Tour Blog: Mikeé J Reds UK Tour (Part One)
In the latest in our series of exclusive tour blogs, Mikeé J Reds will be regularly producing blogs whilst on his joint UK tour with Jonah Matranga (of Far.)Reds and Matranga recently released a split EP together and are touring throughout the UK to promote the release.
"So today is the day. The first day to be exact, well the second of Jonah’s tour as yesterday he played main support for Frank Turner, but for I, myself Mikee J Reds I am to play my first show with Jonah since our last tour back in November. I am sat in Unit in Southampton, its an interesting place with a nice stage. I have also now met the other part of the tour; the pop punkers that are Falling Into Difference from Bristol. They all seem real nice which is excellent as we shall be seeing each other for a fair few days, so smiles all round.
So a little catch up on the day before, picked up Jonah around 8. Traffic was murder; classic London. After pick up set sail for Kingston for Jonah to play a Banquets Records night New Slang at Hippodrome with Frank Turner. The venue was to say the very least rather large and by the end of the night packed, in fact sold out. Saw the two supports before Jonah, one being Ben Marwood who was very entertaining and seemed quite a crowd favourite, a lot of banter with plenty of in jokes.
Next up was some guy in a hat with an accordion, then a banjo then a guitar back to the accordion and so forth. I think his name was Nigel, he too was very entertaining, from the States from what I could gather from his accent, a great story teller and interesting to watch. The show was organised in an odd way to my experience, two stages one up stairs one down, basically one played then when they finished the other started, its strange but pretty straight forward I guess you could say, it is similar to a festival set up trying to prevent any major clashes.
Jonah started and people begun to trickle in, then pile in, the room was busy! People were singing a long and having basically a blast, I took control of the merch stool and the CD's could not be sold quick enough along with the split EP with Jonah and I. People were incredibly nice a long with two members of Kings Blues that I met who I shall be playing with at an upcoming festival.
Jonah is now sound checking. The sound is good and all the people I’ve met at the venue so far have been hugely welcoming and even met someone who was at the same show as me in my hometown over two years, the world is only made smaller with music, I love that fact.
The show is over and I am now relaxing in my hotel bed. The gig was a good one all round, people turned up stood watched listened, talked a little but I have played nosier places. Everyone on the night was great, I got to see my new label buddy The Lion And The Wolf which was a real treat, nice to chat and watch his enjoyable and talent filled set. It takes balls for an acoustic player to request them at the front as most of an acoustic crowd will just stare at them blankly, but he asked and they came. Before him were FID and in all honesty I wasn’t sure what to expect from a pop punk band doing an acoustic tour, having never done a an acoustic set before. After the odd guitar issue at the start all was sorted and their set was great, harmonies spot on and the songs are quite catchy indeed, I recommend people keep an eye on these guys, makes me wonder what they are like as a full band as I really got in to their acoustic side of things.
I was next, I played ok, the classic first night jitters, thinking too much, playing too fast that sorta thing, I got a good response and moved some CD's so it cant have been all that bad but I know for sure it could have been better, plenty more shows to go!
Jonah next, yep main support to Jonah bit of a milestone for little old me. Oh the guy before FID I think was called Giles, this guy seemed quite effortless and people were enjoying it, I was in and out of rooms sorting things out so I am sorry to say I missed most of his set, this goes also for the set after Jonah for the very friendly Kat (I am the worst as last names) she had a lovely guitar and what I heard of her set a voice to match.
So back to Jonahs set, the talkers stopped talking and the hang backers, stopped hanging back and moved to the front. There was silence and there was Jonah. The silence died and the set began. Without going in to huge detail as I only come off as a huge fan boy, the set was great full of some requests I hadn’t yet heard him do, including one from his "24 seconds band" (his words, not mine) Gratitude; 'This Is The Part' which as a big Jonah geek I was thrilled to hear. So yeah after Jonah up next was Kat who I mostly missed but what came after was Jeff Rowe, a man from Boston who I met briefly last night but due to jetlag and such things we had to leave before he would play, this time I didn’t want a repeat of this. Not only was he excellent, so much emotion, the songs too stick in your head and though you may have not heard them before you can find yourself singing a long when he comes to the chorus for a second time. Jeff and his lovely Mrs was extremely nice to talk to and we chatted about all different stuff from Nazis stealing art to how Jeff sounds like Ben Affleck and not just because he is American but because they just sound very similar. Odd.
So all in all the night was good, possibly great as I now have my own Jeff Rowe CD, this guy tours relentlessly, I really do hope to catch him again soon!
Tomorrow an afternoon show in Slough then to the Relentless Garage Upstairs in Islington, loong room!"
May
30 Bannerman's, Edinburgh
31 Tunnels, Aberdeen
June
01 Tunnels, Aberdeen
02 The Well, Leeds
03 The Basement, York
05 Trillian's, Newcastle
'Countrysides' by Jonah Matranga/Mikee J Reds is out now on Engineer Records.
Jonah Matranga: Official Website
Jonah Matranga on MySpace, Twitter, and Facebook
Mikee J Reds on Facebook.
