So, I played my first two proper gigs in almost two years over the last week, and how did they go? Pretty well I thought. Great to be on a stage again with folk lookin' at yer. And the occassional compliment on the voice is very nice, it's a while since it's been praised so much, I'd almost forgotten I could sing. But sing I did at two fairly intimate shows in my new home city of Leciester ...
Played at the Shed on Thursday night, somewhere I'd never had the pleasure of playing in my Censored days, the spiritual birthplace of a little band called Kasabian and playing alongside a great new band called Silent Signals (look out for them, they've got two beautiful female vocalists and a band of very talented musos, ambient pop/rock that will have you vibrating with pleasure (I could be a music journo!)) My set was almost like a concerto in two parts (not to grandiose sounding I hope!) ... with the first half being soulful jazzy pop numbers including three brand new songs and a bit of Frank Sinatra thrown in for good measure ... That's Life, that's what all the people say ...
And then the second half of the show at the Shed I got back to doing what I used to do ... bluesy stuff, singing for the testicles up through the stomach and the chest and then raucous through the throat ... a medley based around "You Need Love" by Willie Dxon and Muddy Waters ... then I'm sure old Censored fans will be pleased to hear I played In The Presence of the Lord upon request (yeah, that's right, people actually requeting old stuff, it's only a matter of time before i'm forced to play Your Eyes Are Made of Gold) ... and then a couple more raucous bluesy ones to close, but i'm not going to give the game away ...
And then the followig days it was an outdoor afternoon affair bookended by a couple of original tunes (including Bon Nuit Madame (Goodnight My Lady) being aired at long last in song form) and some Beatles, Ben E. King and a little Martha Reeves & The Vandellas thrown in ...
Peace Love and eternal sunshine to you all,
Thanks for reading,
Matt Henshaw x
http://www.matthenshaw.com
PS. Be sure to vote for Matt Henshaw the "New school old-time b-boy" on the LoveBox NME vote thingey ... http://www.facebook.com/LoveboxOfficial
PPS. buy the album on bandcamp, I need the cash, I want to see Europer over the summer ... Munich, Amsterdam, Paris and Prague ... every little helps ..
