Fotheringay" early on... one of my very favourite songs...

Both artists dipped into their own song repertoire, Martin playing a simply beautiful piece for and about his 101 year old father, while Sally sang a lighter nostalgic song about a red telephone box

I'm not as well up on Nick's songs as I was but Martin included the three I know best... "Man in the Shed", "Time Has Told Me" and "Pink Moon" while Sally continued with among others " Listen Listen", "the Sea", "Mais si tu dois partir" and the sublime "Who Knows Where the Time Goes"

Impossible to pick out highlights... every song was a classic and beautifully performed by two superb musicians and singers

An absolutely beautiful concert, an absolute joy to be there

Lets hope the pair continue with this format and come and play again... and again... loved every single moment

Keep music live... keep music real... support your local venues

Wild Daisy & the Blackhearts/The Red Line

WILD DAISY & THE BLACKHEARTS/THE RED LINE

Metyl Monocle 14th March 2026

Out at The Metal Monocle last night, a great little venue, for some rock'n'roll... and a great night it was... great music and catching up with some great friends

Opening up was a new band, theredline. it's great to see new young bands getting up and playing at the start of their journey, and these guys have real potential... solid bass and drums underpinning two fine guitar players and a very assured vocalist...

Basically a rock band, they started off well and I really enjoyed the first part of their show, however, maybe in deference to the venue being the Metal Monocle they then strayed into heavy metal, which is not a genre I am fond of, so sadly I didn't enjoy that part of their set... and that reflects on my personal taste rather than the bands ability.

They have stacks of musical ability, the one thing they lack is experience... i felt they need to think about their between songs presentation, but that will develop as they gain experience.

Enjoyed the first part of their set, but not the later part... but these lads have ability and great potential... would like to see them again a few more gigs down the road.

Headlining were the great Wild Daisy & The Black Hearts ... a great southern rock band who simply get better and better every time you see them... and again they delivered a superb performance.

Powered by superb bass and drums the twin lead guitars of Dan and Joe blend beautifully and catch fire from the first chord... also good to note that Dan uses a glass slide!!... and they add an extra dimension when Joe switches to lap steel for a few pieces.

Up front of course is the charismatic Wild Daisy (Hannah) who is a real class rock singer and focal point for the band. Her song introductions can be a tad quiet, but when she sings, the voice is strong clear and true belting out a raft of great songs... she really is a great performer!

The material is strong and the performance of the band always powerful and absorbing... and last night was no exception... another superb performance by a really high class band... loved every moment of their set

Keep music live... keep music real... support your local venue

My Darling Clementine

MY DARLING CLEMENTINE

IMV 11th March 2026

Lovely night at the The International Music Venue last night with the excellent My Darling Clementine... two great voices, whether singing solo or voices blending perfectly together, acoustic guitar and keyboard, with a couple of delicate bursts of harmonica... just shows that's all you need to make great enduring music and deliver a superb concert!

I believe the original plan was to do a retrospective of My Darling Clementine's albums in the first half and some material from their new and forthcoming solo projects plus a couple by favourite writers in the second half... it didnt quite go that way, but not far off!!

They opened with what they described as their only love song... and i was sold!...

They alternated between lead singer, sang some songs taking a verse each and also singing together... and each combination worked elegantly.

i believe both write and the songs are all of the highest calibre and hugely enjoyable.

Towards the end of the first set Michael played one of his solo project songs and Lou ended with her reworking of "Jolene" from the point of view of Jolene... it worked so well!!

The second half started with a couple of country songes by Elvis Costello.. and up to this point the mood and feel had been light, warm and rather lovely...

Midway through the second half the mood took on a more sombre feel as Lou spoke of their tragedy a couple of years ago when their grand-daughter was lost in the incident in Southport... and she sang her song "Angel" for BB... this song was beautiful, poignant and painful... and Lou delivered it with passion, clearly feeling every painful nuance... unusually for any gig these days there was not a sound anywhere in the room apart from Lou's voice and keyboard... immensely powerful and moving performance. She had said it was difficult to sing, it was clear just why... Michael followed with a reworking of Springsteens "For You" which fitted into this segment before Lou played a second piece describing how they heard the news of their loss... equally riveting and moving...

After this they switched back to the more familiar My Darling Clementine material with a few more lighter songs, including an answer to Tammy Wynette's "Stand by your Man" offering exactly the opposite advice. They ended the show with a couple of upbeat pieces and then were gone...

Lovely voices, great musicianship, great songs, delightful couple they took us through every emotion - joy, fun and deep sorrow in their terrific show... would love to see them again... soon!!

keep music live... keep music real... support your local venues