By Mary Chang on Thursday, 7th June 2018 at 6:00 pm
Header photo by Maisie Cousins
Anna Calvi is back. I repeat, Anna Calvi is back! Hard to believe, but her debut album ‘One Breath was released 5 years ago. That’s right, in 2013. Guh. She’s now released the music video for newest song ‘Don’t Beat the Girl Out of the Boy’. The guitar wails, Calvi’s voice wails…and is that your heart wailing in unison? It’s the brilliant first taster to her upcoming sophomore effort ‘Hunter’, which is out on the 31st of August on Domino Records. Straight, gay, somewhere in between? I think we’re all eager to hear the rest of this lovely lady’s record. Watch the sultry video from her below. To read our past coverage on Anna Calvi – yes, I know, it’s kinda old – go here.
By Martin Sharman on Tuesday, 2nd August 2016 at 2:00 pm
Go here to start at the beginning of Martin’s review of Deer Shed 2016.
I mentioned in my Deer Shed preview that this year there were a notable number of female performers, and Anna Calvi‘s set completed my Saturday triumvirate. Hers is an intense sound: led by dominating Telecaster work and architectural voice, Calvi is a true guitar hero to both girls and boys alike. Speaking of which, Richard Hawley can play a note or two as well. His was a proper headlining performance, bringing out one vintage guitar after another: Gibson ES-335, gold top Les Paul with Bigsby and a stunning, enormous green Gretsch. This was near enough the perfect headlining performance, reminiscent of Johnny Marr‘s similarly triumphant show a couple of years before. Hawley has meandered through a number of styles over his long solo career, including pastoral acoustica, but tonight he was doing what he’s best at: being a guitar hero. It’s easy to forget that before becoming a frontman Hawley was primarily a guitarist, and all his impressive chops were on display tonight. His songs are epic, powerful things, dominated by his sublime guitar work, and solos that take one on a journey into the cosmos. As the centrepiece of the festival, there couldn’t have been a better choice.
As for the kids, they had an absolute blast. The science tent was where it was at for the 4-and-a-half year old, making a flying buggy from some plastic Meccano, learning how to plant seeds, making his own pin badge, and – a better father-and-son activity it’s difficult to imagine – ripping apart the innards of a defunct laser printer with side-cutters and pliers. “This is a circuit board, those are capacitors… now destroy it with tools!” The theme this year was movies, so there were plenty of themed activities for the older ones to have a crack at, including making your own film set from a cardboard box and lolly sticks, and being tutored on how to make Gromit out of plasticine by Aardman Animations themselves. The activities are too numerous to list here, as the list of delights goes on and on. The mechanoid that filled its wader boots with air and let it out through a car horn was a particular hit. A new addition for 2016 was the sports field in front of Baldersby’s manor house: something for everyone, including proper football, a brilliant slacklining course, various yoga and keep-fit activities and a dedicated skate park. Yes, a dedicated skate park. Is there anything they haven’t thought of?
The beauty of Deer Shed is that, even though some of the kids activities are familiar year-on-year, as one’s kids grow up, they prefer to do different stuff every time. The festival grows up with the kids, an annual treat that they wouldn’t miss for the world. And Deer Shed did seem to grow up this year – there were more random sideshows and “happenings” than ever before. The Leeds Brass Band were a particular highlight, marching through the arena with gusto, occasionally stopping for a quick blast of ‘Sweet Dreams Are Made Of This’, as an impromptu, grooving crowd gathered underneath the sunny skies.
On Sunday, Beth Orton was unlucky enough to play the only rain-sodden set of the day, the damp conditions hampering what would otherwise have been a collection of wonderfully chilled-out songs, ranging from 20-year-old classics to new ones from her latest release ‘Kidsticks’. But really, Sunday belonged to the final performance of the entire festival from Holy Moly and the Crackers. As befits a closing set, theirs was a raucous, whisky-sodden blast through their sea shanty-inspired gypsy-folk tunes, frontman Conrad the perfect mischievous ringleader. The tent was jumping from the first moment to the last, their expanded band thrashing out a cacophony of off-beat rhythms and trombone blasts. Wherever there’s Holy Moly, a party can’t be far away. And that was it. Ears ringing, we set off to collapse a damp tent, with perhaps one or two tear-dampened eyes to go along with it.
Well done, Deer Shed. I was a bit harsh about 2015, but this year was the best yet, by a considerable margin. The music policy, always good, got the headliners right (big indie band Friday, a proper legend Saturday), and the undercard was a delight to behold. There’s loads I haven’t mentioned, including the eclectic Big Top lineup, as well as some excellent comedy, but, as they say, there’s not the space to tell it all. All I can add is, if you’ve got kids and you love music, come to Deer Shed and find out what goes on there – I challenge you not to be surprised and delighted. Or else I’ll come round to your house and do the washing up for a year. In 2016, Deer Shed Festival was back. With a capital bang.
Anna Calvi‘s latest song is ‘Strange Weather’, a collaboration with legendary Talking Heads frontman David Byrne. According to an interview she did with the BBC at Glastonbury, Byrne showed up unannounced at a recent show of hers and was so impressed, he wanted to work with her on new material. Don’t you wish every collab was as organic as that?
‘Strange Weather’ is the haunting title track of Calvi’s new EP, coming out next Monday (the 14th of July) on Domino Records. Watch the video below.
All our coverage on the talented Anna is this way.
By Mary Chang on Sunday, 29th June 2014 at 4:00 pm
Wherever you will be hanging your hat this weekend, whether you’re joining the sheep at Worthy Farm or you’ve got your feet up in front of the telly, us here at TGTF will have you covered when it comes to Glastonbury 2014. The dedicated people they are, the folks at the BBC will be working all hours during the festival and feeding us live coverage as it becomes available. What does this mean for you? We’ll be passing along all the best bits to you, our faithful readers.
Sultry singer/songwriter Anna Calvi was wearing her trademark red for a set Saturday at the Park Stage of Glastonbury 2014. Watch as she puts in an energetic performance of ‘Eliza’ below.
For more of the BBC’s Glastonbury coverage online, head this way. Stay tuned for more videos from Glasto 2014 right here on TGTF.
By Mary Chang on Friday, 8th November 2013 at 6:00 pm
Commanding singer/songwriter Anna Calvi has a new video out for her forthcoming single ‘Suddenly’. Filmed in black and white, it’s all kinds of dramatic, which is what we’ve come to expect from the sultry singer. Watch the new promo below.
By Mary Chang on Thursday, 7th November 2013 at 9:00 am
Beguiling singer/songwriter Anna Calvi will be touring the UK and Ireland in February. Tickets to this tour are on sale now.
Calvi’s next single ‘Suddenly’ will be released on 7” and digitally, backed by a cover of Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Fire’.
Saturday 1th February 2014 – Dublin Vicar Street
Sunday 2nd February 2014 – Belfast Empire
Tuesday 4rd February 2014 – Leeds Met University
Wednesday 5th February 2014 – Glasgow Arches
Thursday 6th February 2014 – Manchester Albert Hall
Saturday 8th February 2014 – London Troxy
Monday 10th February 2014 – Birmingham Institute
Tuesday 11th February 2014 – Brighton All Saints Church
Wednesday 12th February 2014 – Bath Komedia
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