I must just say, before the year ends, how much I enjoyed the Hedvig Mollestad Trio concert last month. In a tiny, claustrophobic downstairs club it was LOUD and it ROCKED, the rockiest jazz rock I've heard for a long time. Visibly pregnant, HM peeled off some chunky Sab and Zep-style riffs with some inventive soloing, not overdoing the loops and delays. A number of early departures, as I've said before, always a good sign. Some excellent backup from the bass - electric and stand-up - and drums. The night before they had supported John McLaughlin at the Royal Festival Hall. Reviews here and here.
I also enjoyed Shiver deep in the heart of Dalston - trendy cocktail bar with a tiny basement venue. Some technical hitches but exciting music - a bit too reliant on electronics sometimes I feel, but there were some great moments - they have an excellent song called 'Rudderless' - New Order meets Todd Rundgren. The bus journey back to London Bridge was educational in terms of studying the Hackney and Shoreditch hipsters with their identical lumberjack beards and absurd short ponytails.
