Out of the Bedroom 684 review – Thursday 24th January 2019
Running order: Tina Louise Avery, Jack Blimey, JIm Bryce, Neil Matthew Fox, Ian Macdonald, John Porro, The Ben Inglis Band, Startled Bee, Nyk Stoddart, Impossible Songs, Rosie Smith, feature act: Kathy Muir.
Tina Louise Avery was host this evening and James Igoe was on sound desk.
Tina Louise Avery: ‘All The Ghosts’ – inspired by her guitar tutor whose wife left him. One of Tina’s poppier numbers, this was uptempo and catchy. ‘Diving Underwater’ – about the safety of being underwater and keeping away from harm (paradoxically?). Drone-y, moody, entrancing.
Jack Blimey: ‘War On Terror’ – a torrent of images, from the serious to the, seemingly, less serious, this was a verbal feast. Great, sparse guitar chops. ‘Those Weren’t The Days’ – dedicated to Jack’s ex-wives, if he had ever been married. Gothic. Another dense lyric which is certainly a Blimey trademark. It was over a year since Jack last played, and it was great to have him back.
Jim Bryce: started with a political poem which segued into a cappella which was unfortunately cut short by pitching issues. ‘Waiting For The Man’ – demonic guitar picking… Was this apocalyptic? Or about waiting for the gas man to fix the boiler in this cold weather? Either way, great stuff. ‘Train Talk’ – a short, romantic song about talking to a stranger on a train. Lovely stuff from Jim.
Neil Matthew Fox: ‘My Love Is Like A Red Red Rose’ – Neil’s arrangement of the Burns evergreen, celebrating the anniversary of the prolific socialist poet’s birth. A completely new tune and melody, and very pleasing it was. ‘Poor Thing’ – simplicity, energy and an endearing honesty. Reminded me of pre-Velvet Underground Lou Reed. Sample lyric: “ah poor thing / sitting on your mama’s knee”.
Ian Macdonald: ‘I Feel Invisible Today’ – a melancholy tale of ennui and disconnection with the world which is a feeling that resonates with many in this day and age. Ian said that this was his first ever live performance, having taken an incredible 40 years to get out of the bedroom where he has been recording for all that time. ‘Blue Is My Love’ – some beautiful picking with a deep, emotional ache in the vocal. A special occasion for both Ian and us.
John Porro: ‘City Fox’ – lyrics in praise of our furry friends who tend to venture out late at night. Super guitar playing. ‘Wake Me To Sleep’ – about the thought that someone on the other side of the world has to wake up in order for John to sleep. Collective consciousness? Are we all locked into that cycle? A warm vocal and performance, classic songwriting rooted in the folk tradition.
The Ben Inglis Band: ‘Man On Fire’ – no need to dial 999, the title was metaphorical! An Oasis-influenced stomper – Ben brought a full band, rocking the back room with a mix of acoustic, electric, bass and cajón. ‘Fortune’ – mid-tempo pop song with a clear, full-throated vocal from Ben. Nice backing vocals. Very pleasant stuff from a tight, solid band.
Startled Bee: ‘Velvet Haze’ – a new song from the MPH songbook which regular listeners will know is the songwriting team of Matt and his friend Phil. Very enjoyable – the partnership is as strong as ever! ‘Call Me Out’ – a genuine, grainy quality in the voice with no small beauty. Honest, mature, timeless songwriting which showcased the ‘Bee’s impressive vocal range.
Nyk Stoddart: ‘Trust and Hope’ – Drama, light and shade all through this Stoddart masterpiece. For the second OOTB running, Nyk’s performance was top notch – full of fire and passion. ‘Last Person on Earth’ – Nyk was making love to the microphone tonight; not literally but there was a powerful relationship there. Impressive guitar chops.
Impossible Songs: ‘Rainbow’ – Fifers John and Ali back to share their beautiful music with us. Jazzy riffs from John and poetry sung in a soprano voice in an exotic, almost east Asian style. John called their music “twee pish” which is their genre on Bandcamp. ‘Look Up At The Stars’ – written in Killin when they were together about 40 years ago, imagining what the future would hold. Gorgeous.
Rosie Smith: squashee-ing in with ‘Gentle Storm’. Based on a dream about a guy who wrote a song for her, she returned the favour in real life. A ballad which reminded me of ‘50s pop that could fit into a scene in a David Lynch film. Great, poetic lyrics, as ever, from Rosie.
Feature act Kathy Muir: ‘What About Love?’ – amazing vocal, strong songwriting; I could hear this fitting into the Radio 2 playlist like a glove. Great drumming from Mike McKenzie. ‘Honey Child’ – just sounded great. Sample lyric: “I miss my honey child”. Lovely keyboard from Mike. ‘Shadow’ – introduced as “for all the shy people. People tell you to get out more but don’t do it!” Very fine Scottish Americana, flawless guitar playing and quality brush strokes on drums from Mike. ‘Pocket Full of Sand’ – a Portuguese boy put sand in her shoe at the end of a holiday romance so she wouldn’t forget him. It worked! Sung in French, this was a fantastic vocal performance. Sophisticated songwriting, not unlike George Michael at his peak. ‘If I Can Breathe’ – Kathy’s recent single. Quite poppy with a very nice arrangement and sweet harmonies. A great reaction from the audience. ‘Hush’ – about how some people cannot be in the same place at the same time. Kathy then handed over to Mike McKenzie – @mikemckenzieonline – for a solo number. Finger-clicking and playing keyboard (not easy!). ‘One More Night’ showed very confident keyboard playing having played guitar at last OOTB. Talented. ‘Letting Go’ – top quality pop tune with neat backing vocal. ‘Stop Walk Talk’ – focused on giving time to each other without mobile phones. ‘Can Anyone Really Tell?’ – Kathy asked us, “if a relationship were a sound, what would it be?” This was the tear-jerker of the set. A melancholy tale of how relationships dissolve as people drift apart. The finale was a rocker, with Kathy showing a different side. A versatile voice that can sing all types of music. A top quality, ultra-professional performance from Kathy and Mike.
Review: James Igoe