OOTB 4 – 22 Nov 2001
Hello Music Lovers,
Well, as you may have noticed, the times have been a’changin in the tower of song. Not content with making the night FREE for performers and audience alike, the management team (well, Jim and Nello) have also changed the name of the artists’ night formerly known as Sounds Like Edinburgh. From now on, we’ll be called Out Of The Bedroom, reflecting the place from which many performers issue.
It was a cracking night on Thursday, pretty much HEAVING with people, due to the influx of new performers and a group of what turned out to be people from Australia, Canada, NZ and America (I think). The night was started up in traditional fashion by Jim and Nello, who really should get down to practising at some stage, so they can play songs newer than seven years old.
Then Norman Lamont strode manfully into the temporary void for a jam with Nello on “Beggar Of Love” and “This Horse Is Dead” (I think), and a jazzy one that Nello didn’t have a clue about. It sounded pretty good to me at the time, but I had started drinking, and I haven’t heard the tape yet. Incidentally, if any performers want a CD of their recordings, just let us know, and we’ll do it as quickly as we can. It costs only £2, which we use to further fund Out Of The Bedroom. Just essential items, stuff like silver curtains, you know.
Next up was OOTB first timer, but Kin regular Julie Dawid. Despite owning of the coolest looking spanish guitars and case (apparently her Dad’s) that I’ve ever seen, she chose instead to play Jim’s battered acoustic. It was a very melodic set, full of lyrical twists and nice picked accompaniment that showed off her soulful side, and it went down well with the crowd. Not the easiest thing to do to play to a room with drunk New Zealander’s in it, but she managed it very well. She can play percussion too, and may be working on something with Norman . . . so watch this space.
Another performer who’d also played at The Tron and elsewhere was Claire Milne. Another first was that she played the house keyboard for the first time, and boy, did it sound sweet. Despite the keyboard being a mid to late eighties monstrosity, Claire effortlessly coaxed mellow tunes and vibes from it, backed with her own very clear vocals. One song was introduced which detailed the pitfalls to Australians/NZ’ers etc in trying to start a relationship in Britain, which seemed to find favour with our overseas friends, as with everyone else in the room. The set culminated with her acapella song “Portobello” which is both very memorable (for all the right reasons) and very funny, and once heard will never be forgotten.
OOTB regular Norman Lamont finished things off in typically Protean fashion, mixing his tales of love lost, Jacques Brel, eyeballs and whatnot into something quite compelling and individual. The golden cup for cleverest lyricist of OOTB would be a grim and bloody battle, but I think that after it, Norman could well be standing atop a pile of bodies, breathing heavily, clutching the aforesaid vessel.
After all that, what more could be done apart from drawing the raffle, which was one by the Aus/Nz/USA contingent. The prize, for a miserley £1 stake? A splendid woolly hat, that’s what!
Looking forward to it on Thursday at The Waverley. See you there!
Nelson Wright