OOTB Presents…

These weekly emails go out later and later each week, don’t they? Well, Hannah Werdmuller put on a stoater of a final gig last night at the Listening Room/Blue Blazer. I did try and convince her to come along to OOTB on Tuesday but given she’s flying to California (for good) on Wednesday i’m not sure she’ll make it.

However, we do have something interesting for you on Tuesday (7 June), and it’s Patrick Rody (click the link, hear the music), a touring musician from Canada. He has played at OOTB before, but anyway, he’s based in Canada so come along on Tuesday because this is the only chance you’ll get to hear this great performer in Edinburgh for the foreseeable future. It’s at The Montague Bar as usual on the corner of Montague/St Leonards Street. 7:30pm to sign up for an open slot, 8pm kick-off, and it’s free.

I just wanted to mention something to you about Dave Robertson from Perth, but this time it’s Dave Robertson from Perth, Western Australia. Dave was the person who first told me about OOTB many years ago (Dave and I had previously met at the Edinburgh Songwriters’ Showcase, long story), anyway, Dave Robertson is writing a song a week at the moment and he wants your feedback! Go and listen to his songs for free, and then tell him what you think of them please, here’s the link: daverobertsonau.wordpress.com

Just a quick rattle through the other various events this week now, Lindsay and The Storm asked me to mention that they’re playing at Acoustic Edinburgh this month (also Tuesday 7 June, controversially), but bear in mind that we have them as our OOTB featured act next week. Other performers at this month’s Acoustic Edinburgh are The Dead Man’s Waltz, K-Lab, and Jason Kyrone (who you will have heard playing the featured set at OOTB a couple of weeks ago). And that’s at Medina on Lothian street, probably 8pm start if i recall correctly.

On Wednesday 8 June it’s Edinburgh Unplugged at The Royal Oak on Infirmary Street (downstairs). This month it’s only £2 for: Kat McKenzie, Chris Rodger, The Marvellous Mrs Mulvihill, and Lipsync For A Lullaby. 8pm start, i think it would be advisable to be prompt, considering the level of seating availability in the room.

On Friday it’s the Ale House open mic night of course, from 9:30pm run by Dave Law and his phalanx of familiar friendly faces. Fifteen minute slots for performers, always a bunch of excellent and interesting stuff (including the spontaneous collaborations that the Ale House is now famous for)

On Sunday remember to go to the Listening Room, they always keep you on your toes about who the featured act is, but the open slots are at 8pm in the Blue Blazer on Spittal Street, and the featured act will be on at 9pm.

Next Monday (13 June) the Leith Festival will have started and our very own Tom Watton is organising an excellent sounding gig at The Village, starring Matt Norris and the Moon, and one of the support acts is Calum Carlyle and the Mixed Reactions, possibly the only Edinburgh appearance of this lineup of the band. It’s £4/5 to get in and it’s a 7:30pm start, at The Village on South Fort Street in Leith.

The Monday after that Welcome Home are having another event in the Fort Community Centre on North Fort Street in Leith, it’s free, and they will have international food, international music and various other multicultural attractions. I went to the last one and Lorraine McCauley and her band were playing, as well as Lisa Rigby and several other excellent performers. Well worth it. This time it’s on Monday 20 June, from 5:30pm to 9pm, but it’s a drop-in thing, you don’t need to be there at any particular time.

One thing though, they are still looking for one or two performers for the open stage part of the event, preferably non-music acts to balance it out a bit, but anyway if you want to perform, contact Katherine Botterill at welcomehomenight@gmail.com for more details. But do go along anyway, it’s going to be good. That’s two weeks from today though, so before we get even further ahead of ourselves let me wrap it up for this week and say, see you on Tuesday.

Keep your eyes open for next week’s email though, it will contain the last of our limited run of free MP3s, and then for one week only the following week, i’ll give you all the download links in one go for your ease and listening satisfaction.

Calum Carlyle
Out of the Bedroom

Hi everybody, this week’s featured artist is Mister Aaron Shanley, all the way from Ireland. Come along, you’ll not get many chances to hear him performing in Edinburgh and this is the only time he’ll be playing a gig that’s free to get into i suspect. OOTB on Tuesday 31 May, 8pm, The Montague Bar on St Leonard’s Street, you all know it by now. 🙂

Okay, tons of events this week. Here we go…..

By the way i go to as many of the events i list as i can, and i always thoroughly enjoy them. If you spend your evenings at home, seriously you should think about checking these gigs out. It’s well worth it, they usually turn out to be rollicking evenings of musical entertainment for sweetie money. It’s yourself you’re cheating by staying at home. 🙂

Tonight (Monday 30 May) it’s Christine Collister supported by Supermarionation, and if you send an email or tweet (@smnwail4u) to Supermarionation, you can get on the guestlist. It’s at Sneaky Pete’s at 7pm.

Tomorrow (Tuesday 31 May) it’s OOTB 426 featuring Aaron Shanley of course, 8pm start, 7:30pm to sign up as a performer, and it’s free!

On Wednesday 1 June Secret CDs is happening in the Voodoo Rooms, and this week for a measly £3 you get to experience Tom McConnell, Aaron Shanley, Paul Gilbody and Arran Arctic. There are tons of good reasons to go to this gig, not the least of which is that Tom McConnell’s leaving for the states after this gig, and Aaron Shanley’s off on the rest of his tour, so if you want to hear these performers, now’s your chance! And that’s at 7:30pm for 8pm.

On Thursday 2 June you can hear Trapped in Kansas, Plastic Animals, and Letters at Sneaky Pete’s starting from 7:30pm, not sure of the admission cost? £4? £5? Not knowing keeps life interesting though, don’t you think?

Also on Thursday 2 June, at The Forest Cafe, it’s the annual Rock Against The Work Ethic, featuring Freeloadin’ Frank and his many friends. It’s free, of course, though you will no doubt be encouraged to contribute to the Save The Forest fund. Gone are the days when “free performance venue” meant “free” (Heavens forbid the performers might actually make any money, after all!) but i suppose every ideology comes up against reality sooner or later, and it’s all for a good cause, as they say.

On Friday 3 June there are a couple of things on, firstly, at The Blind Poet, Mutant Lodge otherwise known as Nyk Stoddart is performing, it’s a 10pm start, and free!

And also on Friday 3 June, for a fiver, it’s The Industry, Edward and the Itch, Lost Weekend and Jack Hinks, all of them performing at The Store on Guthrie Street, at 7pm. All proceeds go to Strangetown Youth Theatre.

On Saturday 4 June at The Blind Poet it’s Hannah Werdmuller, and rumours have been flying around that it’s a 10pm start, though make your own mind up about that. It’s Hannah’s final UK gig ever though, so don’t miss it.

That’s not even mentioning Friday‘s open mic night at The Ale House on Clerk Street (a 9:30pm start) and the Listening Room at the Blue Blazer (8pm on Sundays, with a featured act every week). Whew! It’s all going on!

Oh yeah! I completely forgot to mention we’re having another jam session in Red Dog Music in the Grassmarket on Sunday 5 June at 3pm. Come along! Bring your instruments, or just come to listen. it’ll be fun!

So yeah, a good musical start to the month of June. There’s lots more coming up too, we’ve got Lindsay and the Storm as well as Neoviolet playing featured act sets at OOTB over the next couple of weeks, and next week’s Edinburgh Unplugged has a couple of fairly unmissable acts too. Anyway, see you all out there…

Calum Carlyle
Out of the Bedroom

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One of the things OOTB has always done is to support upcoming singer-songwriters, and this week we’re proud to present Bethia. She’s played several fifteen minute slots at OOTB since we restarted the night in January, and she’s very good, frankly, so this week she’s playing a half hour feature length slot. If you haven’t heard her, then this is a great opportunity to do so, and if you have heard her, you won’t need any further convincing.

I don’t know how it got to be Monday before i got a chance to do the OOTB email this week, but anyway, because of my tardiness, i’m skipping the featured MP3 this week, but that’s all the more reason for you to scour the free MP3s that are available so far on our website. There are some very good ones.

By the way, i did mention this once before but there’s a fairly new online discussion forum for songwriters, why not join up and get networking with some other online songwriters? The Songwriters Anonymous web board is a great resource for songwriters who are actually interested in songwriting and collaborating.

I’ve not got many gigs to tell you about this week, firstly there’s OOTB featuring Bethia on Tuesday 24th May, 8pm start, but get there by 7:30pm if you want to sign up for an open slot, and it’s free! and that’s at the Montague Bar on St Leonards Street.

Then on Thursday 26th May there’s a gig on at Henry’s Cellar Bar you should probably check out. It begins at 8pm and only costs £4 to get in. The acts are:
Sea Bass Kid, an up-and-coming, Edinburgh based 5-piece, sporting a unique indie pop sound, flavoured with lashings of reggae, blues, folk and funk.
Conscious Route, Expect the unexpected and most of all keep conscious!
Hannah Werdmuller, Amazing Folk/ Blues acoustic singer songwriter – and since Hannah’s going away imminently this is one of your last chances to see her performing in Edinburgh!
Calum Carlyle (accompanied by Sir Tom Watton), Eclectic and quirky songs played by people who usually get them right most of the time!

You can download Conscious Route‘s entire Edinburgh Unplugged set by the way for free, it was a thoroughly invigorating performance. There’s a link on the Edinburgh Unplugged FB page.

That’s it, hope to see you all on Tuesday and/or Thursday!

Remember to listen to all those free downloads as well. Fit it in while you’re doing the dishes (or filling the dishwasher, whatever…)

Calum Carlyle
Out of the Bedroom

Good Morning!!!!!

OOTB was awesome last week, if you don’t believe me (or even if you do), here are some pictures by the unstoppable Malcolm Mclean. This week’s going to be awesome too, it’s HANNAH WERDMULLER who’s the featured act. 8pm start, 7:30pm for musicians wanting to sign up for an open slot. And as always it’s free. And that’s at the Montague Bar on the corner of Montague and St Leonards Streets.

Right, onto the week’s events.

Firstly, today (Sun 8 May), you can go and see a free performance of early music composed for viola da gamba (viol) from the 16th to 17th century (that’s when the music’s from, not when the performance is). It’s at 3pm today, at Blackwell’s bookshop (on Nicolson Street, opposite the Old College), and as i said, it’s free.

Also today (Sun 8 May) at 8pm, it’s The Listening Room featuring SCOTT RENTON who used to run OOTB almost singlehandedly by all reports! Anyway, he’s a great performer as well, so go and see him at the Blue Blazer on the corner of Spittal and Bread Streets. 8pm for the open slots, 9pm for Scott Renton, and it’s free.

Then on Tuesday 10th May it’s OOTB featuring HANNAH WERDMULLER. She’s moving away to the USA for good very shortly, so catch this stunning performer while you can. I know she’s doing one further gig later this month but why wait?

Then on Wednesday 11th May, it’s Edinburgh Unplugged. Only £2 for four acts! It starts at 8pm and it’s in the downstairs bar of the Royal Oak on Infirmary Street, and this month the acts are COLIN MILNE, MAN GONE MISSING, THE FORGET-ME-NOTS, and CONSCIOUS ROUTE. Honestly, for £2, that’s the best value night out in Edinburgh (except OOTB of course!).

On Friday, remember to pop along to the Ale House (opposite the old Odeon on Clerk Street) from 9:30pm for the open mic night, it’s always good fun, and it attracts a brace of good performers and general all round nice types. Free too, how can anyone complain?

Then on Saturday 14 May you could go and see NIGHT NOISE TEAM launching their album at Sneaky Pete’s on the Cowgate. It’s only £5, it’s a 7pm start and support comes from SANNA.

Then next Sunday (15 May) at Red Dog Music in the Grassmarket, SUPERMARIONATION will be playing in store and acoustic at Red Dog at 3pm. This is their first ever acoustic show and they’ll be reworking some of their regular numbers in a quieter way as well as performing some rarer numbers. It’s free, don’t miss it.

And if that’s not enough for you, the Captain’s Bar (just round the side of the Old College) has music on most nights, check out their music schedule here for more information.

Whew! That’s enough of that for now, i’m off to get my breakfast i think, what a way to wake up on a Sunday!

Okay, come to all the gigs, tell all your friends, and remember to buy all the artists’ CDs etc when you go to the gigs, they’re a lot better value than buying drink, that’s for sure, and with a lot of local acts you never know if you’ll get the chance to buy their CDs again. Support local and grassroots music!

Peace, see you all on Tuesday…

Calum Carlyle
Out of the Bedroom

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Hi everybody and welcome to the warm half of the year!

That’s Beltane been and gone and what auspicious sunny weather we’ve had, and long may it continue. It bodes well for explosions of spontaneous music in parks, streets and gardens, that’s for sure…

Okay, this week at OOTB the featured act is… nobody! What’s this! no featured act at OOTB? That’s right, just for once we’re having a break from the featured acts for ONE WEEK ONLY, so get yourself along and take advantage of this opportunity to celebrate the start of summer by grabbing an open slot. Our current venue, The Montague Bar, is going to be great in the summer, with all the big windows to let in the sun. So yeah, NEXT week (Tue 10 May) it’s the final ever Edinburgh gig from the incomparable Hannah Werdmuller, who’s going away forever, after one final gig at OOTB, but THIS week (Tue 3 May) it’s all open slots. Come down, you never know, all your favourite musicians might be there. 🙂

Now then, now then, Secret CDs this week features: Adam Holmes and the Embers,The Beggar Girls, Lindsay And The Storm, and Paul Gladwell. All this for just £3, and it’s at The Voodoo Rooms at 8pm on Wed 4 May.

BUT WAIT, TONIGHT (Sun 1 May) it’s Miyagi at The Listening Room, it’s at The Blue Blazer, starting at 8pm, and it’s free!

And this afternoon (Sun 1 May) (VERY soon as i write this) i will be hosting another OOTB open couch session at Red Dog Music at 3pm. We’ll just sing a song each and all join in with each other’s stuff. Bring your harmonicas, shakey eggs, trumpets, mandolins, ‘cellos and accordions (well, maybe not your accordions then…).

In fact, i’d better go and get ready for that, see you all out there in musicland!

Calum Carlyle
Out of the Bedroom

Podcast: Play in new window | Download

This week OOTB presents Gavin Taylor – He’s really good. He’s been along to OOTB a few times now and blinded us all with his excellent bluesy (but original) music. But if you’re there tonight (Tue 26 April), you’ll be able to hear what i mean for yourself.

Oh it’s been a week, it really has. Sorry for the lateness of the OOTB email this week by the way. I’m not going to even do the whole gig list or even the free MP3 this week, so check out the OOTB website and make sure you’ve got all four of the ones we’ve already provided instead. And for gigs you’ll just have to rely on your own instincts this week, i’m afraid. Do come along to OOTB this evening though, it’ll be good. Then you can get into full gear for the inevitable street parties i know you’re all itching to be part of on Friday…

Back to our normally scheduled programming next week though.

Calum Carlyle
Out of the Bedroom