It is now a little over a month since our last journey into the very bowels of Greenwich, the deep red underground interior of Oliver's Music Bar. Having lost its left output some time ago, my faithful Doctor Sample had finally decided to cease transmitting from its right side as well, so I was, alas, unable to perform as expected. I was, however, most proud to introduce our four acts of the evening.
Hanna Tuulikki of Nalle played sweet songs that soared through our heads with her resonator plate guitar.
Aisha Orazbayeva, surrounded by a veritable smorgasbord of music stands, entranced us with a mesmerising performance of Luciano Berio's Sequenza VIII ("Stop saying Sequenza Eight! Otto! Otto!" She hissed at me, with some justification, after my introduction).
Lost Robots swelled into grooves and diverse soundscapes, conjuring the ghosts of traditional English folk music, psychedelic rock, and the best of the British experimental tradition.
And finally, Ben's Pens sung us into the night with songs so sweet and moving, so hummable and musical, delivered with such warmth and humour, to make everyone in the room feel as though privileged friends, invited into the living room of some great songwriter for a sing-a-long.All drawings by Mr Steve Reed of Club Silencio. Little Other will be presenting more Special Sounds at Oliver's soon. Watch, as they say, this space . . .
