- Phoenician Blinds @ Map Cafe, Kentish TownMap Studio Cafe , London
I did a meetup to see this band in September in Richmond. I enjoyed their music so much, I'm going to see them again at a different venue. Feel free to sign up and join me.
The band is a great drums, bass, sax and keyboards combination which reminded me of my favourite-ever jazz fusion band - the UK's Roadside Picnic (which started the career of Dave O'Higgins) from the 1990s - with their polished sound and complex arrangements, and perhaps a little of Weather Report in places, some Soft Machine perhaps.
This video gives a taste of what they sound like.
Phoenician Blinds are playing at Map Cafe, where I've done Meetups before, but haven't been to since before the great lockdown of 2020. The music will be upstairs if I recall correctly, and it's quite a cosy venue.
Tickets are only £12 - available here. Usual requests apply - please only sign up if you have a ticket. I'll bring along a Meetup sign so if other members join me it should be easy enough to meet up; if not, my mobile is 07740 038913.
Hope to see a few members there.
- Lydian Collective @ Off The Rails (venue reopening)One Kew Road, Richmond
The great Off The Rails venue in Richmond is reopening after a refurbishment, but the live music's continuing there, and to mark this, the venue's hosting the great Lydian Collective - whom I've seen with the Meetup maybe two or three times.
Always a great show of consummate musicianship from the four-piece, a fusion of jazz, funk, and electronica, it's super-catchy and great fun - super-accessible and memorable melodies, and really interesting rhythms. They've released two albums, both of which I've enjoyed immensely.
Tickets are £16, and can be booked here. Please only RSVP if you intend to come.
Off The Rails is a small-medium sized upstairs venue; generally pays to get there early; I'll aim to have a Meetup table sign so members can find each other. Look forward to seeing some old Meetup friends and maybe some new ones too. It's right opposite the train station, so easy to get to.
