I am finding it hard to believe that here I am in 2022 writing about an album which was released in 2013, yet there is not a single review for it on ProgArchives. Recorded at different venues in the UK and Holland, here we have a double CD set capturing one of our finest prog folk bands in their natural environment, live on stage. I first came across them nearly 30 years ago with their second album, ‘Book of Kells’, and by the time they got to this recording there had been some significant line-up changes, but multi-instrumentalist Dave Bainbridge is still there, along with singer Joanne Hogg (acoustic guitar, keyboards) and drummer Frank Van Essen (also on violin) who was a guest back then, with the current line-up completed by Phil Barker (bass, electric double bass, darbuka) and Martin Nolan (Uilleann pipes, low and tin whistles). Strange to think that both Nick Beggs and Troy Donockley were involved on that album all those years back, wonder whatever happened to them……?
When a band contains a genuine multi-instrumentalist like Dave Bainbridge, it allows the band to have incredible breadth and diversity in what they are playing, here always steeped in the Celtic tradition of the Western Isles along with the Christian message which made the isle of Iona such a focal point for centuries. There is something very special about those islands, as anyone who has ever been will attest to, with powerful communities and a feeling of being in a place removed from much of modern life, and being all the better for it. This is what Iona bring with their music, changing mere notes into something magical and transformative. Whenever I listen to their music I am back on the islands, up in that area of Scotland where my father was raised and retired to.
Joanne has a wonderfully clear voice, similar in some ways to Annie Haslam or Christina Booth, while beneath her we have music that is often built on an incredibly powerful rhythm section with Dave and Martin guiding the melodies. While it is Celtic, it has much more direction and passion than the likes of Enya, and while it can indeed go into the dreamstate, there is a great deal going on and this never falls into the background. There are times when this really rocks, times when we all want to reel, and plenty of others when all we can do is listen and be taken away. This is complex music, with complicated arrangements, yet there is also a sense of space and fresh air within it so it never smothers but instead lifts the listener.
Containing music which does indeed go all the way back to ‘The Book of Kells’, more than two hours long spread over two discs, this is the perfect introduction to Iona for anyone, and is a delight from beginning to end. 10/10 Kev Rowland
Lifesigns UK tour, which starts in Swindon on Friday! All going well, the band is sounding great and we’re introducing a few new tunes to the set. Hope some of you can make it along – full gig list below. Last weekend I recorded the guitar parts for a new 15 minute epic piece for the forthcoming Lifesigns album. The track is called ‘Altitude‘ and is sounding amazing. It won’t be included in the set as we’re still working on completing it and it will need a lot of rehearsal, but I hope it will be ready to be included in subsequent tours later in the year!
On tour with Lifesigns, Fernando Perdomo, Sally Minnear & Strawbs!
DAVE BAINBRIDGE (SOLO) 15th June The Royal Oak, Hampton, London (Dave playing 1/2 hour set at the Jam Night – free entry!)
STRAWBS ELECTRIC BAND UK TOUR (Further info here) 17th June Cheese & Grain, Frome 19th June Clarence Hall, Abergavenny, Wales 20th June Trading Boundaries, East Sussex 21st June Cambridge Rock Festival, Peterborough 22nd June Robin 2, Bilston 23rd June The Stables, Wavendon
As mentioned in the previous newsletter, another very exciting project I’ve been working on with Rob Ayling from Gonzo Multimedia is a new Iona 30th Anniversary box set!! Actually this will be the first of several Iona box set releases and will be titled ‘The Book of Iona’ In the past few weeks I’ve been going through my extensive archive of Iona recordings, looking for things to include on the companion disk which will accompany each of the studio albums and I’ve discovered some amazing stuff! Previously unreleased songs, original demo tapes, alternate mixes, live recordings I’d completely forgotten about etc!! A real treasure trove for all Iona fans. I played some of these to Rob the other day and he was blown away by what I’d found – some real gems, including a recording from August 1989 of the very first time Joanne and I got together to record demos of some of her just written songs for the first album! It’s taking me a while to go through everything and choose what to include, but the recordings give an incredible insight into the background behind the band’s albums and working methods. Above is an illustration of how the box set will look. I saw a prototype of the box a few days ago and it looks really great – very substantial and classy – a real coffee table item! More on this soon and on the new Open Sky Records online store, which will be launching very soon!!
Lifesigns are about to embark on the second studio album Cardington. With live shows to follow in 2017 According to a post on the bands facebook page, Lifesigns are delighted to announce that they are working with the following guitarists with regard to the recording of Cardington. Dave Bainbridge (Iona, Celestial Fire), Robin Boult (Fish) and Menno Gootjes (Focus)
This website uses cookies to improve your experience while you navigate through the website. Out of these cookies, the cookies that are categorized as necessary are stored on your browser as they are essential for the working of basic functionalities of the website. We also use third-party cookies that help us analyze and understand how you use this website. These cookies will be stored in your browser only with your consent. You also have the option to opt-out of these cookies. But opting out of some of these cookies may have an effect on your browsing experience.
Necessary cookies are absolutely essential for the website to function properly. This category only includes cookies that ensures basic functionalities and security features of the website. These cookies do not store any personal information.
Any cookies that may not be particularly necessary for the website to function and is used specifically to collect user personal data via analytics, ads, other embedded contents are termed as non-necessary cookies. It is mandatory to procure user consent prior to running these cookies on your website.
