SWELL MAPS C21 – MOTH CLUB, HACKNEY, LONDON 15.3.24
When I read that Swell Maps were playing at the Moth Club I could barely believe my eyes, especially as Epic Soundtracks (aka Kevin Paul Godfrey) and Nikki Sudden (aka Adrian Nicholas Godfrey) are permanently unavailable, being deceased. Then I looked again and saw that they were playing as Swell Maps C21. Aha! So not the original band, but a 21st Century version thereof. However, when I saw that the line-up included Luke Haines, I realised that this really was going to be something special.
Jowe Head, (aka Stephen Bird) a stalwart from the original band is present and correct on guitar, vocals and occasional bass. The aforementioned Mr Haines (the leader of The Auteurs, Baader Meinhoff and Black Box Recorder) is on guitar and vocals. Dave Callahan from The Wolfhounds is on guitar and occasional bass. Lee McFadden from Alternative TV and The Television Personalities amongst others, is on bass and occasional guitar. Chloe Herington, a highly qualified musician who has a BMus from Goldsmiths College, is on melodica and synthesiser. However, her musical armoury also includes bassoon and saxophone, but she is not playing those particular instruments tonight. On keyboards is Lucie Rejchrtova, who has played with Arthur Brown amongst others. Finally, at the back on drums, is Jeff Bloom from the Television Personalities. So all-in-all this is a pretty stellar line-up.
A key thing to remember about Swell Maps is that first time around, they were relatively short-lived, and their recording career was very short. Although they originally formed in 1972, their debut single ‘Read About Seymour’ was only released in 1978. They then released two albums, ‘A Trip To Marineville’ (1979) and ‘Jane From Occupied Europe’ (1980) before splitting up in April of the year that their second album was released. However, during this period they were quite prolific in terms of the material they recorded, with many previously unheard tracks being released on compilation albums that were released after the band’s demise.
A result of this is that the current band has a wide range of material to choose from when planning their setlist. There are of course the old favourites, but there are also some very deep cuts indeed to select. Also, Swell Maps records featured some very weird and wonderful sounds which I always wondered how they were produced. Tonight I get to find out!
There is no support tonight, so it’s straight into the main event. The opening song is ‘Wireless’, which is a piano-led prelude, accompanied by what sounds like radio interference, and that’s exactly what it is, as Chloe holds an untuned transistor radio up to her mic. Immediately after this comes the first surprise of the night, when Jowe announces ‘Morning Star’ as a new song. I presume he’s joking. However, having tried to track this song down, I can find no trace of it on t’internet, so he must have been serious! Anyway, it fits in perfectly with the rest of the Swell Maps material, and is really good. I hope it gains release at some point!
Unbelievably Jowe Head is now 67, and some of the rest of the band are not exactly spring chickens, but that doesn’t prevent them from essaying a version of ‘International Rescue’ which is energised and then some! The musicianship on display tonight exceeds that on display on the two original Swell Maps albums. However, tonight’s musicians are far more experienced than the Swell Maps were in 1979 and 1980!
The piano led ‘Jelly Babies’, which was released in 1981 by Epic Soundtracks on the ‘Popular Classical’ EP and sung by Robert Wyatt, was given an outing next. Swell Maps C21 released the song on the live album ‘Polar Regions’ last year. Good news was delivered in the fact that there is to be an upcoming Soundtracks & Head album titled ‘Daga Daga Daga’ which is going to be released by Glass Records on Record Store Day.
‘Helicopter Spies’ is next and this has an interesting piano and melodica coda which is actually an old Swell Maps instrumental originally played and written by Epic Soundtracks called ‘A Raincoat’s Room’.
‘Bronze & Baby Shoes’ from ‘A Trip To Marineville’ has a blues influenced chord sequence which is quite unusual for the Maps (can I call them the Maps?). It also features Jowe Head and Dave Callahan on dual lead guitar which is pretty impressive. Single ‘Let’s Build A Car’ from 1979 features Dave on lead vocals consulting a lyric sheet. We can forgive him that however, as tonight’s set is twenty-three songs long, so that’s a lot to remember. Also, many of these songs are a long way from being simple, so that’s something of a challenge too.
Earlier I mentioned the weird and wonderful sounds that the Maps produce. During ‘Let’s Build A Car’ Dave is sliding a metal water bottle up and down his strings, whilst Jowe is doing the same with a slide. None of the guitarists use many pedals. The bulk of their sound effects are achieved manually. They really are a fabulous live band, being simultaneously tight and rough around the edges, which is not something that’s easy to achieve.
The main set ends with a medley which incorporates ‘Vertical Slum’, ‘Blam!!’ and ‘Full Moon’, from 1979’s ‘A Trip To Marineville’ album as well as ‘Mother Sky’ by Can and the traditional song ‘Gower Wassail’.
The band aren’t gone for long and they tune up on their return (Jowe: “tuning up isn’t really punk rock is it?”). To close we get ‘Read About Seymour’, ‘Cake Shop Girl’, ‘Don’t Throw Ashtrays At Me!’, and ‘Midget Submarines’. Four encores! There’s not many bands who will do that. If it wasn’t for the 10pm curfew I get the feeling that the band would have carried on. This has been an absolutely superb gig. There really is nothing to fault. Great playing, great material, what’s not to like? After the gig I asked Dave Callahan whether they have any further gigs planned. “Not as yet other than in Leeds and Nottingham” came the reply. Well chaps, better get planning!
Swell Maps C21:
Jowe Head – guitar, vocals and occasional bass
Luke Haines – guitar and vocals
Dave Callahan – guitar, vocals and occasional bass
Lee McFadden – bass and occasional guitarist
Chloe Herington – melodica and synthesiser
Lucie Rejchrtova – keyboards and backing vocals
Jeff Bloom – drums
Swell Maps setlist:
1. ‘Wireless’
2. ‘Morning Star’ (new song)
3. ‘International Rescue’ (from 1999 ‘International Rescue’ compilation album)
4. ‘Harmony In Your Bathroom’ (from 1979 ‘A Trip To Marineville’ album)
5. ‘Secret Island’ (from 1980 ‘Jane From Occupied Europe’ album)
6. ‘Bandits One Five’ (from 1981 ‘Whatever Happens Next’ compilation album)
7. ‘Jelly Babies’ (from 1981 single by Epic Soundtracks)
8. ‘Helicopter Spies’ (from 1980 ‘Jane From Occupied Europe’ album)
9. ‘A Raincoat’s Room’ (from 1980 ‘Jane From Occupied Europe’ album)
10. ‘Bronze & Baby Shoes’ (from 1979 ‘A Trip To Marineville’ album)
11. ‘Big Empty Field’ (from 1980 ‘Jane From Occupied Europe’ album) also included Jowe singing ‘One More Saturday Night’ by Can.
12. ‘Let’s Build A Car’ (a 1980 single)
13. ‘Real Shocks’ (a 1979 single)
14. ‘Whatever Happens Next’ (from 1980 ‘Jane From Occupied Europe’ album)
15. ‘Foam Rubber Wedding’ (unreleased)
16. ‘Vertical Take Off And Landing’ (unreleased)
17. ‘Vertical Slum’ (from 1979 ‘A Trip To Marineville’ album)
18. ‘Blam!!’ (from 1979 ‘A Trip To Marineville’ album)
19. ‘Full Moon’ (from 1979 ‘A Trip To Marineville’ album) includes ‘Mother Sky’ by Can and traditional song ‘Gower Wassail’.
(encore)
20. ‘Read About Seymour’ (a 1978 single)
21. ‘Cake Shop Girl’ (from 1980 ‘Jane From Occupied Europe’ album)
22. ‘Don’t Throw Ashtrays At Me’ (from 1979 ‘A Trip To Marineville’ album)
23. ‘Midget Submarines’ (from 1979 ‘A Trip To Marineville’ album)
