Nick and Stuart

Nick and Stuart

song

Slippery Slope

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at OOTB

(March 2004)
Nick and Stuart opened up with "This Time", a lazy, faintly sleazy slow-funky riff overlaid with a jazz/blues vocal from Stuart. Nick interspersed nicely with his BV, and a storming jazz solo. I liked the line "Just because you can't take it anymore/Get off the floor". Nick's song "Roll It Up" was next, some great double-chiming of the guitars at the start, sequeing into flamenco-ish riffery, with a stream of consciousness vocal. "Patchwork Guilt" (like the title), closed the set, Stuart in more reflective, mellow vocal colours this time, Nick loping over on a jaunty riff which moved the song through minor phases. "This patchwork guilt won't keep us warm", sang Stuart sadly, not totally sure I knew what it meant but it sounded good. I liked their new material very much, surely time they produced a CD of this casual brilliance?

(May 2003)
Nick and Stuart returned following on from their previous success at the Waverley. The success was that Stuart actually managed to play despite the number of beers he'd downed, but as they came on earlier, that wasn't a problem this time around. "Make The Sale" was apparently "not about porn", and had an infectious bouncing riff and a nice throaty yet subdued rock 'n' roll vocal from Stuart, and some lovely BV from Nick (who for some reason puts me in mind of a young Norman Lamont) [Ed's note: the excellent Edinburgh-based musician, not the politician]. Was this song a lament for how easily people can be tempted by money? Lines such "What will the real price be/A nickel or a dime" suggested as much, plus it had a superb jazzy break from Stuart, pinging string all over the place. Their next was markedly different, and might have been a song about the lack of hope in the Middle East, (although I may be way off about that) and was sung by Nick, the chorus "Why can't you say what you mean?" having a particular resonance. A very pleasing dropped-down picked middle 8 chimed nicely. The final song "about Chicago" was a blues riffin' hard-assed piece of pop-blues beauty, and had some really nice guitar playing from both Nick and Stuart. I definitely want to hear that one again. Another great performance from this personable pair.