Monday, 13 September 2010
if you like Martha, you might like to know...
that a new McGarrigles compilation has been released.... click here for a link to the McGarrigles Website with details.... (It's called Oddities).
Friday, 10 September 2010
what does martha like reading?
well if you click here you will find out with an article from the arts desk
Thursday, 9 September 2010
CBC interview/songs....
check it out here- just came through on my newsfeed from her Facebook page (en Francais!)
Tuesday, 7 September 2010
Tuesday, 31 August 2010
videos and pictures of regents park up and about
Monday, 30 August 2010
Getty images from last night in Regents Park
if you click here it should take you to some.... and when i clicked on view all it showed more of Martha like at the RAH and also the Meltdown concert- which I had not seen before
Martha at Regents Park Open Air Theatre 29th August 2010
Hi there folks,
While my poor computer chugs away trying to do too many things at once(- at my command) I shall start writing a little entry here. As the title suggests this shall be my mini review of the concert tonight. It may be late, but it is a pleasure to do so, as there seem to be many things that I would like to say about it. Firstly, thank goodness for our lovely changeable British weather- which meant that what seemed to all intents and purposes to be a windy rainy cold day just stuck with the latter of those adjectives and a couple of hours before it started the sun came out and the rain ceased! It was still cold, but that was manageable!
The first support was 'Delta Maid' a Liverpudlian, who was a folksy/bluesy/country and western inspired guitar singer songwriter. She only sung five songs, but they were nice and she seemed really pleased to be there, saying she was looking forward to Martha, as she found her an inspiration. She was bubbly and had a strong singing voice.
Next up was Liam Frost, who I have only heard about because of the duet that he and Martha recorded without ever meeting. 'Your hand in Mine' - a catchy speedy love ballad I guess you could call it- they sung this with Ed Harcourt (who helped write it with Liam) on piano towards the end of Martha's set. (In case I forget to mention it later, they said they put it all together at the sound check- and it sounded pretty good- harmonies worked really well!) Anyway, his music was more guitar singer writer than I had expected I think. He was good and he seemed like a really nice and quite humble person, which I liked about him.
So yeah Martha! It felt like a really nice long and varied set to me, which felt just right. You felt like you got a bit of everything which was great.... the mix included her singing her own songs solo with guitar, (Mostly from her second album), some Piaf numbers (With Zoe Rahman- who accompanied her at the Jazz cafe and was also involved with the 'Way to Blue' project), a couple of her mothers songs (with Ed on piano) and a couple more of her own! Martha seemed in a relaxed mood and it was nice to hear her chatting, joking and telling stories throughout the performance. She said how she was just waking up as she had flown in from Seattle (where she ended her supporting Rufus on his US tour) and that Arcangelo and she had not slept on the flight. She really engaged with the audience and was in fantastic voice. Really belting the songs out in the nicest possible meaning of the word belting! Hitting the high notes perfectly and holding on to the notes for ages! (Something I admire in a singer!)
Martha was saying how she is not that prolific as a writer and the events of the past year have sort of stopped her from being able to write anything new- but more because she is scared of the songs being very depressing- when her songs are already quite depressing. She also commented later on how she would rather sing tributes to her mother in a sense these days rather than the Piaf tributes she has been singing for a while now (the while now bit are my words- as is this all- i hate the thought of misquoting or mis- sensing things in a sense, and that her sets are gradually getting less Piaf songs in them and more of her mothers. She joked that at least if she does not have many of her own new songs coming out, that she can sing more of her mothers seeing as she now holds the rights- and of course of how that is really depressing, but.... Not knowing how much my opinion counts, but at least as one Martha fan I can say that I would be more than happy to hear more of Martha (and others) singing the McGarrigle songs- as they are fantastic and Martha just sings them so beautifully and passionately. It's time for our generation to really get to know them and I think they will inspire Martha with her own song writing. (Which of course will be great to hear some new songs some day... but in the mean time McGarrigle is just fine.) Tonight she sung 'Talk to me of Mendocino' and 'Tell my Sister' with Ed. Again a couple of the hi-lights of the night for me.
Martha did sing two songs not on any albums yet though- and both newish. 'Four Black Sheep in the Night'- was written for a CBC competition- which she won to represent Quebec.... but an unexpected part of the deal for her was that she had to write a song about something that they picked for her... and it was a venue that she only had one experience of- which of course meant she ended up writing a depressing song about- where her and her 'misfit' friends end up dying at the end of it... (Think that is how she described herself and them!) ! I like the song though, it is cleverly written- I like the poetry and the pace of the song. The other song is about the end of the world: 'So Hard' that was inspired by her trip to the Arctic with the Cape Farewell project- again Martha explained the background to it and said how they would probably not want to use the song for the campaign.... It sounded even more polished than the other couple of times I have heard it- so could see the subtle development of it.
Okay.... I am getting tired and anyway not sure how it is as a review! Guess it is anyway not an official one so I don't need to stress.... but of course want to do my best.... got to give some reason for still having this blog with her own website now fully up and running! As I always say and do- I shall add more if and when I think of it! Sure some vids will crop up too as they inevitably do!
Tuesday, 24 August 2010
Monday, 23 August 2010
Sunday, 22 August 2010
check out Martha's official page....
.... I say as if you would be checking here before there.... but you know what I mean, just in case I thought I may as well say that there is a new blog post up there from Martha!!
There was also an interview in The Times yesterday, which I think is online for subscribers only.... i bought it and may try and photograph it so you can see it here- as long as no one from the Times is reading this... is it against the law to post photos of a newspaper article? ...at least papers like 'The Guardian' are still free online!!!! Long may that stay! The article was quite a sad one though,
you can buy an original promotional poster for Martha's I know you're married..... CD for $6 on amazon if you so wish..... (that was one of the google alerts that came through!!) here
Saturday, 21 August 2010
wow its really fantastic
still not the whole way through yet, but it is really an amazing concert- more than expected... choir in the background at the moment.... sounds really good- une enfant sounded cool, proserpina- well so very touching and of course suited to choir.... and now even Factory!!!! Should prob listen to the rest before writing here, but go listen to it!!!! link here again
if you are in London...
....perhaps even around the time of the Regents Park Concert, this may be of interest to you- its an exhibition about the Cape Farewell project, with artworks and media, which sounds like it includes stuff with Martha. Sounds worthwhile with or without Martha stuff though, and best of all it is free! Link to an article about it here and a link to King's Place where it is held here
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