James Walsh (Starsailor) @ the Wedgewood Rooms & The Troubadour

It's always an absolute pleasure playing the Wedgewood Rooms in Portsmouth. There's so much history in the place that has formulated my musical life and has influenced, shaped and guided many a musician and music fan for many years. So after a while having not graced that halo'd stage I was very excited to be playing with James whom has also influenced me in past years with his band Starsailor. Particularly the John Leckie and Phil Spector produced 2nd album 'Silence is easy'. 

People turned up early and I could tell the crowd were going to be vibey and receptive as the room buzzed with that electricity that many a musician looks out for before they go onstage. 

My set was mixed with new songs and old but a full and playful crowd helped me relax and get into a groove from which I thoroughly enjoyed. 

You can't write this kind of crowd interaction, when it goes right and people are interacting and bantering back. It makes for a much better experience all round and personally for me I always play better when the crowd are engaged and they feel relaxed enough to enter into the spirit of what I am doing. Some would say that's my job to create that..it often depends on many factors because by the nature of the musical limitations of solo artists you don't take people's heads off volume wise, so a lot depends on a fragile balance of you and them. The real stars of the night were the crowd themselves. James came on with a fantastic set of his new solo material mixed with some Starsailor classics and it was a pleasure to meet him. He gave me some great comments from the stage and completed a great gig for me.

Next up was The Troubadour in Earls Court London. It's another Titan in the formation of the bohemian folk scene in the 60s with many songwriters passing through including some bloke called Bob Dylan. It's a beautiful place as I've said before and even though the night was rather thin on attendance, it's always a pleasure to people watch Londons more refined characters live in a way only people with money can. 

Photo by Aaron Bennett Photography

Stay Safe

Andy xx

Mostly listening to

Damon Albarn - Everyday Robots

BBC Bristol & Chris Helme

A modest but attentive crowd gathered to watch Chris Helme (Seahorses) and myself at The Cellars at Eastney. I've had the pleasure of playing together with Chris a number of times and he never fails to impress with his fantastic song-writing, honest and cheeky demeanour. His performance, if it was possible has grown to be a real lesson in what one man and guitar can do, its a pleasure to watch. It was relaxed in the venue which allowed us to talk more with anecdotes about the Seahorses, touring experiences, and where our songs come from. Always a pleasure to see him.

Chris Helme Website, Click here

My BBC Radio Bristol experience was professional and slick which I've come to expect from them. Laura Rawlings and her crew were very hospitable which makes for a relaxing vibe in which to perform live on radio which can always be a nerve-racking experience. After a discussion on the trials of being a solo performer, a live rendition of 'Heartbeats', and my up coming album 'Science & Magic', I ventured out into the graffiti covered streets of 'Stokes Croft' in Bristol.

Stay Safe

Andy xx

NEXT GIG: 

I will be supporting JAMES WALSH (Starsailor) at the Portsmouth Wedgewood Rooms on April 16th 2014. Please contact me at andrewfostermusic@gmail.com for reduced tickets. :-)

What Definitely Maybe means to me...20 year Anniversary

I could elaborate on the music and more specifically the album itself.. the ferocious introduction, the life affirming melodies, the raw production, the psychedelic world it creates, the power in a simple lyrical phrase, but we all know it already. Like any classic album it's woven into the fabric of the musical timeline like the recent discovery of space time waves.

Definitely Maybe is the catalyst for millions of people to turn their ears to popular music and many people try to deny its reach, scope, and influence but it is in everything you hear when a band pick up the classic arrangement of guitars, drums and vocals. You can't shake it because it is a right of passage piece of work. Like the many classic albums before that the album took its influences from, it has become a reference point standing like a titan of early 90s popular culture and everything before it, and it's resonance still holds power and grace today.

Whether you liked the band or not so many of your brothers, sisters, friends, other bands you have met or are fans of, have started playing guitar because of this record. Yes it spawned many inferior copies or just plain lazy songwriting from a million other bands, but it also created genius and inspired future generations of musicians to even bother restringing the old beaten up acoustic that no one ever knew why was in the loft.

Much talk of its class and social comment have led to an 'us and them' style debate over the years with Oasis being the voice of the working class. It is arguably hard to escape this.... I was a normal kid with a good upbringing, Mum's during the week, Dad's during the weekends.. I never wanted for much and I was looked after well... but we were working class, my friends were and my schools were, I spent every night out with friends prowling the streets and I felt like most teenagers, the need to express myself. The album tapped into something that kids like me identified with, a slight grittiness, a truth, melon-collie, aggression, the need to escape but delivered in an aggressive life affirming manner. The fundamental message in definitely maybe to me is hope. Grunge although is another massive influence to me was always far too self absorbed and contained too much self loathing to ever fully embrace. I wanted something that celebrated life because I like being alive and I love those moments that make you feel alive. That's what Oasis did for me.

Something that shouldn't be overlooked is the window of music Oasis opened up for so many people. Oasis fans are often condemned as being narrow minded and devout followers of just the Gallagher's and their friends, but this is just not so for so many music lovers like myself. Oasis opened the door to Bowie, The Beatles, TRex, the Stone Roses, the Velvet Underground, Neil Young and to even being interested in rock & roll..period. From this benchmark I went on to love a huge wide range of sonic art that had nothing to do with my indie roots or Oasis. Dance, jazz, blues, psychedelia, heavy rock, even a touch of world music yes...world music! Noel's collaborations only further cemented the impact of the bands endeavours with Knebworth being the epicentre of the British music scene with bands like Cornershop, The Prodigy, and the Chemical Brothers being linked to the band at the time opening more doors to open minded discovery of new edgy pop music.

Before the age of the internet and the constant 'big brother' style window into media and bands lives, the myth was still intact. Fans would have to wait for articles and live performances on the TV to get a glimpse of their heroes. Magazines like NME, melody maker, Q, Raw, Select, Uncut, were collected and poured through. Studying there every move I obsessed about everything....the artwork, magazine articles, newspaper stories, live TV performances, what clothes they wore. Even down to the strings they used, the guitars they played, what amps they used. For me it was a life choice, a sense of belonging and a Narnia of possibilities within the world of music was opened because of it.

I was the perfect age when Definitely Maybe came out. I loved the melodic sensibilities of pop, the power of grunge/punk, and a band had fused these two elements together to form a life affirming celebration of being alive, ready to take on the world with a soundtrack to shadow your every move.

The creams and greens of the artwork, the perfect earthy everyman feel, but with a slight psychedelic distortion. The inside photos were classically shot, reminiscent of The Beatles and late 60s album shoots. Simple, iconic, perfect.

I am a songwriter and performer now and I have this album to thank for this sharp turn in my teens. I was going to be a computer programmer...I was going to code games, software, applications and make money this way in a easy structured life of Volvos and coffee percolators. Then I realised there was a whole world of expression, creation, a voice for all this confusion and static in my head. I would take 100 years struggle playing to 2 people in a pub, than a lifetime of dull drudgery.
The band changed my life and definitely maybe will always be a pillar, a milestone if you will, to when I found what I love doing with my life. Making, performing, and listening to music.

Definitely Maybe fuelled the fire in millions, to me and many others it's existence omnipotent. 

Stay Safe

Andy xx

Listening to 'Columbia'

Bands Of The Year 2013

Hi All.....
That time of year again! and we all seem to love a Hornby inspired list of everything!!
This is just a snippet of the things that have inspired and enamored me this year :-)

OUTFIT:
Outfit were a find from the Lauren Lavern Podcast which I enjoy every week. After listening to the interview of the band who came across as graceful and intelligent I decided to check them out on Spotify. Its become one of my favorite albums. Its a bizarre genre'less record spanning over psychedelia, to dream-pop with everything in between. Its at times melancholic but there's also something quite life affirming to it. The perfect soundtrack to walking through an urban environment. Listen whilst walking through a city and you'll understand what I mean.



MARIKA HACKMAN:
A pleasant surprise this song, a real testament to the fact one women/man and guitar can.. if done correctly.. stop time for its duration. Beautiful, and slightly creepy like the Metz advert from the 90's....



PUBLIC SERVICE BROADCASTING:
Genius atmospheres created using old tapes from WW2 a fantastic idea, like lemon jelly on steroids.



DAVID BOWIE:
He surprised as all didn't he! What a legend of publicity but with the album to prove the hype. This record consumed me this year and it was at the height of my Bowie obsession as well....I nearly wet myself with excitement. What a classy beautiful way to come back as well...not with rock posture but with a reflecting melancholic, sonic landscape with a life affirming end that always brings a tear to my eye...
"As long as there's me....as long as there's you!"
Weird and wonderful Bowie back with grace putting the art back in pop.



MATT CORBY:
A fantastic EP from start to finish really illustrating this mans versatile vocal, songwriting and diversity. A whole range of emotions scale the Resolution EP... the songwriters EP choice of the year.



JON HOPKINS:
I always knew him as "that guy who added all the weird atmosphere to Xylo Myloto". Turns out hes an expensive, intense, cinematic, intelligent, dramatic genius of atmospheric electronic music!



JOHNNY MARR:
I've always loved Marrs guitar work but never fallen completely in love with his solo work, and it wasn't after hearing the single which didnt grab me... but more getting a copy of the album that I realised this album has some fantastic songwriting and has crept into my conscious and woven its way into my brain. The album spans his career and really is a celebration of the Fender Jaguar...in fact this album should come with every sale of Fender Jags...A great comeback made even better whilst watching him at the Wedgewood Rooms.



HYPNOTIC EYE:
A sexy 60's front-women, fantastic psychedelic pop style production, great tunes and fantastic guitar sounds...get on it! Shocking Blue for the new age... whats not to like!



DAFT PUNK:
I was as excited as any other this year as the wait for this album reminded me of pop music in the 90's when people actually used to get excited as an album was going to be released....remember that?! Anyway it wasn't quite the perfect comeback, there was a few clangers, possibly the most annoying hook in 'lose yourself to dance' in "come on! come on! come on!" for 2 mins....and although 'Get Lucky' was a pop masterpiece it slightly grated with its cheesy nod to sex...which was a shame... it didn't need that as it was 70s disco perfection. What it did have though was a half album of absolute genius, exploring genres, production, and ideas far better than bands that are scared of the charts and claiming to be experimental. This was exciting pop music again. Someone asked me recently that the album sounds different from everything else....you know what it is?.....its live!!! Live recorded music actually sounds vital again on record and Daft Punk record live... even their synths. Listen to the Drum-kit sound at the end of this record below....there's more urgency in that then most of the bloggers lists this year!



MANSIONS ON THE MOON:
I've been raving about this band on twitter all year and the year before.. and now they are just starting to come out of the "best kept secret" stage. The production has influenced me a lot on my own record coming out next year... the songs are exciting, spacey and with a slight tinge of fantasy sparkle which sends you of into M83 territory but sits the right side of accessible pop melody. Music to lose yourself to.


KASSASSIN STREET:
Kassassin have had a great year and deservedly so, the second gig they did at this years Southsea Fest was a real "I was there" moment. I adore this band and have made no secret of it, telling everyone who will listen about them and supporting them in any way I can. Its intelligent, colorful, urgent, and fresh and I suspect good things next year. Good people, good friends, and I respect them immensely.



FOALS:
I was never a fan of Foals, and mainly because as soon as any hipster scene starts creating a buzz I shy away or join later when the fuss dies down. I kind of had them in the same boat of the Vaccines which was naive of me. Like the Maccabees before them this second album was really rather clever and was a wide expansive exploration of sonic territory and some truly inspiring delay guitar-work.



Let me know your thoughts, I like to hear what people are listening to :-)

I'll have a new album next year which I think is my best work, stay in touch and please join me for the gigs and music. Have a fantastic Xmas and if you don't like it...lighten up! Have a day off! enjoy the magic :-)

Stay Safe
Andy
xx

PS....best film? Gravity!!! What a ride that was!!!!

Best thing in the year ever?
Doctor Who 50th in 3D.....yep yep.....incredible ;-)

Oh and best tea? Earl Grey.....standard......

Gig Diary 5 - The Bedford - The Abbey Tavern - Dublin Castle

The Bedford was the first of three London dates running back to back, and it's a pleasure to play. I've said much about it over the years and hold it close as my favorite London venue for my music. Tonight's gig was five songwriters doing the usual four songs over two parts of the evening. A Swedish lad called Ludvig Andersson was waiting patiently for soundcheck looking like a Americana star already, and we started talking. He is an interesting guy, he travels over from Sweden to play gigs knowing that to get a cheap flight to London and back is actually cheaper than staying in a hotel over here! You've got to admire that kind of thinking and he was a great performer too. Backstage we all swapped touring stories, guitars, and a rather interesting conversation with another artist Simon Wells about the lost Dr Who tapes recently found. Simon was another interesting chap, a writer as well as a musician with the bohemian vibe to boot. It was a warm and friendly night with a good receptive crowd no animosity from the other performers and a sense of camaraderie.

My pedal board has raised a few eyebrows this year as the textures really do add a little depth to the vibe I try to create with my songs. Tonight was no exception with "the Garden" being particularly psychedelic! 

The Bedford in Balham, backstage graffiti wall

The Abbey Tavern is a place I've never played before and is essentially an open mic night that you book to play on. It has the option to record the three songs you perform and I'll no doubt have one of them up soon to listen to. The pub where the stage is present is all open plan so people all sit around and you get up and do your thing. It's very relaxed and a nice vibe in there, I'd imagine this place would be great to try out new material or to play tracks in development. The other artists on the bill were all friendly and I stayed around to chat to the people who listened giving out flyers and introducing myself. I then left to catch a very good friend of mine play in the Camden Eye to a slightly different vibe. 'Lewisberg' has just started solo performing but he played fantastically well against a tough background.

London looked quite beautiful on the way to The Dublin Castle in Camden today. The overground train I was on from Wimbledon is mostly overground rooftop height and everything was silhouetted against a cold December sunset. Quite a different view from my last visit to London where the overground journey exposed a darker derelict side to East London I'd never really experienced even when I lived here. Forgotten railway stations hold their ground amongst industrial buildings that were once key players now ghosts of themselves. Nature has taken over and grown around empty playgrounds and concrete graffiti ridden structures. Not today though it looked like a panning shot from an amalgamation of a Richard Curtis/Tim Burton movie... all romance and mystery.

Photo by aaron bennett photography

Dublin Castle is somewhere I'd never played on my own and I was the only solo performer there. Soundcheck was great and my effects sounded huge through the PA. Headliners 'Fracture' were a nice bunch and I'm sorry I couldn't hang around for their set as I was homeward bound that night and had to leave early. 

Unfortunately a bit like the other historic indie pillar venues I've played in London recently the crowd was sparse. I must say though the few that were there were great and listened and engaged with me. It's a shame seeing these venues across the country become less engaged with but that's a whole different conversation and is covered by many. Dublin Castle is a fantastic venue and its staff are all approachable and nice and the sound guy is very good indeed.

My voice is not running on full steam at present, I have a vocal chord injury. It's really made me realise the importance of looking after it as I've always been extremely nonchalant and taken it for granted that it would always be there. Every musician is scared of colds and I'm no different, avoiding people with them and getting all paranoid when a gig comes near. Nothing has prepared me for an actual vocal chord injury though and it's quite a shock when things you used to do become a struggle. My point to this confession is... singers....look after your voice. It will go if not respected, and when it does you will S@*t yourselves! 

Next stop The Good Ship...

Stay Safe

Andy x