For now, enjoy the venerable Calum Haddow’s review. We would list the
performers, but it was…well, everyone.
Enjoy.

OOTB 08/05/2008

OOTB 300. My word. I feel old. I was actually looking at the pictures from
the 200th night on the interporn just the other night – I played there
myself, it seems like a month ago, 2 months tops. And yet there it is,
another 100 Thursdays under our belts. I feel like a proud father.

Spartans! March! Onwards! A colossal weight of sound; The crushing power
of 300 open mic-ers descending on the invading Persian Empire. Scott
Renton lays down ancient Spartan law. I actually got the feeling that
night that if I was struck down that very second, I would die a happy man.
I walked in and my first impression was “OMG chuffing cake for everyone”.
I stood in the middle of the Canon’s Gait, pint in one hand and cake in
the other with my friends playing me wonderful music. A man really doesn’t
need much more in this life.

Chris Brown was up first. A full 5 years (and 1 child) since the first
time he’d played at OOTB, he gave us “Chameleon” tonight. The guitar
scuttles along beside a river. The chorus throws itself up and down the
fretboard as the vocals rise higher and higher. “Don’t lose the sense of
all you are”.

Darren Thornberry, tonight dressed as some kind of Spartan playgroup
leader, soothed us with the instrumental “Chips and Curry”. Bright,
glittering fingerpicking has a quiet conversation with itself. Light
touches of vibrato make the notes sing. He has “sticky fingers”. I blame
the cake. Awesome though it is. To quote Mr Renton, “a combination of
children’s toys and women’s clothes”.

Sharon King was out first débutante. Her guitar had a wonderful wooden,
surfy sound. And she had a fancy doodad in her hat. Syncopated and
mournful, but the occasional E maj chucked in catches you unaware and
unsettles the minor key. Soft vocals swell up with poise and urgency. It
would be lovely to see a little more of her, hopefully she can come back
another night and we could get a full 3 songs from her.

Eddie followed. For tonight I shall call him Supermassive Eddie, due to
his impressive stature. I actually bumped into Supermassive Eddie at a gig
organised by the Mighty Ben Young (more on him later), and I promised I
would give him a glittering write up. And with good reason. He rules.
Arpeggios are built upon until they grow into a fine weave. Fear and
uncertainty circle each other. The strumming grows and swells, feeling
like water pressing up against a dam with the constant threat of bursting
out.

Nyk has branched (no pun intended) out, recruiting the help of Broken
Tooth on Pinecone Kazoo. I’ll say that one more time, Pinecone Kazoo.
Another odd sentence now; Mutant Zombies win by a remarkable landslide
victory. There are times I am genuinely scared of this man. This…
enigma… this… maelstrom of a man. I’m not sure, but I think this is
what drugs sound like. Utterly remarkable.

Ross Neilson is going to prematurely ejaculate. Everywhere. His words, not
mine. “There’s something in the darkness and I don’t know what it means”.
A constant search for the intangible. He blasts out his chorus in a
wonderful gravelly growl that feels like it could scrape the inside of
your head clean.

Broken Tooth took to the stage, minus bits of forest, to play “Hold Fast”.
I was enraptured by his left thumb nail. So long. So immaculately kept.
Speaking as a man who has little more than shreds of nail attached to the
end of his fingers, I was surprised and jealous by its length. Bold and
assured singing. The guitar had a pulse behind it, probably my favourite
Broken Tooth/EWB song! “Raise your voice defiant / I swear we’ll drown
this storm”. A sudden tempo jump also raises energy levels.

Susanna McDonald did “Graffiti”. And later someone sang to us in French.
Get in. Begins as a swaying meander, then starts to gather occasional
skipping steps that then grow to a shoulders-back swagger down the road.
Which then goes around kicking down doors.

Stuart Clark and Lisa Paton teamed up, sounding positively upbeat (given
the subject matter). “Cuts to the Bone”. You start to wonder if you’re
better off alone rather than spending all your time chasing the girl
you’re besotted with, following her home and collecting hairs from her
brush until you can make a full wig, wear it and touch yourself, quietly
weeping all the while. Actually a stunning pop song complimented well by
spot on harmonies.

Hannah O’Reilly was joined by Susanna (her official “doodooer”) and Stuart
(boxer). Editor’s note – I was going to call this song a “HoR classic”,
but on reflection that isn’t the most complimentary abbreviation in the
world. That said though, it is a classic; melodic, with depth and
considered structure and execution. Great to have an OOTB legend at the
300th night.

Sam challenged my tiny mind. His song “Sophia” was not about a lady. Oh
no. Sophia was the goddess of wisdom, my towering intellect tells me. Or
possibly Inspector Google. A real energy runs behind it, great little
chord runs down to the root. Warm and inviting, it draws you in and
doesn’t let go.

Mick and Jeff were next up. Mick turned 70 last week – my Dad’s 70 and
he’s awesome so I expect great things. The blues, my boy, the blues. The
harmonies slide in and you feel like you should be smoking a big-assed
cigar. Makes you feel like a man. A man with callouses on his hands and a
hat you wear at a jaunty angle.

Now, I should apologies in advance because I misheard the name of the next
act – it sounded like they were introduced as “Gears and McQuade”, who
sound like cop drama series featuring a mechanic and a maverick private
eye. [Hughes and McQuade – ed] Delicate and fragile, even with the two
guitars. Strumming and fingerpicking act as counterpoint. The quiet
landscape isn’t disrupted by the surging vocals towards the end, imagine
someone shouting in a glen.

The Weather Underground was our next act, with “I Think I”. Has bounce!
Summer is finally starting to burst outside and at last it feels it in
here too. Sweet young girls dance around us and beckon you towards things
you barely understand.

Tommy McKay, the towering pillar of a man that he is, was up next. Picking
a fight with John Prescott – is there any member of parliament that he
hasn’t offended? Nicola Sturgeon is practically his nemesis. “Fish means
nothing to meeeee… oh Vienetta!”.

Johnny Pugh had to suffer the slings and arrows of our compère, (loo,
phew, vindaloo etc etc) poor little lamb. Took it all with remarkable
good humour though, considering that it was a rhyming battle of epic
proportions. I’m sure that OOTB will be practically 8 Mile by the time we
reach the 400th night. Unusual chords at the vertigo end of the fretboard
add a sneaky extra dimension to the music. “We’re strangers, you and me”.
As the water crashes back and forwards, two people dance around each
other and end up falling against and away from each other.

The Mighty Ben Young then treated us to “My Baby Don’t Like My Music”.
Well, I was sitting beside her and she didn’t seem to mind… The song
slinks along like a caterpillar pimp. More blues than a tube of Smarties
(they’re back! Check the advert!) Guitaring that would put most octopi to
shame, let alone men.

Colin was a performer I’d not seen before, but after tonight’s performance
I want to see a lot more of. He was playing a ______. God knows what he
was playing. Mandolin? Lute? Penny sodding whistle? He claims it is a
“home-made glute”. His music sounds like a folk song chucked through a
spicy mangle. Actually quite filthy in its own beautiful way. Possibly the
most swearing in anyone’s set all night (including mine). F##king
marvellous.

Daniel Vzue is not a paedophile. His songs feel like you’re being stroked
with a velvet glove, but then you get an occasional flirty slap on the
cheek with it. The kind of progressions that you would never think of, but
sound immediately familiar and memorable. Accomplished.

Freeloadin’ Frank gives us a song-writing masterclass. If Bob Dylan had a
sleepover with all his mates and they all had jelly and ice-cream and
played Twister then they’d probably stick this on their stereo. 3 chords
and the truth. The punks would be proud.

Frances Hayes played us a song which was written when he was 18. Optimism
flies out of the guitar’s sound-hole. Throwing caution to the wind and
taking flight. “Without you there’d be no meaning”. The kind of song that
you hear a full band (jeez, nearly a full orchestra) behind it in your
head. “Take my hand and let’s go higher”.

Nick Smith tells us all about the “Magic Ladies”. Snappy and cracky, the
words half snarled, half coaxed along their way, the song fleshes out into
the chorus before launching a tangent, then retreating back to the verse.
The song ends up as a full frontal assault – a musical battering ram.

Gordon sang “My Medicine”. The quick strumming falls to a false lull as
the song blooms back into the sunny energy. We need girls to survive.
Girls rule.

Angel Conversations played a new song. A very new song. A song so new the
paint was barely dry. Good work. The song swoops up and down and
eventually erupts up through the warm earth. “I can’t make you love me or
persuade you to stay if your heart’s not in it”.

Lindsay Sugden was up next with “On the Wire”. To quote the flyer on the
table, “beautiful rare things and randomness”. Chords that would seem
unsettling on their own feel oddly at home when women together with their
neighbours. Almost forceful in places. As glorious as ever.

Stuart McLellan has a soothing baritone that you could imagine slipping
off into the blackness with. “Love in a mist that surrounded us”. The
magic of the first kiss, the intoxicating smell of it all, the energy and
thickness that hangs in the air.

Big Jim took over for a bit:
Next up, Calum “Pleasant Metal” Haddow gingerly (groan – Ed) made his way
to the stage, announcing he’d been coming to OOTB since “before he was
legal” (we’re pretty sure he means “for drinking”). Sad that he only had
one song to play, but he treated us “First Aid”. His first aid skills may
be shaky at the best of times, but this tribute to b@stard chords went
down a storm. Zord!

Back to me:
Lisa Paton came back up to the stage with Stuart for more box action (!).
“Here come the water”, she sings as change charges across the landscape.
She manages to sing with a power and intensity rarely matched by OOTB
performers.

Last up, Julian. “Everyone Kisses a Stranger”. Joined by a menagerie of
djembes, boxes and shaky eggs. He sings in Frenglish. Hot. French accents
will always = sex. Sounds smokey and subdued. He sported the 3rd trilby
of the night. Good work.

OOTB 299 – 1 May 2008

Freeloadin’ Frank, Stewart Maclennon, Ross Neilson, Many Days Waiting, Gar Cox, Sam Barber, Broken Tooth, Gordon Imrie, Ian Moore

Freeloadin’ Frank celebrates May Day with a lively opening set. Big Blue Bottle   was surely written while Frank was in a different headspace. Buzz buzz buzz! Sometimes   lays bare the paradoxes in Frank’s life. Sometimes he does. Sometimes he doesn’t. Sometimes he will. Sometimes he won’t. Etc. Frank ends with a somber tune about the loss of Papua New Guinea’s jungles to American and British companies taking the land to produce biofuels. This is a class song that would have its moody place in the Apocalypse Now soundtrack. Myspace.com/freeloadinfrank

Stewart Maclennon is one of those finds that give you faith in the open mic scene. Debuting tonight, his style is bluesy, his voice a bass or low baritone, and his chords often minor. I like his lyrics, too. Stew’s last song Lonely Man   has a great line:   tea for two minus one … he does the tango alone all night long.

Ross Neilson is cutting loose, so to speak, after a long day teaching primary kids. Clearly he needs to exorcise some dark, depressing, even smelly demons, and he gets to it with a sad but good set. A friend comments to me that Ross could do with a backing band to really draw out the fullness of his songs. I really like the last number, which is not altogether written as Ross starts in. That kind of experimentation can go really well or really badly. But OOTB is the place to fleshout new songs, and Ross does it well. Myspace.com/zentransmission

Many Days Waiting, featured act Chad and Kim Sasser arrived in the Burgh last September, and their first song is a melancholy telling of their first few months here. Sky stays grey as a newly widowed heart.   On Solitary   Kim plays harmonica and even picks up the rarely employed OOTB bongos. I love this song, from their How Growing Happens   ep. Consumer Mania   is a scathing ode to the shopping drug. It’s a spoken word piece, primarily, but Chad adds some sparse guitar, which works well. My eyes are wet as we hear about the Brazilian mother and her shoe full of children. Alaska   is a cool song about experiencing the 49th state, but I am convinced it’s bathed in metaphor. This is really about that, if you know what I mean. Three songs follow, the middle of which, Lazarus,   is about not letting important stuff collect dust (I poached this explanation off their myspace). Finally, Chad and Kim bow to the will of the people as shouts of encore!   erupt. A last lullabye leaves this reviewer feeling like an electrical charge has shot through me. Myspace.com/manydayswaiting

Gar Cox is new to me. He describes his music as slightly quizzical disco country folk.   The disco is not immediately obvious to me, but I really dig his voice and his lyrics. His second song in particular is up my street. It’s not blood that makes us strong, it’s love.   Words to live by, Gar. Another standout line from the last song: Your smiling face ate my tombstone heart.   Myspace.com/garcoxmusic

Sam Barber Nice to hear Sam and his 12-string Tanglewood again. Sam’s songs tend to be heavy strummers, and he handles the twelver with aplomb, getting a very warm sound from it. He takes a shot at the divorce lawyers licking their chops every January in Over by Christmas.   Sam plays his new single, Sophia   to close, and it’s a right poppy, fun tune. You can hear a proper recording on his website. Myspace.com/sambarber07

Broken Tooth Toothy can’t be bovvered with love songs and sunshine. He thinks and writes about weightier subjects, such as John Wilmut, 2nd Earl of Rochester, the philosophies of existentialism (When all’s said and done, all that’s to come is the dust around the sun  ) and a ship sinking in the Napoleonic wars. Tonight it’s all blues riffs and his trademark yowl. Hold Fast   is an inspired performance. That song is becoming rather popular, as evidenced by the amount of punters singing along, The ship ain’t sinking yet!   Myspace.com/electricwhiteboy

Gordon Imrie Gordon begins with a song of affection for his local bowling club. (Here we fucking go!  ) Tiddlywinks   is given its title on the spot. It’s a quaint, Jack Johnson-ish love song. The best of the three songs is a thoughtful tune, packed with sentiment, about dealing with a grandmother’s illness or perhaps her last days. We see Gordon at her bedside, pleading, Tell me a story, give me pocket money, tell me that I’ve grown.   Good set, hope to see him again. Myspace.com/potsomusic

Ian Moore Ian performs while pissed as farts and the result is indeed not very impressive. Still, there clearly is a good voice and a guitarist in there, so I hope he comes back and gives it another go minus the drink.

Review: Darren Thornberry

This week, Cat Douglas gives the measured critique. Read on…
Michael Dunnigan, Colin Milne, Broken Tooth, Kat Healy (Main Act), Nyk,
Ross Neilson, Julien, Stephen Harrison, Angus Wallace.

Michael Dunnigan-

This was Michael’s 3rd and final time at OOTB as he has to return to
London. Well, at least until his brother has another baby!

What a great final slot! We were treated to a monarchy in music – starting
with ‘The Queen of Sheeba’ then ‘The King is Dead’. This was a song about
the late John Peel and I’m certain the legend would have approved. He
ended on an apt Scottish ballad about the beauty of West Lothian. What a
challenge to set oneself! However, Michael rose and produced a great wee
song about Binnie Craig.

You will be missed. See you next time you’re up.

Colin Milne-

Even before Colin starts I’m instantly intrigued by his instrument he has
with him. I’m not the most knowledgeable person when it comes to music
(I’m happy to admit that) and I just thought it was a mandolin. I was soon
put right when I was told that it is if fact a glute and it’s the only one
in existence as Colin made the thing himself! I’m very impressed.

His set was equally impressive. Great melodies paired with cracking
lyrics. I particularly enjoyed the one about the lassies. I didn’t
actually catch any of the names but I smiled throughout. I also liked the
way he didn’t use the mic. I felt it added intimacy to the room.

Broken Tooth-

Tonight, apparently, he had been asked to ‘just go for it’. Not quite sure
what that means but I presume we’re in for an intense 15 mins.

He started with ‘Sing my Funeral’. His gravely voice has a rocky feel to
it and his guitar playing also has quite a hard rock influence. Both first
and second songs had quite a frantic feel to them with some very fast
finger work. It showed off his talent well, but I can’t help thinking it
was a bit fiddly (possibly just personal taste). He ended on a slow song
called ‘Dust Around the Sun’ which I felt was a bit clichéd in the lyrics.

Overall I enjoyed the set but I would have liked to get a little more
emotion from the lyrics.

Kat Healy (Main Act)-

Kat has a very warm and unpretentious air on stage which endears and
engages the audience right from the start. Oh and she has a great name
too. So I like her already…..
>
Once she starts playing the room is instantly mesmerised by her beautiful
and powerful voice. A once bustling and talkative room is turned to
silence, captivated. She sings with a great mixture of high notes and full
voice. I could maybe have done with a little bit more definition on the
words as I couldn’t always make out what she was saying. However, I did
really enjoy the song about being and tart and pulling a famous person
(I’m so intrigued about who it is). As Kat sang the lyrics to this sultry
song “Hold me” I could sense every man in the room wanting to run up on
stage!

Next was a song called ‘Breakdown’. Is this perhaps because the famous guy
didn’t call? Whatever it was, just by the tone of her voice I could sense
some real emotion. I do love that in a song.

Seamlessly, she moved to a man hating song called ‘Frozen Smile’. Am I
sensing a theme here? This was quite a dark song but again I found it
difficult to make out the words.

Kat ended on an old song which she was asked to sing randomly when she was
in Australia called Sweet November. With the lyrics ‘Marry me’ sung so
softly I can guarantee most of us probably would. What a perfect end.

Thanks a lot for coming and please come back.

Nyk-

With a ‘Y’. Sorry I got that wrong last time.

Slightly disappointing start when Nyk announced he would not be taking his
shirt off for the set. Gutted, but I’m sure we’ll survive!

As usual we were in for a real treat with Nyk. I enjoy when he just lets
rip on the guitar which he did in his second song ‘Out of the Fire, into
the Rain’. This also had quite a bluesy feel to it which I liked a lot.

For his final song he asked Broken Tooth to join him on stage. I’m not
quite sure what happened next but it involved a pine cone and green
monkeys. Interesting to say the least!

Thanks Nyk. Never a dull set.

Ross Neilson-

Ross informs us that his set is going to be a bit bruised and battered
tonight. That’s ok, we like that, and after all that’s what ootb is all
about.

His first song is called ‘Halo’ where he shows that he has quite a good
vocal range. I like this song and think the chorus is quite catchy. I did
feel that his voice went a little scratchy on some of the high notes
though.

When you write lyrics like ‘Bitterness and pain is all I see’ I can see
what he meant about it being bruised and battered. I hope that’s not
coming from personal experience!

I don’t think he told us the names of the songs but I enjoyed the set.

Julien-

Julien’s French accent instantly makes me want to like him. I know its
shallow but oh well at least I’m honest!

He is our one and only squashee this evening.

His song is dark, interesting and quite refreshing. I can’t make out many
of the lyrics (possibly the accent again) but he hits the high notes with
a touch of Thom York. Great.

Don’t leave it so long next time.

Stephen Harrison-

Stephen brings to the stage the first electric guitar of the evening and
starts with his song ‘Sad and Blue’. His low sultry voice brought this
song to life.

Next a small plug for one of his albums ‘Chips for Supper’. I do love that
title.

His second song was quite lovely with lyrics ‘I believe I found you
innocent’. I thought this was beautiful, poignant and quite heartfelt.

After another plug for his old album ‘Faded Colours’ Stephen finished with
his song called ‘Tomorrow’. This lacked a little in focus but I still
enjoyed it.

Good set, I liked the tone of Stephen’s voice.

Angus Wallace-

Ironically the act with the most Scottish sounding name is actually
Australian.

Angus has a funky, plucky way of playing that I liked and a voice to match.

We were treated to a full range of songs from politics to his home
country. I’m not sure anyone really ‘got’ the one about unions, or maybe
it was just over my head!

He ended with a kind of retort to Michael’s Scottish song earlier. With
his song about Oz, Angus was pretty convincing about its beauty. Maybe we
should all go and do a special OOTB from there!

Great ending.

OOTB 297 – 17 April 2008

Michael Dunnigan, Colin Milne, Broken Tooth, Kat Healy (Main Act), Nyk, Ross Neilson, Julien, Stephen Harrison, Angus Wallace.

Michael Dunnigan This was Michael’s 3rd and final time at OOTB as he has to return to London. Well, at least until his brother has another baby! What a great final slot! We were treated to a monarchy in music – starting with ‘The Queen of Sheeba’ then ‘The King is Dead’. This was a song about the late John Peel and I’m certain the legend would have approved. He ended on an apt Scottish ballad about the beauty of West Lothian. What a challenge to set oneself! However, Michael rose and produced a great wee song about Binnie Craig. You will be missed. See you next time you’re up.

Colin Milne Even before Colin starts I’m instantly intrigued by his instrument he has with him. I’m not the most knowledgeable person when it comes to music (I’m happy to admit that) and I just thought it was a mandolin. I was soon put right when I was told that it is if fact a glute and it’s the only one in existence as Colin made the thing himself! I’m very impressed. His set was equally impressive. Great melodies paired with cracking lyrics. I particularly enjoyed the one about the lassies. I didn’t actually catch any of the names but I smiled throughout. I also liked the way he didn’t use the mic. I felt it added intimacy to the room.

Broken Tooth Tonight, apparently, he had been asked to ‘just go for it’. Not quite sure what that means but I presume we’re in for an intense 15 mins. He started with ‘Sing my Funeral’. His gravely voice has a rocky feel to it and his guitar playing also has quite a hard rock influence. Both first and second songs had quite a frantic feel to them with some very fast finger work. It showed off his talent well, but I can’t help thinking it was a bit fiddly (possibly just personal taste). He ended on a slow song called ‘Dust Around the Sun’ which I felt was a bit clichéd in the lyrics. Overall I enjoyed the set but I would have liked to get a little more emotion from the lyrics.

Kat Healy (Main Act)- Kat has a very warm and unpretentious air on stage which endears and engages the audience right from the start. Oh and she has a great name too. So I like her already….. Once she starts playing the room is instantly mesmerised by her beautiful and powerful voice. A once bustling and talkative room is turned to silence, captivated. She sings with a great mixture of high notes and full voice. I could maybe have done with a little bit more definition on the words as I couldn’t always make out what she was saying. However, I did really enjoy the song about being and tart and pulling a famous person (I’m so intrigued about who it is). As Kat sang the lyrics to this sultry song Hold me   I could sense every man in the room wanting to run up on stage! Next was a song called ‘Breakdown’. Is this perhaps because the famous guy didn’t call? Whatever it was, just by the tone of her voice I could sense some real emotion. I do love that in a song. Seamlessly, she moved to a man hating song called ‘Frozen Smile’. Am I sensing a theme here? This was quite a dark song but again I found it difficult to make out the words. Kat ended on an old song which she was asked to sing randomly when she was in Australia called Sweet November. With the lyrics ‘Marry me’ sung so softly I can guarantee most of us probably would. What a perfect end. Thanks a lot for coming and please come back.

Nyk With a ‘Y’. Sorry I got that wrong last time. Slightly disappointing start when Nyk announced he would not be taking his shirt off for the set. Gutted, but I’m sure we’ll survive! As usual we were in for a real treat with Nyk. I enjoy when he just lets rip on the guitar which he did in his second song ‘Out of the Fire, into the Rain’. This also had quite a bluesy feel to it which I liked a lot. For his final song he asked Broken Tooth to join him on stage. I’m not quite sure what happened next but it involved a pine cone and green monkeys. Interesting to say the least! Thanks Nyk. Never a dull set.

Ross Neilson Ross informs us that his set is going to be a bit bruised and battered tonight. That’s ok, we like that, and after all that’s what ootb is all about. His first song is called ‘Halo’ where he shows that he has quite a good vocal range. I like this song and think the chorus is quite catchy. I did feel that his voice went a little scratchy on some of the high notes though. When you write lyrics like ‘Bitterness and pain is all I see’ I can see what he meant about it being bruised and battered. I hope that’s not coming from personal experience! I don’t think he told us the names of the songs but I enjoyed the set.

Julien in 2004

Julien Julien’s French accent instantly makes me want to like him. I know its shallow but oh well at least I’m honest! He is our one and only squashee this evening. His song is dark, interesting and quite refreshing. I can’t make out many of the lyrics (possibly the accent again) but he hits the high notes with a touch of Thom York. Great. Don’t leave it so long next time.

Stephen Harrison Stephen brings to the stage the first electric guitar of the evening and starts with his song ‘Sad and Blue’. His low sultry voice brought this song to life. Next a small plug for one of his albums ‘Chips for Supper’. I do love that title. His second song was quite lovely with lyrics ‘I believe I found you innocent’. I thought this was beautiful, poignant and quite heartfelt. After another plug for his old album ‘Faded Colours’ Stephen finished with his song called ‘Tomorrow’. This lacked a little in focus but I still enjoyed it. Good set, I liked the tone of Stephen’s voice.

Angus Wallace Ironically the act with the most Scottish sounding name is actually Australian. Angus has a funky, plucky way of playing that I liked and a voice to match. We were treated to a full range of songs from politics to his home country. I’m not sure anyone really ‘got’ the one about unions, or maybe it was just over my head! He ended with a kind of retort to Michael’s Scottish song earlier. With his song about Oz, Angus was pretty convincing about its beauty. Maybe we should all go and do a special OOTB from there! Great ending.

Sound: David O’Hara, Compere: Darren Thornberry, Review: Cat Douglas

OOTB 296 – 10 April 2008

Enroll (debut), Fiona Thom, Open C, Ghostboy, Arran Arctic, squashee, The Beggar Girls, Featured Act, Mick and Jeff, Stoddart, Hughes and McQuade, Jules, Monkey Helmholtz, Gustav Gustav, Michael Dummigan, Andrew Iain, squashee, Jake & Ross, squashee.

Enroll (debut) This duo step up for the first time. He stares at the ceiling and begs, ‘did I upset you last night?’ as she harmonises, and beefs up the sound considerably. With the subject matter of post drunken atonement, and the delivery which could be earnest or funny, it’s difficult to tell where the line of irony lies. I quite like the ambiguity. ‘This city’ is pure escapism, just want to go away with you.   His voice would benefit a few more outings, and I hope we a re treated to them.

Fiona Thom Fi is as lively as her lime green jumper tonight, as ‘The very next room’ bounces around. If only seen Fi in the Listening Room, and the extent to which she fills the comparatively larger stage of OOTB is a nice surprise. ‘Let me down easy’ mixes vulnerability in the lyrics with a powerful drive in the tune. I can almost hear the happy hand claps. http://www.myspace.com/fionajthom

Open Sea This three-piece bring a smile to the face. Intensely pleasing as their many instruments (two guitars and fiddle) chime as one. ‘Waiting for You’ ends with a nice touch of mouth organ, blending folk and blues instruments to good effect. Their second is a lively one whose name I didn’t catch. The verses rotate between singers. Brave but fairly effective.

Ghostboy ‘The One’ showcases his particular acoustic Britrock. ‘Breathe’ likewise, opens slow and builds. This is a serious business, as he lives inside the lyrics don’t know where I’m going, don’t know where I’ve been  . Give the man a compass.

Arran Arctic – squashee This is brand new and straight off the dis-chords intrigue. On top, he lays his voice like a blanket, guitar bubbling beneath. If only we could just share it all   (looks like I’ve written ‘shave’ in my notes, though I suspect that’s not what he sang) Lovely inflections as his voice flits between soft and a full falsetto. Loved it.

The Beggar Girls, Featured Act We booked these ladies the first time we saw them, and they didn’t disappoint. ‘The Charmer’ has home truths laid bare whilst in the age old pursuit, my raven hair is a wig.   After the comedy into, we relax into the musicality and pleasant company this quartet brings. ‘He was my love’ is beguiling melancholy. Their harmonies come from an earlier time and lend the songs an effortless authenticity. ‘Feather Dance’ is Eastern European with melodies colliding and intertwining. A bit of a misnomer, this is heavy stomp. A new one now, and an ode to sloth, ‘I’m happy in bed.’ They do their set unamplified, which works well when all are singing, but if only one does so, the sound doesn’t carry to the back of the room. ‘Eugenie’s Waltz’, in 5/4 time, naturally, is an instrumental bursting with character (sounds like a wine). The waltz is stately rather than romantic, best for a ball in the royal court. We finish with a song that begins with a chant and fairly bustles along, with tempo changes and other challenges. It is brave and evocative, and a fine closer to the set.

Mick and Jeff These gents haven’t graced these parts for a wee while, and I believe this could be their first gig anywhere in over a year. Welcome back. We start with ‘a Scottish song’, though they never break far from their blues roots, think Skye Boat Song as Prairie Yarn. Before long, we’re back in proper blues territory, with ‘Been Here Too Long Blues.’ Their fine partnering recalls Sonny Terry and Brownie McGhee. Vintage. I hadn’t seen them before, but hopefully will do again.

Nyk Stoddart ‘Another Song’ showcases Nyk’s ability to play with perceptions and demolish them, with as riotous a performance as any. This is elemental acoustic rock.

Hughes and McQuade They begin with a ballad over a drone, and establish themselves as a confident pairing. Country-influenced, their stuff reminds me of those Lonestar chaps. Their second, ‘Glorious’, is no exception, speaking of redemption, I would pray for better days.   I don’t know which is Hughes and which is McQuade, but the singer has a voice of effortless pitch and power. Strong stuff. Pass me a bourbon.

Jules Everything solid melts into air,   he sings in a lively one that reminds of Pulp-style mock-disco. His second is decidedly repentant, all you ever get from me is trouble.   …and a song to remember him by, of course.

Monkey Helmholtz Perceptive, I know, this may not be his real name. I rather wish it was. A guitar that’s barely there builds through single notes, to hurried arpeggios, to pounding chords, while empowered vox soar overhead. The tide don’t come back in for me.   No, it probably doesn’t think it’s up to the challenge. His second has guitar mimicking vocals note for note, while the lyrics are feverishly spat and mumbled out. Being four days old, these dissolve by the end of the song, but it was striking, and well worth it, nonetheless.

Gustav Gustav A ginger rose by any other name (Calum Haddow), this man is one of my favourite acts to frequent (though it would be nice if he was a bit more frequent) OOTB, purely because the energy and fearlessness he brings ensures I’ve never seen a dud set. So it is tonight. Through me a line, I’m drowning up here   he implores, though he’s far from it. It is impassioned and compelling. Calum is acutely aware of the effectiveness of dynamics, as with ‘First Aid’, my favourite. His delivery raises giggles, which disarm the audience to the harrowing subject matter of a battlefield medic. By the climax, all my hairs are on end.

Michael Donnigan He’s still up from London, just, and I’m glad to have another chance to see some of the finest fretwork to grace OOTB. ‘Believe in me’ is about being dumped, with tight jazz nicely complemented light vox, and, as ever, immaculate guitar. A Dylanesque tale of when punk meant something (tight trousers and silly hair, not baggy trousers and silly hair like today); ‘Slanj’ is a toast to an old friend. His mate Brendan moans harmonies from the back, and the room crackles. Pretty touching stuff.

Andrew Iain – squashee Raises the mood again with the biting and funny ‘I don’t fancy you anymore.’ A jaunty song of the reversion to melancholy after the girlfriend is dispatched; he has the room singing the choruses by the end. Good fun.

Jake & Ross, squashee These guys have been solid attendees recently. ‘Spinning Rooms’ is pretty lively and happy given the debauched subject matter – getting wasted and comatose. This pair is pretty slick, and they’re on form tonight. I can’t help but think Jake’s onstage persona is bigger than the small arrangement here, bring more people onstage. All the same, one suspects a Featured Act slot beckons.

Compere: Daniel Davis, Review: Rob Sproul-Cran, Sound: David O’Hara

OOTB 295 – 3 April 2008

Performers: Lindsay Sugden, Colin Milne, Eddie Robinson, Gandalf, Lorraine McCauley (debut), Michael Dunnegan, Sparrahawk, Ross Neilson, Broken Tooth, Ian, Nyk Stoddart, Gerry McCann / Brendan Ryan (debut)

Lindsay Sugden Notes ping off the ceiling as our compere opens with current favourite, ‘If time stands still’. A master of original chord progressions, Lindsay conjures up melancholic fairies in my mind. I always enjoy this one.

Colin Milne ‘8 o’clock from Peebles’ is a train journey song in a pleasingly old-school vein, it makes the Borders feel like the Wild West, which in many ways it was. The whistle in the distance comes from way beyond the bend.   [Jim takes over] ‘Yesterday’ (not that one) was about how life has changed over the years, with Colin making observations about the less well-documented changes in society, e.g. yesterday we had the onion man/ wrapped with shiny spheres  .  Colin’s a-rhythmic picking style was reminiscent of Bob Dylan’s first album.  ‘Eye Candy’, about a walk down Princes Street, was spirited and uplifting.  Colin’s light, observational songwriting style made me think of Richard Stilgoe in his ‘Nationwide’ TV pomp (search on Wikipedia, kids).

Eddie Robinson This was my first experience of Eddie, who normally plays with Chris, and it was a most pleasant experience.  Eddie’s two songs were simple and beautifully played and sung.  ‘Beaufort’s Dyke’, a protest song about an ammunitions dump, featuring the line something under the water won’t go away  , was suitably evocative.  ‘Parasite’, about an ex-friend, really got the audience onside.  I fully expect, and hope, to hear more of Eddie in the future.

Gandalf Unlike the Lord of the Rings fellow, this Gandalf was a young, hungry OOTB debutante with a line in witty lyrics that the audience adored.  ‘Smoking Causes Cancer’ mixed serious subject matter with wacky lyrics about farting cows and smirting.  This was probably one of the most memorable squashee performances of recent times.

Lorraine McCauley (www.myspace.com/lorrainemccauley) Lorraine was making her OOTB debut tonight, and an excellent debut it was too.  Lorraine’s smoky, soulful voice was absolutely spellbinding, and her opening salvo ‘Who?’ showcased her nascent songwriting talent wonderfully. The jazzy ‘Dancing Round The Floods’ was about her first weeks in Edinburgh and there was a raw honesty about this that I could only admire. ‘Daydreaming’ was her first ever song – for most musicians (including myself) this would equal acutely embarrassing lyrics.  Not so with Lorraine who took us on a journey to a warm summer, basking in the peace of solitude.  Quite simply, one of the best OOTB debuts I have seen in the last year.

Michael Dunnegan I hadn’t seen Michael for about 10 years, mainly due to his being based in London, and it’s good to know that he is still as masterful a guitarist as ever.  ‘Flamingos’, about fancying Angelica Houston and falling in sleep in front of the TV, featured as flawless an exhibition of guitar playing as you’re likely to see.  The lyrics had bags of humour and Michael’s voice worked well with the subject matter.  Michael’s virtuoso chords and harmonics were great in his next number but he spoilt his set slightly by breaking the originals-only rule and slipping in a Nina Simone cover for his finale [Though in fairness, we probably should have told him this rule beforehand, Rob].  Nonetheless, a top quality debut from Mr. Dunnegan to close the first half.

Sparrahawk (www.myspace.com/aclspamborskee) The featured act tonight was Sparrahawk, TAFKA Spamborskee.  It really struck me how much OOTB misses artists of the calibre of Sparrahawk, who can make the audience laugh and think at the same time and has the respect of the local musicians’ fraternity.  The classic ‘Seagulls’ sounded fresh as a daisy and got the Canons’ Gait throng onside immediately.  ‘A Bad Case of Empty Wallet’ was a potent mix of blues ethos and Weegie patter. The line a bad case of chocolate biscuits/ leads me to decay   resonated with me.

‘Opiates and Oil’ gave his view on the underlying reason for the Iraq conflict (not a war, as a war has two sides).  This was throbbing, passionate performance and the line boom-boom-boom/ bang-bang-bang/ what about that for a masterplan?   summed up the poignant black humour that underpinned the song.  The poem ‘Feral Children’, about young people trapped in a cycle of poverty, provided an intermission to the heady mix. ‘Drunken Piper’, dedicated to Starship (Nyk Stoddart), was a modern Scots tale that would be a welcome addition to any Burns Supper.

‘Uncle John and the Masons’ was a real-life story about the role of secret societies in Glasgow.  ‘Secret Squirrel’ was a commentary on lifestyle choices in the USA, e.g. obesity, and featured quality Native American whooping.  The a capella ‘Lifespan’ was dedicated to soundman Mally McLean and was a surreal tale of his life journey, and included the crude-yet-poignant refrain get it up ye while you’re young  .

This was a 30-minute set of pure entertainment from Sparrahawk and I’m sure it won’t be long until he’s invited back to an Edinburgh music night. For Edinburgh musicians, Sparrahawk said he could point you in the right direction for getting a gig in Glasgow.

Ross Neilson Ross has been a familiar and popular face at OOTB in recent months and his pleasant opener ‘Halo’ showed why.  Ross’s impressive guitar playing, pleasing voice and well-constructed songs were the backbone of ‘Only One Way’.  Ross’s professionalism and commitment were displayed on ‘Fragile Tears’.  This sensitive, passionate ballad showed that Ross needs, rather than wants, to play his music and that might just take him far.

Broken Tooth (www.myspace.com/electricwhiteboy) TAFKA Electric White Boy, Broken Tooth started with the subtle ‘Miller’s Daughter’.  Check out the discussion about this Led-Zep-III-esque song on the OOTB discussion forum, [website address].  Mr. Tooth played the bluesy ‘Hoodoo Man’ next, introduced as [going] from the innocent to the sinister  .  BT showed ambition in trying to hit the high notes of a young, hollering Robert Plant.  The lovelorn ‘Hold Fast’ was dedicated to his ex-girlfriend and this was a heartfelt, earnest performance from Broken Tooth.

Ian Ian’s tousled-haired appearance made me think of a young Tim Buckley, my favourite singer ever, so that immediately put me in a positive frame of mind.  Ian’s music was very much his own and his youthful exuberance brought a renewed energy to the evening.  I didn’t catch any song titles, but his performance was engaging and the songs were well rehearsed.  One of Ian’s lines – I’m certain I could kill a man who tried to cheat me  , put me off ever inviting him round for a game of poker!  Excellent stuff from Ian.

Nyk Stoddart (www.mutantlodge.com) Nyk took on a squashee slot, and invited Broken Tooth up for backing vocals.  ‘Retro Space Age’ was the song played and his energising alternative view on life reminds me that I must take life a little less seriously.  Tune in, turn on, drop out?  Possibly, Nyk might just be the man to take you into the space!

Gerry McCann / Brendan Ryan Although debutantes at OOTB, Gerry and Brendan were familiar to me as they were flatmates of mine some years ago.  In fact, Gerry introduced me to my first ever open mic night, Writers in Song, at The Gallery Bar (now The Wash) in 1993, which totally changed my idea about what a music night could and should be.  Gerry’s guitar playing was excellent tonight and I’m pleased that he’s still got that edge.  Brendan’s passionate, soulful, mid-Atlantic vocals made me think he could be an interesting mentor for Broken Tooth.  ‘Just For Today’ was rocking and the voice and guitar melded into a powerful combo, making me think of Nazareth in their prime. The musical chemistry between Gerry and Brendan is still there after many years and on this evidence long may it continue.

Compere: Lindsay Sugden Sound: Malcolm Mally   McLean Raffle tickets: David O’Hara Review: James Igoe

OOTB 294 – 27th March 2008

NYK STODDART, EWEN FORBES, MAIN ACT: STEVEN CAREY, JAKE & ROSS, JIM IGOE, Squashee, THE BEGGAR GIRLS

OOTB is a lean, mean fighting machine on 27th March. A handful of folks haunt the place, and they are treated to intimate sets and surprising newcomers.

NYK STODDART What do you want written on your grave? So asks OOTB resident in Tombstoning  , a song which itself is the epitaph of self-indulgent pseudo sports celebrity. Nyk’s guitar is playing itself tonight; it kicks like an unbroken bronco. Bad Blues   is also unharnessed, and Nyk laughs it off like the pro he is. TV Leg, requested by this writer, is indeed my favourite of Nyk’s trio. A soul baring nearly takes place in these punchy lyrics. Picking scabs off my arms, cracked glass under my skin.   Cool tempo on this track as well.

EWEN FORBES Ewen is new to me; I like his humble demeanour immediately. Strangely, I find most of his lyrics unintelligible. His songs are well received, so I don’t fault him.  Ewen has pretty well mastered a three-chord repetitive pattern. This makes his tunes quite catchy. Homeward   is really cool; it could pass for a traditional folk song.

MAIN ACT: STEVEN CAREY I’ve seen Steven a few times and his songs randomly rumble around my head, while I’m wolfing down a macaroni pie at Piemaker or queuing for the 23 in Trinity. Great White Shark   has a certain … something … like it belongs in a VW commercial. Cheeky bastard says it has no socio-political overtones, but at face value it’s about being numbed by TV, media, the illusion of need fed to us by ad agencies. Traffic   shows off his pipes. A new tune finds him reminiscing about seeing her on George St in a pink coat. The dregs of your affection are not enough  , great hook. I am humming it before he stops playing it. Lorna   has that gorgeous harmonic intro and outro, and I can never tell if this is a song of consolation to a sister or potential lover. Party   might be Steven’s signature song. Who wouldn’t want to see this meek and mild chap bring out the ugly? One criticism is that his falsetto is kinda pitchy, but hey it’s still a class song. He ends with his personal favourite to perform at OOTB, a breakup song about a lying lover.

JAKE & ROSS Let’s get this point made. I don’t think Jake & Ross hung the moon, but they are very entertaining and one of the best duos seen in OOTB for ages. Ross is a capable guitarist, and when Jake lets go on vocals, it’s a treat. Spinning Rooms   is about being pished. This of course resonates with all OOTB committee members in attendance. Foolish Eyes   is rich in tasty minors and is perhaps Jake’s best vocal of the night. That said, they don’t seem to have an ending nailed down. Honest   is about something Jake would rather not describe. Ross gets a bit flushed with a guitar miscue, but who cares. It’s an intense, sad song.

JAY BROWN It’s unclear in bachelor Jay Brown’s song about marriage if he’s for it or against it. But we do know the river runs cold   in his goddamn soul. Standout line from song two: My sleeping lady’s fingers are as innocent as water.   This is a quiet, thoughtful song … about marriage. Above the Restaurant   might be the first song he ever wrote, he confesses. Don’t let him fool you that it merely concerns living above a restaurant. I say this clever song is about a relationship surviving change. Overall, Jay’s guitar playing is standard stuff. Good vocal and sincerity comes through.

JIM IGOE, Squashee Is it right for the co-founder of OOTB to play a squashee slot? Or should he have a standing invitation to play when and what he likes? Nae matter: it’s like pulling teeth to get a song out of him tonight! But he finally coughs up a tune about the first humanist wedding in the UK that occurred three years ago at Edinburgh Zoo (with the red panda officiating?). Hooray for the atheist victory … I don’t believe in God, but I believe in you.   Jim belts it out with a religious-less fervour. Nice one.

THE BEGGAR GIRLS Is anyone expecting a wine-drinking threesome from Peebles to steal the show? That’s exactly what goes down. Sporting a hand-drum, accordion, a couple of fiddles, spot-on harmonies and classically mournful lyrics, I swear I’m listening to the muses of Fanattica. Not much point breaking it down song by song. The whole thing is delicious. Do yourself a good turn and check out www.myspace.com/beggargirls. Rumour has it they will be our featured act in a couple weeks time.
[Ed: The album is pretty cool too!]

Review: Darren Thornberry

OOTB 293 – 20 March 2008

Broken Tooth, Ross Neilson/Zen Transmission, Freeloadin Frank, Jenny, Davy O’Hara, Nyk Stoddart, Jordan Ogg, Hugh Mann, Calum Carlyle and Jimmy, Jake Logan and Ross Coburn, Marcies New Haircut aka Kieron(debut)

Broken Tooth aka Electric White Boy Under his new moniker ‘Broken Tooth’ Jim brings us the blues with ‘Riding on the rail’ which sounds to me like John Lee Hooker wiv Led Zep thing, and even has Beatlesque ‘ooohs’ at certain points, although that could just be my warped imagination! I also can’t help but imagine what he’d sound like with shades and an electric guitar, as this sounds like the type of material that’ll really cook with it – although obviously not in the literal sense, as he’d have to carry a mini gas stove with him at all times, and that would be heavy…man. ‘I’ve lost my faith in love’ has a staccato attack wiv jazzy inflected chords, nice… He finishes with his new prog rock thing ‘Hold fast’ with its tales of ocean faring adventure. A fantastic start to the evening, holding everyone in rapt attention. Great to listen to when floating in outer space, as one does! www.myspace.com/electricwhiteboy www.myspace.com/crawdaddyblues

Ross Neilson/Zen Transmission Ross has been playing at OOTB for a wee while now and has a good line in brooding, but mellow, melodic songs. He often has well-crafted lyrics too, as the first song shows – ‘grass was green but not true like the sun’ was one line that stood out for me. In ‘julie come home’ he sings of ‘watching you in a beautiful disguise’ which i think is a great line, along with ‘dark passages of light smash a window in my heart’. His singing shows many different tonal colours within his vocal range, a performer who can command an audience quite easily – and whose songs bear repeated listening. A polished and interesting performer that’s always good to hear. http://www.myspace.com/zentransmission

Freeloadin Frank Roaming OOTB fixture Frank dedicates his first song ‘Rupert Murdoch’ to a well known social networking person, although what it has to do with ‘ol Rupert i don’t know! I’ve always liked the way he mixes it up with controversial subject matter. ‘King Kong’ is a crazed love song about a famous fictional ape and a rather large tower with planes crashing into it or something..’climbing up the empire state building, cos i’m so in love with you’ and ‘stood on a couple of cops…oops!’ are some of my favourite lines – finishing with a corny (deliberate i’m sure!) kazoo finale. We end the spectacular journey with a…hmmm…journey in ‘magic cornflake’ – this gets everyone going…before too long (or too long before) we’ll know him as singalongafrank… http://www.myspace.com/freeloadinfrank

Jenny As our compere for the night, Rosie Bell, pointed out, its good to see a woman up at the mike/mic – with the passionate ‘Freedom’ which she sings with some effortless high notes. She sings of the desire to find freedom from oneself, a trap we can all fall into. It’d be good to hear a full set from her soon. Come back soon please!

Davy O’Hara Heavy strummming…only joking! – Davy mellows us out wiv ‘Arabian Nights’ displaying some well nice fingerwork, wheras ‘Accidentals’ has a brooding european quality, with a bit of tequila sunset in there too, with its haunting and reflective minors and sevenths. It helps to hear him amplified, as in rowdier environments his playing, unfortunately, can be too soft – but that’s in the nature of proper classical guitar playing – it’s more meditative, and requires more attention paid to it. Nice one Davy!

(Darren Thornberry takes over reviewing while i play)

Nyk Stoddart Nyk seems a bit subdued tonight as ‘Songwriter’ begins. It’s as if he’s truly contemplating the words as they spill out. ‘You were born/bored, but only in your mind …’ Nice extended hum outro. Next ‘Out of the Fire, Into the Rain’ is a good ol’ bluesy number that we would be glad to hear again soon. ‘Tombstoning’ is as caustic as ever, shouting up the nihilism of stupid sports celebrity hijinx. By the end, Nyk is rocking to the beat and attacking his instrument. Good set from a faithful OOTB-ite. www.mutantlodge.com

(I return!)

Jordan Ogg The very talented Jordan starts the OOTB feature act with ‘Helpless Again’, he sings clear vocals that allowed me to pick up the lyrics (something that can, surprisingly, take some time to master) with lines like ‘history of rock may have not taught me about soul   and ‘would you be my Yoko’ accompanied by accomplished guitar playing and the addition of guitar body ‘tapping’ adding a percussive element reminiscent of boxcars chugging along a train track, somewhere. Jordan then jokes about putting himself in peril by singing a ‘love song for Glasgow’ – i’m sure at this point i heard someone in the audience shout ‘kill him!’…jokingly of course, us musos are a mellow bunch! ‘Dark and the deep blue sea’ was written about his return to Shetland, where he grew up, and the things that he discovered upon his return – ‘I should have come back a little more prepared’ he states before wailing into his harp – an instrument i’ve always liked as an accompaniment to a guitar. Indeed, his fingerpicking, along with strumsy hand muting create some clever dynamics within the song. ‘Pigeon Pie’ is one of my favourites, starting with a few lines about seeing a dead pigeon, it soon goes off on a tangent, with lines like ‘She looked so pretty when she cried’ and ‘whatever happened to redemption, the kids no longer sing along’. This song goes in my different directions, and i demand to hear this at OOTB again soon! ‘The prettiest bird’ finishes the set and has a great harp intro with melodic indie jazzy chords. He sings ‘the prettiest birds sing the prettiest songs’ making me wonder is he making a comment on a myth amongst musicians? Overall, a great set from an interesting and polished artist. Keep on keepin’ on, and remember to return to OOTB with whatever fantastic stuff you’ve written! http://www.myspace.com/jordanogg

Hugh Mann I know it’s irrelevant, but he wears a cap…in the ‘Same Old Man’ he sings of ‘every time I scramble free i end up back in misery’. ‘The light within my eyes’ has some jangly open chords – which seems to be a song about springtime – hoping to ‘take all your troubles and throw them away’ ‘Dream time and silence’ he says is a ‘wee song about drugs with a slant’ with mentions of ‘pill popping housewives’ and ‘so many highs seem to take me low’. A theme which is very much of our time – the wish to escape from our realities by whatever means possible, and its dangers. Hugh has a soulful voice which works especially well, grabbing the attention of the audience. Hope to see some more songs from you soon Hugh!

Calum Carlyle and Jimmy I’ve always enjoyed this duo, who always manages to bring a slice of Orkney with them. With ‘Dawn Song’ – ‘the world is ending, not with a bang but a whimper’ he sings, i think – but there sound isn’t…it’s a plaintive mix of folky guitar and resonator mandolin, creating a heady sound…the mandolin also especially good at drowning out harmoniums and suchlike in folky environments, apparently. ‘Promise of a perfect day’ is about moving from Orkney to Thurso…a dangerous journey indeed… ‘Modern Man’ reminds me, for some strange reason, of bar-room Americana – but that could just be my head… To finish, Calum does our oft-repeated favourite ‘The sound of falling in love at first sight’ – wiv lines like ‘you were the one true thing i can believe in’. The constantly changing key creates an up and down melodic elevation that sums up for me the whole territory… Wiv a great combination of melodic vocals and haunting songs, mired deep within the folk tradition, while still sounding contemporary all i can say is please keep making the journey to and from Orkney to play to us! http://www.myspace.com/calumcarlyle

Jake Logan and Ross Coburn I don’t know if they’ve played at OOTB before, but Jake Logan, the next female performer of the night accompanied with Ross Coburn start with ‘Face Me’ – where Jake shows her rock-chic credentials singing of ‘if you face me, i’ll face you’ and how she’s ‘learned to be alone’. ‘Got sugar in my tears’ has a nice line in snazzy pop melodics that glides along without a glitch, whereas ‘Here Now’ pushes up the tempo into the world of r-o-c-k (that isn’t an acronym by the way!, although i don’t know where i’m going with this) An excellent performance where they both create a sound and image that would appeal to a large audience with the added touch of Jakes groovy pink boots!

Marcies New Haircut aka Kieron (debut) We didn’t recognise our own Darren Thornberry recently, we would walk past him and pause, puzzled…something he’s gotten used to since he’s shaved his beard… Marcie, however, hasn’t and it’s good to see there are still some of us beardies still left! This is not Marcie, and not a new haircut, but an OOTB first-timer who has plucked up the courage to dive in and be heard, an experience i remember quite well meself… ‘Psycho pop loving song’ is an up tempo number, with reggae inflections singing of how he ‘tried to make everything right with you’. ‘Neeps and apples’ seems to have quite a few lyrics, unfortunately i didn’t catch all of them as they seemed to go by so fast! However, the whole feel of the song has an almost nursery rhyme feel to it, in common with his other songs, with some melodic fingerpicking. Despite his obvious nervousness, Kieron did a good first performance, showing that just getting up there and doing it is the best way to learn and gain more confidence. We all look forward to your presence at OOTB again soon! http://www.myspace.com/marciesnewhaircut And now it’s time for me to launch my spacecraft, and return to my homeworld…all words are coincidental, with no intended meaning or purpose…

Compere: Rosie Bell, Sound: David O’Hara, Review: Nyk Stoddart

OOTB 292 – 13 March 2008

John Downie, Rosie Bell, Hannah O’Reilly, Susanna McDonald, Jake Cogan & Ross Coburn, Ivor, Mike, Furious

John Downie
Well Jonnny’s back and this time he’s much more confident. J treats us to a number of amusing stories between songs, about how reviewers have commented on how scruffy he looks (so tonight he’s wearing a shirt) and how bad his guitar playing is (well it is simple, but it suits his unashamedly ‘pop’ delivery).
‘Times, they are a changing’ is typical of this and quite a catchy tune.
The second number adds a capo which unfortunately makes the guitar soo out of tune its painful. It also has lots of strangely unresolved 4th at the ends of lines. Hmm. At this point I pause to consider how lovely the room looks with all the candles that Jim has spread around.
‘I’ll Sail away’ is his most commercial sounding of the night, with its chug, chug guitar its not virtuosic, but its competant, who were these other reviewers?

Rosie Bell
This is Rosie’s first time playing in public since she broke her wrist, and is enjoying ‘getting back in the saddle’. Bad joints, uppity sustain pedal and poor keyboard notwithstanding, its great to hear lyrics of this quality. We are treated to a set of ‘Pollen and Salt’, ‘Nice to have you around’, and ‘The Open Mic.’ ‘Go down to the open-mic and we can dream together’ says it all.

Hannah O’Reilly
Susannah has given Hannah a present of a pink Ukulele this afternoon, and Hannah has already written a song for it. The diminutive instrument is camper than Craig Hill running around a field of pink tents, and causes no end of hilarity/heckling. I insist that its just a matter of perspective and Hannah holds it out at arms length until it looks almost guitar sized. Perhaps the instrument is fine, but Hannah supped from the bottle marked ‘drink me’. Who knows, but it’s a curious juxtaposition of a beautiful song played with a comedy instrument. ‘It was dead good’, I find written on my notes, probably by Ben.

Susannah MacDonald in 2004

Susannah McDonald
Susannah brings a stagefull of goodies tonight, and sits surrounded by equipment. She starts however with a belter ‘singing you a love song’ with just the guitar.
Buddha on the Sideboard is a great song, but it is in the set for one reason only, on its last outing RSC misheard the title as ‘Buddha, the Cyborg’. And tonight this song is indeed followed by a new song of that name. Its all about trying to meditate when your kids are driving you irate, surely if Buddha was a Cyborg he would struggle as we do. My favourite was ‘Remembered Laughter’ based on the Noel Coward poem of the same name. It’s a sophisticated song in 5/8, played with far more assurance that its last outing, and very affecting with its powerful lyrics.
Susannah rounds off the night with ‘Insomniatic’ using all her gadgetry to create loops on the fly with guitar, Cahon, keyboard, and vocals all taking their turn.
The whole point of this song is lying awake with the same thing going around and around –  I guess loops are appropriate, but its mighty difficult to concentrate on your performance whilst operating all this machinery. I did, however love the inspector gadget keyboard line – and secretly I think we all want to play with her toys.

Jake Cogan & Ross Coburn (debut)
Jake and Ross are a fine act, normally frequenting Sandy Bells. It certainly doesn’t sound like a debut to me.
Ross’ guitar is fabulous, lovely open-tuned playing, very accomplished and the Jake’s vocals are fairly amazing too, she stands at the mic with body language very much like Debbie Harry, all pouting and attitude, which I loved. They play ‘Foolish Hearts’, ‘Spinning Room’ (about being pished) and ‘Honest Mirror’. A classy set all round.

Ivor(debut)
Instrumental. Ivor says he has just been pursuaded to try open tunings, and nice it is too. I’d have to say it sounds a little like the backing to a song rather than complete on its own, but he says it’s a work in progress, so we’ll wait and see. Perhaps next time he’ll sing. The playing provoked lots of appreciate sounds from people around me.

Mike
As a curious piece of technical hiccoughs, I start to hear a heartbeat behind the music. It gradually becomes more invasive, before suddenly stopping at the end of the tune. Actually its Mike’s guitar dying, and although entirely unintended it was quite effective. His second is from his band ‘Salvador’ and is altogether more poppy. He rounds off with a third number that is more frenetic and has more spannish guitar, but vocals a bit like ‘Ferry cross the Mersey’.

Furious
And rounding off the evening a performer who apparently used to play regularly in the early days of OOTB is back. ‘Their time’s more precious than mine’, having heard many anti-war songs, its interesting to hear one as a call to remember service personnel. PMR says its very John Mellencamp. ‘Nothing’s right’ a song with a rather curious double bend, and finally ‘Another Wave’. This is a very accomplished and controlled set and fine songwriting too. An excellent end to a very enjoyable evening’s music.

OOTB 291 – 6 Mar 2008

Colin Milne, Open Sea, Mark Roper, Glen Smith, Fletcher, Ian Sclater, Gary, Nigel Ashwood, Hughes and McQuaid, Paul Gladwell, Cameron

All the slots are taken well before the event is due to start, it’s a sign that bodes very well for the evening. Several debuts, some regulars, some returning old-timers, and a mix of standards and styles that makes OOTB what it is.

Colin Milne
Colin’s songs are tender, sweet and full of the wisdom of a long life. Colin (so a birdy told me) is 87 but could easily pass for 20 years younger, I only hope that I will be writing songs as witty, wonderful, and occasionally filthy at that age. Tonight he plays his glute* unplugged and really engages the audience. I particularly like the one about sleeping with (or not sleeping with) a ‘pro’. The songs and playing have always been great, but Colin is really growing in confidence.

*[that’s a cross between a guitar and a lute, rather than the muscle of the same name]

Open Sea (Debut)
Open Sea make their OOTB debut tonight, and only their 2nd live performance ever. Ah the lovely sound of expensive guitars. They weave a rich soundscape with 2 guitars, one strumming, one picking, 2 vocals in harmony, and a fiddle too!. (the guitarists swap instruments each song, apparently their wives don’t allow them to buy enough guitars.) OK so they are not yet performance veterans, but no one has any business being this confident or good on their debut, and I for one, am an instant convert.

Mark Roper
Mark stretches the OOTB rules to the limit by bringing backing tracks on a computer and offering what therefore became a karaoke performance. I’m not questioning the song-writing, or his cleverness in the studio creating the backing tracks, but its not exactly in the spirit of an acoustic open-mic night. Next time please bring a guitar or keyboard, I’d love to hear you live, and I think it would help you to engage more with the audience, and help us to hear more of the songwriting and less of the production. The best cure for nerves is more performance.

Glenn Smith
Nice to see Glenn back after rather too long a break from OOTB. He brings a confident performance with his tradmark gravelly voice. I’m not sure if it was the PA or the performance, but it sounded a little aggressive tonight, its usually rather more smokey and smooth. Actually the first two songs were quite dark and a little menacing. The 3rd song is gentler and more optomistic. We would like to point out to all performers that ootb does allow happy songs, so thanks to Glenn for raising the mood.

(Break)

Fletcher (Main Act)
It must be said tonight’s OOTB is the busiest of the year, helped considerably by the large number of ‘Fletchlings’, so by the time our main act hit the stage it is standing room only.
Fletcher (Ben Cowan and Finn Donaldson) are an accomplished double act: Finn creating spannish guitar textures with classical poise, and Ben milking his performance of rock vocals for all he’s worth – and throwing in the odd Les Paul solo to boot.
Down by the Riverside, a perennial favourite, and grim tale about Edinburgh justice.
Great Expectations, It may be a small room, but Ben is going to wail like he’s playing Madison Square Gardens. (the poor sound guys dive for the volume controls) Finn is clinically proficient as ever.
Rufus, tonight without the ‘Birdsong’ introduction. Its about a man who’s ‘always got another bottle of wine’. It might be written about me. Ben goes in for a typically restrained Les Paul moment, oh no he doesn’t – a man after my own heart.
Seeds are Sown. It’s a perfect love song (many admiring comments from the lovely Fletchlings).
Buridan’s Ass. Who said guitarists can’t play contrary motion scales. Also features Finn’s first vocal performance.
Children of Abraham, a biblical tale only marred by the less that sensitive timing of coming in a week when there have been protests (at Ben & Finn’s Uni!) against Israel’s appalling recent treatment of their neighbours. But tonight’s crowd are not political and forget about the words after Ben breaks into another extended guitar solo.
Fletcher were, very generously, giving out free copies of their EP recorded at that well-know edinburgh institution called Windmill Sound. You can find them at www.Myspace.com/FletcherUK. Look out for the album coming soon.

Ian Sclater
The girl downstairs, who works with raptors. It’s a comedy number about Ian playing his music too loud for the neighbours, and goes down very well with the audience, especially the James Blunt jibe.
Black Silk, lovely song about a lady of the night.
Isabella, another song about a lovely woman, are your catching a theme toinight. There’s rather a lot of romantic encounters and much regret.

Ghostboy
Nice to see Gary as he’s not played here in a while. He is confident and on form tonight. A brand new song, ‘Fully Loaded Gun’ has rhythmic playing with just a little attitude, and gets every foot in the room tapping. Its just a squashee tonight, but we’d love to hear a full set soon.

Nigel Ashwood
Nigel played happy songs the last time and was not lynched so he is back again (see everyone it is possible). I’ve seen Nigel in the room a number of times, but tonight is the first time I’ve heard him play. He has a large-bodied Taylor with a deep sonorous tone, lovely. Songs aren’t bad either. ‘Angel in Stone’ is about someone beautiful but unresponsive,  I keep thinking of that episode of Dr Who, but then I’m sad that way. ‘Start’ is a song with a lot of stops. A competant set from a relative newcomer.

Hughes and McQuaid (Debut)
H&M are obviously nervous tonight, but really have no need to be, the songs, the playing and the vocals are all first class (Hughes’ voice especially). I think the songwriting and voice are both there, but the performance angle needs a little work to involve the audience more and add a little sparkle.  A few more performances to steady the nerves and these could be truly excellent.
The songs overall have a bit of a 60’s feel to them almost skiffle at times, and Hughes voice sounds rather Del Amitri, quality.
Their first number is slightly stompy, and with a little more confidence could be a real party track.
‘Lonely’ is more skiffle with high harmonies
H&M use that great technique having one guitar with Capo at the 4th fret so that they play the same chords with different voicings, giving a richer sound.

Paul Gladwell
Suddenly the room goes silent and everyone stops what they are doing and are glued intently to Paul’s performance. It’s unsaid, but mutually agreed that this is how you write songs.
‘Tell me what to believe’ has pithy witty lyrics, and is delivered at incredible speed. Paul looks all restrained and unflappable, but that’s difficult stuff.
‘Poets and Business’ is cooler and jazzier. He may be playing the house guitar, but Paul can make a simple guitar line sound fabulous.
Finally a song about a bella pasta in Inverness. One of the secrets of songwriting is the use of phrases which evoke far more meaning than the plain words: ‘Table for One’ says it all.

Cameron (Debut)
It’s his first time playing for 5 months, with the exception of Binkies on Monday (but that does not count due to playing cover’s). Cameron spent the evening encouraging other performers, he can come again, its really what the night is about. So now that he comes to play I’ll not hear a bad word about him.
His first song is a bluesy number about a breakup. The words start quite acidly, but Cameron being such a happy guy seems to have forgotten to put on his grumpy head before starting the song, he gets into it as the song progresses.
Grip is a pithy political number about soldiers with no equipment.
Cameron is so into his songs that its quite engaging  – that said some eye contact with the audience would be good.
His last number has lots of guitary chords and is sung much more gently, it really suits his voice. All told he sings with a lot of conviction. One to watch.

Compare: Daniel Davis & John Lamb, Sound: Malcolm, Review: Daniel Davis & Davis O’Hara