OOTB – Good Acoustic Music You Should Get Out Of Your Bed/House/Head For

Okay, it looks like we might have a new home for the OOTB open mic night, but it’s not in the bag yet, and we can’t start till the new year if so. Never mind, it’s promising news, and looking at the next week and a half or so, there really is a wealth of music going on in Edinburgh to keep us all occupied anyway. Take the opportunity to go to these events if you can, you’re only young once! 🙂

Tomorrow (Wednesday 17th Nov) at The Royal Oak on Infirmary Street at 8pm it’s an event called Magic Letters, which features the official debut performance by Caro Bridges and the River, it’s also the debut of a new five piece celtic band called Fine Fabric Combo, with exclusive solo support slots from Mutant Lodge and Calum Carlyle. All this for just £2!

On Thursday 18th Nov, it’s the EP launch of Hannah O’Reilly’s band Augustalia. This is at The Voodoo Rooms on West Register Street at 7:30pm, with support slots from The Dull Fudds and Lee Paterson. I’m not sure how much it costs to get in (£3? £4?) but i’m certain it’ll be well worth it.

Also on Thursday 18th November, it’s theRyan Van Winkle book launch and after party. The book reading is at 6:30pm at Blackwells on the South Bridge opposite the old college, and the after party, which is free, is at Forest Cafe at 8pm, and will feature Jed Milroy, Hailey Beavis, Billy Liar and Black Diamond Express.

On Friday 19th Nov, it’s the Word of Mouth open mic night, at 7:30pm at Word of Mouth, at the Leith Walk end of Albert Street. You usually get a cake or something for performing, and of course musicians are welcome, but they’re quite friendly to poets as well.

Also on Friday 19th Nov it’s Haight Ashbury Love Music, run by Miyagi Edinburgh. It’s £3 to get in and it starts at 8pm in the Voodoo Rooms. This time the bands are Junk Orchestra, klezmer band Hussy And The Wolf, Sea Bass Kid, Miyagi and DJ Lexington III. Do let them know you heard about them on OOTB if you go to this, because it’s nice to join up Edinburgh’s various musican social circles i think.

Also on Friday, one of my favourite open mic nights is on again at the McEwan’s Ale House on Clerk Street, opposite the old Odeon. It starts at about 9pm, and it’s always good fun.

On Sunday 21st Nov it’s The Listening Room open mic at the Blue Blazer, from 8pm, and then from 9pm it’s JJ Butterfield, who’s this week’s featured artist.

Next week there are some good events on the horizon too. For some of you Monday is Binkie’s night, but The Captain’s Bar on South College Street is now running an open mic night on Mondays, from 7:30pm, hosted by Roy and Richie Henderson. There’s no PA, just one vocal mic, but there is a piano. Given the lateness of the Binkies open mic, you could even do both, if you were that way inclined.

Next Tuesday 23rd November one of my favourite ambient acoustic bands, Eagleowl, are supporting Daniel Fred & Julie (ft. Julie Doiron) at Sneaky Pete’s on the Cowgate at 7:30pm, and it’s £7 to get in.

Then next Wednesday 24th November it’s The Lot Acoustic Showcase, starting at 7pm at The Lot in the Grassmarket, it costs £5 or £4 if you’re a student or if you buy your ticket from Tigertown Music in advance. The performers this time are the amazing Lipsync For a Lullaby, Hannah Werdmuller, Arran Arctic, and the public debut of Calum Carlyle and the Mixed Reactions.

Also, the International Songwriting Competition is still accepting entries, it would be cynical of me to suggest that they are just looking for some more money in entry fees, but anyway, they say: “The ISC deadline has been extended to December 3, so there is still time to enter. Go to www.songwritingcompetition.com for more info and an entry form. You can enter online, through the mail, or with your songs on MySpace.”

I’ve got some crackers of gigs to tell you about for next week and the week after as well, Matt Midgley’s coming back to Edinburgh for a one-off gig, and Lorraine M