REVIEWS
Here's a selection of some reviews about us:
"We recently had the pleasure of having Lucie Diamond Live at The Runner, now we have not been known as a venue that has presented very often country music, but we have discovered that this young lady is second to none and we can honestly say that we thoroughly enjoyed one of the best vocals and best shows ever seen.You cant categorise her as Country she is just simply amazing and all ready well on her way to the top of the Music industry. It was a dark and snowy Sunday night but Lucie made The Runner feel alive and on fire. Lucie was interviewed today on the radio please follow the link www.luciediamond.co.uk to Lucies site and listen to some top class music" -review by The Runner
"Last night we filmed and had a photo shoot for some of our top acoustic artists, we can honestly say that it was world class performances, what we have here is very special please follow the links to the artists web sites and enjoy some incredible talent, you can buy Steve Pinnock and Gren Bartleys new albums from The Running Horse.http://www.myspace.com/stevepinnock http://www.myspace.com/grenbartley http://www.myspace.com/mattyboymarriott http://www.myspace.com/nigebeck www.myspace.com/beckysyson " -review by The Runner
"Bisexual Lager, Bob and Ian, Beef Butties and Botulism No not the name of a new techno fusion acoustic blues revival ensemble from Clifton but the potted description of what happened to Jon Whowell, from somewhere in Rutland, guest reviewer on his First night at the Runner for the Bob Brozman, Ian Segal gig in May. “Where can I get a Bisexual larger?” asked the man with the bleary eyes and the even more bleary face in the pub opposite the Runner. I had arrived early and thirsty ; we do that in Rutland, not much else to do. “Don’t know” said I, a poor country boy, who happened to be in Sin City, unarmed, on his own for the first time in a long time. “Oh, OK” said my new metropolitan friend. He smiled and shuffled off into the main bar. I was sat in the snug looking at several barrels of good beer as I had happened upon a beer festival. Joy of Joys! I was in Nottingham to do a guest review on a musician, wit and general good guy Bob Brozman who I have seen several times over the past 10 years. More on him later. I fell out of the pub not daring to look back. I have been told direct eye contact is a bad thing but my new mate’s eyes were all over the place so it wouldn’t have mattered. I ran into a man carrying a guitar case and thought, I am in luck, he might put me on the right road. “Excuse me, where’s the Runner ?” I asked “Behind you” he said and carried on. Being too late for pantomimes I turned on my heel and there was the Runner cleverly disguised as the Running Horse. I joined the orderly queue of a strange combination of Supertramp look alikes and some people like me - slightly past our sell by dates. Then there were the normal folk, who seemed to enjoy the hypothermia we suffered, well it was May so it should be cold. Just as the Salvation Army were going to turn up with hot soup for the survivors the doors were flung open and in we trooped. The Supertramps had done a very non rock and roll thing – they had booked and got the comfy seats. We the Runner Virgins secured our vantage points as best we could and then proceeded to the bar. “The bloody cellar is giving me a hard time” or words to that effect, came from a lady I soon found out was Fi – the Governor – who went down to the Runners bowels and the barrels soon behaved themselves. I introduced myself, we had only e-mailed up to that point, and she told me a bit about the place. The Runner has not been open long and is setting out to be a laid back intimate bar /music venue just outside the City Centre on Alfreton Road. There has been an impressive line up of acts already and plans are well underway to make this the place to come to if you want to hear quality music in a good atmosphere. Seated the venue manages 85, standing 200. Good beer, but no bisexual larger, my new friend is not likely to show ! Good wine and a good attitude but what about the music? First on was someone who needs no introduction, apart to me that is, as I am very new at this type of inner city stuff, Ian Segal. I was told by the man sat next to me that Ian lives down South but has strong ties to Nottingham. A man wearing a bandana came on stage and, after a nano second, threwhimself into a set of music that covered all sorts of things. He came out with such memorable phrases as “Blues Nazis” referring the disdain some have for country music. “I have two words for them,” he said, “Ray Charles.” Point taken and well made. We were treated to a selection of songs and excellent steel guitar work on an 80 year old guitar borrowed that night from Don, the “behind you” who I had met outside. Ian also threw himself at an acoustic guitar for good measure Ian is better known to you, so far, than me but those that haven’t seen him do so now. His voice is that of a man who gargles on hot coal with a barbed wire chaser, sometimes making Joe Cocker sound like Aled Jones at his prime. We got blues, Gospel, commentary songs and a dry laconic wit .What more could you want? and for someone who came on last minute well worth it. He said he was going to get 6 skunk drunk, he must know fen folk better than me ! Now what makes a middle aged fool from Rutland do a 100 mile round trip to see someone he has seen before? Must be the same thing that got people, who were not fools, from Australia, to show up as well. Who says the Aussies have no taste ? Bob Brozman, go to his website for all the usual stuff, www.bobbrozman.com ,is a man who, when you see the range of instruments on stage you know you are in for something special. We were not to be disappointed. The instrument he kept quiet was that thing he sat on. Not only did he teach us to count to 4, the Supertramps liked that, but he used his packing case as amazing drum kit to get us going. I now know 63 cycles per second is the best rhythm to have. His fretwork and range of vocal styles as well as the incredible guitar types kept us bobbing up and down at the back thinking there must be more than one man on stage. There wasn’t. “I had my first guitar lesson at 5 and I am still having one” he said after checking that he and I were not the oldest in the room but certainly not the youngest. Bob’s one liners get better and better and like any good exponent of that art you can never remember them. His English accent has also got better, when I first saw him he made Dick Van Dyke sound good. He told us about his travels and in his blues you could see it’s not easy for a travelling guitar man. He’s not sure about the English breakfast but he looks as if he needs feeding well. Back to the music. He played New Orleans off his new album, Post Industrial Blues – buy it. This was a stark song depicting what happened to those who could not get out of town in time. This was not a moment for laughter and the audience, by now all his friends, responded well. At half time I overheard one of the Aussie contingent say what a great character Bob is. Aussies aren’t noted for understatement and Bob as a visiting Professor at a University in Sydney would have appreciated that . After sampling what a well behaved cellar had to offer back it was back to the music battle. A string broke, it happens, if it happened to me I would just go off stage and cry. Not Brozman. He had loads more stings he could use. One of the instruments , a Chaturangui, has no less than 22 strings and when he used it to do a tribute to England we got back to Beatles flower power combined with nursery rhymes from his sitar / slide guitar combo, probably first time heard in Nottingham. (I looked up what a Chaturangui was by the way- I’m still new at this lark.) We got Edith Piaf and learnt when a musician tunes his instrument it’s his way of showing he cares for you. Last remembered one liner “Emo grass, it cuts itsel ! ” the only reason I laughed is my 14 year old daughter had just told me what am EMO is. Cab Calloway ‘s Minny the Moocher got even the Supertramps singing and two good encore songs sent the audience off into the night happy. The Runner was won over to Mr Brozman. Now we have done the Bisexual Lager, Bob and Ian, what about the Beef Butties and Botulism? They are not linked, Fi told me she was feeding the acts on Beef Butties, lucky them. Me, knowing I had a long road home, made the fatal mistake. The post gig kebab. And I was sober! They look so good and you feel the last time was just bad luck. Don’t be fooled, take a packed lunch and a thermos, you look a pratt but your stomach will stay with you ! Most of mine is back with me in Rutland and I will not blame the Runner, just be careful out there. All in all a really good night get down to the Runner when you can but keep off the kebabs. Fi I will order my butties now, I will bring the thermos. Ta ta. Jon Whowell Middle age spread consultant, why be thin when you can be happy? Always available. " -review by Jon Whowell
"Yesterday saw The Running Horse host the Trent Bridge stage, we put on Live Music from 1pm to 10.30 The line up consisted off Matt Marriott, Andy Whittle, The Boatrockers, Charlotte Cottam, Becky Syson, The Roulette, Vinnies Vice, The Bass Tap Drum Orchestra, Fat Digester and Matt Marriott headlined for us. Everyone of our artists played amazingly and we certainly showed Nottingham what live music is all about. I have since been approached by both the council and the local radio. You guys are fantastic and we cant thank you enough. Im not sure you realise what you have helped start. Nottingham doesnt launch bands because it doesnt have a music collective, its coming! Steve and I will not be happy until we have launched a band from The Running Horse and hopefully far more than just one. We are now looking forward to hosting The Big Red Battle of The Bands. If Liverpool can have The Beatles and Manchester Oasis whats stopping Nottingham ? Lack of support and dedication is what stops us. A word of advice to all bands out there, get organized, demos, fliers, posters, web sites, Myspace, facebook all great, what is most important is a fan database, direct contact with your followers is what counts. The screening for The battle of the bands is tough, we will help you all you can help yourselves by being well prepared, if your happy enough playing the local circuit thats great, but if you want to break into the music industry you have to be at the top of your game, self promote at every given opportunity, The Guys that played yesterday got noticed, Our stage held its audience all day and was packed in comparison, thats about fantastic artists maintaining a crowd.... its what it takes, hype atmosphere and driving your crowd, When you get a gig make sure you list your gigs in local press dont assume your promoter will do it, List yourself in listing sites that concentrate on your genre, Blues in Britain, Acoustic matters, NME, Kerang etc always use pictures, always have a link to your site and make sure your music is updated, have good quality posters and fliers, something printed off your home pc presents totally the wrong image, make sure your posters go up, do it yourselves never rely on others, send out bulletins self promote! playing to no one is pointless and is in fact band for the bands image. Its your reputation on the line and your music, check and double check promo. You can never do too much. Always agree you deals in advance, print out and take emailed agreements to venues, get smart, what you do takes enormous amounts of your time talent and soul and the support of those close to you, dont waste it. Anyone who wants any help we are here. Once again to all artists on The Runner stage on sat we couldnt be prouder of you and you should be of yourselves. Really really well done love you all loads. For those of my bands who wanted to play and couldnt dont worry, there are to be many more projects im working on that will get you noticed, there is some incredible talent at The Running Horse we wont forget any of you who are so loyal and help us so much. Remember guys a music collective in a city creates a launching pad and we have it. To all our supporters and customers a big thank you also, many of you came to see me yesterday at The stage, it meant so much. Without people supporting their favourite genre of music, music would not stay alive ! Cheers Fi" -review by THE RUNNER
