Download MP3 Single - 'Moon I Hide'/'Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want'
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Download MP3 Single - 'Moon I Hide'/'Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want' |
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Past weeks: |
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The room was bright. Sunlight fell through the plastic blinds casting patterns on the wooden floor. It felt good to return home from living in a small, pokey B&B.
In time I bought more copies of the album and gave them away to friends as Christmas presents, birthday presents, and "I'm in a record shop and have some money" presents. I listened to the swirling, laid back music again and again and thought to myself: "Why the hell are these lot not more famous?" Approximately 5 years later and I was standing in a dimly lit room in Manchester watching a slightly scruffy collection of people saunter on stage. Lead-singer Gavin Clark, ambled on and took up the slightly unusual position towards the far left of the stage. So far left, I that I thought he might do a runner at any second.
Clayhill, the band onstage, began with "Rushes of Blonde" from their album "Small Circle". Gavin stood, arms crossed, almost cowering in the corner. Then he opened his mouth and out fell that deep gravely Sunhouse voice. The music filled the room and the audience stood transfixed, slowly melting into the gentle music. From then on the band veered from gentle acoustic numbers to intense rock driven songs. Laidback pizzicato double bass lines swooped into menacing soaring bowed notes and sharp flurries of colour were added by the trumpet. Guitarist Ted Barnes provided most of the between songs banter. The audience laughed at his tale of how his career on stage was cut short when his cloak got stuck in a gap in the stage whilst playing a wise man in a nativity play. He also showed his disdain for modern technology by advertising their new MP3 single with undisguised disgust. According to his poll only three members of the audience knew what an MP3 single was…hopefully friends of the heroes will be a bit more technology minded and will be shortly heading over to www.clayhillmusic.com to download the single. The band finished with "Grasscutter" the "big hit", it got one of the biggest cheers of the night, encouraged by this they returned for two encores of "Funny Thing" and "Northern Soul". Gavin was still not ready to leave. "We've time for one more haven't we?" he asked hopefully "It's the same every night. We have to drag you on stage, and then drag you off at the end" quipped Ted. Nevertheless the band co-operated and Clayhill finally finished with a brilliant cover of "Please, Please, Please Let Me Get What I Want". The sigh of happiness from the audience was almost audible. As I left I felt warm a glow despite the frosty air. I had just seen a band made up of good musicians, with an entertaining stage presence, playing brilliant songs and yet the venue had net been full to bursting point.
He shook his head and we drove home.
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