Author: Graeme

Steve Cradock and The Gramotones – Oran Mor Glasgow 30 Oct

At 7.30 on gig night the Oran Mor in Glasgow is quiet. Doors opening around 7 means the bar, to the rear is always the busiest area at this time. Looking onto the gig area directly in front, it’s empty although the few dimly lit seated booths have been occupied. So too have the pillars on the edges of the dance floor, which with shelves for drinks, are amongst the premium spaces for early gig goers.
At a quarter to eight exactly, The Gramotones take to the stage.
‘Hello’, says Jake. ‘How you doin, we’ll be your support band tonight.’
And then they are straight into M62. They’re on form, their blend of indie guitar sounding pretty acoustic tonight. Drummer James clearly would rather be let loose on his full kit, but for tonight a cut down more laid back set means he has to make do with a single drum. With each song that passes a few more congregate in front of the stage, heads nodding and each song receiving increasing applause.
Both guitarists Sid and Jake take stints on harmonica and for anyone old enough to remember there’s an outing for the stylophone on Marjorie. Bassist Ryan has centre stage tonight and he, as with the rest of the band are clearly up for making their Glasgow debut a memorable one for the fans that have come out to see them.
Single Soldiers Kiss gets an airing tonight too, much to the growing crowds enjoyment.
Their only cover of the night comes at the end of the set, and as it comes in the form of The Band’s -The Weight nobody is complaining. It’s an apt song to close, summing up nicely a lot of the bands influences.
As they close their set, stage front has completely filled up and they leave the stage triumphantly, treated to a a well earned Glasgow cheer and a huge round of applause. This might have been the bands Glasgow debut, but on this performance it’s clear to see why Steve Cradock asked them to support him on tour and undoubtably won’t be the last Glasgow has heard of The Gramotones.

Shortly before 9.00 glass of wine in hand Steve Craddock whispers ‘Hello Glasgow’ and gets stuck in about opener Last days of the old world.
Next up R and R is dedicated to the late Lou Reed, a timely nod to the great man who sadly left us only days ago.
The Ocean Colour Scene man’s set comprises of old songs as well as more than just a smattering of his new material.
With each song from the new album though, comes another round of good natured banter from the Glasgow crowd.
By the time he finishes his set, they are whistling, cheering and calling him back by name (and perhaps more than a few shouts back for band member Sally too) for an encore. He reminds everyone just one more time there’s a new album out before leaving the stage, only to return to the merch stall to sign and chat the remainder of the evening away.
Travel Wild Travel Free is available now from http://www.stevecradock.com

31st October 2013
Andrew Roachford – Voodoo Rooms Edinburgh 18 Oct

The short walk from Edinburgh’s Waverley station toward West Maitland Street on Friday night was dreich. Rain too light to be bouncing off the street, but still enough to soak you to the skin should you choose to stay out in it too long.
Lucky then that my destination, The Voodoo Rooms, only required me to cross Princes Street and duck around the side of The Cafe Royal.
Blink though and you might easily miss this hidden gem. It nestles quietly off the cobbles on the backstreet, only seconds from the bustle of the city centre.
A solitary door is the only evidence from the road that the place exists, but the large sign above let’s you know you are in the right place. As you enter and climb the short flight of stairs you arrive in a dark but cosy gothic reception room. The walls are black with gold trim and a glance up reveals a lavish golden monikered lampshade. Ahead leads to the long narrow bar, which, with it’s black walls, golden fixtures and subtle décor, give the feel of an exclusive club. To the rear of the reception area, and up a couple more stairs, leads to The Ballroom.
A small crowd of gig goers had gathered by just after 7PM waiting on the doors to the Ballroom opening, all eagerly anticipating tonight’s artist.
Just before 7.30PM the door to the ballroom was opened and those with tickets or luckily enough to be on the guest list to the evenings sold out event, were welcomed into the ballroom.
The rectangular room, set out as a live music venue, becomes evident, with sound booth at the rear middle, and stage front.
The walls are black, the trim gold. Ceiling fixtures of gold are in keeping with venue’s interior, whilst a large resplendent disco ball sparkles as a fitting centre piece.
The white pinhole spots on the walls combined with the mellow hip hop backing track, gave an indoor equivalent of a starry moonlit smooth groove laden ambience. A very nice effect indeed, of the magical intimate venue.
The chat was lively, drinks were being savoured and then to the stage came Little Fire.
This unmistakable gravelly voice hails from Ayrshire, yes homegrown talent.
An upbeat start was of meeting a girl. And although through his set some solemn numbers followed, the general feeling was vibrant. The young man should hold strong to his high hopes as he possesses a natural talent and flare for being on the stage.
You mean something to me and 10 ways are great tracks, with a real positive upbeat attitude towards life. All I need in life had heads swaying and seemed to sum up how Little Fire perhaps felt being on the stage. He seemed very at home, right down to the shared banter with crowd. A mutual feeling of respect between artist and audience resounded sweetly with the city’s culture being tipped a wink before Little Fire thanked the headline act for the opportunity. (Keep an eye out for more information on Little Fire, soon on the site.) Positivity oozed in his voice, not difficult to understand why he’d been chosen to support Andrew Roachford.
In true understated style, Andrew Roachford took to the stage as the opening chords of Ebony on loop, built the crowd anticipation.
Smiles all around the filled ballroom doesn’t quite give enough gravitas to the atmosphere that surrounds a Roachford gig. The feeling of warmth, of being wrapped up in a big Roachford family gathering is what it feels like. Love eminates every inch of the the room and centre stage Andrew has everyone in the palm of his hand.
The set comprised of a mix of old and new. Tracks from new album The Beautiful Moment combined wonderfully with numbers from his previous albums to ensure the evening went from funky to soulful to rock and back. Watching him on stage, felt like Andrew loved every single moment as much as the audience. Along with his band, he has honed his craft carefully over the years, to the point of delivering a masterclass in velvet harmonies, musical timing and direction, showmanship and stage presence. There is always plenty of chat to be heard after a Roachford gig, around people’s disbelief at how Roachford has never had sustained global musical superstardom. Friday was no exception.
And whilst it’s easy to agree, many are happy to let it remain one of life’s great mysteries.
I guess perhaps it’s a shared belief that when so much positive energy flows and love is welcomed in to a room, when this man plays, let’s just all be grateful.

SETLIST
Ebony
I Get High
Real Again
The Beautiful Moment
The Way I Feel
Hello Friend
Without You
Ride The Storm
Family Man teaser
Work It Out (livin in the city)
This Generation

Encore
Kathleen
Superstition
Lay your love
Emergency
Over your shoulder
Because you
Cuddly toy
Only To Be With You
Wonder Wall

20th October 2013
Daniel Meade – As Good As Bad Can Be

Ever wondered why it is often tricky to convince people to listen to country music? Perhaps you’re amongst those that don’t like it yourself.
Well, Bill Anderson’s words relayed to me by Glasgow singer Daniel Meade, helped me understand why it might be the case.
To those who would tell Bill that they once didn’t like country music, but now they did, he would tell them, “You didn’t not like it, you just hadn’t lived enough.”
After spending countless hours listening to the likes of Hank Williams, Merle Haggard, George Jones, Conway Twitty, The Flying Burrito Brothers, Gram Parsons and Bill Anderson himself, I think it’s a pretty fair analogy.
Sure, plenty folks will disagree and I daresay just as many who have lived full lives will say they don’t like country, but how many of them have given themselves time to go beyond the stigma attached to the genre..
Strip away some of the pre-conceptions you might have about Southern accents, rhinestones, rednecks and what your actually left with is raw emotion.
Forget the cheesy lyrics you might be associating with country. We’re talking lyrics about life; heartache, fear, love, loss, devotion, freedom, doubt and self belief are just a few of the feelings that you cannot help being struck by.

For those already convinced and indeed those who still might need a little more convincing, here’s a recommendation for you.
Daniel Meade is a singer songwriter from Glasgow. I don’t think he’d argue with me saying he’s already lived an interesting life. But don’t take my word for it, listen to what he had to say when I interviewed him before a recent gig. https://soundcloud.com/mrpinkster/daniel-meade-interview

He’s a pretty humble chap, arguably one of the reasons you may not have heard of him. Check out albums by The Basement Boogie Men or The Meatmen and you’ll hear for yourself the standard of his songwriting and playing abilities. He’d definitely be forgiven were he a little more self promoting.
BBC’s Ricky Ross has featured him on his “Another Country” radio show and says of Daniel, “He’s very good indeed.”
Keep your ears peeled for more appearances on Ricky’s show for Daniel.
In the meantime, Daniel has a brand new album out. It’s called “As Good As Bad Can Be” and it’s a cracker. Tracks like Long Way to Fall, Homegrown Hank and title track As Good As Bad Can be simply ooze the kind of emotion I spoke about above and it’s pretty clear to see where he has drawn much of his inspiration. But, it’s on “If It’s Not Your Fault” (I Guess iIt’s Mine) that the relevance in todays society for country music is never more apparent. A little bit more of this attitude and we might all get along a little better.
Bold words? Perhaps! This may still not be a commercially heralded musical genre.. but if you choose to listen to what todays mass musical marketing machine tells you is the widely accepted view of popular music, you might just lose out on something very special.

Those lucky enough, headed along the The State Bar in Glasgow last Friday (27 Sep) for the album launch party.
Daniel was supported by another local act Les Johnson and Me, who warmed the crowd up nicely with his very own blend of country tunes. With an unmistakeable voice himself, Les showed flashes of the man in black himself as he confidently put his talents on show. Check him out here.

Daniel Meade came on as understated as he is when talking about his talents, getting straight down to business with songs, old and new, ranging from his solo work to songs from The Basement Boogie Men and The Meatmen. Former Meatmen compadre Richard Anderson was on hand too, with Lloyd Reid on guitar completing Daniel’s line-up for the evening.
There was also a guest appearance from The River 68’s guitarist Christian McCabe, who played some outstanding harmonica towards the end of Daniel’s set.
A thoroughly enjoyable evening, a fantastic debut solo album and a very bright new talent in the form of Daniel Meade.
You can find pretty much all of the country artists mentioned in the post on Spotify, iTunes and the like.

Here’s a taster of Daniel’s album, the opening track Maggie Blue.
[soundcloud url=”http://api.soundcloud.com/tracks/110887120″ params=”” width=” 100%” height=”166″ iframe=”true” /]
If you want to just go buy the album, it’s here.
And in Mr Meade’s own words… Keep it Country.

30th September 2013
Edinburgh Festival Review Fri 09 Aug 13

Friday 9th August was my first outing to this years Edinburgh Festival and what an evening it turned out to be. Never used to being able to capture much more than a show or two in one outing, being able to sample five quite different acts made for a very interesting evening. Transport times to and from the city were self enforcedly set in stone for this trip, more down to previous mishaps with missed trains and much fallout from loved ones.
With that said, it still left 5 hours for all the fun and frolics of the festival. It was a warm evening and the sun was shining, the temperature still somewhere around 15 degrees. The atmosphere on the Royal mile was exactly as any previous reveller would expect… bustling, buoyant, friendly and warm. The temperature aside, Edinburgh always has even more of a warmth about it during the festival period. Friday night was no exception. The mood was set.
And so it is, with some shame, and a little embarrassment that I’m unable to tell you the name of the first act I saw. What I can tell you is that just after 5PM on Friday evening I was entranced by a group of African singers, performing perfect acappella on the Royal mile, at the rear hind quarters of St.Giles Cathedral. They were soulful, enthusiastic, animated and stopped many bypassers in their tracks, myself included. In the 5 minutes or so of their performance they had me mesmerised by the roadside.
As they finished, I’d almost forgotten that the main reason I’d come in tonight was the promise of free entertainment courtesy of the BBC at Potterrow, via a friend of mine.
We made our way to Bristo Square and through to the BBC tent. We’d been asked to arrive early for the 6.30PM show and paying attention to this worked to our advantage.
We arrived to the banging drums, gallus guitar, unmistakeable bagpipes, dancing ladies and not forgetting mohawk sporting ‘G-man’ (previously of Red Hot Chilli Pipers) that make up Scottish New music awards current group of the year, “Bags of Rock.”
In stark contrast to the earlier musical interlude, these guys thrust their blend of music upon our ears, which is in your face and yet no less appealing than the African acappella harmonies. Take all the patriotic passion of Scottish music, blend it with the attitude and fervour of your favourite rock classics, grab yourself a beer and enjoy. As they say themselves, to be enjoyed LOUD. I caught up with lead man Gregor James after the set, who reminded me this was just the ‘Wee band’ as well. Unfortunately it was their only show at the Fringe but you can see them at the upcoming Motherwell beer festival on Sep 27th. Highly recommended! http://www.lanarkshire2013.com/events/2013/september/beer-festival

So, then onto the reason we’d come along. This came in the form of a Q and A session with Irish comedian Jason Byrne, talking about his upcoming BBC One sitcom “Father Figure.” The session was pretty informal, hosted by Peter Curran, who spoke to Byrne about the sitcom, it’s beginnings as a radio show and it’s transformation to television. Based on events drawn down from his own life, he plays a (hopefully loveable) father, husband and son, the central character in this family sitcom. Their was plenty of humour throughout the session and the majority of the crowd seemed as much at ease as Curran and Byrne. There was time for some audience questions, which, pleasantly, gave Byrne the opportunity to slip briefly back into stand up mode, enjoying a bit of banter with the Scottish audience. The show is due to start mid September on BBC One. You can catch his stand up show at the festival until 25 Aug.

Then followed a short walk to the Gilded Balloon venue, where we quickly grabbed some tickets for two more shows.
First up was @lee_Kern whose show entitled “Bitter Twitter” was highly entertaining. For anyone possessing even the slightest understanding of how social media mammoth “Twitter” works / used by millions, the show is a laugh a minute. It explores all aspects of the phenomenon from the downright stupidity of some of the tweets seen daily to the way it has changed how we all interact. In particular it explores how this has changed the entire concept of interacting with celebrities. Lee’s huge mix of craziness and pace meant there’s something for everyone. Many celebrity users came under fire too but never with any malice attached. Kern has taken a very simple idea and created something quite unique which worked very well on the stage. If you use social media at all, go see this show. As with the idea, it was simply brilliant!

The final show of the night was Howard Read’s “Hide and Speak.” If you’ve ever seen the comedy animation “Little Howard” this is the man who brought him to life.
This show blended stand up comedy with animation, which saw Read, front (if perhaps not directly centre) stage, controlling (via a Playstaion remote) and voicing his creations, animated on a big screen.
If that sounds a bit much to take in, seeing the show live was a little like that too. I wasn’t sure whether to look at the screen or at Read and although it flowed for a few spells it just seemed like too much was going on at once. Unfortunately some of the gags were lost on the crowd too, which unfortunately saw Read lose his rhythm on a few occasions. It’s a bit of a shame though, because there were a few times he had the crowd in hysterics. This was usually dealing with hecklers and when reverting back to a more traditional stand up approach.
If you enjoy animation, it might be more your cup of tea. It just wasn’t really mine. Ultimately a bit disappointing.

One mad dash later and I was on the train home. I sat thinking back over the evening and wondering how we had managed to fit so much in. It is not without a touch of irony that my friend, often jokingly referred to as having a Tardis for transport couldn’t make it along. I did manage to find his transport nestling at the entrance to the BBC tent at Potterrow though, which I realised had obviously been the reason we got through so much. That perhaps or just meticulous attention to detail and planning. Regardless, a great evening and evidence a plenty of why people keep coming back to the Edinburgh Festival.

11th August 2013
The Charlatans – Delamere Forest 07 Jul – Gig Review by David A Currie

This month it’s my great privilege to be able to present the very first guest writer to the site. This is The Charlatans at Delamere Forest as reviewed by David A Currie. Makes for a cracking read.
Over to you David…

From the start of the day I knew this was going to be a great gig. My wife Lorna, me and our 8 yr old son Logan travelled down from Central Scotland in the sun, driving through the borders, brushing past the Dales and the Lakes to find ourselves in a very nice part of Northern England. The atmosphere was fuelled by the fine weather and the odd aperitif. Throughout the night the camaraderie was noticeably flowing as a mix of young and old gathered to bask in the sun and sounds of summer.
John Ainsworth (new to me) got things going with some guitar accompanied songs in front of a sparse front row, but a fully attentive crowd on the hill. It was off to great start.
Then TVS (The Velveteen Saints), nominally from Glasgow, took to the stage. A bus load of friends and family populated the near barrier area and the band hit the spot with a slick set of 50’s inspired, 2013 rock’n’roll. The Coatbridge mafia bounced to every tune and I was down there with Logan on my shoulders. His day was made when they played an oldie for this young band, Rock’n’Roll Is Dead and then topped off their set with a rousing cover of The Clash’s, I Fought The Law, joined on guitar by a Jonny Brown from Twisted Wheel.
Next up was more Scottish music from Dundee’s The View. Barefooted and big haired, Kyle and friends took to the stage to a surge of fans making their way to the stony standing area. Their set of fast paced shanties and indie guitar tunes was a mix of old and new, but the classics of Superstar Tradesmen and Same Jeans had the crowd bouncing highest. By the end of their set the atmosphere was at fever pitch and the security had all but given up on trying to control the beer throwing that is a feature of most enthusiastic Scottish gigs.
In between sets, the sounds were provided by The Beat Boutique. A great mix of Reggae, Northern Soul and Piano House. Taking some of the not so young crowd back to days when the arms and legs used to move to the same beats whilst the younger ones moved with a fluidity we can only dream of achieving again. A clear indicator of the longevity of The Charlatans and their fan base.
This brings us to the main attraction. The Charlatans entered the arena to a roar of fanatic anticipation and a sea of heads and arms. Mark Collins, Tony Rogers and Martin Blunt accompanied by Pete Salisbury, standing in for Jon Brookes, were dressed in the dark attire we are accustomed to. Once they were located with their instruments, Tim Burgess entered the scene. A bright star in the spotlight dressed from head to toe in white with the blonde mop top hairdo which has divided opinion among fans as he has restlessly toured his solo sound. But tonight it was perfect for his return as The Charlatans cocky front man.
As sets go, this was a fine mix of all that makes them my favourite band of our generation. Classics like Jesus Hairdo and The Only One I Know were mixed with more recent material. This Is The End and Oh Vanity were stand outs from this era. North Country Boy, Blackened Blue Eyes and Tellin’ Stories gave a taster of the mid life of this enduring band, whilst any setlist that includes THEN gets my seal of approval. This was my first purchase back when released in 1990. 23 years ago and it set me off on what has been a musical odyssey, culminating in yesterday’s road trip.
As with all Charlatans gigs, the end saw them perform Sproston Green. This time an added edge to the fans appreciation of this timeless classic was provided as Tim dedicated it to Jon Brookes, presently recovering from surgery. Get well soon.
As we returned home at 4am and I sank into my welcoming bed, my 43 year old bones whispered that this cannot go on forever. But as long as Tim and the band are dragging themselves around the country, THEN I will follow.

DAVID A CURRIE
08 Jul 13

8th July 2013
When The Saints

A little over three years ago, it was my absolute pleasure to see Twisted Wheel play in Harley’s in Bathgate.

You know the intimate feeling of a small gig you just can’t beat. Well, this was like having the band in my living room. Harley’s, an upstairs of a pub venue (God rest it’s soul) really can’t have held many more than about 50 people. What makes it memorable was the noise though. Having missed the band for one more pint of Strongbow the previous summer, whilst supporting Oasis at Heaton Park, they brought that loud, unapologetic sound of theirs straight into the ears of the lucky few in attendance. Lucy The Castle, You Stole the Sun and We Are Us in particular shook the place to it’s core.

Fast forward a couple of years to October 2012, I then had the pleasure of hearing this young band called The Velveteen Saints. Supporting Tim Burgess at Oran Mor in Glasgow, I was pretty chuffed to have stumbled across them. These guys sound good I thought.. destined for big things.

Turns out that John Robb thought so too, having named them band of the day on “Louder Than War”, back in Jun of 2012. Alright, perhaps I’m playing that down a little.

What he actually said was (http://louderthanwar.com/new-band-day-velveteen-saints/) -Velveteen Saints have come to save rock n roll.

So, after hearing them live and hearing a couple of tunes on Soundcloud I was delighted to be invited along to the next couple of Glasgow gigs at Nice n Sleazy and Broadcast.

I reviewed both gigs and each time the crowd got a little bit bigger.

At the end of the year, Jim Gellatly compiled Scotland’s Greatest “Under The Radar” Album 2012

Shortly after he announced Jim’s 10 for 2013.

Who appeared on both lists? You got it, The Velveteen Saints.

As the New Year rang in, I found myself blaring the two track CD in the car, wondering when their next gig might be. Rock n Roll is Dead and Wake Me Up both corking tunes.

In late January, the band asked if I’d like to go along to the studio to hear them record some new songs. They were recording some new material prior to another gig in March, this time in King Tuts.

Of course, I jumped at the opportunity.

The King Tuts gig was a sell out and another mightily impressive show.

Jump forward another couple of months and the band started to feature on festival line-ups such as Isle of Wight, T in The Park and Kendal Calling. Then the small matter of a support slot at Delamere Forest with The Charlatans.

With Isle of Wight under their belts, the hard working Glasgow band have still managed to fit in another Glasgow gig before the remaining summer dates.

Of course, it’s a bigger venue again, this time the O2 ABC2 in Glasgow on 05 Jul. It’s looking like it will be another sell out too. And just to make it even more of a treat, they’ve invited Twisted Wheel along as special guests.

You can check both bands out on Facebook or Soundcloud and take a listen for yourself.

Amidst the chaotic year The Velveteen Saints managed to squeeze in an interview with me too.

Backstage, we spoke about their Coatbridge roots, the Velveteen Saints sound, (perhaps a little Raveonettes meets Jesus and the Mary Chain) their creative process, the music scene in general, touring and their own personal highlights of the last year. They work tightly as a band to create the sound, honing it with each live show.

Gigging has played a huge part of their lives, they’ve enjoyed and learnt a lot from it and are all pretty excited about what the next year holds in store for them. They’re a humble bunch of guys though, each of them acknowledging a lot more hard work is in store. I asked each of them them to sum up the band in one word. And four genuinely nice guys couldn’t have summed it up better had we rehearsed it…(which we didn’t)

Charming, drunk, temperamental and progressive they say.

Don’t take their word for it though. Or mine.

Head along to the O2 ABC2 in Glasgow on the 05 Jul to see for yourself.

28th June 2013