 October 8th, 2009 Village Underground - London  Established in 2002, the JD Set has been championing cutting egdge music talent for seven years. Hosting regular gigs and the annual Birthday JD Set celebrations.The annual Jack Daniel's whisky-sponsored brand gig sees three musicians a year perform their own songs, covers and collaborations for a one-off gig backed by the New Silver Cornet Band – a band of veteran US musicians. Jack Daniel's Silver Cornet Band Made of a group of world-class session musicians, The New Silver Cornet Band was created in celebration of Jack Daniels original Silver Cornet Band, formed in 1892. Today's band come together just once a year for the Jack Daniel's Birthday Set. Their role is to back the headliners and bring a drop of Tennessee's musical magic and heritage to the occasion. John Tiven - Lead Guitar Responsible for bringing the band together, Tiven is a successful producer who worked with Frank Black on his two Nashville albums. Billy Block - Drums Worked with Jackson Browne, Ellis Hook and Al Green. Billy also hosts the Billy Block Show; Nashville's longest-running radio show devoted to country music. Wayne Carson - acoustic guitar Well-known two-time Grammy Award-winning songwriter who wrote Always on My Mind famously sung by Brenda Lee, Elvis Presley, Willie Nelson, Pet Shop Boys... also "The Letter" David Hood - bassist Founding member of Muscle Shoals Sound, has produced and written for the Rolling Stones and Willie Nelson, and is a member of the Alabama Music Hall of Fame. honorary band members Rosie Vanier - Keys This is not Rosie's first JD set appearance as she played with her band Rosie and the Goldbug in the first leg of the 2009 tour. The Birthday JD Set will be Rosie's first appearance as a solo artist, her band is called Ruby Vamp. Silver Strings Elena Argiros - Violin Rosie Langley - Violin Edie Langley - Cello Ellie, Rosie and Edie have been playing together in various guises for a number of years and have graced the records and live stages of a number of our favourite artists - including Elbow, Carl Barat, Goldfrapp, The View and Ed Harcourt. Ellie plays violins and vocals in These Eyes are Cameras, and Rosie & Edie are part of the Langley Sisters. Special Guest: Glen Matlock Sex Pistols, The Rich Kids, Glen Matlock and the Philistines Headlining artists Brett Anderson Throughout his career it would be fair to say that Brett Anderson has never done anything by halves. At times he has performed such a volte-face with his music that it has sometimes been hard for fans and critics to know what he was going to do next. His new record "SLow Attack" is no exception. His first record "The era-defining "Suede" became the soundtrack to a new generation disaffected by much of the music and culture around it, and one hungry for the visceral thrills intrinsic in the best timeless pop. Thumped.com Ireland , Aiofe Barry writes: Each musician was very conscious of the talent in the New Silver Cornet Band, and clearly delighted to work with such experienced people. Of his performance with them, Brett Anderson, who is poised to release his third solo album, Slow Attack, in November, said: “You’ve got to approach these things with the right attitude – it would be stupid of me to tell them to play it more like the record because the whole point of it is it’s not supposed to be like the record.” It was also Brett who suggested the three men cover the Velvet Underground’s ‘Venus in Furs’ for the show’s finale, as “it’s a classic song and everyone loves it”. “You can’t be into leftfield rock music without being a fan of the Velvet Underground, because they pretty much invented it.” One thing Brett was keen to put across was how little he depends on the media to feel confident in his work. “To be honest, I’m sort of beyond worrying about what journalists think of my music,” he said at one point. “I’ve noticed, it’s an interesting thing going from a successful band to a solo artist, because I think a lot of people see it as an opportunity to give you a kick because you don’t have the armour of being in a band around you.” “I seem to polarise people,” he added. For Brett, who found commercial success with Suede, being a solo artist means moving away from his former band in many ways. “I’m not making commercial music anymore,” he said, while fiddling with his wedding ring. “I think I’m doing something commendable, I’ve stepped out of the machinery of being in a band, I’ve had the bravery and perspective to walk away from that when it would have been easy to stay in the band, and I’m doing something creative and different and I think that’s something that should be applauded, I really do.” Carl Barat - Carl Barat's rare talent and passion have kept him at the forefront of British music for the whole of this decade. He achieved great success with The Dirty Pretty Things whose debut album, "Waterloo to Anywhere" hit number three in the charts and single "Bang Bang you're Dead" also reached number five. Carl Barat is quite simply one of the greatest songwriters and guitarists of the past decade with a range of influences that take in The Kinks, The Velvet Underground and The La's, forging a unique sound and lyrical vision. Jon "The Reverend" McClure Jon McClure is Reverend and the Maker's lead vocalist. When Reverend and the Makers emerged in May 2007, hitting number eight with their disco rampage of a debut single "Heavyweight champion of the World", McClure was held up as the pivotal figure in the development of the Sheffield scene. He had mentored The Arctic Monkeys' Alex Turner in an earlier band, run club nights and sound systems in Sheffield - he'd even turned down six-figure major label offers back in 2005 to make a record that sound like The Arctic Monkeys. He was clearly a man determined to do things his own way. John McClure writes: “They’re just a proper band, of real, proper musicians,” he says of the New Silver Cornet Band, who needed “no more than an hour with me- they’re that good professionally.” Each artist will perform a set with the Silver Cornet Band, mixing their own material and some carefully chosen covers, something McClure is eager to tell us about. “I chose tunes I’m into,” he says, before a quick fire rundown. ‘Psychotic Reaction’ by Count Five- “A massive tune for me, I love my 60s psych.” John Lennon’s ‘I Found Out’- “It’s just Lennon telling all these dickheads what’s what, great tune.” Finally, ‘This House Is Not A Motel’ the seminal Love track- “That album’s one of the best ever made, and Arthur Lee is a complete God.” The Rev goes on to speak highly of Carl Barat and Brett Anderson, but saves special mention for former Sex Pistols bassist Glen Matlock, who will join him for a bratty version of ‘Pretty Vacant’ later on. “Phenomenal lads, and Glen Matlock, Sex Pistols, I’m a massive fan - end of story, let’s ‘ave it!”  The frontmen sang The Velvet Underground's 'Venus In Furs' together at the end of the gig. Previously they had played a solo set each backed by the band, while Sex Pistols' Glen Matlock made a surprise cameo. McClure played first, his set including his own band's songs 'Heavyweight Champion Of The World' and 'The Hidden Persuaders', plus 'This House Is Not A Motel' by Love. Matlock joined him for a rendition of Sex Pistols' 'Pretty Vacant'. Anderson was up next, playing Suede songs including 'The Wild Ones', 'Killing Of A Flashboy' and his set-closer 'Trash' and his own "To The Winter" and "Love is Dead" Barat played The Libertines' 'The Good Old Days' and 'What Katy Did'. He also played 'Truth Begins' by his other old band, Dirty Pretty Things, plus covers, including Bertolt Becht's 'Alabama Song', famously covered in the '60s by The Doors. Barat was then joined by McClure and Anderson on stage for their set-closing collaboration. Previous artists include: The Flaming Lips, Editors, Richard Hawley, Guy Garvey - Elbow, Maximo Park, Patti Smith, Frank Black, Roisin Murphy, House of Lords - The Young Knives -, Shingai "Noisettes" Shoniwa, Tim Wheeler - Ash, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, I am Kloot, The Foals, The Futureheads, Paul Weller, The Courteneers, Kate Nash, The Rapture, British Sea Power.... The JDset.co.uk website  Venus in Furs 
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Date: October 09, 2009 08:59PM I would like to thank Brett, the glass keyed marimba and especially Vanessa for letting me win a ticket for the JD competition. It was a fantastic concert. Each musician that was on stage that evening was like a pearl on the most perfect necklace. Great looking people, talented at what they were doing - my eyes didn't know where to look and my mind can't pick the highlights of the evening. If you think that this was self-indulgent jamming, think again, and think more of this is how classic songs come alive. There were tunes I had never heard of, and others were so familiar. Jack Daniels was right in his blurb: rock n roll dazzlers. Wayne Carson and the others from the New Silver Cornet bands can come back anytime - and I can't believe that this is the first time Wayne Carson was in the UK. I'm speechless at his rendition of his song "Always on my mind". And that drummer what a guy! So much energy and enthusiasm and he has a lovely smile. Then the string section was bedazzling too, two of the Dirty Pretty Strings who featured on Elbow's "One fine day" - last year's THE song at Glastonbury. From where I was I couldn't see the lady on the cello, but there was the adorable Rosie from Rosie and the Goldbug - which rings a bell to me. So this was Rosie's first solo appereance. Then, guess what Glen Matlock (ex Sex Pistols) turns up and the group plays "Pretty Vacant" with vocalist John "The Reverend" McClure. McClure himself is a great character. I know him more from the various articles he has been writing online and in the NME but boy he is a showman too and bags of fun to watch. I didn't know that he mentored Arctic Monkeys - so cheers! Arctic Monkeys fans should revere him. By contrast, Carl Barat is as suave as Jon was rough. Gorgeous looking man, and he was great fun to watch, and even if he wasn't as handsome as he was, he would have many fans because he is a seriously talented chap - he covered "Moon of Alabama" which many know as a Doors song but in fact is much older and has its roots in the political cabaret. There is something cabarettish about Carl. I think this is not the last time I'll hear him play on stage. Well, and in between Jon McClure and Carl Barat, we had Mr Anderson. Jack Daniels said it already Rock n Roll dazzler. One should have heard how his songs sounded with that excellent band playing the music. His vocal range is getting better and better, and his self-confidence on stage has dramatically improved - he is a seriously talented musician and all the others on stage seemed to agree too. I don't think that I shall ever hear a better rendition of Everything will flow (remember that I only started to see him play live in 2002) and the Silver Cornet drummer gave Killing of a Flashboy a lethal rhythm. I tried to keep up with him and when I came back at the hotel I noticed my left hand was bruised. I wish I was a properly trained music journalist to give that gig the review it deserves. It was certainly one of the best gig ever. And the finale was out of this world. Rosie told us to say JD and that morphed into a beat and then the three vocalists came on stage and took turns at singing Venus in Furs as if they were a long established trio. I hope that none will ever diss these musicians and mumble something that they are not good, because that was serious talent in action there providing the soundtrack to a great evening. You know those evening where every song seems to be perfect (even if you can't name all the tunes). If the photos turn out well, I'll put them on here but you will have to wait till my cash-flow works again. I'm skint now but so very happy! Lovely to see youloveit, Rousseauworld, Rivendell, Sunshine, Kate Beautifulrain and her friend and meeting all these people who had a great time too. king regards, DKav              |