Access To Music UK Tour at the Welly Club 2005 (2/3) By Michelle Dee

(1/3), (2/3), (3/3)

Photograph Gallery   Gallery 1,   Gallery 2,   Gallery 3,   Gallery 4.

I happened across some Alabama- style blues floating across from Buskers Corner, and hung around for a listen. The strangled vocal quality was eminently listenable and complimented the title of the song; Feelin Kinda Dry. Sadly, towards the end, the song fell away and just kinda stopped; which was a pity. The rhythmic vocal and lyrical shape suggests an understanding of the genre, but I longed for a screaming harmonica and a honky-tonk piano to bring the deep-south feeling home.

It was pleasing to see a hand drummer banging out the beat. This style of instrumentation is ripe for a comeback; hand drums can be used to good effect with more modern forms, as well as traditional ones. The five-piece never said who they were so I can't name check them with any certainty, but I can think of a number of folk/blues venues in Hull where they would go down, like a handcart in a goldmine.

Returning to the main stage I was just in time to witness a number of female vocalists. Each girl took to the stage with varying levels of confidence and covered a popular song; singing to a backing track. They were Charlotte, Hannah, Lauren, Ruth and Georgia from the Yorkshire Coast College, Scarborough. The girl who covered Sting's Fields Of Gold took a beautifully evocative song and did it justice, adding sensuous soulful touches that made it her own.

A poppy dance cover followed delivered, without the aid of a lyric sheet, showing the girl really knew her piece. She could concentrate on re-creating the longing and passionate imagery the song invokes. I do not want to focus on the girl's image because I believe substance outweighs looks every time when it comes to creative talent; however, she did have a rather arresting smile.

The last girl commanded the stage and worked the crowd using vocal dynamics in a soul Diva style. Her vocal register started quite rich and deep then metamorphosed into a power-filled soprano. You could see from her use of gesture and expression that she was really feeling the music. Her voice and performance grew with the song; using clear well rounded notes and the aforementioned dynamics she stirred the audience's emotions.

Just as she was reaching the climactic end, she threw away the last few notes. Maybe she anticipated her stage exit too much, but the hurried finish tainted what had been up until then a moving presentation. Overall, the girls gave a good account of themselves; with more real performance experience some of them could develop into confident, stylish vocalists.

It was then that I chanced the upstairs and caught a slice of the hip-hop/drum and bass and possibly ragga fusion? Urban sounds were played, sampled and mixed on the decks in the Welly: ballroom with four full on 45 minutes sets from the four regions. Inside it was very dark and smoky not great for a photographer, but the minimalist approach to lighting created the atmosphere for DJ Messica to display her turntable prowess. Her approach is very spontaneous, ready to adapt and change her set depending on the crowd reactions to the tracks she lays down.

This unspoken communication between DJs and crowd is vital to deliver a good club experience. If that wasn't enough AOB from the regular Shinobi night did a spot of MCing over some of her tracks. DJ Messicca told me that she had grown in confidence and developed her DJ techniques whilst taking the Creative Music Through Technology(CMTT) course in Hull.

I predict we shall be hearing more from DJ Messica: in the near future: go to www.messica.com for further details. Wandering back down I spoke to a group of young free-stylers rapping on the stairs. I watched and listened with interest, this being a genre I am completely unfamiliar with. Starting with a hook line, they rhythmically deliver three minutes of lyrical form unrehearsed, in the moment. With one guy beat boxing to keep time the rapper leaves a line hanging for another one to pick up and run with.

I came across this group a number of times during the day, and had nothing short of admiration for the skill and ease, by which they created something evocative, out of nothing. It seems to me that this is very much an unknown form of poetic expression, which is undervalued in music culture. Later they performed on stage much to the crowds delight and mine. Apparently these guys stand on street corners free-styling for the sheer joy of it. These street poets use measured rivalry to challenge each other to produce greater rhymes, how's that for artistry?

Drawn once again to the acoustic setting, I eagerly awaited a local musical outfit simply called Ruth's Project:. Before long a visibly nervous Ruth took to the stage accompanied by a male guitarist. She needn't have worried she delivered her opening numbers with esprit. I was reminded of Beth Orton and the trailer park, love story imagery. She attempted to cover Libertines' Cant Stand Me Now, but although for a short time she had it precariously nailed, it fell to pieces after the second chorus. This outing was very rock n roll due to its brevity, very Libertinesque, but perhaps needed more rehearsal.

Continued....next page

Photograph Gallery   Gallery 1,   Gallery 2,   Gallery 3,   Gallery 4.

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