Thursday 28 February 2008

Bianca Bohl, Cobden Club, Monday February 25

The Grand Hall of the Cobden Club in Ladbroke Grove looks more like a film location than the usual sticky-floored dive that most gig-goers are used to.

This is probably appropriate for Westminster student, Bianca Bohl and her 6-piece band.

Bohl's ensemble fill the high ceilinged hall of this private members club with sumptuous music fit for the cinema.

Audience members, numbering around 100 are drawn to the candle lit, leather furnished areas set back from the stage.



This creates an awkward gap between the crowd and the band.

You can tell the German front-woman feels this distance when she says, “I feel like a reverend up here”.

Her black necktie on white shirt and wide brimmed Stetson hat do nothing to dispel the image of a Southern preacher and nor do biblical lyrics such as, “change your ways and repent”.

Pinning down the Bianca Bohl sound is a difficult task but the array of instruments employed by the band may go some way to explaining their expansive music.

Piano, trumpet, trombone, cello, violin, slide guitar and the more traditional drums, bass and guitar all featured here.

It takes a fine touch to blend this many sounds and musicians without muddying the waters and the classically trained Bohl has this touch, with each element of the music giving something extra to the overall sound.

Bohl's voice has a sweetness and range which comes into its own as she hits the higher notes.

Parts of the gig are quiet enough to hear a pin drop, while others are loud and almost rabble rousing like the gypsy-esque ending, reminiscent of Gogol Bordello.

The sound swells from the quiet to the loud effortlessly, as if this tight band is being conducted.

Their togetherness bridges the physical gap between the musicians and the crowd, who offer rapturous applause at the end of the performance.

This blog can also be viewed at www.thewordfromwestminster.blogspot.com

Friday 15 February 2008

I love Valentine's day... honest!

Valentine’s Day makes me sick, I just wish I’d kept that to myself and not told the girlfriend.

If you were out on Thursday night, I’m sure you all saw it – supposedly lovesick couples, fawning over each other everywhere you turned.

Please don’t get me wrong, I am not averse to public displays of affection and have been prone to wretch-inducing behaviour myself.

What really gets my back up though is that you never normally see widespread smooching and hand holding apart from on Valentine’s Day.


I cannot believe that the stars and the moon coincidentally line up each year on February 14, supernaturally creating a desperate need for people to declare their undying love to the nearest person who will listen.

Social convention and the wide availability of oversized teddy bears have the remarkable ability to squeeze love from cold-hearted human stones.

Please don’t get me wrong, I am not averse to public displays of affection and have been prone to wretch-inducing behaviour myself.

What really gets my back up though is that you never normally see widespread smooching and hand holding apart from on Valentine’s Day.


Suddenly everyone is gazing into each other’s eyes like opticians on ecstasy.

If you feel similarly to me I only pray that you were wise enough to bottle it all up inside and buy the goddamn roses.

Apparently, girls don’t get such a kick out of Valentine’s Day when their boyfriend keeps telling them what a ridiculous concept it is in the weeks leading up to February 14.


This blog can also be viewed at http://thewordfromwestminster.blogspot.com/

Thursday 7 February 2008

Theoretical Girl and The Equations, White Heat, 7/2/08

If a friend who has been playing a musical instrument for 6 months invites you to see their first gig, it is reasonable to assume that you will lie to them when they ask what you thought of the performance.

On Tuesday night I went to a club in Soho expecting to find about 15 to 20 friends and family waiting to see their loved ones make offensive noises in a newly formed band.

When I got to Madame JoJo's however, I was to discover a thronging club, full of achingly cool scenesters, hanging around for the music to begin.

What is more, I find out that my friend's band are headlining the popular White Heat night.

A few weeks ago somebody asked the friend how she was progressing on the bass guitar.

She said, "not bad but I can't play it standing up yet".

Now, here she is, about to perform a gig to about 250 people with a bunch of musicians she met a week ago.

The band in question are called Theoretical Girl and The Equations.



My girlfriend and I were more nervous than Julianna, praying that she wouldn't fuck up.

Once I overcame that, I found myself really enjoying what are a great girl group with a really engaging front woman.

Her between-song reparte was charming and funny.

Next week they are appearing on Mark Riley's BBC 6 music radio show and they have an Italian tour in April.

They got a 4 star review in The Guardian AND, they even have a roadie!

Some people make me sick.

The upshot of all this was that I didn't have to lie when asked what I thought of her performance.

I can't wait to see them again now.


This blog can also be found at The Word From Westminster