Jon Byrne is a singer/songwriter and social commentator from the shipbuilding town of Barrow-in-Furness,
Jon Byrne’s rise to prominence has, surprisingly, been a long and arduous one. However, the struggle to be recognised as one of the nation’s most gifted of songwriters shouldn’t have happened any other way if ‘suffering for your art’ can be considered as the romantic model in all this. Jon’s struggle has made him the person he is today, it has shaped him and more importantly it has made him incredibly astute in fine tuning the detail within the poetry of his lyrics. He is a great social commentator and his observational accuracy in these ever changing times is as sharp as Sweeney Todd’s cut throat razor.
Jon has performed with ex Eric's performer and punk legend Mick Jones from The Clash. 'Definitely one of my career highlights so far, I've worked both on stage and in the studio with Mick Jones.'
Pulling no punches on delivery, although he has had a few punches thrown in his direction for dressing and thinking differently to the majority. Throughout these ordeals and traumas he still operates within the realms of his own beliefs and carries on regardless, gathering information, mentally noting down his social observations, his passionate opinions, his romantic ideals and setting them to music. His music and wordsmithery was once described in ‘Clash’ magazine as ‘taking the Arctic Monkey’s patter to a higher level of sophistication’ and former NME journalist Gavin Martin wrote; ‘Byrne tackles tough reality with splenetic attack, black humour and colourful dramatic songs... This is rock from the rough end of the streets, delivered with guts and passion’.
In 2008 Jon was given Glastonbury Leftfields best ‘new artist’ award for my solo performance.'
His debut solo album ‘It’s Boring Being in Control’ was released in 2009 and was critically acclaimed by the British music press.
As winner of Glastonbury's Left Field "New Artist" award, Byrne's crafted a collection of tracks which cover drug use, future generations, religion and the shortcomings of the welfare state. The wordsmith's lyrics are his passion and take the Arctic Monkeys' patter to a higher level of sophistication. - Clash 7/10
Byrne tackles tough reality with splenetic attack, black humour and colourful dramatic songs. They even allow him to unleash gruesome homicidal feelings (Voices) with compelling cast of characters and musical references that range from The Clash to the seasoned whine of Gallagher Junior (Sunshine) - This is rock from the rough end of the streets, delivered with guts and passion. - Gavin Martin - Classic Rock 7/10
Jon’s live performances have to be seen to be believed; with exuberant foot stomping, anarchic personality syndrome and broken strings. He then cleverly whisks you off into a seemingly tranquil state that leads you into a false sense of security by giving you soft tones, fragile heart strings and emotional roller coasters, before slapping you in the face once again with the honest realism of social degeneration and urban cataclysm. Jon Byrne is a 'finger on the trigger' zeitgeist troubadour.
Since being formed in 2006 by singer/songwriter Keith M Thomson, The Penny Black Remedy have been proudly defiant in the face of categorisation – focusing instead on utilising their shared love and passion for all forms of music from around the globe to create a wholly distinctive and unmistakable sound all of their own. The resulting symbiance of darkly comic, unpretentiously intelligent and catchy songs, and their exhilarating live shows, have been wowing audiences and promoters alike across both the UK and Europe, building a loyal following of dedicated fans as a result.
Introducing the band: The Penny Black Remedy consist of Keith M Thomson from Scotland on vocals, guitars and song-writing duties; classically trained Croatian vocalist/percussionist Marijana Hajdarhodzic; and the powerhouse rhythm section of Dutch drummer Wilco van Eijk and bassist Steve Nelson from England.
They take delight in breaking down the metaphorical barrier between the band and the audience, whether it’s by simply encouraging a beguiling sing-along or by starting an impromptu conga line and/or dance routine. They have made it nothing short of their raison d’etre to make each show an inclusive, interactive, energetic and convivial experience to remember. They have performed at many legendary venues across the UK and Europe including: The 100 Club and The Forum in London, The Melkweg in Amsterdam, Holland and The Garage in Bergen, Norway; and at festivals such as Glastonbury, The Larmer Tree Festival, The Big Session, The Secret Garden Party, The Edinburgh Festival and The Eden Festival in the UK, and The Valkhof Affaire Festival and Conincx Pop in Holland.
As singer Keith puts it, ‘We’re just trying to take people back to the days when you could have a good old fashioned sing-song and a knees up around either a camp fire or an old piano. The fact that most of my songs are about death, lost love, brothels or just trying to live in a constant state of crippling paranoid fear and cope with the daily grind of everyday life is irrelevant. If anything, encouraging people to sing loudly and out of tune about the absurdity of general existence seems to instil a sense of comfort and unity. I think.’
Lyrically rich in dark, yet playful humour, their debut album ‘No One’s Fault But Your Own’, was independently released in 2009 on the band’s own label, Soundinistas.
Saturday 22 October
Eric's, Mathew St, Liverpool
Double header with tickets priced at £7.50
www.ticketweb.co.uk
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