Edinburgh's original open mic night

Jill Hepburn

in her own words

Which OOTB performers rock your boat?

Jess Bryant is mesmerising, a complete one-off, unique talent. As writers I admire William Douglas and CBQ - they seem to genuinely have something to say as well as an interesting and very individual way of saying it.

Who is the funniest person you've ever met?

At OOTB, probably Tommy Mackay. His lyrics are hilarious, but its the little Lou Reed-style 'oh yeah' and 'uh- huh's' he throws in which crack me up for some reason. Brilliant writer too - if you read the words you realise they are much more than just 'funnies', incredibly inventive, clever, and poetic.

What is the worst, nails-down-a-blackboard musical experience you've had?

God, there are so many to choose from. Thing is I'd only played a couple of open-mikes before coming to OOTB, managing only to get through one song. So everyone has seen me 'learn as I go' - probably more excruciating for others than for me. Still, I'm more proud of the times I've bombed in a way. I just think "I survived. I'm still alive."

What is your best song and why?

I've a soft spot for Snowflake, cause it's kind of crappy with just a few notes on the guitar, but it's the one that probably most honestly reflects who I am and what I'm about.

What's the best OOTB performance you've ever seen.

I was knocked out first time I heard Norman Lamont play The Sea, with the original Innocents line up (or I Looked Up as I think they were called) in fact the whole set was mind-blowing. More recently Frazer Drummond played a blinder with just one song, strolled up to the stage, blasted through it and off again. There was something very definitive and urgent about it - the place went mental afterwards. Then there was a feeling of "well that's it, there's nothing more to be said really. We might as well all just go home."

How would your best review sum you up?

It would probably end up with something like "oh well, God loves a tryer."

Who do you fancy at OOTB?

Everyone - all the performers are so damn sexy in their own unique way. It's too hard to pick out one individual.

Who would be in your fantasy band?

Gillian Gilbert on keyboards, Brix Smith on guitar, Maureen Tucker on drums and original Elastica bassist Annie Holland. I'd have to write some new songs though. Alternatively, I'd like to be in REM, no-one has quite replaced the 'interesting eyebrow' gap left by the departure of drummer Bill Berry. I've no sense of rhythm that's true, but eyebrows are more important.

at OOTB

(November 2003)
Jill Hepburn surprised me with her reworked, funked up version of "Armour Inside", featuring Stuart Clark djembing away, Jill rippling the strings in time to the beat. It gave the song a different, almost happy feel, and it's a coin toss between which version is the better. "I Love A Boy" tugs at the heart with it's tale of loneliness and longing for a person, with 'It's so hard to cross the ocean/It's so hard to cross the road' implying that distance is no object when it comes to trying to express emotions. Bluesy tones in the outro sounded great! Closing with the classic "Lotus Moon", Jill had also re-worked this with a capo on the 4th fret, giving the song a brighter, crisper air, and a higher register which Jill said also suits her voice better. The similarity is that when she sings the opening line" something caught up with me yesterday", you can hear a pin drop, despite Jill's cold. Wonderful.

(January 2004)
Jill gave us three brand new songs tonight. The first "Chain-smoke", had her usual fragile vocal and a barely audible guitar. Comparing her lover to chain-smoke which hangs in the air and makes it difficult to see things clearly she tries to shake him off but he just seems to cling. Only with the benefit of some distance can she see the situation clearly. An interesting piece which is probably in its embryonic stage of development but trying out new stuff on an interested audience is in the nature of OOTB. "I'm Here", first waltz of the evening, was in direct contrast to the viewpoint of "Chain-smoke"'s protagonist in that here was someone who was going to stay around no matter what their partner did. She as going to find her voice and use it. This Swallow's gonna keep singing" Untitled but possibly "Crazy Old Woman", Jill's third was written in an attempt to "get away from the same old shit". She claimed to have written it for a laugh and the inclusion of the term "rinky-dink" raised one.