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There is a time in a music fan’s life where they may have to choose between two artists to watch. We had encountered this problem of Wednesday the 25th of March 2015 and managed to attend them both. One artists was an up and coming band called Tiro Lark who played at the Cavern Club. The other was veteran Johnny Marr who was named NME’s Godlike Genius in 2013. The two are completely different in contrast yet they both together represent the past and the future of the British rock scene.
Ellesmere Port band Tiro Lark are on a projected course for success. After being regularly played on BBC Merseyside and taking up residency in many famous bars and clubs on the North West, they are surely making a B line for the crown of the North-West’s premier talent.
Their concert at The Cavern Club which is the supposed ‘Home of the Beatles’ was a showcase of their talents. The band opened to a generally slim crowd since they had to compete with Go-Fiasco who were recording live tracks at the cavern later that night.
The fresh faced boys opened with crowd pleasure ‘Don’t Need Your Money’ which boasts jumping riffs and synchronised harmonies. Lead singer Liam Royden threw his guitar behind his back and jived with the beat towards the microphone before upping the scale of his vocal talents. “Whenever I’m feeling blue…. I come down to the Cavern Lounge and play for you” shouted Royden to much applause from the crowd. The flurry of instruments broke down to a low rhythm bridge and Guitarist Joe Smith stray cat shuffled his way into The Rolling Stones classic ‘Jumping Jack Flash’. Smith’s ability to craft a perfectly unique solo around an established classic is a product of wonderment.
The band coolly moved into one of their original pieces titled ‘Beach Bar’. The contagious melody of ‘Hey Hey, How Low’ is met with a harmonious response of ‘How High we gonna take you’. The structure of the song makes for a surprisingly laidback summer hit. Original new records such as ‘Cool Off’ offer catchy and energetic riffs matched with luxurious melodies which match that of some of music’s greatest partnerships.
The audience were surprised with covers of classics such as Marvin Gaye’s ‘Heard it Through the Grapevine’ and Bob Marley’s ‘Three Little Birds’.
The young lads did a great job of making these covers sound their own since they have a distinctive style which does not hide from jumping up and down all scales from frets to vocals. Original song ‘Hit By Crossfire’ has a Hendrixian style to it and it’s hard hitting chords and pauses make for a powerful incentive to an otherwise mellow yet appealing set.
After climbing the snaking stairs of the Cavern Club past the framed photographs of past performers from the Mersey and elsewhere; we made it onto the street to make the 2.3 mile journey to The East Village Arts Club. By the time arrived we had been met with a wall of human barriers.
It was hard to even catch a glimpse of Marr’s head and people clambered through each other like atoms under a microscope. While the Arts Club has a whole is a classical and pleasing venue which is reminiscent of a Greek auditorium, I do not believe that it is at its most productive when sold out. The first song that we heard was the latest single of his new album ‘That’s Money’ which sounded crisp and perfectly in time through the Arts Club acoustics. Marr broke his silence as asked “What’s Going On? Has anybody got any questions?, before proceeding into the mellow and sombre ‘Meantime Velocity’ which made you ponder rather than dance. Marr declared that “This is for anyone who went to school in Wavertree”.
The lights shone amber and plastered shadows of Marr against the golden cream walls of The Arts Club. Marr also delved into the catalogue of his former band ‘The Smiths’, who you may know. ‘Headmaster Original’ was the first to receive the Marr solo treatment and it sounded just as meaningful.
Marr plays with style and attitude. His gestures and movement matches that with the music. He seems like he lives and breathes his artistry. The concert was taken into second gear as Marr hit ruthless speed in solo single ‘The Messenger’. By this time we had followed some revellers upstairs to a more accommodating viewpoint on the balcony. “This one for people who think that they think too much” grumbled Marr. The crowd clapped along and Marr made a smooth transition into David Cameron’s favourite single ‘The Queen is Dead’. Marr forbade David Cameron to listen to The Smiths the week before which shows his working class mentality.
The crowd clearly respect his integrity since they double the artist. He has a loyal fan base and it’s understandable. Marr was sporting a deep reds shirt, black jeans and sand desert boots and he just tapped them to the timing of the beat. A few gems such as his collaboration with New Order’s Bernard Summers ‘Getting Away with It’ made memorable sing-a-long moments. It is the records like this which reveal the influence that Marr had on musical culture within the 80’s.
Shortly after Marr took to the microphone to say “This song is fucking OURS!” It became evident that he was speaking of Smith’s favourite ‘There is a light that never goes out’. “Driving in your car! I never never want to go home! Because I haven’t got one, anymore”. The outsider anthem struck a chord with the crowd as they recited every lyric in loud unison to Marr.
He seemed awe struck by the response and let the crowd do much of the lyrical performance while he laidback and enjoyed. Shortly after a rapturous continuation of the chorus, Marr left the stage. The crowd persisted and Marr returned to perform ‘Big Man Strikes Again’ and ‘How Soon is Now’. The Smiths ensemble brought cheers from the crowd and concluded a thoroughly enjoyable night of live music.
Both the old and new of the rock music scene represented themselves well. There is a stark contrast in experience but not in talent. It’s promising to see that influences can transits across cultural and musical backgrounds with positive repercussions.
Tiro Lark are a young and fresh sounding band who will be an integral part of the next musical generation.
Marr still has great charisma and reasoning for playing sell out gigs. His appeal, both solo and as the Guitarist of The Smith’s is apparent.
Both artists offer an alternative to the working class of previous and present epochs. Both have much to offer to your musical taste buds and deserve your attention.