Is this a strange piece of alliteration or are two fabulous acts kicking off another fabulous year at The Westgarth Social Club in Middlesbrough? Answer is (b). Those wonderful chaps at The Kids are Solid Gold along with our friends at Suitcase Orchestra have teamed up to bring you a wonderful double bill. Rather than me spoil it all for you I have included, in full, Jons wonderful summation of the night…….

The Kids Are Solid Gold and Suitcase Orchestra bring two highly acclaimed acts to Teesside for a very special co-headline show of intimate solo performances.

Die Stadt Muzikanten, Woodpigeon’s recent third album, is the sound of a band growing in confidence and enjoying exploring the parameters of their own music. At the core of this record is the same sound and feel as that on the collection of delicate and tentative folky songs which made up their debut release, the Houndstooth EP but now the music is stretched and pushed in all sorts of different directions. There are brass brands, plucked strings, loops, drones, fuzz and distortion, rich orchestration, accordions, ethereal backing vocals, speeded up tapes – this is an ambitious and expansive record, by turns stark and lonely and pulsating and intense.

In recent times, Woodpigeon have been nominated for the prestigious Polaris Prize in their native Canada, performed on BBC Radio 4s Loose Ends and BBC 6Music’s Marc Riley show, been an integral part of The End Of The Road Festival and even had their music used by the fashion label Nina Ricci at the launch of one of their ranges.

Now, Mark Hamilton brings his songbook to play a rare solo acoustic set in Middlesbrough’s most intimate venue, The Westgarth 2.

Alongside Woodpigeon will be Scotland’s Withered Hand, the musical project of Edinburgh-based visual artist Dan Willson. Withered Hand will also be familiar to listeners of Marc Riley and Jarvis Cocker’s 6Music shows. No stranger to a sweetly sung melody himself, Dan Willson worked with legendary New York producer and label boss Kramer on his debut album, Good News, resulting in a lush and introspective set of songs.

Following a sell out solo tour earlier in the year, we are delighted to be able to bring Withered Hand to Middlesbrough.

Press

WOODPIGEON: http://www.woodpigeon-songbook.com/

“Absolutely majestic… this is the best album to come out of Canada since Funeral. 5/5” – ARTROCKER

“This is Arcade Fire with ration books and gas masks, or Elliott Smith fronting Sparklehorse… it’s stunning, subtle and romantic.” – NME

“A perfect blend of grandeur and intimacy, delight and melancholy” – CHROMEWAVES

WITHERED HAND:  http://witheredhand.com/

“Fans of Viking Moses ‘Crosses’ and Sufjan Stevens ‘Seven Swans’ will warm to the rustic instrumentation and visionary undertow of Edinburgh’s Withered Hand.” – MOJO

“Gorgeous, and a must for modern folk fans” – THE SKINNY

“At times painfully honest and introspective, Willson’s folk-pop style marks him as an artist with a lot to say, and someone who manages to speak with a refreshing intelligence, placing him at the pinnacle of Edinburgh’s live music scene as a true must-see act” – THE SCOTSMAN

The details:

WOODPIGEON & WITHERED HAND @ THE WESTGARTH 2,  WESTGARTH OCIAL CLUB, 99 SOUTHFIELD ROAD, MIDDLESBROUGH, TS1 3EZ on Thursday 27th January 2011 @ 7:30pm
Tickets are £6 in advance or £7 on the door.  Ages 14 plus (14-16 with an adult)

LINKS:

THE KIDS ARE SOLID GOLD      www.myspace.com/thekidsaresolidgold

SUITCASE ORCHESTRA              http://suitcaseorchestra.com/

THE WESTGARTH SC                 http://www.westgarths.com/

By peter on January 6, 2011