Twang night - Bridge Hotel
So I’m trying to watch this gig with complete impartiality and just listen to the music without thinking of the legacy which has brought tonight into existence.
For those of you that don’t know, the story goes as follows...
It’s the mid nineties and Paul Fisher plays big electric guitar with Pumpkin-esque grunge pop head cadets 2000. But just as Sound City looms and everybody in the world has heard of the band, Paul finds the pull of his own material too strong, and leaves 2000 to follow his heart and strike out on his own. And tonight’s the night that we hear the results of his bold move.
Mr. Fisher opens his set with Slow Burner, and this is a slow song. The sizeable crowd drops to a silence to hear Paul practically whisper “I asked the girl inside of me how the man’s supposed to feel”, and the audience remains attentive throughout.
It strikes me that a lot of these tunes are difficult listening. But for staying with him throughout the challenging material, Paul rewards you with some totally accessible little gems. A lot people might feel uncomfortable with a skinny bald guy with glasses singing about his innermost thoughts in an unbelievably high voice, but then a lot of people are very stupid. And Paul Fisher is for those people who aren’t.
Nick Pride, Get Rhythm, October 1998
demos, home recordings and live reviews
Cluny Demos
Another 4 tracks from Mr. Fisher, and another box of delights. First up, ‘Something Stupid’ has one of those kind of melodies that seem so effortlessly simple that you wonder why it hasn’t been snared by anyone before, with it’s sky-scraping wonderfulness. Of course, appearances can be deceptive, and there’s a lot more going on in the song than ay first would seem, and you’ll pick up different things on each listen. And of course, it just wouldn’t sound the same without Paul’s fantastic voice. No More Love Songs takes the pace down a notch or two for a gentle toe-tapper that benefits from some tidy percussion work. Rose Marie is another slower track with added Country pathos, and as well as being beautifully fragile is another showcase for Paul’s fab voice. Closer An Ordinary Girl is a fitting climax with another 60’s tinged tune which again has a complexity that belies it’s apparent simplicity. Top Stuff.
The Crack, August 2001
The Ballerina - Underground (cassette)
Paul Fisher (aka The Ballerina) has come up with another collection of instrumentals that sparkle like dew in the sun. The Ballerina is an apt name as, like a dancer, these beautiful guitar-based tunes are at once extremely strong (melody wise) but possess a sureness and lightness of touch that is supremely uplifting. Hard to pick out any favourites, but Are You Sure? had me standing on a chair and applauding. Imagine Air without synths.
The Crack, April 2000
Cluny Demos
After the last fantastic demo from Paul Fisher I expected to be able to use the word floccinaucinihilipilification in this months column. I was wrong again. Four tremendous pop songs shot straight from the hip. Lyrically and musically immaculate, and engineered by the King of The Cluny studio engineers, George Welch. I really don’t know what else Paul Fisher needs to do to be deified. By the way, Gavin Bell is possibly my favourite bass player at the moment. Dripping with class, this demo.
Kevin Anam, Get Rhythm, July 2001
Bluetta Dawn, Paul Fisher, Gravity Switch
Bridge Hotel, Newcastle
Playing only their second gig to date, Gravity Switch already have rock star style stage presence, looking hip and sexy. Explosive beats injected with chunks of cutting guitar provide the backing for powerful, soul-tinged vocals, courtesy of the band’s blonde, rock siren lead singer. A funked up version of The Bangles with a slice of Muse thrown in for good measure.
Acoustic artist Paul Fisher had the daunting task of playing his heartfelt tunes sandwiched between two rock bands. Lucky, therefore, that these tunes are totally sublime. Reminiscent of the late Jeff Buckley, Fisher takes us on an emotion-packed journey. Soaring vocals with passion charged guitar work throughout. If you like music to have a bit of depth, Fisher is your man.
Sunderland based Bluetta Dawn were next on stage, promoting their own brand of lo-fi rock. Sounding like Pink Floyd tripping with Idlewild, the band play their set with a cool, laid back attitude that has the crowd won over from the start. BD have a unique rough / smooth vocal delivery thanks to their boy and girl singing duo. Combine this with some sampled beats, groovy basslines and dirty guitars, and you end up with a cracking band!
Tony Hughes, The Crack, May 2001
metro preview, october 2002
The End Of Summer Recordings - Cassette
Do the 2000 (the band) links ever stop? No sooner have we received the sexy new single from Cryogenic, the band who rose out of the ashes of 2000, than we have the guitarist who put the noise / swagger into that band hitting back with his own offering. SEX sells, and if 2000 were about sex, then Paul is about purity / innocence.
Featuring the tracks ‘The End of Summer’, ‘Beneath The Boat’, ‘It Won’t Be Long’, ‘League of Fools’ and ‘Ballerina’- these songs, even in their basic form, simply drip class and take Paul’s voice to another plane.
To be totally honest, after listening to this demo I wanted more, and guess what - I got it - as the next tape on the pile was by the curiously named The Ballerina aka Paul Fisher...
The Crack, December 1999
The Ballerina - 3 track demo (cassette)
Featuring the tracks ‘Kennedy’s Pond’, ‘A Sunday Drive’ & ‘Winter Daydreams’, this demo may provide the first glimmer of Paul’s new direction - theme music from heaven! My personal favourite ‘Kennedy’s Pond’, an infectious vocal run up and down the scales, is absolutely inspirational. Please Santa, can I have Paul’s entire catalogue on CD for Christmas?
The Crack, December 1999
Something Stupid EP
Former 2000 guitarist / vocalist / co-writer strikes out on his own with this self-penned four track EP which simply drips of a class songwriting talent.
About as removed as you can get from 2000 whilst still remaining cool as...PF displays his ‘pop head’ and obvious talent for writing a damn good pop tune.
Look! This is class material - mixing a hybrid of musical styles and cleverly managing to disguise it as a new musical form and deserves your ears. Aaaargh! I now sound like I’m selling kitchens! Please just check it out!
The Crack, October 1998
You Don’t Scare Me...Demos
Chanting choral vocals, hooks as simple as tying your shoe laces. A support to Kathryn Williams and Mathew Jay.
Up in newcastle a bunch of impressive new music is bubbling away. Along with She Kills, Fisher may be the best yet.
Iain Moffat, Planet Sound, Teletext UK
demo sleeves