Our music review of BIG CHURCH DAY OUT, Wiston House, 24th-25th May 2014
Continued from page 1
FAITH CHILD - UCB Stage - 1.45pm
There was an
embarrassing moment in '80s music history when Christian record
companies put out albums exhorting Christians to get fit with titles
like 'Aerobic Celebration' and 'Firm Believer' as they jigged around
to Amy Grant, the Imperials, et al. Things have thankfully moved on
though as the performance of London-based hip-hop artist Faith Child
showed, the desire work an audience into a state of sweaty exhaustion
has still not disappeared. With his endless calls to "jump, jump,
jump" and engage in overhead clapping, Faith Child ensured that the
crowd worked almost as hard as he did though I noted that the couple
walking on stilts through the crowd weren't dancing! Backed by keys,
drums, bass and backing tracks, the emcee's high octane flow on songs
taken from his 'Illumination' album kept us on our toes while his
rapid delivery was even able to take in the word
"supercalifragilistic" in one song. A particular standout was the
Cross Rhythms turntable hit "I Life It" and after talking about the
power of prayer he went into one of the few slower songs, "Our
Father". At the close as he exhorted us once more to put our hands in
the air, I left the area happy but exhausted.
Maxine
Cummings
ALL SONS & DAUGHTERS - Mainstage -
2.25pm
One doesn't expect a worship duo to bear the name
All Sons And Daughters but few can argue that David Leonard on keys
and vocals and the radiant Leslie Jordan providing acoustic guitar and
vocals have creatively delivered some poignant Americana into the
spreading modern worship arena. This was their first visit to the UK
for the Franklin, Tennessee twosome and with an excellent support band
and a wonderfully understated approach their wistful music seemed
blown by the Holy Spirit. They opened with "Oh How I Need You" - "Lord
I find you in the seeking/Lord I find you in the doubt/And to know you
is to love you/And to know so little else/I need you, oh how I need
you," Leonard and Jordan harmonising in a joy-filled duet. "Rising
Son" followed, another original number with a moving Celtic-type
spiritual message - "Praise him all you sinners/Sing, oh sing, you
weary/Oh praise him all you children of God," ably supported by a
short-neck lap slide guitar. "Rising Sun" was similarly worshipful.
Fine music and spiritual sensitivity from a group demonstrating that
you don't need power chords and stadium rock bombast to lead a
congregation into the presence of God.
Dr A T Bradford
J VESSEL - UCB Stage - 2.45pm
The young
London-based emcee performed his new single "Amazing Love" to a small
but appreciative crowd at the UCB Stage. Another song which got a good
response was "I Am A Vessel" performed in his hardcore style of
hip-hop worship. Slowly the crowd got bigger, clearly enjoying his
music and the sunshine too.
Andrzej Iwanowski
LZ7 - Mainstage - 3.45pm
It now seems many years
since Lindz West stepped away from The Tribe and since the formation
of LZ7 he has consistently demonstrated his ability to move with the
urban music times. So as his set demonstrated here, there's a lot of
dubstep rhythms knowingly blended with hard hip-hop and with his
renowned perpetual-motion-machine onstage persona he and his bandmates
make for one of the most exciting experiences on the UK scene. The
huge throng were drawn to near delirium with numbers like songs
"Ditto", "Beautiful Exchange" and "Who Ever Said" and by the time
Guvna B stepped onto the stage to join Lindz for a song, the
atmosphere was even hotter than the sunshine, by now beating down on
the Mainstage proceedings. A band full of big sounds and big beats who
retain all their excitement about following Jesus Christ.
Andrzej Iwanowski
EMPIRE NATION - UCB Stage - 3.45pm
Empire Nation
returned to BCDO for the second time, performing material from their
album 'Closer'. They played favourites from other artists too, opening
with a direct version of Parachute Band's "My Constant" enlivened
further by a megaphone assisted vocal before powering into the
Delirious? classic "Rain Down" complete with a fine bass guitar line
from Sam Greene. Third-up was Empire Nation's own "Starlight" ("You
opened my eyes to see/You shine brighter than starlight") led by Ed
Bird on acoustic guitar, before another number from 'Closer', "You Are
The River", featuring strong percussion from drummer Matt Edbrooke and
a lyric to match ("God you are the only one that we can put our hope
and trust in"). The show's standout was Ed Bird's "You're Not Alone"
with a strong bass drum line combining nicely with Sam Dransfield's
electric guitar. After Martin Smith's "Fire Never Sleeps" and Bethel's
"Furious" the set closed with another original, "Shine" which had the
crowd jumping in praise to the sound of Bird's dancing acoustic
guitar. A good set.
Dr A T Bradford
NEWSBOYS - Mainstage - 4.25pm
One of
CCM's biggest brands, down the years many fine musicians have paid
their dues in the gruelling touring and recording trek of the
Newsboys. Many pundits suggested that with the departure of Peter
Furler the band would finally begin to fade. But to everyone's
amazement the addition of new lead singer African American Michael
Tait has seen the band enjoying some of their biggest ever hits. The
crowd was massive in expectation of the Newsboys' first UK concert
with the new lineup and from the moment that Michael Tait resplendent
in white jacket led the charge into "Born Again" it was clear these
road hardened veterans had lost none of their dazzling pop rock
energy. Michael's voice rang out loud as he sang "This is what it is,
this is who I am/This is where I finally take my stand," serenading
the band members with "I met the one with the two scarred hands."
"Restart" featured a Devo-like vocal -"'I was lost I was falling
apart/You came along, you hit the restart," before Jody Davis'
blistering electric guitar on "Fishers Of Men" accompanied a muscular
performance on drums from Duncan Phillips, more than compensating for
the absence of a bass guitar. Jeff Frankenstein's keys and synth lit
up "That's How You Change The World". Tait says, when asked "What
drives Newsboys?" - "We believe in God the Father, in Jesus Christ and
the Holy Spirit," and demonstrated the power of the sung creed with
"We Believe". Daniel Bashta's worship classic "Like A Lion" closed the
set, the crowd dancing with volleyball style balloons, before a final
bow and Phillips' drum sticks were thrown into the audience. If you
want no-holds-barred performance, Newsboys are the band for you.
Dr A T Bradford
ALL SONS & DAUGHTERS - UCB Tea Tent - 5.20pm
The Tea Tent at BCDO provides a sedate village-lawn ambience, warmly
complemented by two of the most anointed voices at the festival, and
pretty much the only female vocal lead in Leslie Jordan. Jordan sings
and plays like a Christian version of Joni Mitchell in her younger
days, but with more of a country lilt and warmth and energy that
speaks of hours before the throne. This set was a duet with
co-vocalist and keyboardist David Leonard, with an extended repertoire
encompassing Michael W Smith's "Christ Be All Around Me" ("Your life,
your death, your blood was shed/For every moment") and an almost
tangible interface with Messiah, before the duo launched into their
own "Dawn To Dusk" ("Tomorrow's freedom is today's surrender/We come
before you to lay our burdens down/We look to you as our hearts
remember/You are the only God"). The truth continued in word and
melody with "I Am Set Free". Leonard played some mature keys while
demonstrating exquisite vocal timing in duet and harmonies on "Great
Are You Lord". With All Sons & Daughters, worship meets
performance and worship triumphs.
Dr A T Bradford
THE CHAOS CURB COLLABORATION - UCB Stage - 5.45pm
Down the years Dave Griffiths has been a faithful journeyman for
Christian music ministry and now with his aggregation the Chaos Curb
Collaboration, he and his fellow musicians played a tight set of Brit
pop inspired worship with one or two prog-style embellishments
recalling the glories of Griffiths' old band Bosh. Outstanding were
the songs "Watch Me Burn" and "There Is Healing" and while there was
only a small crowd, they appreciated the power and passion of
Griffiths' vocals and the invention of the rest of the band.
Andrzej Iwanowski
NOEL ROBINSON - UCB Stage - 6.45pm
Noel has, of
course, done more than any other figure in the UK in building a bridge
between the white majority participants of modern worship and the
black majority gospel churches. At the UCB Stage a largish crowd
enjoyed the set played with relish by Noel's tight ensemble of
instrumentalists and quality gospel vocalists. Songs which warmed the
crowd included "Our God Is Great", "We Cry Hosanna" and "I Am Devoted"
from his latest album 'Devoted'. Joyful music joyfully performed.
Andrzej Iwanowski
FRED HAMMOND - Mainstage - 7.45pm
Even with the
recent loss of 80 pounds in weight Fred Hammond is still larger than
life and his singing voice is even larger. "You Are My Daily Bread"
was delivered with gusto as he emoted the lines in Luther
Vandross-style, almost preaching as he fixed the audience with his
gaze, delivering one-liners, index finger emphasising as he tells out
the gospel story with "Celebrate (He Lives)". He was well-supported by
a black gospel band backing up the gaps between his lines with 3
supporting singer/dancers. Fred is still recovering from a double knee
replacement and is walking with the help of sticks, but his vocals are
still full of the old soul power as he sat, perched on a stool, his
rich baritone soaring on "Lord How I Love You" and his invitation to
commit situations that need change to the Lord with a few worshipful
words - "You are worthy." There was soulful lead guitar accompaniment
to "Praise Belongs To You" - 'Holy holy are you Lord God Almighty',
and leading the crowd in a rousing rendition of "Hallelujah, For The
Lord God Almighty Reigns" and "How Great Is Our God", before an
'old-fashioned-down-South' version of "When the Spirit of the Lord is
upon me I will dance like David danced." This was Hammond in recovery
from surgery - watch out when he is back to full strength.
Dr
A T Bradford
JASON UPTON - UCB Tea Tent - 7.45pm
There are few musicians prepared to take the musical chances that
prophet/worship leader Jason Upton takes. Risking everything he is
prepared to sing out phrases and words as the Spirit leads, trusting
that God will provide more so that these Spirit-breathed fragments
become fully orbed songs. With a strong, powerful voice, he captured
the audience with songs old, new and instantaneous while in between he
told us stories of faith, loss and healing with all the ease of an
armchair storyteller. He and his fine band, always ready to go where
Jason led, kept the full Tea Tent crowd attentive and spiritually
warmed right to the end.
Andrzej Iwanowski
MATT REDMAN - Mainstage - 9.10pm
Matt Redman
has come a long way since he made his first recording under the name
of Matt Redman-Jones. His growth to become an internationally renowned
songwriter and worship leader has not affected his easy-going and
relaxed persona and with a band, a veritable stage-full with a light
show to match, it was clear that we were in for a special time of
worship. Opening with "Sing And Shout" ("What could be better than the
grace that washes all our shame away/What could be better than your
great love?") he then deftly steered his way into Phil Wickham's "This
Is Amazing Grace". Then came his own "The Glory Of Our King" with a
blistering supporting electric guitar. Matt's exhortation to "light up
the night with praise - in honour of Jesus and preaching ourselves out
of the places we are in" met with a huge roar of response from the
crowd while his classic "You Never Let Go" was followed by "Mercy"
accompanied by sensitive percussion and keys. Redman says that worship
is the ultimate reality check - long live reality.
Dr A T
Bradford
We Reconciliation DJs have played at CRE, Croydon Jazz & Blues Festival, Croydon Churches big outreach events and many others.
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