Out of the Bedroom 689 review – Thursday 4th April 2019

Running order: Tina Louise Avery, David Cornwall, Gaelic Ukuleles!, Sir Tom Watton, John Watton (HRH), Freeloadin’ Frank and The Bucking Fastards, Will B, Majk Stokes, Queer Faith and TheMany, Nor, Gareth Herron, Roy McIntosh, Jeanice Lee and Marco, feature act: The Eclectics.

Tina Louise Avery was host this evening and Chris Glen was on sound desk.

Tina Louise Avery: ‘Dance Til The Edge of Time’ – dreamy and poetic, this number in waltz time. Nice use of space and dynamics. Made me feel lighter. Sample lyric: “stand at the ocean, dance with the motion of wave and tide”. Wondrous.

David Cornwall: ‘A Woman I Know’ – Bluesy and folky with a lightly rasping vocal, David reminded me of a young Donovan (a very good thing). Had a flair in his guitar playing which had a strong feel of classic early folk-rock. ‘Tell Me How’ – inspired by Little Hat Jones, this was a love song with a sweet bluesy edge. “The first song I ever finished”, David told us. A quality blues/folk player and one to watch.

Gaelic Ukuleles! It was wonderful to see a group of women, including the mighty Debs from Blueflint, playing ukuleles in sync together. Like pipers parading along Princes Street entertaining the tourists but more fun. Starting with a familiar tune, the words were in Gaelic and sung in joyous harmony. It was a very impressive and full sound and an altogether enjoyable experience.

Sir Tom Watton: Starting with an unfinished song which was raw in many ways. Heartstring-tugging, with a powerful vocal and forceful guitar playing. ‘Amelia’ – chosen by Tom’s dad, this was about a lifeboat disaster in Scarborough in 1861. Calmer and more in Tom’s comfort zone, being one of his more well-known songs. Great use of space, picked breaks, the lyrics flowed and the guitar had its own harmonies.

John Watton (HRH): Tom’s dad! First song was a love song to his wife Sarah and was about walking along the Cleveland Way. Sample lyric: “I swear I could not love you more / as these shadows lengthen”. You could feel the affection. ‘Calling At The House of Love’ – loud, uninhibited singing with some spoken word thrown in too. Seriously jazzy chords with nary a plectrum in sight. Light, frivolous and most pleasant.

Freeloadin’ Frank and The Bucking Fastards: ‘Rupert Murdoch’ – a vintage song of Frank’s which is anything but a tribute to the Australian billionaire. Crude, brutal, unsophisticated and everything you would like from a Frank song. Updated for the right wing Brexit Tory MPs. The second song was a new one which did not have too many lyrics. Catchy, wordless chorus along the lines of Mary Poppins (“yum dum diddly”). Timing was interesting and a challenge for the sole Bucking Fastard on djembe!

Majk Stokes: ‘Armadillo’ – a short song about the only creature other than humans that can catch leprosy! Amusing number, with a lyrical nod to song made famous by Tony Christie.

Will B: Two poems about Out of the Bedroom. One about moving from The Waverley Bar to Canon’s Gait. ‘Intermission’ was the other: about the interplay of the audience and the performers at OOTB.

Queer Faith and TheMany: ‘I Want To Lick Your Whispers’ – this was impossible to categorise… just beyond description. They properly acted the songs with lyrics of subtle power and pure drama in the vocal. Edith Piaf for the 21st Century?

Nor: ‘To Grow Flowers’ – a debut performance from a young artist who rarely plays in public. “A dedication to lots of people”, this was stunning, swooning, folk-pop. Great feeling and sensitivity: introspective with sad subject matter. ‘George’ – about a woman dealing with death and a man dancing in her mind. Powerful, slow, direct and very emotional. Hushed silence in the room spoke volumes. Deeply personal and an impressive OOTB debut.

Gareth Herron: ‘Strangers’ – “about falling out of love”. Poetic lyrics like a diary entry on a strident guitar, music sung with feeling. Sad. Sample lyric: “maybe it’s time we became strangers”. ‘Masks’ – Gareth’s first single with the CD having just been released. A compelling song about growing up in Northern Ireland, and one of the standout songs at OOTB over the last year.

Roy McIntosh: ‘Car Boot Sale’ – a fixture of the Scottish landscape: both the car boot sale and Roy! A slightly surreal, possibly very exaggerated, car boot sale with vivid characters and wicked banter. ‘Spring Into Spring’ – a song with a bit of a swing for the new season. Simple and a kindred spirit of Freeloadin’ Frank!

Jeanice Lee and Marco: ‘A Date To Die For’ – from their brand new album, this was a special acoustic arrangement for the evening. About wanting something so bad that you’d die for it. Top guitar from Marco and Jeanice was in formidable voice. ‘One The Line’ – subtle vocal and guitar playing with a sweet arrangement. I could see this being a hit single given the right circumstances, such as a melodic rock / goth revival. Intense and emotional.

Feature act: The Eclectics. ‘The Early Bird’ – the Out of the Bedroom debut for The Eclectics, though singer Terry used to attend OOTB during The Tron era and percussionist Lorraine has played recently. This was an African-style number combined with the folk tradition and had a cajun flavour. A good mix! ‘Flamingo’ – written about the south of France, this was very danceable and the band lived up to the high expectations they had set themselves and the audience. All the elements worked well together – bass guitar, acoustic guitar, penny whistle, percussion and vocals. ‘The Pharaoh’s Cat’ – written in a hotel room in Hamburg, this was music that was an open invitation to dance and certain audience members duly obliged! ‘My Mongrel Heart’ – interesting to see a cajon played with brushes. Some fine songwriting from Terry in the tradition of ‘My …. Heart’ (think “cheating” and “achy breaky”!). ‘Shine On Me’ – a song about travelling, with a nod to the Bo Diddley beat in the chorus. This rocked along nicely. ‘The Power of Joy’ – appropriate title, as there was much joy in tonight’s performance from the band which was reciprocated by the audience. The penny whistle sound provides the unique element to the band’s songs. ‘Sunshine Girl’ – a reggae / calypso song. Possibly my favourite of the band’s this evening. Very catchy. ‘When The Circus Comes To Town’ – about Terry losing his “baby” to the circus. Grooved along nicely. ‘Valentino’s Blue’ – inspired by music of the 1950’s played in the seedier, exotic joints. Nice rhythm section work between bass and cajon. Rocking and folky. ‘Wind That Shakes The Barley’ – a good old Irish style tune – a stomper! Top call and response between Terry and the rest of the band. ‘The Devil Inside’ – “about an old man on his deathbed” with the priest coming. Anthemic and joyful, I could hear The Pogues singing this… until it went all jazzy! Eclectic by name and nature. I should be going to see more bands like The Eclectics – joyous, fun and totally danceable.

Review: James Igoe