A night with The Kennedys

 Hello dear readers!

 You may have read my interview a couple of months ago with folk-rock duo The Kennedys; well, on Sunday 2nd June I was lucky enough to attend their concert in Saltaire, Yorkshire.

 It was a gorgeous summer's evening as my dad and I arrived in Saltaire and found Caroline Social Club.

 Inside the club I was surprised: the live room was smaller than I had expected, and candles sat on all the tables. It created a lovely ambience and we were just a few metres away from the performers which made the show feel much more intimate.

 Maura and Pete Kennedy very kindly spoke to me before the show and asked if I had any requests and I put one in for Listen, a song I love.

 One thing I regret is not requesting another song or two - partly because I was somewhat starstruck and my mind went blank, and partly because the other few songs I might have asked for were ones I thought there was a chance they might do anyway.

 Some they did, some they didn't, but they performed two fantastic sets that contained many of my favourites as well as some songs I hadn't heard before and fell in love with.

 Before The Kennedys came on stage we were treated to an opening set by Pip Mountjoy, an up-and-coming English folk singer, which I really enjoyed. She mentioned that she sews her EP covers - I was intrigued by this so looked them up; they are truly beautiful and I applaud her for such an original idea.

 The Kennedys then came on stage and went straight into what is in my humble opinion their masterwork: Life is Large; an incredible, uplifting song. They then performed a first set made up of classics, songs from their latest album, Closer Than You Know, and requests, including mine, Listen. 

 I had never heard Listen performed live so I hadn't heard the story behind it; that Maura wrote it as a metaphor for life and living in the moment. Knowing the story behind the song makes it mean even more to me now, and overall it was an incredibly special few minutes for me.

 Another song whose inclusion made me very happy was When I Go by Dave Carter; I found out that in fact they like to perform a Dave Carter song at every show to allow more people to hear and appreciate his music. 

 I listen to the recorded version of this a lot, but seeing it live was something very rare and almost magical; as Maura sang she seemed to be so in tune to the song, the lyrics; almost devoted - not in a religious way; more simply at one with the song and its depiction of life, nature, death and spirituality. 

 After the last strum from Pete I think everyone held their breath for a moment, afraid to clap too soon and break the beauty and magic of this moment. It was something I feel honoured to have been a part of.

 The second set seemed to me to be slightly more experimental, with songs I hadn't heard them perform before - covers of Bob Dylan, The Byrds and Buddy Holly (their first date was at Buddy Holly's grave).

 Pete also played some stunning guitar and ukulele solos; he is a brilliant guitarist and it was really something to see such a master at work, doing what he loves. Like Maura singing When I Go, he seemed completely tuned in to something powerful, lost to everything but the beautiful sounds he was creating. It was another very special part of the evening.

 The Kennedys ended the show with Not Fade Away by Buddy Holly. I hadn't heard the original at the time and having listened to it since, I much prefer The Kennedys' version. It was electric, dynamic - simple bursting with energy and passion. It was the perfect end to the show, and stayed in my head for days afterwards.

 They came back out to do an encore, and performed Stand, another of their songs that I like and might have requested. 

 Again, the anecdote attached - that they wanted to create a non-exclusive gospel song - really added to the experience of hearing and seeing the song performed. After the wonderful delirium of Not Fade Away, Stand was a calmer, more spiritual note to end on.

 At the end of the evening I got their album Stand; I hope to listen to it through soon and post a review on this blog, so watch this space. Its opening track, Dharma Cafe, is one of the songs they performed tonight that I hadn't heard before but that I really liked and kept singing to myself afterwards.

 I also had to have a quick photo with Pete and Maura - I would have liked to stay and chat a bit more with them and with other Kennedys fans at the venue but sadly I had an exam the next morning and had to dash off.

 However, I had an amazing evening and I must stress how kind and down-to-earth Pete and Maura are at concerts: you can go to a great show and really enjoy it and leave afterwards without having seen the performer and it still be a great night out, so imagine all that but with performers who are willing to mingle with their guests, take requests, chat about the show... 

 Seeing the Kennedys live is more an experience than merely a show, and I am very grateful to have had that experience. I hope they retain their down-to-earthness - I have no reason to believe they won't - and that I can see them live many more times in the future.

 Thanks for reading,

 Liz x

Songs: 

Listen - The Kennedys - 2005

When I Go - The Kennedys - 2003

Amazing news and the Kennedys ♥

 Hello, my wonderful readers! Bonjour! ¡Hola!

 I am very happy and excited because I got my A-Level results yesterday and I got the results I needed to go to my first-choice university! I am going to the University of Manchester! Whoooooo!

 Needless to say, I am very chuffed. But slightly scared... starting university is probably one of the biggest, most challenging things I will ever do, leaving home and learning to live by myself and become independent.

 However, I feel well up for that challenge, and will throw myself into university life. As they say, you only get out of things what you put in, and I intend to do everything I can to make my four years at university as amazing as they possibly can be ♥

 I will be studying French and Spanish, but I intend to try studying some other languages in my free time, and I will look for clubs and societies to join - hopefully there will be French and Spanish societies, as well as the chance to keep playing badminton, and maybe even do some more zumba!

 Talking of zumba, I went to a Steps-themed zumba yesterday, and it was brilliant! I enjoyed it so much - more than I had expected to. I had thought that Steps only had a few big hits, but at zumba there were lots of songs that I quite liked, and I may listen to more music by Steps from now on (and maybe do the dances)!

 I've had so many lovely messages from my family and friends congratulating me on my results and getting into Manchester Uni, and I'm so grateful and happy to have so much love and support. Knowing they will always be there for me makes me feel more confident about making the huge jump of going to Uni.

 There's a song that I had heard briefly and liked, but that recently my brother brought back to my attention and I realised I really like it. (And now it's stuck in my head.) It's Express Yourself by Labrinth. Give it a listen if you haven't already. Here is a video my brother made with the song which I prefer to the official video.

 Also, in honour of me starting Uni I have to share one of the most hopeful, beautiful songs I know: Life Is Large by the Kennedys; Pete and Maura.

 This amazingly talented pair were the opening act for Nanci Griffith when I saw her live in concert in Salford Quays for my eighteenth birthday treat earlier this year. I had heard of the Kennedys before then but I hadn't really known their music so it was great to discover them! ♥

  Photos courtesy of my mum.

 I was lucky enough to meet Pete and Maura Kennedy after the show and they were so lovely. 

 I bought their latest CD, which they very kindly signed for me, and it has a live version of Life Is Large, which is one of the most wonderful songs you will ever hear. It is simply gorgeous. The guitar playing, the vocals, the lyrics...

"We've only got one chance to walk this line;

If you should get lost or stuck in time.

Just believe this road does not end here.

How do you want to be remembered; a raging fire or a dying ember?"

 Amazing. I love the version in the video earlier in this blog post which I presume is the album version, but my favourite has to be the live one... It is just incredible. So atmospheric and intimate and emotional and direct. One of the few songs I can listen to in any mood and still enjoy completely.

 I will also share a stunning performance by the Kennedys of When I Go by Dave Carter.

  I feel like I don't even have the right to comment on something so beautiful and perfect but I must say it is the song I wish I had written. I can't say for sure but I feel there is something very Native American in the melody and lyrics and, as I have some of this in my ancestry, this song feels very close to me personally and means a lot to me. 

 It is hard to pick out one lyric to highlight because every line is beautiful, but among the ones which I found most poignant are:

"I'll send this message down the wire and hope that someone wise is listening when I go."

"...in showers of crimson rubies when I go."

"And should you glimpse my wandering form upon the borderline, between death and resurrection and the council of the pines.

Do not worry for my comfort, do not sorrow for my soul,

Or your diamond tears will rise up in the dawn sky beside me when I go."

 Truly beautiful. If I could ever write a song anywhere near as powerful and moving I would be very happy. I am not too familiar with the work of Dave Carter, but if this song is anything to go by he must have been a very, very gifted songwriter. 

 I really think the world would be a sadder, more desperate place without this song. It almost embraces death, makes it feel like something not to be afraid of. It is also a celebration of this beautiful world we live in which we often - too often - take for granted. 

 When I Go is humbling and magical and unlike any other song I have ever heard. I am so grateful to the Kennedys for bringing to my attention a song I may never have heard otherwise. 

 I hope you enjoyed my thoughts on the Kennedys. I will be off to university in September, and I have no doubt that it will be an amazing experience. It will be a journey of sorts, and you, my blog readers, will be able to take it with me as I blog at every step of the way with news and updates and - of course - plenty of brilliant music to listen to along the way.

 This is the beginning of a new chapter in my life, and I'm hoping it's going to be a good one ♥

 Hasta luego,

 Liz x

 If you enjoyed this post I recommend: Ireland, the Olympics, Snowdonia and Nanci Griffith and Mountains and memories: Nanci Griffith and Tina Turner

Songs: Express Yourself - Labrinth - 2012

Life Is Large - the Kennedys - 1996

When I Go - the Kennedys - 2003