Tag: Ruby Darbyshire

Dirt Roads, A Plastic Army, and a Ruby; Saturday Evenings in Devizes Still Rock!

A joint effort of Darren Worrow and Andy Fawthrop

Buses, huh? Last time I strolled to the dual carriageway to catch one it was four minutes early and didn’t hang around for listless fogies with an appetite for entertainment. I glumly watched it blur past from fifty yards down the lane. This time I hotfooted it, my ageing heart pushed to its limits, and the delayed bus left me standing there for fifteen minutes! Once in Devizes, although far from Broadway, options for quality music and drink still overpowers those of neighbouring market towns; something we should be proud of….  

Post vegan market and a craft fair at the Corn Exchange, as evening sets in The Pelican prepares for its beloved karaoke, a couple of hobos strum a ditty by the fountain, and the amazingly talented Adam Woodhouse arrives at The Three Crowns. Yet I must bypass such significant options, it’s over to Long Street Blues Club, because when Ruby Darbyshire is in town, there’s no compromise from me.

I give a nod to Joe Hicks, likely the best support act I’ve witnessed at Long Street to date, yet at seventeen-years old, Ruby Darbyshire, I believe may’ve topped it. Her first time at the legendary club, she practised two blues songs to play them, one by Beth Orton, another more classic, although by subject her own composition Insomnia could be perceived as blues, and her overwhelming vocals blessed the club with these and a sprinkling of popular covers.

There’s a double-whammy of congratulations to organisers of Long Street, councillor Ian Hopkins who this week became Mayor, and his now wife, Liz, for their marriage in the same week. We wish them many happy years together. But dilemma dawns for me; though keen to hear a group composed of legends Horace Panter, Steve Walwyn and Ted Duggan, by name alone it’s fair to suggest accolades as standard, whereas it’s the first time Swindon’s gypsy-folk Canute’s Plastic Army are in town. They’re down our trusty Southgate, and since hearing a handful of their most impressive singles, and our ethos of supporting local acts, I must depart the club with haste.

Much as I would love to pretend this was all part of careful planning, it wasn’t! Believing our fantastic regular reviewer and part of the furniture at Long Street, Andy Fawthrop was still on his holibobs, I endeavoured to stay as long as possible in order to give fair praise to The Dirt Road Band, when all the time he was hiding behind me! So, it gives us an opportunity to merge our words and be comprehensive about a typically great Saturday night in Devizes.

After Ruby did her thing, which never fails to leave me suspended in awe, I stayed for two songs from The Dirt Road Band. Ruby rinsed beautiful versions of Joni Mitchell’s Big Yellow Taxi, and Prince’s Nothing Compares 2U, as regulars in her set, yet again, it’s in jazz renditions such as Erroll Garner’s Misty and Nina Simone’s Feeling Good, where her sublime vocal range is let loose, is something to behold, and the very reason I’m here at the club. Crowds flock this shy prodigy during the interval with congratulations, clearly it’s not just me who thinks this. 

The Dirt Road Band came on all guns blazing, in an impressive electric blues-rock fashion. I favour my blues rootsy, though tip my hat for their aptness to the Club’s favoured mode. Here below, is Andy’s take on them; I salute plus thank him for his expert thoughts, as ever. 

A recently-formed modern (super-)group, consisting of gig stalwarts Horace Panter (The Specials) on guitar and vocals, Steve Walwyn (DR. Feelgood) on bass, and Ted Duggan (Badfinger) on drums, these guys had all been around the block a few times. They knew how to play, how to drive a set-list and how to work the audience. 

They took a couple of numbers to really get going, but once they hit their groove there was nothing stopping them. Playing a single ninety-minute set they ripped through both original material and a few great covers. It was rock, it was blues, it was boogie-woogie, and they shifted these styles around with seemingly no effort.

Keeping the audience to a chit-chat to a minimum, they frequently segued from one number to another. There were some great riffs on the new songs, and there was a definite Feelgood vibe going on at times. It was no-nonsense, professional stuff, highly enjoyable. A cheering, standing ovation was rewarded with Get Your Kicks on Route 66.  By comparison to Beaux Gris Gris’ near three-hour performance the other week, ninety minutes felt very short, but it was quality not quantity that was on offer here. Good gig, good value. Definitely a band worth checking out.

Eyes back on me, then; thanks Andy! Without cloning technology I missed this, hot footing it again, this time to the Southgate. Dirt Road Band originally asked to play here, landlady Deborah thought they’d be better suited to Long Street, and so we are blessed with the presence of Canute’s Plastic Army, I understand it’s their inaugural visit tour trusty answer to a Devizes’ O2, though the guitarist plays also with welcomed regulars S’GO.

Based upon both the Army part of their name, and the strength of a few singles I’ve heard from them, such as the incredible Wild, I was first surprised to see they were but a duo! Nevertheless, through Anish Harrison’s intense and consuming vocals and the intricate guitarwork of Neil Mercer, they build layers through loop pedals and sheer expertise, to produce the euphoric gothic folk one would expect a full band to have produced.

There were a few technical hiccups with the PA, yet through warts and all, the duo gifted us with an inspiring, beautifully accomplished and unique sound. Whimsically gliding like fairies in mist, ringing out choral from just one voice, or bittersweet, they were reciting influences in subject from folklore and mythical prehistory in breathtaking splendour. I changed my mind, they are indeed an army, armed with allegory and an elated passion to deliver it.   

It’s Anglo-Saxon, or Celtic Pagan, reverberations of times of yore, wrapped punk and pirate-like. At times I likened them to Strange Folk, at others The Horses of the Gods, but mostly it was individual expression, and that’s the icing on their cake worthy of our perusal.

And that’s a wrap with dirty roads, a plastic army, and a gemstone. Through unforgettable acoustic goodness to an exclusive gothic folk duo, via a legendary supergroup of blues, you have to award Devizes, we’re still punching above our weight when it comes to valid options for a great night of live music, and, sadly, I didn’t even get the opportunity to head over to The Three Crowns for Adam; cloning technology, see? Get to it scientists, now!

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Way to Start the Year; Bradford Roots Festival 2024

Hibernating since Christmas, now I feel like a turkey, making up for it, stuffing eighteen bands into eight hours, such is the beauty of Bradford Roots Festival…..

Impossible to provide detailed analysis of each with such a sizable quota, not without an essay-length review, and there’s the handful I missed. Suffice it to say, every act I witnessed at Bradford Roots Festival was top notch, and locally-sourced, just as we like it here on the De-viz-ine!

Over two years from 2019, our man Andy returned from the annual convention and reported back. I skipped through it and published. I need not doubt his words, dedicating my time writing something else. I wrongly assumed at the time, likely from its name, that the Bradford Roots Festival was a folk festival, rather “roots” I now believe refers geographically; it’s the music of the here and now. I discovered this for myself attending last year’s and unexpectedly hearing jazz and youthful grunge bands you wouldn’t usually hear at a folk festival!

Open any fire door to the wonderful Wiltshire Music Centre in Bradford-on-Avon, and there’s another surprise behind it. The festival is an annual indoor feast of music over four stages, fundraising for the Centre itself, their Zone Club, a musical group for disabled adults, and a chosen charity, this year’s being Parkinson’s support. I like to define it as a convention of local musicians rather than a festival, only because it’s all indoors and winter, but it doubles up as either. Either way you view it, it’s a brilliant event for all ages. For the elders there’s a bar and food options, for the youngest there’s craft rooms, workshops and naturally for a festival in January, ice cream!

You could also see it as a taster for the wealth of musical acts we have on this circuit; you’ll find them performing in our local venues. Some I’ve previously tried and tested, others were new to me, and some essential to check off my ever-growing must-see list.

The latter true of the first, gutted to have been too late for Daisy Chapman at the acoustic Gudeon stage, Jol Rose followed. He’s the Swindon-based Americana soloist I met at a Swindon Shuffle of yore and been meaning to catch perform. Like all others, he didn’t disappoint, despite only catching his finale. Here’s a prolific acoustic magician with the experience under his belt to engage an audience. An open mic hour followed at this stage.

If Jol, though, came as no surprise, Thieves did. My next venture to the Wild & Woolley stage where blues is the order by day, and youth gather for indie by the eve, Thieves were playing an acoustic harmony not unlike the Lost Trades, and hey presto, I’m standing next to the one only Phil Cooper, one third of said Trades! He’s compere for this stage, and will perform at the bar stage later. As Thieves progressed through a sublime set of bluegrass I likened it more to Concrete Prairie, and of similar quality. I’m staring at the frontman from a distance, thinking, by Jove, that’s Adam Woodhouse, who I know as a soloist with a penchant for rock n roll covers. This new outfit, Thieves, only formed in June and is barking up his alley, you’d imagine the four-piece to have done this all their life. Adam tells me they’re playing a Sunday at The Southgate, Devizes, in April, well worth your attention.

The festival breaks for its foyer tradition of Holt’s morris dancers and children’s parade, known as the Wassall, then Phil Cooper takes the Bar Stage, kicking off with his own Road Songs, finding time to superbly cover Goodbye Yellow Brick Road.

Such is diversity on offer, when it’s time for some jazz hey presto, again, I’ve finally made my way to the Main Stage for The Graham Dent Trio. Jazz pianist with a double-bass player and Nick Sorensen on sax, this is divine melodic invention, contemporary and unique, though I knew what I was letting myself in for, I saw them last year.  

Drag myself away, for Bristol Uni indie four-piece, LilyPetals. New to me, confident youngsters with funky basslines over the archetypal rock, big tick from me. And a tick off my must-see list, Be Like Will on the main stage, a varied strong female-fronted three-piece pub circuit band who used the festival to play through their originals rather than their usual covers to appease a pub audience, which, either way, they’d accomplish with bells on. The new tune finale was a definite article to how rousing this band can take an audience.

The showstopper though, and it’s a big show to stop, came from Ruby Darbyshire at the Gudgeon. An absolutely spellbinding performance left the crowd in awe as others mingled outside praying someone would leave to replace them; few did. Ruby’s stage presence has drastically improved in a relatively short space of time, her talent to adapt from acoustic folk to jazz scat need not. With just the right balance of originals and covers, she held us in awe, was the only artist to get an encore, and through Sinéad O’Connor, Dylan, Bob Marley and Springsteen covers she nailed them all and made them her own. Particularly poignant, Ella Fitzgerald’s Misty, simply, wow!

Beguiling building layers of goth-rock were sounding from the Wild & Woolley, though, as Bristol’s female-fronted Life in Mono took to the stage. Evanescence in shape, yet solely idiosyncratic, here’s a euphoric original band to look out for. With Life in Mono indulgently ticked off my must-see, a new one on me rocked the main stage, the steady gypsy-dad-folk of The Mighty Rooster, prior to ensuring I was at the Bar for the unmissable Chippenham folk singer-songwriter, Meg. A passionate and thoughtful young artist, Meg delivers in such a unique yet proficient way I deem it impossible for anyone not to love her.

Such is the tight schedule though, should I need waiver artists we’ve seen and featured before in favour of ones I’ve yet to catch live? Trowbridge soul artist extraordinaire, Frankisoul is due on the main stage; anticipation brewing from the crowd while the band frustrate themselves with minimal setup times, resulting in a few technical mishaps, would, in any other circumstances be somewhat off-putting, but, fact is Frankisoul is such a character, and such a vibrant and sublime soul vocalist, hiccups were easy to polish over, still, they came up smiling and were my second showstoppers of the festival.       

Cliché is putty in Frankisoul’s hands, if his only cover, Gloria Gaynor’s I Will Survive is so, and they rinsed their originals with gusto and stylish proficiency, even down to a moment of hilarity upon Frankisoul mimicking the coat stage gimmick of James Brown. It’s these originals which gravitated me towards them, reviewed here, I shivered apprehension comparing him to likes of Luther Vandross, particularly Otis Redding, and yeah, live there’s a hint of eighties soul, of Kool & the Gang, but now I know he can live up to these.

Meanwhile the wonderful Courting Ghosts were unplugged at the Bar Stage, with their amazing blend of folk-rock, and Melksham’s finest youth band The Sunnies rocked the Wild & Woolley. One I’ve been aching to catch, yet I didn’t catch enough of due to Frankisoul gluing me to my seat, if I liken The Sunnies to Devizes-own sensation, Nothing Rhymes With Orange, I think it’s fair to now state, The Sunnies angle slightly to more indie-pop, their originals tinged with a carefree and indeed, sunny-side-of-the-street feel; a blessing to watch, bloomin’ marvellous!

With lively function band the Corporations attracting those left standing to the main stage, crowds lessened at the Wild & Woolley, sadly just when the epic finale was due. Yeah, it’s Devizes’ Nothing Rhymes with Orange’s headliner; those in the know and a few curious punters stayed to observe our hometown’s fever as the boys pulled out their typical energetic and competent show. Evermore is their attraction spreading, with gigs lined up as far as Manchester now, NRWO, I’ll be banging on about their brilliance for a while yet it seems!

Conclude this now, Worrow, in some manner, you’re sounding boring! I Know, but, over a colossal word-count only teetering on covering all the happenings at Bradford Roots Festival, and only the one day of it too, I struggle to find anything to grumble about. What a way to start the year, Bradford Roots Festival is amazing, the shell, The Wiltshire Music Centre is a blessing to our county, the value for money is righteous, the atmosphere is equable and convivial, and long may it be so.

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Talk in Code are All In for New Single

Swindon indie pop virtuosos Talk in Code released their brand new single, All In, Yesterday, via Regent Street Records. And We. Love. Talk in Code…

Ruby Plays Glasgow’s Barrowlands with The Charlatans

How did you celebrate your seventeenth birthday? Did you pop up to Glasgow to accompany The Charlatans, on bagpipes, at the historic Barrowlands ballroom, and then have your latest single spun by Chris Hawkins on BBC Radio 6?!

Being honest, the memory of my seventeenth birthday is vague at best, but I’m pretty certain it wasn’t even in the same ballpark! A huge happy birthday, then, to our upcoming superstar Ruby Darbyshire, and an even huger “wowzers;” although this is amazing news, it’s fully deserved in my humble opinion. In what she dubbed her “biggest gig yet,” on social media, last weekend was a huge success, playing with The Charlatans at Barrowlands.

Ruby now lives on a narrowboat on the Kennet and Avon Canal near Bath with proud dad, Brian, who happened to call me with this astounding news last week. Exploding in exhilaration, he then told me I would have to wait to publish it. I think he just wanted to relay the story to someone, to best contain his understandable excitement!

Previously from Dumfries, Ruby used to busk in Buchanan Street, Glasgow, on many Saturdays, playing guitar and singing, where she raised thousands of pounds for Save the Children. Taken under the wing of the wonderful Pipe Major Jim McConnechie in Dumfries at the age of eight, while Ruby loves playing traditional music, for Remembrance Day, Burns suppers and other fitting occasions, she’s also known for using the pipes for rock music.

Homeschooled, Ruby now studies music at Bath College, and has become an accomplished multi-instrumentalist, singer-songwriter and Highland bagpiper. You may well have seen her busking in the Brittox of Devizes, and various other local locations. Particularly memorable in town, was her impromptu appearance with Wayne Cherry on his one-hundred hours of Remembrance fundraiser. You may have been lucky enough to see her play live locally, after listening to and reviewing her debut EP, Don’t Give Up Now, We’re Nearly There, I made it top priority to attend her next gig, supporting Amelia Coburn, with Meg, at Trowbridge’s Pump.

On the couple of occasions I’ve had the honour to meet Ruby she remains modest about the attention, but if she doesn’t like to blow her own, erm, bagpipes, journalist for the Times, Nick Fraser reviewed the Charlatans’ gig, stating her guest appearance as the “most startling moment” of the event. 

Her forthcoming single “Caller Unknown” was made possible by the support of Tim Burgess of The Charlatans who spotted Ruby at Kendal Calling Festival, and through his new charitable initiative, Help Us Help Bands, Ruby won a recording session at the Cheese & Grain’s Bert Jansch Studio in Frome. I, for one, can’t wait to hear the latest song, once I’ve gotten over how simply fantastic this is for our locally-based artist; I’ve gone all goosebumpily! Well done Ruby, we are rooting for you.

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Clapping Out of Time at The Pump, with Amelia Coburn, Ruby Darbyshire and M3G in support!

Escaping the Vizes for a second week on the trot, I found myself back down Trowbridge’s lovable Pump, but if last week it was all comedy hip hop, kazumpet and washtub bass, tonight was going to be a smidgen more serious….

Understandably concerned I’m going to be part of the furniture at Wiltshire’s finest alternative music venue, they welcomed this silly old chap anyway, a silly chap with a local event calendar who still managed to get their dates mixed up! Thankfully it was Ruby, the girl who today would set proceedings off by making a grand entrance with bagpipes, who corrected my senior moment and told me last week that this gig was next week, being this week, when I thought it was next week this week, and now I’m confused again; pass me my meds!

Whatever date it fell on I had enthusiastically bookmarked this gig, on the strength of the support acts alone. Anything else would be a bonus ball, and indeed was, a boulder-sized bonus ball the like to make Indiana Jones peg it. But to start at the beginning, upon meeting Ruby Darbyshire and dad, Brian, at Soup Chick, I fondly reviewed her EP, making it impossible not to want to hear her perform live. Though, yes, she came in all bagpipes blazing, something you may have recently caught her playing in Devizes Brittox supporting Wayne Cherry on his 100 Hours of Remembrance, she swapped to guitar on the stage, promising something completely different, and proving she’s no one trick pony. 

And it was a fantastic all-female acoustic showdown. To have a blasting six-piece cover band behind you is one thing, but stripped back to you alone, offloading your woes and ponderings, on a stage with just a string instrument, takes paramount talent and a whole sack of courage. In this, young Ruby seemed understandably nervy, apologised for a cold, then pulled out the most expressive and wonderful set of originals, the like of which could warm up emperor penguins during their incubation chore! 

Starting off with her own song, a personification of the Pandora’s Box idiom, which I summarised thus in the ep review, “nails the process of a labyrinthine of issues once pursued generates greater problems, and it’s conveyed sublimely,” Ruby talked passionately about her thought process and journey, including her winning recording time at the Cheese & Grain via the Kendal Calling festival and paid homage to Justin Hayward. A few more fabulous originals followed, with a spell-binding tribute to Sinéad O’Connor, a Hozier cover and encore of The Cranberries’ Zombie. If you consider the latter to be a cliche choice, reconsider upon me explaining, Ruby played it on Scottish smallpipes while her dad   accompanied her on guitar.    

With every right to repeat myself, when I said last week, “where the common venue prioritises profit and aims to attract and appease with a renowned name, The Pump will be the one introducing you to the next name, supporting the local circuit, ensuring your entertainment is affordable, and to pay it a visit is to be a human participant to the experience, rather than herded cattle,” is not only an age thing, but perhaps a statement more apt this week than last. For if Ruby is an upcoming must-see local musician, M3G followed her and again the same rule applies.

My daughter proved the apple doesn’t fall far from the tree when she interviewed Meg, and I caught her once before performing at The Neeld. Though Chippenham based, she appeared more at home at the Pump; Kieran and his team ensure the supportive ethos to rising stars, as do the crowd. It is perfect for this kind of occasion, a trio of wonderful acoustic folk performers. Meg delivered with passion, in her unique way, her set of original songs, and it is ever something engaging. She introduced her newest song, Reader, and you could’ve heard a pin drop during breaks as she held the audience in awe. Her songs are often dejected in prose, the contemplation of coming of age, dealing with autism or relationships, yet her commanding, confident vocals are idiosyncratically beautiful, solitary and distinctive.

If both Ruby and Meg were a pleasure to listen to and the reasons I was here at The Pump, knowing this was enough for me, the headline, Amelia Coburn, I had deliberately refrained from researching. I used to do this at record fairs, randomly buy an album, and go in blind. Kieran’s recommendation is plentiful, and has never failed me yet. Pleasantly unsurpised, solo with just an arrangement of ukuleles, Amelia was knockout entertainment.

A prolific Middlesbrough artist, Amelia had visited The Pump before and understandably gained a returning audience, some of whom wished to drop the bombshell to me, confirming how wonderful she was. But through songs of exceptionally crafted and imaginative sunny-side-of-the-street narrative, her ability for stage banter and audience participation was second to none. For example, upon requesting secrecy for her unreleased song, Seesaw, that no one filmed it, over the stage lights she spotted a phone waving and called them up on it mid-song, only to realise it was her own manager!  

But perhaps the funniest moment was her recollection of her last performance at the Pump, when she encouraged the audience to clap along, and had to kindly ask one out of time and distracting chap to stop! You cannot write a coincidental punchline like the notion the same chap was sitting in front this time too, and despite her light-hearted warning, again clapped out of time, to again futilely attempt to continue without giggling. But herein was the delight of this performance, her carefree and optimistic mannerisms within her improv stage presence and nature of her songs are a blessing, comparable to a stereotypically folk singer’s sombre tenet. Encouraging the audience to sing along to a song about her being nacho cheese should the doctor tell her you are what you eat, is one of many zany examples!

But Amelia is creatively inventive when serious too, wonderful originals, Nodding Dog, Perfect Storm on a stick dulcimer, and a whimsical tribute to Harry Nilsson, was polished off with an outstanding encore of Bowie’s Life on Mars. With dashes of Americana, bluegrass, and particularly Irish folk, it’s predominantly lovable English folk, spiced with Midland banter, but it’s confidently delivered and highly entertaining.

Another satisfying experience at The Pump, Trowbridge has never had it so good.

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Lady Nade at Devizes Arts Festival

If the opening Friday evening of Devizes Arts Festival was amazing for lively pirate-punk craziness, Saturday night was too for precisely opposite reasons. Bristol’s soulstress…

LilyPetals Debut EP

One of many young indie bands which impressed me at Bradford Roots Festival, and proof there’s more than the name suggests at The Wiltshire Music…

Courting Ghosts Debut Album: Falling My Friend

Images used with kind permission of Pacific Curd Photography West Wilts and Somerset folk-rock collective Courting Ghosts are about to release their debut album, Falling…

Don’t Give Up Now, Ruby Darbyshire

As discoveries of young local talent never seem to wane here at Devizine, here’s one with a difference, we’ve not featured yet; you may have seen Ruby Darbyshire busking a showstopper with bagpipes, but it’s far from the limits of this girl’s mind-blowing talent….

Her live studio recording is a four track EP, acoustic folk originals, titled Don’t Give Up Now, We’re Nearly There, and it’s something you simply MUST listen to, I order you to! My benchmark for a great writer is imagining myself at the same age merely attempting to scribe something on par, the conclusion being the profoundness and emotive expression of Ruby here crosses the winning line while I’m not even off the starting block, and me, with bagpipes, don’t even contemplate it!

Using a comfort blanket as a metaphor, a pensive ditty called Insomnia opens, the title explaining the lucid theme, first person prose reflection on growing up and fatigue. The EP ends with the struggle for self-control customarily portrayed as the devil on one shoulder, angel on the other, but perhaps questioning her impulsive behaviour moreso. Devil Doesn’t Want This leaves you aching for more, it’s edgy and darker than the two relationship subjects between them.

Pandora is perhaps the deepest dimensionally, a personification of the Pandora’s Box idiom, Ruby nails the process of a labyrinthine of issues once pursued generates greater problems, and it’s conveyed sublimely. Don’t Want to Hear You Cry is less abstract, but equal in emotive, matured outpouring. In summary of the whole EP, it’s a beautiful thing, sublime. 

Echoes of Opportunity Knocks winner and Paul McCartney’s first venture into production, Mary Hopkins in her delivery, Ruby bears all the hallmarks of a classic female folk singer, of Holly Near, vocally, of Joni Mitchell in calibre and of Dar Williams in emotive outpouring, akin locally to the rapturous Daisy Chapman.

Often seen busking or at open mics with her dad, Brian, it’s clear Ruby’s music evolved from a musical family at a tender age, a prodigy flourished, to hear the results is blissful. Gig dates can be found on her website, here. She’s at the George in Lacock on Wednesday evening (6th Sept.)

Ruby supports Amelia Coburn at the Pump on Saturday 14th October, with Meg, she writes to tell me she “just heard yesterday that I’m on stage at the Bradford Roots Festival in January,” and goes onto explain Tim Burgess from the Charlatans, organiser of the Kendal Calling festival asked to return next year, donating her a day’s recording at the Cheese and Grain, with musicians and Freddie Cowan from the Vaccines as producer. Full-gone conclusion, in my opinion, Ruby’s music will grow into a phenomenon, and you need to hear it blossoming.

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