Midlake at the Junction

Drinks: On Friday night an old Essex band called Dr. Feelgood played at the Junction in Cambridge. They bill themselves as "Britain's finest rhythm and blues band" and they really were quite big in the mid 70s, playing 'Whistle Test and Top of Pops, so you can imagine they have a middle aged male fan-base. They drank the bar dry of beer and then set upon the Murphy's Irish stout.

Menu: And so to the following Wednesday when when Midlake played at the same venue. They are a much more current band from Texas (think of beards, long hair and loggers shirts) so I would predict a younger audience, perhaps even some women?

Wrong! The audience was almost all male and mostly middle aged and they wanted beer! Despite the intervening days, the bar manager had not stocked up, probably expecting a younger crowd who drink very little, perhaps preferring to use substances other than alcohol.

Starters: When the Murphy's ran out there could have been a riot, but by then we were packed in, like knights at Bosworth Field; unable to fall over, even when slain. It was only 8 pm but the first support act was nearly ending. I just caught some nice flat-picked acoustic Martin guitar and a voice like Neil Young in mid-career. This turned out to be Jason Lytle, the front-man from Grandaddy, also from Texas. I wish I had heard more.


The second support act was (Texan) John Grant, who's song "I want to go to Mars" is doing pretty well at the moment. It's possible he's achieved his goal, but doubtful. He has been to Camden Town though, which is pretty close. Think of a chunky Rufus Wainwright doing Elton John songs. 'Sort of gay-bar piano ballads, but carried out with panache. He has a great voice, but must be the laziest lyricist in history, outside of rap. We have the double album, and I really like about 4 songs off it.


Main course: I would guess that most of us were there for Midlake. I first heard them on a sampler that comes free each month with Word Magazine. I went out and bought their album "The Trials of Van Occupanther" as a result. The second time was on a later sampler and I went and bought "The Courage of Others" too. I also bought an earlier offering called "Bamnan and Silvercork" for only a fiver, so you can call me a fan. They are hard to define except by their influences. 'Van Occupanther sounds like Fleetwood Mac with David Byrne from Talking Heads at the helm, while the previous album owes a lot to the Fairports when they became Fotheringay. Tim Smith, who does most of thee writing owns up to a huge Jethro Tull influence. To back this up, the music on the PA between acts included Steeleye Span, Sandy Denny and the Incredible String Band. It's exactly the sound that I wanted to achieve at College in 1970. They have two flutes, recorder, bass, drums, two acoustic guitars, two electric guitars, keyboards and great vocal harmonies. This almost overblown band has taken the noodlings of two hobbits and made them epic. You must check them out on the web.


Incidentally, they recently won the Mojo Awards best live band category, so it's not just me.

Mostly, I find recent bands through my son Nick who is a musician. He's my guide through all this Alt Folk and weird stuff, but this band seem to have found a middle-aged fan base but missed out on the young-uns.

They performed a long, seamless, almost perfect set (Tim Smith briefly forgot the words to "There might be giants" ). I was singing along to everything , pretty much covering all the tracks from their two recent albums. My attention only drifted away a bit during a couple of long guitar shredding solos, which I would have loved thirty years ago.

Desert: Of course we all wanted more, and there were encores, and they were a real treat. As well as saving a couple of their best tracks for last, the band called up both of the support acts and backed them for one song each. They all go back a long way as friends so playing each other's stuff was in their blood. Midlake backed John Grant on his recent double album and they did an equally fine job of supporting him live.

The Grandaddy song "A.M. 180" sounded better live than in the versions I have heard. It was featured during a sequence in the film "28 Days Later" and is also used as the theme for the BBC4 series "Charlie Brooker's Screenwipe" and on Radio 1 to promote another programme. It is often used for adverts in the USA, which we don't seee over here.

So we left refreshed but not deafened and still playing the CDs on the way home. I don't rave about many new bands. Midlake is special. Check this one out.