Pastel: Islington Assembly Hall, London

“Don't you feel alive / These are your times and our highs”

Last Saturday, as part of the record label ‘Spirit of Spike Island’ tour, Manchester’s Pastel went on second at the Islington Assembly Hall. They left all-conquering heroes!

It’s rare for a burgeoning band to leave everyone talking about the as-yet-unreleased songs of the set. However, in ‘Running On Empty’ and ‘Soho’ they did just that. Frontman Jack Yates vocals, sent from heaven, stoned, flood the senses with The Verve circa ‘The Verve’ and ‘Voyager’. Angelic with the ability to step off the power and let everything swirl around him in a t4echnicolour haze. Meanwhile, lead guitarist Joe Anderson was cementing his place as the heir to Nick McCabe’s throne.  Anderson’s celestial majesty conjured a druggy vortex the like of which have not been seen since their Wigan peers’ triumphant Glastonbury return in 2008.

The latest single ‘Escape’ brought a tear to many an eye. They combine the slide guitar beauty of ‘Space and Time’ with the scenic psyche soundscapes of ‘Blue’ and the bugged-out melancholy of ‘Virtual World’. The UK scene has never lacked meaning. It’s full of great polemic. What it has missed as the industry raced to the bottom, is a band willing to shun indie’s immediacy in the hunt for success. Pastel hadn’t forgotten! They have existence and it’s theirs to share!

It was a set of so much power, one in which where you leave knowing the world just changed. Despite this, they still had moments of great brevity spliced in. ‘Blu’ pulls in the delicate immediacy of DMA’s Matthew Mason and Johnny Took’s guitars whilst still striving for their own swirling splendour.

Pastel, despite their trippy sonic, looks like a band of brothers. The gang mentality in all fronting up the stage is reminiscent of Oasis's run to glory. Looking great, all in a line, demanding everyone’s attention! Jack Yates, has that mystical Bobby Gillespie appeal and knows when to refrain and allow his band to shine brightest. A gang, a collective, they rock ‘n roll in arts purist form.

Andrew Cushin – Memories

Image and artwork courtesy of Sonic PR

Newcastle starlet Andrew Cushin has returned with the new single ‘Memories’. Released alongside a great merch bundle, Cushin attempts to continue his meteoric rise.

It’s not too overstated to say Cushin is the heir to Noel’s throne. His ability to conjure a sense of belonging is first-rate. Where Noel always seems to be at the limit of his vocals (great as they are), Cushin has an effortless power that surpasses his former producer.

This is Cushin’s most accomplished tune to date. His love affair with Richard Ashcroft shines bright as the acoustic guitars bristle with hope whilst Nick McCabe’s little nuggets of gilder flitter in and out of view. Together, they summon huge levels of affection and empathy on this tale of defiance.

The nod to booze and blocking out the pain is fleeting but, gut-wrenching. Cushin, in one soul powerhouse couplet, gets to the heart of the common man’s fallibility in the modern world:

 “what is a man / what can he do”

The haunting backing vocals (by Cushin) of ‘days pass me by’ ram home the lost soul looking for his place achingly but, expertly.

Cushin has skipped his apprenticeship and gone straight to masterful. The more backing he gets in the studio will surely bring bigger and better results for the songsmith. To do it all, virtually, without live interactions is not just remarkable, it’s a triumph of the human spirit!

Richard Ashcroft: Olympia, London

When the Wigan icon returned with ‘These People’ in 2016, we saw him twice in London. Once at the o2, where he delivered a stunning orchestra backed set of the classics. The following summer, at Brixton Academy, something astonishing happened. A man who, to millions, has nothing to prove let his burning desires for people to love his new music pour over his adoring fans. He was a man possessed. Having made his point emphatically, what would he do this time?

Resplendent in his glitter ball jacket, he bounced on stage this past Saturday at London’s vast Olympia Exhibition centre. With his hair long like ‘Storm In Heaven’ era of The Verve, that energy from Brixton hadn’t dissipated.

It doesn’t take long to see why either. Almost every song has been given a makeover. The spirit of Prince’s showman guitar style is at the heart of every riff and solo. ‘Break The Night With Colour’ becomes an funked up introspective masterclass meanwhile, ‘Music Is Power’ is given the full Curtis Mayfield treatment.

On the down tempo The Verve classics ‘Space and Time’ or ‘Velvet Morning’, the meditative guitars are heightened to a more glamourous sphere, but always retaining the respect to McCabe’s majesty.

It’s a remarkable achievement. No one was expecting this gear change. Lesser men, mortals, would have lost a crowd attempting something so bold. Not Ashcroft. With the poetry of Blake still coursing through him, he keeps his integrity and humbleness at the fore of every great lyric and vocal.

This gig is a firm reminder than nothing less striving for brilliance will do!

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