OOTB Presents…

I’m a bit behind this week, so this will be a quick OOTB email.

Firstly, and most importantly, it’s Colin Milne playing the featured act slot this week at OOTB 416 (on Tuesday 22 March). He promises me all his songs have been fully researched, and if you have heard Colin’s songs that should be enough to raise an eyebrow! Not only does Colin make his own musical instruments (and very well too), but i think this is the first time he’s played a half hour set, it’s definitely his first OOTB featured act set. Don’t miss this anyway, it will definitely be unique. It’s free, and it’s at the Montague Bar on St Leonards Street, starting at 8pm (7:30pm for open mic performers to sign up).

And for those of you who missed Atomic Pigeon last week (and i hope you’ve got your excuse notes ready, you missed a good one!) you can hear one of their songs again at some point in the near future as one of our Featured mp3s (starting sooooon, i promise), tell everyone you know who likes free mp3s…

Thursday 24th March sees the first OOTB AGM in nearly two years! It’s at the Montague Bar on Thursday at 7pm. That’s 7pm promptly, as we need to be finished before 9pm and we have a lot to get through. The main event will be the re-election of the OOTB committee, as well as various operational things, so if you’re interested in the running of OOTB or you want to get involved, then we’ll see you on Thursday at 7pm.

Finally, I’ll just mention a gig i’ve been asked to include, on Sunday 27th March at Whistle Binkies. Supermarionation (http://www.supermarionation.co.uk) will be live and on stage at about 9:30pm for a good 45 minutes. And it’s free.

Also, on Sunday 27th March, you can hear Conscious Route (who are very good, and very lively) performing live at Red Dog Music in the Grassmarket, also free, and it’s at 3pm on Sunday.

Then the following Sunday (3 April), i’m hosting another OOTB open couch session at Red Dog Music, at 3pm, so just turn up with your banjos, mandolins, trumpets, and what have you, and we’ll all have a good old fashioned jam session. and that’s a week on Sunday.

That’s it for now, i’ll be back next week with (probably) some feedback from the OOTB AGM, (hopefully) the first in our series of featured mp3s, and (definitely) some more choice gigs you could be going to. See you all on Tuesday!

Calum Carlyle
Out of the Bedroom

OOTB Presents…

Good afternoon one and all, it’s a bit rainy here in Edinburgh, slightly snowy maybe, but at least we’ve not got earthquakes and tsunamis and so on. That sort of thing certainly makes me count my blessings, and of course my thoughts go out to anyone who’s been affected by the tragedies in Japan and elsewhere. 

Now, on to the usual business of this email, first of all i’ll just let you know that the featured act at OOTB this week (Tue 15 Mar) is Atomic Pigeon! These guys are perhaps Edinburgh’s best kept secret as far as full size acoustic bands are concerned, i fully recommend you come and check them out while you can, they’ll be playing a full half hour set for us tomorrow night at the Montague Bar for free! 8pm start, 7:30pm for performers to sign up.

So that’s Tuesday. Then on Thursday (17 Mar), Sam Barber and the Outcasts are playing at Mr Modos at 7pm.

On Saturday, there are two acts on neither of which have been to OOTB, but what the heck, eh? I’ll tell you about them anyway. One of them’s Sacre Noir (who will be performing at Edinburgh Unplugged in April under a nom-de-plume), and they’re playing at Belushi’s on Market Street at 9pm on Saturday (19 Mar) and it’s free.

Also on Saturday, you can hear Conscious Route, a very enjoyable and energetic band (who secretly have Hannah Werdmuller in them, and who will be playing at Edinburgh Unplugged in May), and they’re playing at Maggie’s Chamber at 7pm on Saturday (19 Mar).

Remember the McEwans Ale House open mic is still going strong, every Friday night at 9:30pm, and the Listening Room every Sunday at 8pm, not to mention the various other nights that are always going on and which are an enjoyable night out (at The Royal Oak, The Captain’s Bar, Espionage, The Jazz Bar etc, check your FB invites…)

And it’s not long before we’ll be giving you a free mp3 every week in this newsletter, i’m just collecting mp3s from some of our featured performers and hope to roll this out starting in the next few weeks.

I think that’s it for now, see you on Tuesday!

Calum Carlyle
Out of the Bedroom

Hi there everybody and welcome to March! 🙂

Right, first of all if you’re reading this on Sunday (6 March) before 3pm then get yourself down to Red Dog Music in the Grassmarket for the Hair of the Dog Open Couch Session. I’m hosting it, and basically we’ll all just pass a guitar around and do a song each, and if you bring your mandolin/xylophone/nose flute/saxophone etc then you can play along too. That’s at 3pm at Red Dog Music and it’s free.

This Tuesday (8 March) at Out of the Bedroom 414 the featured act is James Igoe! You’ve seen him at Secret CDs, you may (if you’re lucky) have heard him do one or two songs here and there but i can’t remember the last time he did a half hour set, so don’t miss this. Some open slots available as well of course, so come along to the Montague Bar on Tuesday at 8pm (7:30pm for performers).

A Wedding Ball In Aid Of The MS Society Scotland

Oh here’s a news item, it’s the return of the OOTB web forums! Well, pretty much. If you go to the Out of the Bedroom website, you’ll see a link to the web forums, it’s a new web board called “Songwriters Anonymous, Songwriters Advance!” and the OOTB website has teamed up with them to provide you all with a web board to communicate with each other, and with other songwriters round the world. A couple of OOTB folk are already using the board, as are plenty of other interesting songwriters and musicians, so bookmark it and make it one of your regular hangouts.

Back to today (Sunday 6 March), i heard a rumour that it’s Lisa Rigby doing the featured act slot at tonight’s Listening Room at the Blue Blazer, however the Listenig Room’s myspace fails to confirm this, so take your chances (no it’s okay, facebook says it’s Lisa Rigby anyway), open slots from 8pm, featured act from 9pm.

You can, however, hear Lisa’s band Townhouse in full on Wednesday night (9 March) at Edinburgh Unplugged, which is in the basement bar of The Royal Oak on Infirmary Street. The gig starts at 8pm and it’s only £2 to get in, and you get to hear four bands! Get there promptly if you want a proper seat, by the way. The full lineup this Wednesday is: Townhouse, The Wild Myrtles, The Graeme Mearns Band, and Eilidh Steel and Mark Neal, all playing fully acoustically!

Let’s see, on Thursday (10 March) you can see Augustalia and the Remnant Kings at the Caley Sample Rooms at 8pm, i’m not sure how much it costs, but there it is.

One other thing i wanted to mention to you is a “Wedding Ball” which is happening in aid of the Multiple Sclerosis Society Scotland. It’s at Teviot Row House at 8pm on Thursday 21st of April, and you’re encouraged to go wearing wedding dresses, bridesmaids’ dresses, top hats and tails, and all the usual wedding finery. And it’s all in a good cause of course.

Finally, Darren Thornberry‘s just put a whole lot of free download songs on his reverbnation page, so go get ’em while they’re hot!

Hmm, that’s it for this week i think, see you at Red Dog this afternoon (and on Tuesday!

Calum Carlyle
Out of the Bedroom

Welcome to the week! The sun is out and everybody’s happy even though it’s Monday.

Okay, this Tuesday (tomorrow, 1 March) at OOTB our featured act is James Whyte, who has some excellent songs, and is rarely heard in a live setting these days, certainly not for a full half hour set. Come along and check it out, and of course all the open slots will be up for grabs as usual. 8pm start, 7:30pm to sign up, at the Montague Bar on St Leonards Street.

There’s an OOTB special event i have to tell you about too. at 3pm at Red Dog Music in the Grassmarket (across the road from The Lot) on Sunday 6 March, I will be hosting a special Out of the Bedroom “Hair of the Dog Open Couch Session”. I’ll be there with my guitar from 3pm to 4:30pm and basically we’ll just sit on the couch and pass the guitar round, and if you play a mandolin or a melodica or something, please bring it along too and join in. It’ll be a lot less formal that Out of the Bedroom, and hopefully a lot of fun. It’s a one-off too, to some extent, so don’t miss it, and i’ll hopefully see you all there.

Other things happening this week include Secret CDs number 40, yet another excellent lineup, here’s the lineup for this month:

LIPSYNC FOR A LULLABY www.myspace.com/lipsyncforalullaby
Post-rock band Lipsync for a Lullaby is a strings-driven five-piece playing classical harmonies, beats of slo-core, metal gore, remains of post-rock, ashes of punk with new EP ‘The Lonely Blues’.
IONA MARSHALL www.myspace.com/ionamarshall
Based in Glasgow after making her name in Edinburgh, Iona’s unique mix of melodic folk and ambient electronica has been captured on a 10” EP with HMS Ginafore (Fence Collective).
THE DULL FUDDS www.dullfudds.co.uk
From the Borders The Dull Fudds play an inspired mix of styles in an upbeat self-deprecating crackers fashion. Katie and Jenny will be playing a pared-down set of ‘Fudds favourites.
HANNAH WERDMULLER www.myspace.com/hannahwerdmuller
Relatively new to the Edinburgh acoustic scene but writing music since aged 10. Hannah uses guitars, ukuleles and a trio of clones, when playing songs about death, love, toes and zoo animals.

I personally think each of these performers is worth the entrance price alone, so to get all four of them at once is excellent. And that’s on this Wednesday (2 March) at the Voodoo Rooms on West Register Street at 8pm.

Oh yes, tonight (28 February) at Maggie’s Chambers on the Cowgate, it’s Something Illustrated, The Amsterdams and Hot Cassandra at 7:30pm. I can’t remember the admission cost, but i’m guessing £5 or £4. Here’s the link anyway.

What else… oh yes, remember the McEwan’s Ale House open mic on Friday, at 9pm, across the road from the old Odeon on Clerk Street.

I’m just going to quickly mention FAWM again. Hundreds of songwriters the world over have been writing songs throughout February, and this year there have been more from Edinburgh than ever before. Here are some demos of the songs to check out:
Songwriters from Edinburgh
Songwriters from Midlothian
Songwriters from East Lothian
And remember to check out songs by people from round the world too, click here for a good list to get you started.

One or two other quick things, remember it’s the OOTB AGM on 24th March, venue and time still to be confirmed, but it’s a big meeting which you should come along to if you want to help out at OOTB. More details on the website nearer the time.

Also, just wanted to mention i’m hatching a plot to give readers of this list a free mp3 every week from a performer who has played at Out of the Bedroom. Watch this space for more details. Don’t know quite how soon it’ll be up and running, but i just wanted to make you aware that readers of this list will soon be able to look forward to more than just my gig listings and related ramblings.

That’s about it for this week, remember to check your myspaces and facebooks for gigs from your favourite bands, and i’ll be back next week to tell you about more good, inexpensive musical events (including the much anticipated Edinburgh Unplugged vol. 3).

Calum Carlyle
Out of the Bedroom

OOTB Presents…

Hello again everybody. Well, OOTB 410 was excellent, and what’s more there’s a review of it on the Out of the Bedroom website! Hope you enjoy.

Now, on Tuesday (15 Feb) at Out of the Bedroom 411 it’s Tim Holehouse, former Edinburgh resident and regular player at OOTB in the Canon’s Gait days, he now tours full time playing his trademark self penned acoustic music everywhere he goes. Catch him back in Edinburgh at the Montague Bar from 8pm. Open slots as usual of course, so please turn up before 7:30pm if you’d like to perform.

Other stuff i should tell you about… Tonight (13 Feb) at The Listening Room in the Blue Blazer (on Bread Street from 8pm) the featured performer is Susanna Orr-Holland. She’s got a wealth of interesting songs, definitely an original performer.

Also tonight (13 Feb), i just saw this on Nicky Carder‘s FB status: “Tonight in Edinburgh The Deep Red Sky, Squirrel (This Silent Forest), Caro Bridges and the River and Jill Leighton will be at the Voodoo Rooms Speakeasy from 7pm. There is a massive discount to the local regulars so come along if you’re around.”

Tomorrow (14 Feb) you could go to the Inky Fingers anti-Valentine poetry slam, it’s at the City Cafe at 8pm and admission is a suggested £4/3 donation.

Tuesday it’s Out of the Bedroom, of course, featuring Tim Holehouse, free entry, from 8pm, at the Montague Bar, bring everyone you know…

And i just got this from the amazing comedy genius Tommy Mackay, check out his new FB page and treat yourself to some hilarious tunes. And remember to click “Like”.

Next Sunday (20 Feb) you can hear Rossco Galloway and the Chans performing at Joseph Pearce bar on Elm Row (near London Road/Leith Walk) for free from 6:30-9:30pm

A week on Monday (21 Feb), by the way, Lorraine McCauley and the Borderlands are performing in Edinburgh at Fort Community Wing at Fort Primary School on North Fort Street. It’s an evening of stories, songs and poems on the theme of love, and it runs from 6pm to 9pm.

I am certain there are many more cool events going on, just keep your ears and eyes open for them. And if you’ve not heard some of these performers i’ve just mentioned then go and google them. I didn’t put links to all their myspace pages this week, but there’s a lot of good music out there for somebody with an active search engine. Have a good week, see you at the Montague Bar on Tuesday!

Calum Carlyle
Out of the Bedroom

Hi everybody,

First of all, it gives me great pleasure to announce the return of the Out of the Bedroom featured act slot, and it gives me even greater pleasure to announce that the first featured act slot (this week on Tuesday 8 Feb) is the incomparable Caro Bridges and the River. Great songs, great performers. That’s it, don’t miss it!

There will, of course, be the usual open mic slots, so do come along (by 7:30pm if you’d like to perform) for that as well. And bring your mates! We’re by no means a performers only club, and the standard of performance has been very high at OOTB, and can only improve with the reinisitalisation of the featured act slots. It’d make a great (free) pub night out for anyone who likes music. So tell all (and also sundry) about it, they don’t know what they’re missing.

On the subject of featured act slots, remember you can check out who we’ve got coming up at any time on www.outofthebedroom.co.uk as well as on the OOTB myspace.

Then on Wednesday 9 Feb, it’s the second episode of Edinburgh Unplugged, this month featuring OOTB favourites Sir Tom Watton, Dave (heroininanutshell) Robertson, as well as recent Listening Room headliners Underclass and Metaltech (playing their first ever “acoustech” set! A once in a lifetime opportunity to hear this!)

Friday, you know about the McEwan’s Ale House open mic on Clerk Street at 9pm for 9:30pm, lovely bar, lovely open mic night.

Sunday, there’s quite a few things on, there’s the Listening Room, open mic at 8pm, featured act at 9pm, and it’s in the Blue Blazer on Bread Street every Sunday.

Also every Sunday, Red Dog Music in the Grassmarket run a 3pm afternoon instore gig, called Hair Of The Dog Sundays, the next one (on 13 Feb) is Underclass, though i don’t know if they’re playing acoustic or electric, why not go along and find out? Also, check out the list of upcoming bands performing at Hair of the Dog, it looks great.

And if you’re in Leith on Sunday, there’s an open mic night there too, here’s what they say about it: “Open Mic Night, every Thursday night in The Parlour Bar, Duke Street, Leith. Music kicks off at 8pm and it runs to 11.30pm. All musicians are welcome and we love to hear original material as well as covers, and we also like to encourage musicians who maybe feel their style of music might not always fit in with the more traditional acoustic open mics. Every performer gets a home-made cake (made by host, Packets O'Shea) and a free drink.” and here’s their FB page for more info.

That’s it, see you on Tuesday, and hopefully round the place as well. Keep your eyes open, because i get invites, on FB and such, through the week, to tons of good stuff that i’ve not mentioned here, and i’m sure you do as well. Example, i didn’t know this time last week about Saturday’s Battle of the Bands at Maggie’s Chambers, which Augustalia won (congratulations to them!), but also Miasma were playing there as well as many other great bands, shame i missed it actually. So yeah, keep your eyes open, there’s a lot of good entertainment in Edinburgh at the moment, more than there’s ever been, regardless of what anybody might say. You notice the people who claim Edinburgh doesn’t have a good music scene are the same people who never go out to anything?

Anyway, see you all on Tuesday,

Calum Carlyle
Out of the Bedroom

Hi everybody, well, we’re properly back now, Out of the Bedroom 407 was great, and lots of people turned up, including a slew of new performers. Thanks to everybody who did come along, hope you had a great time, for those of you who couldn’t come alng, we’re rerunning the fun every Tuesday night so come along some other week… like this week for example! 🙂 This Tuesday is Burns Night, so we’re having a Robert Burns themed evening, so if you have any Robert Burns poetry or song that you want to share, come along on Tuesday 25 January. You can still do your own songs as well by the way…

Speaking of our relaunch though, lo and behold, there’s a review, so whether you were there or not, you can relive the highs and commiserate over the lows all over again. Relive the experience in full colour by clicking here.

FAWM – What are you waiting for? Inspiration?

By the way it’s only a week and a bit till February, so if you’re a songwriter, you’ve not got long to get geared up for FAWM (February Album Writing Month), why not join in with this community of songwriters as they frantically write songs through the month of February, collaborating with each other and commenting just as furiously on each other’s work… Anyway, I found FAWM a lot of fun, and quite productive, so i’m doing it again this year. Get involved and sign up at www.fawm.org.

Okay, onto this week’s events. I’m too late to tell you that tonight (Sun 23 Jan) it was Al Shields as featured act at The Listening Room, but then you’ve all got your finger on the pulse, so I know some of you would have toddled along to the Blue Blazer for 8pm tonight anyway. The Listening Room’s every week at 8pm, and the other open mic night that’s on on a Sunday happens at Espionage beginning at 10pm.

Monday nights, I believe the Captain’s Bar is still running open sessions from 8pm, and on Tuesday it’s Burns night with OOTB at The Montague Bar, on the corner of Montague and St Leonards Streets, at 8pm (or 7:30pm if you want to perform).

And the other big deal event of the week is the final ever Lot Acoustic Showcase on Friday 28 January. The acts are: Neoviolet, Jump Press A, Caroline Gilmour, Aaron Shanley and Amy Duncan, which is phenomenal value for a fiver, by anybody’s standards, and since it’s the last time you’ll get to see a gig in the Lot (at the corner of Kings Stables Road and the Grassmarket), I think it’s not to be missed.

Finally, the Live And Unsigned competition asked me to mention the following to you, so if this is your sort of thing, here are the details:

Live and Unsigned is the largest national music competition for original artists; bands, vocal groups and solo artists, and auditions are coming to Edinburgh Corn Exchange 29th January 2011 Over 10, 000 acts from across the country enter every year... Are you good enough to enter? The competition gives you plenty of opportunities and provides the chance to perform live in front of some of the country's top producers, Label execs, promoters and DJs. If you make it through the auditions you will compete at the Live Showcase finals with a chance of making it to the National Grand Final and the Live and Unsigned Festival. YOU COULD BE PLAYING THE LIVE AND UNSIGNED FESTIVAL! Over £100,000 in prizes are up for grabs along the way with the winner offered a comprehensive winners package which includes; festival slots (Including representing the UK at the biggest festival in Asia I rock), UK tour exposing their music to over 40,000 people and a recording contract with Future Music, with up to £50,000 investment! To enter now and read some more on the competition go to www.liveandunsigned.uk.com

That’s it, see you all at OOTB and beyond!

Calum Carlyle

Out of the Bedroom

Hello again everybody. This week our feature act are Petits Maitres. They haven’t got a myspace that i can find, i haven’t (to my knowledge) heard them perform. Sorry if you wanted a rundown of what they’re like, looks like you’ll just have to turn up to OOTB and find out by listening to them! I plan to anyway. More havoc and craziness this week as OOTB continues to drag itself through the Festival in the top bar of the hot and sweaty Tron….

Also, I received the following email from Norman Lamont, see if you are interested in being part of this Leonard Cohen tribute event…

I’m working with a small venue to promote a Leonard Cohen tribute evening some time in October. The idea is each person would play one, or maybe two, Cohen songs. There’d be a charge at the door and all proceeds would go to a charity, to be selected yet. At this stage I’m just looking to see who’d be interested, as there’s a question mark over the size of the venue.

Anyone interested, please drop me a line at biz@normanlamont.com

There’s no guarantee of a place for anyone – it all depends on numbers and venue but people can register interest with me. There’s no need to choose a song now.

Tons of other stuff on of course, Matt James is launching his new CD at the Phoenix Cellar Bar tomorrow (Wednesday), with support from Aos Si, Hannah O’Reilly and Jym Ponter, it’s at 6:30pm and costs a fiver.

Andi Neate is playing a show at the Jazz Bar on Thursday at 7:30pm, sorry but i’ll be at OOTB!

Tonight at Medina, Acoustic Edinburgh presents Emily Scott, Jo Mango, and the incredible Banana Sessions. It’s not free during the Festival, as far as i know, but who cares, you’re only young once, right? Personally I’m off to see Susanna Macdonald‘s Experimentalista show tonight (having been kept away by prior engagements and a cold till now).

On the 24th August, which is a week today (Tuesday) there’s another Regent Showcase, unsurprisingly, at the Regent Bar, it’s free, it starts at 8:30 and it’s a whole lot of fun in a bun.

Every Sunday The Listening Room is still chugging away, open slots in The Blue Blazer on Sunday from 8pm to 10pm. Again, a lot of fun, seems you get a lot of interesting performers at the Blazer during the Festival.

The Big Red Door are having a craft sale on the 21st August (which is Saturday) at 10am, oh yes, the Out of the Blue Drill Hall on Dalmeny Street is doing something similar on Saturdays now too, except it’s more of a market with produce and so on, you can get your weekly shopping in! That’s 10am till 2pm every Saturday.

This Friday (the 20th) at 7:30pm at Word of Mouth Cafe on Albert Street, there’s another open mic night. As you know, i think it’s an excellent one, so do come along. it’s free, and it’s fun.

Oh yes! Nearly forgot, I’m going on tour starting on Saturday, so if you live anywhere in the UK (except down south), then do come along, or if you know someone out in the sticks, tell them to go along to one of our more rural gigs. More details here anyway.

Sorry if you have an event i missed off this list, it can be difficult compiling a relevant list of gigs, especially during the festival. Anyway, see you all on Thursday (if you can fit into the tiny Tron top bar that is!)

Calum Carlyle
Oyut of the Bedroom

PS –  i just realised i forgot to mention Fanattica’s final ever gig! It’s THIS SATURDAY in Henry’s Cellar Bar at 7pm. Too important for me not to tell you, so i’m sending this little PS. More details on the FB event page here: http://www.facebook.com/event.php?eid=141989199168493

See you all out there in musicland!

The Last of Barratt’s Privateers are the featured act in this week’s Out of the Bedroom, in The Tron on Thursday at 8pm. It’s free, and to be frank, they’re awesome. They’re like modern Scottish bluegrass, and you may recognise one or two of the band members too. There’s no musical reason these guys shouldn’t be charging several quid to get into one of their gigs, see them now while you can for free.And that brings me neatly to something i have been wanting to say on this list for a wee while. Every time i go to Out of the Bedroom, i am impressed by the high standard of performances, and the range of styles. Not only that, the whole evening is free to get into. Despite this, people still tell me they think open mic nights are rubbish and most acoustic performers are samey and boring. If you think this, then i am 100% certain you aren’t going out to enough quality music nights. Either that or you just don’t like much music, and if that’s the case, why are you even on this mailing list?

All i’m saying is, i go to quite a lot of music nights in Edinburgh and beyond, many of them acoustic nights, and many of them featuring one or two performers who play at OOTB, or who have played there in the past. I like to think i have a discerning ear, and i know who i like most, musically, and why. With this in mind, i think Edinburgh is heaving with great acts, and many of them are playing free gigs the whole time. In short, i cannot in any way agree with anyone telling me that they think our evenings don’t contain a wealth of good performances. I’m not even trying to big up OOTB here, i’m actually trying to acknowledge the immense amount of talented songwriters who have graced us with their music. I mean last week it was Caro Bridges, and she’s really good as well. I can’t remember the last time i didn’t enjoy the OOTB feature act in fact.

I, and the rest of the committee, have worked hard to make OOTB the night it is, and we will continue to do so, for your enjoyment, and i hope that you will continue to come along to OOTB in the future, not out of a sense of obligation, but because you might enjoy it. We hope you will. Don’t get me wrong, i think criticism is good for a performer or songwriter as it helps them improve, that’s why we like to have reviews of our nights (though this is now on hiatus for the foreseeable future again sadly), but lazy criticism from people who haven’t even been along to the evening they are criticising anytime in the past year really has no value other than to create bad feeling.Now i’ve said that, just want to lighten the mood and tell you about some of the overwhelming amount of stuff that’s on in Edinburgh this week. There’s a lot of it, and here’s just a sample:

Tonight (Tuesday) it’s Acoustic Edinburgh at Medina featuring Edwina Hayes, Player Piano and Stanley Odd! – It’s at 8pm, and Acoustic Edinburgh is on every Tuesday during the Fringe Festival. It costs to get in during the Festival though, but it is very worth it. Also tonight it’s another Regent Showcase in the Regent Bar at the top of Abbeymount and Easter Road, starting at 8:30pm i believe, this one is free, and features a selection of Edinburgh’s acoustic performers and at least one comedian. I’ve been to one or two of these and it’s a lovely relaxed atmosphere. You’ll enjoy it. Honest. 🙂

Susanna Macdonald‘s Fringe show Experimentalista is in full swing, and tonight’s your last chance for a two-for-one deal on the tickets, though it’s worth seeing any time in the month.The Listening Room‘s still on on Sunday during the Festival (except on Fireworks night) at 8pm, in the Blue Blazer on Spittal Street and Bread Street, for two hours of open slots, so much eclectecism will be going on there. Also, Word Of Mouth coffee shop on Albert Street are offering a 20% discount during the whole month of August if you quote “facebook”. Bit cheeky of me to repeat that here, so if you do take advantage of this, please join their FB group. Also, while i remember, there’s an open mic night at Word of Mouth on 20th August (a week on Friday i think)? I’ll not be able to go myself, because i’m playing a gig in Bannerman’s that night (which you’re all welcome to come along to, though i think it’s a couple of quid to get in). Anyway, Word of Mouth on 20th August, they run a good open mic night, every time i’ve been along, very diverse, and everybody gets a fair hearing. Starts at 7pm for 7:30 and it’s free.

Now, The Banshee Labyrinth on Niddry Street are host to a few music nights during the Fringe, courtesy of Bainbridge Music, and the one i want to tell you about is on Sunday 15th August, at 7pm. Apart from anything else Neoviolet are playing (which is rare at the moment), and on the same bill you can hear me (Calum Carlyle & Sam Bradley) as well, all for free!!!

Hannah O’Reilly and Andy Valentine are playing at McEwan’s Ale House on Saturday 14th, it’s free too and it’s at 10pm.

Tomorrow (Wednesday) it’s Secret CDs at the Phoenix Cellar Bar, at 8pm too, £2 entry, and well worth it. This months the acts are Collar Up, Freight, Kat McKenzie and Michael O’NeilAlso in the Phoenix Cellar Bar, the following Wednesday (18th) it’s Matt James with his highly interesting percussive guitar style, releasing his new CD “Cyan”. Supporting acts are Hannah O’Reilly, Aos Si and Jym Ponter. Not sure how much it costs to get in but it’ll be reasonable. Not to be missed, since Matt James is not based in Edinburgh anymore.This Friday (13th!) at The Big Red Door it’s Banana Sessions – i caught both of their sets at the Wickerman Festival and i can heartily recommend them to you. Zed Penguins are on too, and though i’ve not heard them yet, i bet they’re awesome too. Go along, and have some fun. It’s on at 8:30pm and it’s one of your last chances to see a gig at the BRD.

I just know there’s a ton of stuff i haven’t mentioned. Sorry if your event was one of them. Okay, off you go, at least one gig a night now, and no excuses! 🙂

Calum Carlyle
Out of the Bedroom