Named after the debut single by Teenage Fanclub.
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This blog is all about being a music lover in Glasgow; reviews, interviews, memories, old faves, new discoveries (past & present) and more. Thanks for visiting - I hope you discover something amazing you have never heard before, or that you rediscover an old favourite.
Regular features/playlists; Never Ending Mixtape / Cover Version of the Month/ Trust Me.
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It's been a while, but last night I left The Doublet Bar thinking 'that's one of my all time favourite gigs'. A beautiful feeling. I've hung on to it all day.
The Doublet, situated on Park Road in Glasgow, is a cracking wee no thrills, no fuss bar that I've come to love over the years. Handily located just off Great Western Road and within walking distance of Kelvinbridge Underground and Kelvingrove Park, it's still just nicely off the beaten track, on its own.
Downstairs is a cosy bar with a fine selection of beers and malts. There is no TV and you're encouraged to keep your phone in your pocket. It has a real community feel, but anyone is welcome. And then upstairs there is a small lounge that occasionally runs gigs. I put on Starry Skies back in February 2020, just before the world went crazy.
With an official capacity of 45, getting a ticket for Gerry Love playing The Doublet was going to come down to luck. And I was out of it! I think I saw a post on social media about 90-minutes after the gig had been announced. So, of course, it was sold out.
Step forward my friend Ruthie Blaney who I met through the Teenage Fanclub Fanclub. Ruthie lives in London but has travelled all over the country to watch her favourite band. So Ruthie bought tickets to come up to see Gerry in such an intimate venue.
But then, realised the journey was just too much, coming on the back of a trip up to Strathaven to see Gerry last month and again last week to see BMX Bandits.
I will be forever grateful that Ruthie contacted me with her spare tickets!
On to The Doublet. I arrived at 7.45pm and my friends Lorna & Christina were already in. We were soon to be joined by Paul & Barry, joining the queue for doors opening to get a good seat upstairs.
Jack Mellin from Spinning Coin & Sacred Paws supported. Playing some incredible acoustic instrumentals that were hypnotic at times, dreamy at others with moments of intensity. Jack knows about 100 more chords on the guitar than me! He also sang a couple of times and kept the crowd captivated with his skills.
Joined by Noel O'Donnell on guitar and harmonies/backing vocals & Tom Crossley on on flute/keys/xylophone this was cross between a Gerry Love and a stripped back Lightships show.
Why was it so memorable?
Well the venue for a start. Noel was literally leaning on the bar and having a pint, joking he'd get a round in. Seeing Gerry in such an intimate venue was a real treat.
But it was the songs and the delivery of them that made it so special. It was just so good to hear so many of Gerry's songs stripped back. And to see him playing guitar so close. Noel and Tom brought so much to them, the trio played superbly.
Star Sign opened the set in style and what a selection of songs we were treated to. Sweetness In Her Spark was all kinds of gooey romance and dreamy melodies. Absolutely gorgeous.
This old heart is beating for her
There's sweetness in her spark
It's gonna take me away
Don't Look Back was an absolute joy with the crowd singing along beautifully. Oh how I've missed the shouts of 'go on Gerry boy' to highlight the love for songwriter and song.
Love played a trilogy of songs from Grand Prix. Going Places was all kinds of spine tingling goodness, from the opening chiming guitar to more dreamy head over heels lyrics and melodies.
I've requested the stars to shine
Sparky's Dream closed the show but there was lots more before then!
If memory serves me correct, in addition to Sweetness ... Gerry and co also played Silver & Gold, Muddy River, and Fear and Doubt from Lighships. The latter introduced as being a rarity. It was one of my favourites from the set. But really, everything was just a delight.
Speaking of delights, I couldn't believe it when Gerry fuzzed up his guitar and played the riff from Hang On. I briefly managed to look around the room and jaws were dropping!
What a joy. Hang On is a real favourite of mine, that line - of all the stars I've ever seen, you're the sun - swoon! The outro with Tom playing flute was one that I didn't want to end. There were a few times when the band could have played on, gelling superbly.
From Songs from Northern Britain we had Take The Long Way Round early on, creating beaming smiles all round the room. Later on Ain't That Enough cause my friend Lorna to become a bubbling mess - in a good way. I thought she was kidding at first when she tugged on my arm, but then it became a hug as this gem of a song overwhelmed my good friend. The lyrics, the melody and the environment - perfect.
Sweet Days Waiting was beautifully mellow. It might have been raining outside but we were basking in sunshine upstairs in The Doublet.
Near You is a real favourite of mine. Guitar pop perfection. And then there was Gerry's cover of Moondog's Do Your Thing that seems to have been written for him.
And then it was Sparky's Dream to end. Everyone sang, everyone was smiling, everyone was feeling good. Paul, who owns The Doublet had introduced Gerry by saying something about the state of the world, how we're living in strange and dark times and that we all need a little more love, Gerry Love. (or words to that effect). I drove home buzzing, thinking of Gerry playing that set with a full band.
So I think that was pretty much the set. The band were playing just a few feet from where I was sitting, with the majority of the crowd standing by the bar. It felt special, it was special, it was Gerry Love and friends playing some of my favourite songs.
Hopefully Gerry will have some album news in the near future.
I'll be heeding Paul's advice and getting a little more Gerry Love at Stereo next Friday as he supports The Hanging Stars.
On 29th February 2020 I attended my last gig. It was one that I put on upstairs in the intimate setting of The Doublet Bar, a crowdfunder for the band Starry Skies, to help them record their album Do It With Love.
No-one in the crowd or on the makeshift stage could have known how the month ahead would change lives and the world so dramatically. It was the last show the band played to the last audience and for many in the room, they haven't had the joy of live music since.
The show was warm, friendly and glowing with love. Months down the line I was really pleased to receive my vinyl copy of the album and discover that Warren and his band had managed to capture that warm glow on vinyl. You can order a copy from the Starry Skies bandcamp page.
As you'll learn from the podcast, the songs are from the heart and they have struck a chord with people.
I really enjoyed catching up with Warren and Heather to find out what they have been up to over the last year. Have they been writing? What did they have to cancel? What do they have planned? What was it like releasing an album during a pandemic?
You can visit the main website for my podcast HERE where you can stream it directly, or find links to other platforms including Spotify where you can stream. And here is my blog on The Doublet show.
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On a cold and wet afternoon, on Saturday 29th February, hearts were warmed and melted by the Starry Skies in the intimate setting of The Doublet bar in the West End of Glasgow.
Warren is a real charmer and he began the afternoon by playing two songs on his own, leaning against the wall with just his acoustic guitar for company. You could have heard a pin drop as Warren's tender vocals and gentle melodies set the tone for the afternoon.
Joined by 3 string players and an electric guitarist, the Starry Skies put on a real treat for the crowd. Loving You was absolutely sublime, the way Warren's voice gelled with Heather (violin), Jen (cello) and Sophie (viola) was utterly gorgeous.
I think I can safely say that everyone in the room was pretty spellbound, lost in the music being conjured up within touching distance from many seats.
I'll Be There For You is a gem of a song and the upbeat Love Come Back To You closed a brilliant first set that mixed some of Warren's earliest songwriting efforts with songs from the Starry Skies Ask The Animals and Be Kind albums.
After a short break we had a two song set from one of Warren's friends who was over from Sweden. It was that kind of afternoon - friendly and welcoming.
The Starry Skies then introduced Sweet Honey Blue which will be their next single along with other songs from their next album that should be out in August.
The audience were captivated by Warren's lyrics and voice, by the harmonies, the melodies and the strings. It was a very special show, with an excellent audience sing-a-long before the afternoon ended with a stunning cover version of Warren's favourite ever song, Georgia On My Mind by Ray Charles.
The Starry Skies will be playing a full band show at the CCA in Glasgow on Saturday 22nd August to launch their new album Do It With Love. FACEBOOK EVENT
I really love The Doublet bar in Park Road, Glasgow. It's handy for Kelvinbridge Underground, Kelvingrove Park, Woodlands, Great Western Road and Gibson Street. But it's still just nicely out of the way to stand on its own.
The Doublet is a traditional old boozer, beloved by musicians and artists. So, when they announced they were putting Eugene Kelly with support from Molly Linen on in their upstairs function room, I knew I would have to be quick to grab a ticket.
Eugene is an artist I fell for back in my teens and I guess I have been extremely fortunate that a lot of the bands and artists I discovered back then have had long careers; Teenage Fanclub, Eugene and The Vaselines, The Pastels, BMX Bandits, Primal Scream, The Jesus and Mary Chain, The Lemonheads, Dinosaur Jr ... all still making music.
Upstairs at The Doublet holds 50 at a squeeze, so this was a special intimate show. Molly Linen played a beautiful set, her voice is gorgeously pure and her guitar playing is intricate, clever and melodic. Linen released a 10-inch EP via Lost Map at the end of 2019 and I will certainly be checking that out and hoping to see her again in the future.
On to Eugene Kelly of The Vaselines, or one-time of Captain America until Marvel Comics threatened to sue him, so he changed the band name to Eugenius 'which no-one could spell or say.'
People were literally sitting (on the floor) at the feet of a Scottish indie legend last night. The intimate setting was informal and friendly and Eugene dove way back into his catalogue to play songs of love, lust, frustration, bitterness, tenderness and humour.
The opening Wow! and Bed In from the Captain America days translated easily to an acoustic performance, making me appreciate them all the more.
New songs, School Sports Day and Dogs Best Friend, made me long for a follow up to Eugene's 2003 album Man Alive, from which he played a number of songs. Eugene brilliantly combines raw punk energy with brilliant pop melodies, riffs and hooks and it was thrilling to see him perform in such an intimate setting.
Jesus Don't Want Me For A Sunbeam is a song that has traveled around the world thanks to Nirvana covering it on their Unplugged album, here we were watching its author perform it in his local pub - a joy.
New song Is She Into Me? was brilliant - hilariously brilliant. The lyrics and melodies flowed as Eugene told a story about a guy doubting himself through a string of events. I so hope he records it.
Eugene ended with classic Vaselines songs Mollys Lips and Son Of A Gunto rapturous applause. This was a very special show from someone who displayed his very special talents.
My only disappointment was that Eugene didn't have time to play If I Could Talk which he co-wrote with Evan Dando and The Lemonheads recorded.
In October and November of 2019 I was very taken by a crowdfunding campaign by singer-songwriter Warren McIntyre to raise funds towards the recording of his next album with his band, the Starry Skies.
I scrolled through the ways that you could get involved, ranging from a simple £10 donation in return for a digital copy of the album, through to a guitar being raffled, signed vinyl, credits on the record sleeve etc.
What caught my eye, was a house gig.
I've been fortunate to attend a few house/flat shows and I've always loved the friendly atmosphere they create. It was £250 to book Warren and one or two of his band for a stripped back show. But then I thought - I'd like to do more.
So, I explained to Warren that I would like to put on a small intimate show in a pub. It's been a while since I put on a show and it's also been a while since I had an afternoon in a pub! I would underwrite all costs and Warren would receive every penny from ticket sales.
I chose upstairs in The Doublet Bar, Park Road, Glasgow. It's a good traditional pub and very music friendly. 45 tickets went on sale at 1pm on Wednesday 15th January and by Thursday 16th January they had sold out! So that is £450 towards helping an artist create music and art.
Read on for a very honest interview with Warren that takes in; him annoying his parents after discovering pop music, his first band at the age of 12, bands he has played in, what it means to be supported in his art and a little bit of what to expect if you are lucky enough to have a ticket.
Starry Skies have a new digital single Sweet Honey Blue coming out on 20th March and you can pre-save it on Spotify if you follow this LINK
EF - Can you remember when you first became interested in music? Was it a certain song or band?
Like many people, I first became interested in music through the music my Mum and Dad were listening to and remember they were big Beatles and Elvis fans. The first song I remember being obsessed with though was the very unfashionable Drift Away by the Doobie Brothers when I was about 8 years old.
We were on a family holiday at a caravan site in Tighnabriaich with lots of other friends of the family and I was playing the song over and over again and singing along with this wee cassette microphone. When I say over and over, I mean like for hours at a time and eventually the tape was 'lost' as no-one could take it anymore. It was only years later in reflection I realised it may not have been lost at after all!
Then when I was twelve I got hooked on punk rock and joined a band called the Revs playing drums on songs by the Clash, the Fall, Sex Pistols and the Cure. Then after a year or two as a drummer, I retired and listened mostly to the Velvet Underground and Iggy Pop and the Stooges albums on repeat.
EF - When did you first pick up a guitar? How quickly did you get to grips with it?
A few years later my Dad's friend came to visit one day with his son Peter who had just been for his guitar lesson and had his guitar with him. He played me House of the Rising Sun, Wild Thing and some Spanish guitar stuff and I straight away wanted to be in a band. I managed to get a guitar nearly straight away, using my birthday and Christmas money and started trying to play. I point blank refused to get lessons as my Dad suggested and wish I had now as it took me years to get anywhere near competent and I still can't really understand timing or scales or any musical theory very well. And when I say very well, I mean at all!
It often amuses or annoys people in equal measure how easily I can screw up counting to four. This is mostly the reason I always make sure that I play with people who are much more musically able than I am and top of their game.
EF - When did you first record one of your own songs? What are your memories? And do you have a standout studio moment from your years playing and recording?
The first time I recorded was with the Revs when I was 13 and we recorded Killing An Arab by The Cure, Bingo Masters Breakout by The Fall and English Civil War by The Clash. We were three-piece and neither Steven or Brian, who were the singers, wanted to sing The Clash song, so I ended up singing it and it turned out I was a better singer than drummer. This is not to say I was a very good singer but I was god awful at the drums and keep meaning to get it put in digital form so that I can let drummer friends hear it to give them a laugh.
Standout moment recording was probably recording at Toerag studios with Liam Watson because it was all done live on to 8-track and you left the studio after 3-days with the finished record.
This said, I have enjoyed making every record and always worked with great producers such as Johnny Smillie who is very much the man in demand these days, and more recently with Matt Harvey who is amazing at string arrangements among many other things.
EF - What bands have you played in through the years?
I have played in loads of different bands over the years and perhaps it's not always been the smartest move, but whenever the line-up changed, I have tended to fold the band and start afresh under a new names. So to date; I have played drums in the Revs and sung in Atomic Clocks, Exhibit A, Sunclocks, Moondials, Hippy Toys, Whiteout, Ducks and now Starry Skies.
Been a bit silly in some ways as always starting afresh means you lose any momentum the name has established. I've made the decision though to stick with Starry Skies from now on, come what may.
EF - You're crowdfunding the costs to record a new album. This is becoming 'the norm'. What are the pro's for you as an artist?
Yes, lots of fans and friends of the band have been really generous and basically paid for the record upfront with a number adding extra to come into the studio to add handclaps to a track or buy a house concert. It has been very kind of them and we really appreciate it. This support means that we can make the album quicker than we would have been able to do if just saving up for recording and pressing costs. EF - What's the response been like and what are your plans for the album?
We have been blown away by the positive response and there are so many brilliantly supportive and lovely people out there and we feel very privileged to know so many of them. Money can be tight these days and not everyone is in a position to help through crowdfunding but have supported us in other ways. Encouragement and support can come in many forms and it's something I'll always appreciate.
EF - One of the options in the crowdfunder was to book you to play a home show. Instead, I asked if I could book a pub and put you on. What can people expect from your intimate afternoon show at The Doublet?
Well, that is a good question and we were really chuffed that you came up with this idea so have been working hard to make sure it is a great show for everyone coming. The fact that it sold out in 24-hours was a surprise, so we have to make sure it is as good as we have ever played.
We'll be playing through songs from the first and second Starry Skies albums along with a selection that will be on the next album. So basically we will be playing songs from all the records. To give ourselves a wee challenge I'm keen to play my favourite song of all time which is a song made famous by Ray Charles, although it is not so easy to sing, so still working on that, and one by my other favourite singer Nina Simone. We are planning on having all three strings there along with the two guitars, so not quite sure how we'll cram in but where there is a will there is a way!
