Live Review: Beth Gibbons / Bill Ryder-Jones at The Albert Hall in Manchester 10 June 2024

Words: Ben Forrester

Now, the life of an amateur journalist can be non-stop my friends; me and the Birthday gang are out and about as much as we can, reviewing shows so you don’t have to! So it’s always nice when a show comes along that ticks all the right boxes in terms of venue, billing and timing (and also impresses your wife that you’ve got list for it). Tonight we are at The Albert Hall, one of our favourite Manc venues, for a sold out show, as the inimitable Beth Gibbons graces us with her first ever solo tour in support of her first ever solo album, ‘Lives Outgrown’. What makes this a double whammy for me is that label mate and everyone’s favourite sad lad, Bill Ryder-Jones, is opening up!!

Me and the other half smugly walk into The Albert Hall, noticing that no one is in the corridors, naively thinking that we’ll find a nice cosy spot to watch Bill before there’s a rush of Beth fans into the venue. But this is not the case, as the place is absolutely fucking rammed as we squeeze in downstairs (we couldn’t even get a bloody seat, Ed). It makes sense for the room to be a buzz for Mr Ryder-Jones, as he has made arguably one of the best records of 2024 in ‘Iechyd Da’ and tonight he treats us to a stripped back duo set, as he’s backed by friend Evelyn from Pet Snake on cello and backing vocals.

The set is brief and is only made briefer by an unfortunate medical emergency down the front, but Bill and Evelyn calmly stop the set and wait for the all clear (my favourite moment is when Bill calls someone a shit-head for supposedly filming the emergency before realising they’re just taking a selfie). But brief as it is, it’s just beyond lovely hearing Bill’s raspy, bleary eyed vocal ooze through the PA amongst pin-drop silence from the polite crowd tonight. I’m particularly pleased to hear two tunes from 2018’s incredible ‘Yawn’ LP and ‘Don’t Be Scared, I Love You’ is particularly a damp eyed moment. What a beauty. 

The only trick that I think might have been missed is playing only one tune off the new record (‘This Can’t Go On’) and this is only down to the response it gets from the crowd, both at its start and end. In the same breath, it seems like these songs were chosen to compliment its stripped back set up and together, Bill and Evelyn sound angelic. I was chuffed to finally see this guy live as it’s been years in the making for me and I am very much up for when he returns back to the venue with a full band in December, co-headlining with the one and only Gruff Rhys.

After we practically crowd surfed to the merch to grab a well priced copy of Bill’s new record, we set up shop in the corner of the venue, getting bashed by countless tote bags as we await Beth and band to take our minds off how packed in we are tonight. And to be fair, she does the trick, as from the minute she sings, it’s hard not to be hypnotised by her voice, which sounds as spellbinding as it did when she first came out in the 90’s fronting British pioneers Portishead. Though there is a rendition of ‘Roads’ from the classic ‘Dummy’ LP to close the set, that’s the only glimpse we get of her old band tonight. And to be honest, I’m ok with that as the whole point of this show is to promote Beth’s new brilliant record, which she plays in full, interspersed with two tracks from her Rustin Man collab from 2002.

The ‘Out Of Season’ tracks do work very well amidst the rest of the material, for Beth has produced a hauntingly beautiful set of gothic folk. The surroundings of The Albert Hall suit these songs so well and needless to say, the whole room is entranced by the eight strong band on stage tonight, every member putting in a big shift. We’ve got one guy flickering between percussion and flute and it’s hard not to watch as he is so engrossed in the songs, while two violists play in complete sync and make tracks like ‘Burden Of Life’ and ‘Floating On A Moment’ absolutely soar. The latter sounds spine-tinglingly gorgeous, having not left my ears since I first heard it a few months ago.

Gibbons is known for being a reclusive and shy character, often hiding behind the mic stand and tonight she walks onstage like she’s stumbled into the wrong room, but when she sings, it seems as if all of her inhibitions are released and she performs with so much poise and conviction. It’s a pretty hypnotic set all in all, with the crowd very much in the palm of her hands. As we skip through the city centre, me and our lass both agree that this is a show that was peaceful, atmospheric and engaging. Worth the squash in? I’d say so! 

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Release Rundown – Folly Group and Bill Ryder-Jones

Words: Ben Forrester

Folly Group – Down There!
(So Young)

Bursting onto the scene with their debut EP in 2021, there was something that felt ready and fully formed about London’s Folly Group. Though they did slot nicely into the Crack Cloud inspired school of young post-punks, there was a depth to both the songwriting and production of the quartet that definitely caught the attention of tastemakers and new music fans alike. And just two short years of further EP / single releases, lots of touring and a whole heap of radio play, we now have that all important debut album. 

‘Big Ground’ opens up with the same urgency we’ve come to expect, wrapping Afrobeat rhythms around razor blade guitars and hooky, spoken word vocals. It’s an enticing opener that takes you into the deep, dark underbelly of London. ‘Do What I Can’ feels apprehensive and agitated but also fizzes with a driving chorus, once again proving that these dudes sure know their way around a hook.

My main takeaway from this record is that it’s mega catchy. Nearly every tune is an ear worm and perhaps the sign of its sturdiness is how heavy loaded it is with a new favourite tune popping up on each new listen; the slinky groove of ‘Frame’ is an intensely cool way to close the record, while ‘Pressure Pad’ swirls around your mind with another huge chorus. 

It matches the same energy and excitement as that first EP, with impressive playing, interesting song structures and just generally solid tunes. I think that some may consider this as just another post-punk album, which I understand. But whilst a lot of young guitar bands seem to be really hitting their stride with their second album, it’s refreshing to see a band like Folly Group come out with all guns blazing on their debut. ‘Down There!’ is definitely the sound of the finished article, but still with loads of space to expand. 

Bill Ryder-Jones – Iechyd Da
(Domino)

At the back end of 2018, Bill Ryder-Jones broke my heart and put it back together again with his gorgeous ‘Yawn’ record. Its bleary eyed melancholia and gentle, slow-core backing had me completely spellbound, becoming an instant album of the year contender just days after release. It seems that the West-Kirby born songwriter has had this effect on many others, with his previous LP’s all receiving star studded reviews, as well as his live shows growing in venue size with each new tour. 

I find it hard to believe that nearly six years have passed since ‘Yawn’ came out, but Bill has been busy producing everyone else’s records at his own studio (sharing its name with the aforementioned ‘Yawn’), along with other collaborative projects and so on. But finally, having started work on it some time ago, we have ‘Iechyd Da’. 

Having read that this was Bill’s attempt at trying to make something more majestic and brighter, both lyrically and sonically, I was slightly apprehensive going into this as I selfishly wanted another sad lad record. But actually, what we get is this prefect medium of sadness and hopefulness. A bit like the kind of day it is today as I type, frosty and freezing in temperature, but with the most warming, blue sky – this is an album of light and shade. ‘A Bad Wind Blows In My Heart pt. 3’ is a mid paced, heart aching ballad that builds into a waltz of choir assisted vocals, and with that, a personal song becomes universal. 

Then you get something like ‘If Tomorrow Starts Without Me’, which is an upbeat, string soaked indie pop song with Bill trying to embrace love despite his default cynic setting. It’s a perfect portrayal of someone working through their feelings and trying to hold onto some light. As previously mentioned, it’s this dance between fear and hope that makes Bill more relatable than he’s ever been. This still has all the lo-fi, mumble pop intimacy of its predecessor, but somehow manages to push that into the widescreen, with bigger production, even more musical reference points (there’s a definite Gospel / Soul connection to the latter half of the record) and beautifully delivered lines.

Like his previous work, this is a slow baked affair that takes time to bed itself in and you just can’t deny the detail and care that’s gone into this record. It feels like Bill has worked really hard to make an album that is grand and warming, but still looks deep into the depths of his brain with delicacy and charm. Beautiful, timeless work from an all round talent.

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Album Release Rundown – Bill Ryder-Jones, Throes and Dead Nature

(Photo Credit: Jack-Finnigan)
Words: Ben Forrester

After just over a month’s silence, the review rundowns are back back back! The festival season is very nearly over and it’s time to get stuck back in on the album front. As always, all of the below records are released through the best labels in the biz and are available online and in-store. Please remember folks to support your local indie shops; you don’t know what you’ve got til its gone!

Bill Ryder-Jones – ‘Yawny Yawn’ (Domino)

Last year saw the release of Bill Ryder-Jones’ fourth album ‘Yawn‘, an understated, personal record full of gorgeous melodies and sumptuous layers of guitar fuzz. But just when you thought Bill couldn’t get any more intimate, here we have a re-imagined version of ‘Yawn‘ re-recorded for just vocals and piano. As you can imagine, this is a slow burning affair with some of the songs stretched out to twice their original length as Bill slows things down and lets the emotion pour out even further.

I think it’s a bold move to make an already quiet and sad record even more so, but Bill has really thought about creating a new sense of space with these recordings. I love his hazy, just got out of bed vocal style and his piano playing and melodic choices bring a new, more thoughtful perspective. I also enjoy the addition of underlying ambient textures to bring a new sense of space to these songs. I’ll be honest, the pace and stripped back nature of this project can be a bit tough going at times but some of the arrangements can be stop you in your tracks stunning. Come the winter, this is going to be a perfect, snuggle up soundtrack.

Throes – ‘In The Hands Of An Angry God’ (Holy Roar)

Following from their debut release back in 2015, Idaho based quintet Throes have been beavering away, working towards the creation of their debut full length. ‘In The Hands Of An Angry God‘ is released through the best heavy label in the UK (Holy Roar) and as expected, is a brute force attack of sludgy riffs and hardcore density.

Dynamically, the record is book ended in short yet blisteringly sweet fashion as opener ‘Bad Meat‘ caves your head in with a fist full of riffs, while ‘Fang‘ closes it with under two minutes of pure thrash ferocity. Aside from these tracks, there are much more expansive and extensive sonic shifts here with melodic hardcore tendencies and an almost Deftones level of dreaminess in places. What gives this record its cohesion is the level of intensity that flows through it. The whole record keeps its emotions up front and centre, with its mood and atmosphere keeping you focused and holding on. This is another solid HR release that fans of the label will be sure to dig, but equally if you like sludgy hardcore with a heart, look no further.

Dead Nature – ‘Taking My Shadow’ EP (Dead Nature Records)

It was at the back end of last year that UK’s brightest indie hopes Spring King announced their split. Although it might have come as a shock to some, it felt like a mutual decision for the quartet to part ways after a pretty fruitful six year career. Not even a year since their last album release and Tarek Musa, the band’s leading songwriting force, is back under the solo moniker of Dead Nature.

This debut EP takes the same punk infused pop pomp of Tarek’s previous project but takes it up a notch. ‘Fire In Your Soul‘ is a big opener, with a chorus that is ready to be plastered all over the FM, while the gospel infused hook of ‘In My Heart‘ is destined for big stages in big fields. It’s got all the urgency and sharpness of before, but instrumentally the sky is the limit and sonically, this is a bold debut. On first listen it doesn’t seem like much of departure, but when these songs soak in, this feels like a really good stepping stone for Tarek to take his sharp songwriting skills and Dead Nature to the next level.

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