Norman Blake and Euros Childs at Strathaven Hotel

Douglas McIntyre from Creeping Bent Records is involved with FRETS Creative in Strathaven. The creative hub have started organising regular shows at the Strathaven Hotel. Towards the end of 2019, both James Grant and Lloyd Cole played shows. Last night was the turn of Teenage Fanclub's Norman Blake and Euros Childs .

Strathaven is a lovely little town in Lanarkshire. It's not the easiest to get to, certainly not by public transport and especially not in crazy wet and wild weather, but that didn't prevent Fanclub Fanclub members traveling up from London and down from Cromarty.

We were only traveling from Uddingston, a 25-minute drive away, but the back road from Hamilton to Strathaven was pretty scary in the wet and wild weather. We were glad to get in and grab some drinks from the bar in time to catch most of KiDD's set.

KiDD , on this occasion, were Stuart Kidd and Alan Clark on their acoustic guitars with a dash of 'mouthie'. I absolutely loved what I heard; beautiful melodies and harmonies and their guitars gelled well together. Kidd's new songs have a lovely sense of maturity and happiness to them - telling tales of setting up a home with his wife and child. I look forward to hearing them on record. They worked beautifully with just the guitars and I wonder if this is the route when he comes to recording, if he hasn't already.

After a short break Norman and Euros waltzed into the room like the bride and groom taking to the top table, quite fitting as the venue is usually booked for weddings - my cousin Katy got married there.

The duo opened with an acapella version of Sky Men by Joe Meek and it was really beautiful. Their voices sounded so beautiful together and their was a bit of a celtic feel to their take on it. There have long been rumours of Jonny (Norman and Euros side project) having an album of Joe Meek cover versions ready to go, was this a hint that they might finally release it?

We didn't have time to find out as what followed was a moment of slapstick comedy as Norman spilled a bottle of water and was worried about electrocuting himself. The water was cleared up and Stuart Kidd took to the stage to play some light percussion as he does on the Jonny album.

You can find the full setlist below. It was really good to hear most of the Jonny album live again. You Was Me flowed brillianty, Bread was brilliant, so clever, so melodic and so funny. Norman's I Don't Want Control Of You is even more stunning when it is stripped back and the shouts for Euros' Spanish Dance Troupe were granted and the song was very warmly received.

Whilst Norman was tuning Euros took up the tale of the two of them once owning an antiques shop, this yarn led to Norman auctioning off a vinegar bottle! The between song banter was hilarious and very good natured.

I'll Make Her My Best Friend was another of my favourites from the Jonny album, short, sweet and upbeat, while Circling The Sun was just sublime.

Never Alone is my favourite song on the Jonny album, there is so much imagery and emotion in the song, it's truly beautiful. And Norman's stripped back take on his Fanclub song I'm In Love was glorious. I hope it is recorded in that style at some point.

My sister had been hoping that Euros would play a song of his called Spin That Girl Around and was delighted he did. I hadn't heard it before. It's a cracker, really stunning, beautifully melodic.

Norman, Euros and Stuart then ended with a cracking cover of The Kids Are Alright by The Who that I hadn't heard in ages. I found myself blasting it out this morning.

A brilliant night. The Bluebells are playing an acoustic set at the next FRETS night in March and the April headline act will be announced on Monday. Sign up for their e-newsletter to get details first.

Into the Lime by The New Mendicants

The New Mendicants are Norman Blake and Joe Pernice, two long term friends who suddenly found themselves neighbours after Blake moved to Canada with his family.

The story behind their album is that Nick Hornby asked them to record an album to soundtrack a film that was being made based on one of his books - A Long Way Down. The music the duo created never made it to the big screen (yet), however it has been released in the form of 'Into the Lime' on One Little Indian Records.

10-tracks come in at just over 30-minutes, during that time we are treated to some fine examples of songwriting, gorgeous harmonies and the sound of two friends enjoying making music together, clearly bouncing off and inspiring each other.

Blake has been pretty productive during the down time after the last Fanclub album, already gifting us an album with Euros Childs under the guise of Jonny that contained gems like 'Never Alone'; as good as anything he has produced throughout his career. So I couldn't wait to get stuck into 'Into the Lime' to see what was on offer.

'Sarasota' opens the album; Harrison/Beatles-esque guitar and handclaps greet the listener in a friendly and warm manner. The song flows with ease, the 'it's free, it's free' chant/chorus sinks in on first listen.

'A Very Sorry Christmas' ticks a lot of boxes for Fanclub fans like myself. Harmonies sent from heaven and some cracking warm electric guitar.

Pernice and Blake sound like they are having fun on 'Cruel Annette' that has a real McCartney vibe to it. Playful melodies and lyrics combine for a bit of a jaunt.

Having read Hornby's 'A Long Way Down' then 'Follow You Down' would be perfect for a film adaption. Gentle vocals, guitar and glockenspiel combine in lovely fashion.

The guitars are cranked up for 'Shouting Match' with glorious results. 'If You Only Knew Her' slows it back down a little with one of the best choruses on the album. McCartney-esque sprung to mind again on first listen.

If you only knew her

You would love her truly

Underneath her heavy spell she casts to make you love

You'll never get above

'High On The Skyline' is another song that would certainly have fitted in with the film. The chorus is repeated regularly to make you think that it would have been the real standout song in the film; maybe at the climax? Pernice and Blake gel effortlessly throughout the album

'By the Time It Gets Dark' is probably my favourite on the album. Starting with Pernice and acoustic guitar before Norman joins in with glorious harmonies and a sprinkling of piano. Gentle percussion takes the song on further, flowing superbly. This is beautiful.

Maybe, by the evening, we'll be laughing

Just wait and see, all the changes there'll be

By the time it gets dark

'Out of the Lime' rubber stamps how well Joe and Norman work together. Two kindred spirits indeed. I'm looking forward to the next Teenage Fanclub album, but I suspect that this won't be the last record by The New Mendicants. I get the impression that the two could knock out albums on a regular basis - coming together to write in each others house over a few beers - sounds good!

'Lifelike Hair' is….a little weird, certainly in comparison to the rest of the album. Garage-psych. It has been a while since I read the book so I have no idea if this is a specific reference to it or not.

'Into the Lime' contains plenty examples of all that is great about Norman Blake and Joe Pernice -harmonies, chiming guitars, top class songwriting, a dash of humour and some beautiful melodies. I hope they record together again.

Jonny - Jonny (album review)

Jonny are Norman Blake (Teenage Fanclub) and Euros Childs (Gorky's Zygotic Mynci), two friends with a shared love of sunshine, melody, harmony, humour and pop.

I first heard about their collaboration project a few years ago and in 2009 the two of them played the Shoeshine Records night at Celtic Connections, then....nothing, apart from rumours on the Teenage Fanclub forum. Norman had a Fanclub album coming out in 2010, so the project was shelved.

Thankfully the project, now named 'Jonny', has been revisited with the release of an album and a tour.

The opening paragraph is a short summary of the album. When Norman and Euros are at their best, the songs are glorious examples of warm guitar pop. The album also highlights their playful nature and the fact that it came out of jamming sessions.

The opening track 'Wich is Wich' is a play on words and the sound of two friends sharing their sense of humour, a knock out fun jam.

The second song and the debut single 'Candyfloss' lifts the bar considerably as the pair show us what they can really do, a perfect 3-minute sugar coated pop song that is aptly named. Check out the video below;

'Waiting Around For You' sounds like a simple jam, a fairly basic 60's riff with Norman and Euros having fun with the lyrics, hooks and harmonies. 'Goldmine' is more of the same.

'You Was Me' is another simple riff with gorgeous harmonies floating effortlessly over the top. Norman and Euros Celtic voices combine to stunning effect.

'Circling The Sun' is Norman at his best. One of the nice things about this album is its immediacy. You can tell it was written and recorded relatively quickly and simply.

Changing skies

Turning Tides

There's a heartache I can't hide

Winters long

Winters cold

Without you

On first listen I thought my itunes must have skipped to an obscure McCartney track that I didn't remember, however I checked, and it is indeed Norman and Euros with the song 'English Lady'. Punchy, catchy, with real Macca style bass as well as the vocals and the lyrics. 

With 13-tracks on an album coming in at 40-minutes long (despite one song coming in at over 10-minutes) the vast majority of songs come in at around or under the 3-minute mark and the next song up 'The Goodnight' is one of those. There are no drums, just acoustic guitar, keyboard and the two voices combining.

'Bread' by Euros is next and it is a hymn to bakers everywhere, it sounds like it is straight out of the period of the 60's where everything was dipped in LSD.

Hats off to those that make the bread

One night I had a dream

Of a land where things aren't quite what they seem

People young, old, short and tall

They weren't happy, they had no bread at all

'Cave Dance' is just pure Blake and Childs humour. They played it at the previously mentioned Celtic Connections gig and they clearly had a lot of fun doing so. It sounds like they did when they recorded it as well!

It's another basic late 50's/early 60's riff and beat and the lyrics play on the songs that called upon teenagers to 'do a dance'. 

The first two minutes fly by and then the song goes off on a total tangent as everything stops and a synth riff starts and slower vocals come in, taking the listener off on a trip, with a mantra to;

do do do do do do do the cave dance

do the cave dance, my darling, do the cave dance

At 8-minutes in the beat kicks back in with a simple yet gorgeous keyboard riff and lifts the song for a beautiful closing few minutes.

'I Want To Be Around You' is 2-minutes of harmony heaven. Simple guitar pop that leaves me feeling warm inside and with a smile on my face. They make it seem so easy.

'I'll Make Her My Best Friend' is also close to the 2-minute mark and it could be described as a country jaunt, rather apt as the lyric is;

when i get back to the country, i'll make her my best friend

'Never Alone' is quite simply beautiful and a shining example of why I have followed Norman Blake and Teenage Fanclub since 1991 and the release of Bandwagonesque.

It tugs on the heartstrings, 

there's been nights when, I can't sleep

have i fallen, in too deep

come back where my heart is calling you

come back to your home

come back to me now you'll never be

never alone

It is Norman backed only by a keyboard and Euros on harmonies, it is my song of the year to date and it is only 1 minute 50 seconds long.

So, I guess the opening paragraph may well sum up the album. For those unaware of the joy of Norman and Euros' previous work it must seem a strange album. There are some throwaways, some jams, but on tracks like; 'Never Alone', 'I Want To Be Around You', 'Circling The Sun' and 'Candyfloss' the talent of Norman and Euros shines through. The album is only £3.99 on itunes. You can't go wrong with that price.

The remaining dates of the tour are;

11/02             Liverpool Mojo
12/02             Sheffield The Harley
14/02            Manchester Deaf Institute
15/02             Birmingham Glee Club
16/02             York The Basement
18/02            Middlesborough Westgarth SC
19/02             Glasgow Platform
20/02             Newcastle Cluny
21/02             Sunderland Independent Room 2