Mark Morriss: 229, London

Bluetones frontman returned to London last weekend to be the jewel in the crown of the Shiiine On summer party at 229. A gig with Mark Morriss is more than just a mesh of solo tracks and Bluetones classics. With a little charm and a lot of style, he’ll reel in the unbelievers, quieten the talkers and enthrall the diehard fans.

Those unaware of his solo career are reeled in with ‘Rimini’. The stripped-back acoustic version loses none of its ability to convey the loss of certainty and civility “that” vote brought in 2016. Despair has never sounded this good!

His muse has clearly been undeterred by lockdown on the new song ‘Madeline’. A darker tinged number showcased more strings to his bow. Then, on ‘Sick Again’, he exudes vibrancy and bombast that his 90s fame can only look on at in awe.

The Bluetones always had an ability to open the deepest of wounds. When Morriss strips their classics back, in this form the fervour skyrockets! The opening couplet of Bluetonic “When I am sad and weary / When all my hope is gone” will undoubtedly, transported many to the glory of 96. However, with covid still looking on from the abyss, recent traumas also flood the senses.

‘Learning To Fly’ opener ‘Talking To Clarry’ was given a glorious outing. As his vocals hit the achingly beautiful climax of “communication is blurred / I can’t understand a word”, we raised a wry smile. The Shiiine On festival has grown into a small family over the years. People from all over the UK have forged friendships at their festivals because one is never a stranger when you love the same band.

If like us, this is not enough Morriss, The Bluetones kick off the Star Shaped tour this Friday with Sleeper!

Mark Morriss - Look Up

Mark Morriss releases his 4th solo album ‘Look Up’ on 20th September via Reckless Yes Records. The Bluetones frontman is relentless on the live circuit but, four years since his last album (The Taste of Mark Morris), is the magic still there?

Fortunately for Morriss, the world flipped upside down politically and served his muse well. The Stevie Wonder-inspired ‘All The Wrong People’, hilariously bashes the insane machinations of Trump aka the “big blonde hippopotamus”.

Live favourites ‘Rimini’ and ‘Roll Away’ follow similar paths. The former, written the day of the Brexit result, ended a year-long bout of writer’s block. Full of sci-fi charm, Morriss deals with the shock of the referendum result. His ability to get across the aching feeling of loss in your homeland is remarkable.

‘Roll Away’ though, is another animal. Morriss, returning home from a Bluetones rehearsal, heard Anais Mitchell and Martin Green’s song on the radio. Struck by its message about refugee’s plight, re-recorded with stunning effects. With the Today Programme reporting daily on migrants crossing in dinghy’s, Morriss’ vocal brings home the haunting tragedy of those without.

Unsurprisingly, the record is littered with pop instincts, a hallmark of The Bluetones and his solo career. ‘Holiday of a Lifetime’, written by a campfire with his children, contains an elegant simplicity and beauty reflecting those surroundings. All the while, a nagging sense of a forlorn reality awaiting end feels inevitable.  

The wholesomeness fades on ‘The Beans’. Morriss’ lyrical wit and savagery take aim at a tumultuous relationship. Meanwhile, on opener ‘Adventures’, Morriss twists and turns from country-folk to Roxy Music and Dexys via the sublime Saxophone work. Again, Morriss deals with the Brexit conundrum: examining the isolation it caused so many reasonable-minded folks to endure.

Not only is the magic still prevalent, but it’s also flourishing. ‘Science and Nature’ is, for our money, Morriss’ pinnacle. ‘Look Up’ is full of creative risk-taking which rivals

*Image courtesy of Ben Meadows

Mark Morriss – The Beans

The Bluetones frontman is on a roll at the moment. Not only are The Bluetones ‘Singles’ and ‘Science and Nature’ albums in the Vinyl top 10, his killer single ‘All The Wrong People’ has been going great guns (available here). The Hounslow Prince (is it too late to make that stick?) is back with an instant classic in the form ‘The Beans’.

You’d be forgiven for thinking this is a ‘Luxembourg’ era single. Infectious as ‘Never Going Nowhere’ and savvy like ‘Fast Boy’ and ‘I Love The City’ firm proof Morriss still has the magic.

Morriss’ lyrics are so often overlooked but, no one deals with relationships better. This, a seriously troubled one (“who cares / if you throw me down stairs”) is negated with so much humour that, it’s only the XTC via west coast 70s solo that brings home that, this is a personal experience.

‘The Beans’ is released on 23rd August via Reckless Yes Records.

Mark Morriss - All The Wrong People

The Bluetones frontman has returned with a new solo single ‘All The Wrong People’. It is the lead single from his upcoming fourth studio album ‘Look Up’ (out via Reckless Yes Records).

With Steve Wonder’s ‘Higher Ground’ firmly in view, Morriss allows his pop instincts to flourish, arguably to the finest degree since 2003’s ‘Never Going Nowhere’. There are hooks oozing out of this at every turn. The piano licks, sauntering drums, and the wah wah guitar combine to re-imagine 70s funk and soul to glorious effect.

Morriss’ lyrics’, are not often in the social comment bracket. However, with the world pulling itself apart, Morriss’ adopts a reflective stance many of us have when agitators of the world frequent the TV. In this instance, Trump, aka “big blonde hippopotamus” is the target. It may seem a juvenile quip but, in reality, this is how most reasonable people react to the colossal oath every time he tweets racist bile. It’s all that can be done to cope and Morriss has mirrored this with aplomb.

Having heard the jaw-dropping ‘Roll Away’ and the sun-kissed ‘Rimini’ at live shows, ‘Look Up’ is shaping up to be the pop album that truly matters in 2019.

Friday 2nd August marks our 8th birthday. Come down to the New Cross Inn for a night of great live music. Tickets are available here:

Mark Morriss: Islington Academy, London

The Bluetones frontman returned to London’s Islington Academy this past week. He is arguably the hardest working live act in the UK. Forever touring and dazzling intimate crowds with wit and charm.

With a new album in the pipeline, the quest to blend the new with the classics was always going to be the biggest test. Whilst it’s great to hear the pop classics of ‘Cut Some Rug’ and ‘Bluetonic’, it’s the heartfelt ‘Rimini’ and ‘Rollaway’ that strike the biggest chord. The roots of Crosby Stills & Nash shine through here and, with his unique pop vocal, converting fans of yesteryear to the present seems inevitable.

The prowess of ‘If’ and ‘Never Going Nowhere’ hit a sweet spot with the crowd but, flittering just behind was the mystery of ‘Duchess’ and the bewitching nature of ‘It’s Hard to Be Good All the Time’.

The balance between old and new was still skewed towards the old among Morriss’ faithful. There were, however, moments when the crowd’s nostalgia dissipated and a new focus began to emerge. Let’s hope this was the first step to Morriss's renaissance he clearly deserves.

Mark Morriss Live: Spotlite Club, Southend

A strange gig in many ways. What was due to be an intimate setting with an icon became even more so with a poor turnout. This was Southend’s newest small gig venue, not a great sign of things to come. Nevertheless, Morriss took the ego hit in his stride and regaled stories and jokes in-between worthy of Live at the Apollo.

In-between the anecdotes and Bluetones classics, Morriss displayed his criminally underrated solo material. From his 2014 album ‘Flash of Darkness’, was ‘It's Hard to Be Good All The Time’ which kept the spirit of Crosby Stills and Nash alive. The sullen acoustic guitars of ‘Carry On’ and the brooding nature of ‘Dark Star’ combined with Morriss’ unique pop vocals.

From his debut solo effort ‘Memory Muscle’ came the more Bluetones-esque ‘I’m Sick’. The spritely melodies which embody all that is great about his band. More interestingly, there is sense of longing for something unfound, a notion that, with all the glory of the 90s, you’d feel Morriss would not have anymore.

The standout offering was the CSN styled ‘This Is The Lie (and That’s The Truth). A brilliant story of self-reflection and what it is to be a solo artist. Morriss’ ability to intertwine feelings of isolation with pop music have never been better here.

This was not a gig BBC4 will be making a documentary about but, for the small crowd, its one they will cherish more than most. Humble and hilarious, Morriss reminded them of the glory days and, better still, demonstrated that he is a force to be reckoned with as a solo act.