Mike Hale (Posted Date: 23 May 2009, 13:55)

Austin Lucas / Mike Hale

22.05.09 Blue Shell, Köln

There's a whole bunch of srtists releasing folky acoustic solo stuff apart from their usual rocking band activities, e.g. Chuck Ragan and Tim Barry. Mike Hale is also one of those. His bands, Gunmoll back then and In The Red now, can be labelled as continuing to show the world how great Jawbreaker were. With his second solo album Lives Like Mine he joined Austin Lucas on his European tour and stopped in Cologne last night.
I first got into his music through the song Leatherface Fan from a tribute album to...well...Leatherface. His stunning set included this fave track of mine and also songs from both of his solo albums, an old Gunmoll song, Skulls by The Misfits and even a brand new one to be included on a split 7" with Kevin Seconds. It was a perfect blend of melancholy and beauty and though his first album is called Broken With No Hope his music is too uplifting to leave anyone depressed.
The headliner of this tour was Austin Lucas, known to most people from his work with Hot Water Music's Chuck Ragan. He was accompanied by his cousin on fiddle and his future brother-in-law on bass. He was quite entertaining when he played some songs on his own but as a trio it was too much of a hillbilly-country-squaredance thing that I personally don't like.
Anyway, to each his own and I was glad to have seen Mike Hale. I hope he returns to Europe with In The Red some time soon.