Bedford Alternative Music Present: THE ACOUSTIC INTERLUDE - Hadley Spicer, Ross Connor, Danny Young, The Vans, Tom Rhyland .

Bedford Esquires Lev 1 Holy Molys Thursday 2nd August 2012.

Review By Martin Stapleton.

Tonight Bedford Alternative Music presented the Acoustic Interlude; it’s a follow up to a couple of nights they ran earlier in the year. Holy Molys is the perfect setting and is opened by HADLEIGH SPICER although this lad has done a fair bit of busking, this represents his first ever proper gig and like so many before him, he is in the ever so slightly immortal words “Bricking it!”
Tall, constantly smiling, he comes resplendent with a beenie hat (or wasps nest as the gigs host calls it) his short covers set is wildly cheered by his many mates who provide such good moral support. On Wheels (the Foo Fighters cover) he gets maximum crowd support, they are singing and clapping along in all the appropriate places.

ROSS CONNOR has on a Thursday evening had a horrendous journey from Milton Keynes. Yes at this time it’s horrid. It’s his first Bedford show and he settles in nicely. A sturdy build with a perfectly manicured dark beard, he discards his black rimmed glasses quite hastily after Changes, Ross possesses quite a rich seasoned voice with bucket loads of character, its slightly Americanised at times in an Americana way, he says little, preferring his songs to speak for him. However he does boast about his E.P. being only one pound to purchase, adding “You don’t get them prices at HMV!” Shield is worthy of mention. It’s a jaw dropping highlight.

No Bedford Alternative Acoustic gig would be complete without the incomparable talents of DANNY YOUNG Speedshot’s front man delves in to rock music’s back catalogue as well as redefining his bands electric compositions to a totally stripped down acoustic level. Danny appreciates his limitations, humbly admitting that he could be described as the “Unintentional novelty act” as he concedes to listening to other featured artists involved, all “With their husky voices”. Tonight is a evening full of surprises and naturally Danny has provided his own big brother MATT YOUNG drops in the tight trousered HeKz supreme is armed this evening with of all things a Bouzouki, this is Celtic not Greek and above all its rare, Matt describes it succinctly as “Like a large long necked mandolin!”. It’s lovely to both watch and listen to indeed. This reviewer shuts his eyes and just absorbs the enormity of this gentle beauty.

More unexpected surprises occur when we have a very late addition to the bill. Tomorrow night at Esquires on the main stage, an Australian band called THE VANS are appearing. Tonight their front man Mr. RYAN HARRIS ply’s his acoustic skills initially he performs with a harmonica but soon discards it, in a rich Aussie twang he tells us straight “Shit couldn’t wait to get rid of that!”. Team work is exemplified as fellow Van person Kat is summoned on stage to act as an auxiliary mic stand to hold Ryan’s book of lyrics. It’s a new one and he recons it’s his best ever. Written on tour, the perfect band symmetry is complete as drummer Stephen records it all on his phone for total posterity when they set back to Perth.

Ah, TOM RHYLAND Its not his real name surely, it has to be an Alias, I feel. Generously and very kindly he offers his latest C.D. is entitled Dreaming Down The Moon, its given away free to all the attendees tonight sadly, disgracefully but hardly surprising given young peoples attitude to acoustic music a lot of folks have left early, probably to the kebab shop! It’s their loss as Tom opens his heart and spills out the songs. It’s a break up record but tenderly performed, indeed as a real local; music fan I am inclined to say Tom, what would we do without you? It’s been far too long since we saw this very talented gentleman performing his aural nuggets. His half hour set is an incredulously loose lo-fi journey in to pain and heartbreak. All the songs are so very obviously personnel to him but what sets Tom apart is his voice, so rich and never ever at any time could it be construed as boring and monotonous. Given the subjective nature of lyrics, this of course could easily occur. The set is a rumbly stomach of slow burning vignettes que Love Will Find A Way. Each song tapping in to a rich vein of melancholy Down To The Wire sums up Toms lyrical feelings “There is no place I would rather be with you at home” enough said I feel.