Scott Renton

Scott Renton

song

Costa Rica

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at OOTB

(Jan 04)
"Cold Hearted Woman" opened Scott's set starting off in a kind of Spanish vein - not the last artist to do this tonight - and using his low register and rich voice gave us a tale of a current inability to communicate due to previous negative experiences. "The Box", which he assured us wasn't about a coffin (an allusion to a previous set which had included a song depicting human vivisection) reminded me of Bob Dylan but I finally settled on Cat Stevens - purely from a delivery point of view. It did still hold some leftfield lines like "and they're coming under the floor, dripping blood to the floor". The object of the song, which remained unnamed was "in a box under the stairs, no-one touches it cos nobody cares". Scott finished with the full version of "Arnold Spark" which he's previously presented as part of a medley. Arnold is a used car salesman who treats his soul like a car thinking he can get ahead if he sells it. The oblique chording in the middle eight suggested Arnold's quandary. "gonna part exchange my heart for one that's beating"

(Nov 03)
Making just his 2nd ever appearance at OOTB, Scott got the last slot of the night, which he told us had led him to drink the two slowest pints of his life! This was a man with a wicked sense of humour as his material bore out. First up was a medley "Arnold Spark/Home Made Operation". Arnold is a used car salesman who treats his soul like a car thinking he can get ahead if he sells it. There was then a seamless segue into "Home Made Operation" - "there's nothing like a home-made operation to re-rise your setting sun". "The Anatomist", a very old song for him, but new for us, told the story of an anatomy student who comes to class only to find his ex-girlfriend on the slab in front of him being poked and prodded and ..er hoovered by his classmates. Slightly macabre that the line "your head lies in a bucket" drew the biggest laugh of the night. But it was very funny! Scott brought the evening to a close with "Suicidal Tendencies", apologizing in advance for any adolescent couplets, but I didn't spot any. Apparently a sixteen year old girl with suicidal tendencies ended up dating an older more worldly-wise killer with a large knife. What a good way to end the day.