The reopening of Bar Bloc

The Bloc Party goes on.

Last night I was lucky enough to be invited to the reopening of Bar Bloc on Bath Street.

Innovation, creativity and guerrilla marketing have helped Bloc become an established and vital part of the Glasgow music scene; well loved and recognised by artists such as Louis Abbot (Admiral Fallow) and Glasgow mavericks Detour (Ally McCrae and David Weaver).

An eclectic roster of regular nights is enhanced by Bloc having its own orchestra (Blochestra) and record label.

Bloc's eclectic music policy and reputation for looking after bands and artists has resulted in all kinds of secret shows from big name acts. Before closing for the refurb the venue hosted an incredible last minute show by Paws with their friends We Are Scientists in tow. It has yet to be confirmed if that was the mental night that pushed them into the refurb - although  reports and pictures from that night are pretty damaging!

We Are Scientists at Bar Bloc

Only kidding! But Bloc has been well loved over the years and a refurb had been planned for some time.

Bare brick walls and cool lighting enhance the vibe, moving the bar back a few feet has added more space, a new sound system will only improve Bloc's reputation for live music, the toilets have had a radical overhaul and the nice cobbled effect out the front just helps keep Bloc that little bit different.You step off one of Glasgow's busiest streets and into another little world.

What else has changed?

Well the menu - last night guests were fortunate to sample all kinds of delightful food courtesy of @furiousFoodBloc, the burgers were delicious!

Last night wasn't mental, it was a chance for Bloc to open its doors and show off the look and feel. Regulars that I spoke to were very happy with the improvements and pleased that the vibe was still distinctly 'Bloc'.

The mental night will probably come on Saturday night when Roman Nose bring their electro techno noise to the party crowd.

Bloc did treat guests to 3 fantastic solo performers. Adam Stafford was in excellent form, creating little riffs and noises from his guitar, looping them and flourishing them with all kinds of melodies and noises, looping them too and then singing over the top.

I hadn't seen Adam playing live for a while and he is always astonishing to watch; inventive, creative and most definitely talented. There is no-one else like him. His last two albums (Build A Harbour Immediately and Imaginary Walls Collapse) are pretty incredible and well worth checking out. The song Shot-down You Summer Wannabes is a particular favourite of mine.

I caught up with Adam for a beer after his set and fans of his music and talent will be delighted to know that he is working on his next album. Congratulations to Adam on the birth of his daughter - I am sure that will inspire some excellent new work.

Adam Stafford

Ella the Bird (Siobhan Wilson) was up next and she produced a mesmerising performance; sitting at her keyboard at first and then picking up an electric guitar for the second half of her set. Her voice was utterly gorgeous, dreamy at times and then capable of soaring effortlessly at others.

I thoroughly enjoyed the set and bought her Glorified Demons mini-album afterwards. This is a special talent.

The night was running behind schedule which meant that I was leaving just as Rick Redbeard was starting his set. 

Bloc is back - and it means business. The look, feel, roster and the creative and hard working team at its heart will ensure many more brilliant nights in the future.

Visiting The Hydro

Last weekend I took my little girl to Glasgow Barrowland as part of Doors Open Day. Now it was time to go all modern and visit the new kid in town - the Scottish Hydro Arena Glasgow, or the S.H.A.G as it was once affectionately known. It looks like it will be known simply as the Hydro - probably best for all concerned.

Building work commenced back in February 2011 and the venue will host its first show next week, with Rod Stewart breaking in the venue in style.

The venue bills itself as 'an entertainment experience for the 21st century' and from the outside I immediately through how futuristic/space-age it looks. That just continues when you venture inside.

We had managed to get tickets for a wee 'tester' day, coming the day after a V.I.P evening that featured Admiral Fallow playing - although they didn't actually play on the venue's proper stage. That honour is being saved for Rod the Mod.

We walked through the doors into the court behind the stands - there are loads of different kinds of food  stalls and bars. Plenty of variety to keep everyone fed and watered. We didn't hang around there for the time being, we wanted to see inside.

The futuristic vibe continued inside with banks of seats rising steeply to the ceiling - the ceiling itself is like a work of art, containing the lighting rigs. I immediately thought of the scenes from the parliament in Attack Of The Clones.

The Hydro is multi-purpose; music is the main focus, however it will be holding events for the Commonwealth Games and is capable of holding tennis matches and much, much, more.

It will go on to hold around 140 events per annum and it will bring Glasgow up into contention with the likes of Madison Square Garden and the O2 Arena (Millenium Dome) in London.

It was time for some food and the North Sea Haddock and Skinny Fries I had were excellent, with my wife going for some delicious noodles. 

Thanks to the fact that my brother works for the Hydro we managed to escape the masses and get up into the corporate boxes. They are very plush, you get your own bar and they open out on to the venue.    Unfortunately I was stuffed after my fish'n'chips so couldn't manage a cake!

We left the box to wander up into the second highest tier of the stands. I don't think there will be a bad seat in the house. Although that might not be the case for those who suffer from vertigo!

The Hydro is a fantastic modern arena that will enable Glasgow and Scotland to draw the best acts in the world - even more so than it currently does. I look forward to attending a show in the near future.

Wickerman Festival 2013 - a review

Wickerman 2013 was ushered in by blazing sunshine and the first sold out event in the festivals history.

We arrived on site a little late at around 4pm on the Friday and had soon pitched our tent and sparked a beer before meeting friends Gordon and Alana.

We had a wander into the site and up to the Solus Tent to see Solar Eye but swiftly decided that Scottish hip-hop isn't our thing, so we caught the last of Dreadzone on the main stage; their dub, reggae house combination sounded pretty damn good in the glorious sunshine.

We helped (or at least Lynn did) Gordon and Alana pitch their tent (thankfully we have a pop up one) and then went back on site to catch some of Admiral Fallow who sounded majestic when they got into full flow.

The first highlight of the day was Machines In Heaven, surely one of the most improved outfits in Scotland right now. It has been a long road for Graeme and Greg, but their patience in finding their sound and line-up has paid off and their dreamy electro soundscapes sounded delicious in the Solus Tent.

KT Tunstall gathered a huge crowd at the main stage and we caught some of her set in between visits to the VIP bar that is conveniently situated right next door. She even dropped a wee bit of the White Stripes 'Seven Nation Army' into her set.

Friday was all about two acts for me though (no offence to the others). First up were Chic featuring Niles Rodgers and they did not disappoint. I got lost in the music, just dancing and singing along to hit after hit. 'Thinking Of You' by Sister Sledge became my song of the weekend, I still can't get it out of my head.

Niles Rodgers was coolness personified, striding around the stage in a resplendent white suit and shades, playing a unique mix of lead/rythm guitar. Their set was only 1-hour long, far too short. They ended with 'Le Freak' to huge cheers and a whole load of people on stage dancing with them.

Darkness fell and Primal Scream took to the stage, blitzing the audience with '2013' the opening track from their latest album. The song is full of energy that belies the Scream's years. The hits like; 'Country Girl', 'Jailbird', 'It's Alright, It's OK' (again off the new album) and 'Rocks' generated a brilliant response from the crowd. A welcome burst of 'Shoot Speed/Kill Light' was a real highlight.

There is a time and a place for new songs; '2013' and 'It's Alright, It's OK' are up with anything the Scream have recorded, however 3 or 4 other songs off the new album are not - certainly not when you are headlining a festival. So the mood in the crowd noticeably dipped during tracks like 'Tenement Kid'.

'Loaded' was a riot and the version of 'Come Together' was euphoric. I just wish that the Sceram had played a full set worthy of the title; festival headliners, as they certainly have enough material in their back catalogue.

The night ended with dancing in the silent disco and at an open stage DJ bar before we fell into the tent around 1.30am and kept the doors open chatting to the strains of the music in the distance. A top day.

Saturday morning was hazy and lazy. The sunshine warmed our tent to the extent that we had to get up even though we could have done with another couple of hours sleep. So we wandered on to the site with Gordon and Alana and grabbed some breakfast and newspapers from the shop and then headed back for a lazy couple of hours snoozing in the sun.

Acts we caught on the Saturday;

The Recovery - not through choice, the Recovery brought their heavy metal show to Wickerman as the guitarist and singer walked outside of the Solus Tent to play to the crowd at the food stalls. The Recovery may have cleared a few hangovers and not helped some others!

Roddy Hart & the Lonesome Fire -  Roddy's mix of ballads and up temp numbers went down well with the large crowd who were settling in front of the main stage and on the hill for the day. I personally preferred the more upbeat stuff that really showcased the sound his very talented 7-piece band could create. Roddy is a tremendous talent and well worth checking out.

Vasa - are managed by a lovely guy called Gerry Blythe who has put on some great nights in Glasgow (including booking Nevada Base and Vigo Thieves) and he has great taste in music. Vasa are from the Mogwai school of rock and their musical ability sounded way beyond their age (they look pretty young). They could build from a pin drop into a ferocious noise and their bassist impressed. Tight!

Lulu James - Looked and sounded brilliant - real festival act, capable of getting the crowd in the mood and generating a real groove at times.

Bellowhead - I was actually in the media village at the side of the stage when Bellowhead played to a huge crowd and they generated a massive conga - good festival fun!

Dexys - I love Dexys and was pleased to see Kevin Rowland and co pull a big crowd. Kevin looked great and the band ran through a mix of material from their comeback album and old classics. I only stayed for the first 4 songs as I was heading to see...

Vigo Thieves - Vigo Thieves smashed T in the Park and their good form improved even further at Wickerman at the Solus Tent, they really nailed it and impressed everyone there. The set is super tight;

'Steal Your Heart' set the tone, big guitars and choruses 'stay young in your heart and your in your mind' with the crowd singing along. 'Blood Red' kept the tempo up and Stevie Jukes was already down in amongst the crowd, vibing off their passion and energy.

'Believe' was epic, it is just a huge song that others can only dream of writing, it is another positive message - make no mistake, they believe and more and more people are starting to believe with them.

'Steal Your Heart Pt II' slowed things down and it sends a tingle down my spine every time I hear it. It contains my favourite lyric that Stevie has written (to date) and it gets me every time.

You're looking for the love to heal the pain from all the scars

So live for the moment and you'll shine like the stars

'Ghosts' was a riot with the band selecting a fan to play air saxaphone as their guest sax player was away on holiday, before 'Heartbeats' closed an epic set.

The band play the Arches on 7th September - get your tickets HERE

Admiral Fallow at the ABC Glasgow, 27th January 2012

Last night Admiral Fallow turned in a majestic performance at the ABC in Glasgow as part of Celtic Connections. 


There was an air of anticipation surrounding the sold out performance, a homecoming if you will.


It was my birthday so I had the day off, spending a great morning and afternoon chilling with Zoe before heading into town to meet my mate Colin in the Variety Bar at 5pm. The tunes were as good as always and I felt pissed after two beers - must be my old age!


Lynn and Lorna joined us and we also met our friends Harri and Steve who were out for the night.


Catching up soon with good company in good surroundings soon led to us deciding not to get some food as we stayed in the Variety, missing the first band of the evening - Chasing Owls.

We did ensure we were in for FOUND - one of Lorna's fave bands. The ABC was already busy and it wasn't even 8pm.


FOUND didn't really do it for me. I think their music didn't really transfer to a venue of ABC's size. Lorna loved them though. Colin and I marvelled at the synth/keys old skool Slazenger jumper!

Admiral Fallow appeared on stage to a huge roar and proceeded to play a spell binding set. 


As I said, I was rather drunk so I can't remember the exact order of the songs, so I am hoping that the setlist online HERE is correct. 


'Old Balloon' is possibly my favourite Fallow song. Melodic, building nicely and becoming epic. The lyrics are beautiful, they really do paint a picture. The end of the song really picks up the pace and it was amazing how at ease the band looked on stage.

'Cause sometimes it's like trying to breathe through a pillow,

Trying to dance on the tightrope in the pouring rain.

Sometimes it's like, like you're treading on egg-shells,

Trying to floss up your top-set with a rusty chain.

It's all because of you (x6)

I did wonder at one stage how many people in the audience had seen Fallow singer Louis Abbot playing in the pubs of Glasgow over the last few years. He and his band have really built up a loyal grass roots following and it was out in force at the ABC last night.

The sound was superb last night and the band seemed to revel in it; the sound, venue and crowd.


The close harmonies between Abbot and the gorgeous Sarah Hayes were spine tingling throughout the show.  

The sense of occasion was rammed home when giant confetti cannons went off towards the end of the gig. Everything came together for Admiral Fallow last night, the result of a good few years hard work mixed in with exceptional talent.


The band have just announced that they will be playing the Barrowlands in December. I am getting my ticket now.

Five for Friday 06/01/12

My first Five for Friday in 2012, I'd better make it good.


We kick start with a song by The Associates. This is actually a bside that I was turned on to by some guys with exceptional taste. I intend to check out much more by The Associates this year.

We stick with the letter 'A' for the next band, the magnificent Admiral Fallow. Their debut album was rereleased in 2012 and it has earned plaudits across the world, deservingly so. I look forward to seeing them at the ABC later in January.

Someone else playing Glasgow in January is Aaron Neville. This is a tune and a half, sublime.

Martha Reeves and the Vandellas return to The Arches. I caught them there a couple of years ago and it was a genuine pleasure to see Martha roll back the years and belt out tunes such as 'Heatwave'. A total classic.

We end with the tune that this blog is named after, 'Everything Flows' by Teenage Fanclub who are entering the studio in January to record a new album - good news to kick off 2012.


This is from the Teenage Fanclub Have Lost It EP.

Celtic Connections 2012 - My highlights

The cold weather, the darkness, the rain, post festivities....January in Glasgow can be pretty bleak. Thankfully, us Glaswegians found a solution to the weather and the blues a long time ago; it is always dry in pubs, you can have a good laugh with your mates and it is even better if there is some good music.

The start of the year will see Glasgow at its very best as the city plays host to (almost) a month of music (Celtic Connections) in January, the Glasgow Film Festival in February, the Magners Comedy Festival in March and the Glasgow International Art Festival from mid-April into early May.

Then it is practically festival season anyway!

I always enjoy the programme for Celtic Connections coming out and plotting what I am going to see. A few things caught my eye immediately and I've spent the last 30-minutes or so going through the up to date list to plot my month. Here is  my definites and maybes for Celtic Connections 2012, as well as notable mentions. If only I had the time and money to go to them all.

DEFINITES

Sunday 29th January, Remember Remember and Adam Stearns and the Glass Animals, Bar Brel

I've mentioned the Glasgow band Remember Remember a few times since I caught them at the Glasgow Science Centre as part of a Detour Night. They blew me away with their music, chemistry and musicianship.Their album 'The Quckening' is excellent. So I'm just about to order 2 tickets to catch them in the tiny Bar Brel, one of my favourite Glasgow watering holes. The fact that Adam Stearns is supporting them with his band is an added bonus as he is someone I have been meaning to catch live for some time.

Friday 27th January, Admiral Fallow, FOUND and Chasing Owls, ABC

Admiral Fallow have gone from strength to strength in the last two years, so I am really looking forward to seeing them play their biggest Glasgow show to date at the brilliant ABC. With support from Fence Records FOUND and the hotly tipped Chasing Owls, I imagine that the ABC will be full of Glasgow scenesters to check out a truly brilliant bill of music at a January friendly price. Oh, it also happens to be my birthday. Look out for Admiral Fallow's front man Louis Abbot out and about at various venues throughout the festival with two appearances at Brel with guests/friends.


Afterwards I'll be heading to Pinup Nights at the Flying Duck to catch Nevada Base and find out what mischief the Pinup lads have planned for their first bash of 2012. 

Sunday 5th February; Rachel Sermanni and friends at St Andrews in the Square

I caught the beautiful Rachel Sermanni for the first and only time back in April this year when she played the Wide Days music seminar in Edinburgh. She was captivating; young, beautiful, quietly confident with a cheeky side and very talented - picking gently at her guitar and allowing her voice to silence the audience - not an easy thing to do when the crowd is pissed up. I look forward to seeing her again, especially in the stunning St Andrews in the Square, the venue where Lynn and I got married.

MAYBES
Friday 20th January, Cornershop & 1990's at Platform
I caught Cornershop for the first time in the early-mid 90's when they supported The Pastels at King Tuts, pre-Fatboy Slim remix success. I have a few of their albums and I admire their fierce independence and experimental pop. Platform is a great venue and I have a soft spot for the 1990's as well. 


Tuesday 24th January; The Louisiana Connection with the Aaron Neville Band and Cedric Watson at the Royal Concert Hall
'Hercules' by Aaron Neville is an all-time fave tune of mine. I'm not sure if he'll be playing that tonight or not. From the description of the night on the Celtic Connections site though, it is going to be a brilliant night of music regardless. 


Thursday 26th January; King Creoste and Jon Hopkins at the ABC
'Diamond Mine', the Mercury nominated album by the above pair, is a truly beautiful album. The care and attention in the playing, production and craftsmanship just oozes out. Can it be replicated in live form? Well there is only one way to find out. I do hope to make it to this one if it doesn't sell out.

Notable mentions


Saturday 21st January; Laetitia Sadier, Jo Mango and Dan Haywood's New Hawks at Platform
Laetitia from Sterolab who I used to have a bit of a crush on.


Sunday 22nd January; Russian Red with Rachel Sermanni at the Mitchell Library


Sunday 22nd and Monday 23rd; Gerry Raffery Remembered at the Royal Concert Hall
My Mum is going to this.


Sunday 29th January; Martha Reeves and the Vandellas at the Arches
As I caught Martha at the Arches the last time she played, I'm not too fussed about missing this for Remember Remember at Bar Brel. She is fantastic though, 'Heatwave', 'Dancing In The Streets', 'Nowhere To Run'....the Motown classics are all played by a shit hot band.


Sunday 29th January; Bonnie Prince Billy at the Old Fruitmarket


Chemikal Underground Nights at Bar Brel
No acts have been announced yet

The Moth & the Mirror - Honestly, This World

Being a music fan in Glasgow means that you can discover bands in a variety of manners. I found out about The Moth & the Mirror (TM&TM) through speaking to a lovely guy called Kev who worked in Grassroots in Woodlands Road. We chatted regularly and I told him I was going to the Connect Music Festival that Sunday, primarily to see Sigur Ros.

'Oh you should come and see my band, The Moth & The Mirror.'

It turns out that Kev plays bass with them. He is a nice guy, so I went along to check them out and I really liked what I saw and heard. I caught them a couple of times over the next year or so and then it all seemed to go quiet. I know from speaking to Kev that they were recording, a certain Louis Abbot went on to have great success with his 'other band' Admiral Fallow and Gordon Skeene was recruited by Frightened Rabbit....so it has taken some time to get around to releasing this abum.

The Moth and The Mirror certainly do nothing to dispel any myths about the Scottish music scene being rather incestious!

In truth it is simply the fact that Glasgow is a small place and like minded people tend to get to know each other and help each other out. We are a friendly bunch.

So on to the album, out now on Olive Grove Records.

Opener 'Everyone I Know' starts with the rhythm section locked into a groove and develops into a rather epic song with singer Stacey Sievwright declaring 'I don't have the heart for this.' As openers go, this is a clear declaration of intent, a band wanting to prove their talents.

'Soft Insides' slows things down. A picked guitar riff is joined by glockenspiel and Stacey's vocal talents get the chance to shine. 'You build a wall so you can hide...'

'Fire' sounds familiar, so I'm guessing I must have heard it live. Either that or its upbeat nature just attracts me immediately. Or maybe it is the fact that Louis Abbot steps forward for a duet with Stacey. 'Fire' isn't a million miles away from the feel or sound of 'Boots Met My Face'. As an admirer of that album, that is a good thing. The song ends with a glorious refrain of 'thoughts of you, keep me warm' .

'Boxes' slows things down again, a sparse guitar riff is picked out on an acoustic guitar with Stacey's vocals all hushed and whispered. There are some gorgeous harmonies on this number until it all changes with guitars and drums crashing in. I have to confess that I prefer the first half of the song.

'Beautiful Creature' comes in at under 2-minutes long, yet there is enough time for TM&TM to experiment with sound and timings. Stacey sounds like a bit of a seductress on this one.

The title track 'Honestly, This World' flows on nicely from 'Beautiful Creature', good work on the tracklisting. If TM&TM have a 'sound' then this is a bit of a departure from it, reminding me of the likes of Jefferson Airplane at times. JA are not my particular cup of tea though, nor is this track.



Stacey's vocals are one of the real strengths of this album and of the band. Her ability to soar and to change style from line to line is quite remarkable on the right song. 'Hope Is An Anchor' is a song that really suits her. 'He just went away, put on a shining armour, he'll be back to get you some day'.

'Germany' is one of the more upbeat songs on the album in terms of the feeling to it. There is a great breakdown in the middle of the song when there are some lovely 3 or 4 part harmonies. The song really flows from there on in ending with Stacey shouting 'shake me up, shake you out'. A definite highlight.

'Closing Doors' is one of my tracks of the year. The feeling and production on this are just exceptional. Stacey's vocals are all hushed 'My eyes are bleary at this time of day....'. The cello on this is beautiful, as is the slide guitar, so delicate and soulful and the Emmylou Harris style 'oooh's'. A moment of genuine magic.

TM&TM's debut album flirts between styles throughout, so I was intrigued to see what they would come up with to close it. 'Oceans & Waves' starts gently before slow beats come in. The song veers off into new territory with searing guitar riffs, leaving the acoustic guitar and Stacey far behind. This song has epic stamped all over it, taking the listener on a real journey, as does the album.

All in all this is a good album with some particular stand outs. My personal favourites being 'Closing Doors', 'Germany', 'Hope Is An Anchor' and 'Fire'. Well worth checking out.

Listen before you buy at THE MOTH AND THE MIRROR

Admiral Fallow @ The Buff Club, Glasgow, 28th May 2010

On Friday night I headed along to The Buff Club in Glasgow for an event titled Dusk Til Dawn in aid of Maggie's Cancer Caring Centres. The night was organised by Ken Love and his brother under the banner Together Beat Cancer. Ken's family have been touched by cancer and this is the third musical event they have organised to raise funds for cancer charities. With real enthusiasm and passion, they are doing a great job.

I entered The Buff Club around 5.30pm and this was the first time I had ever been in sober! It seemed a lot bigger, it is usually rammed to the extent that there is no room to dance.

Radio Magnetic dj's played downstairs to greet people coming in, while the bands were playing upstairs. The venue looked fantastic set up for bands and I hope that they do it more often, I notice that the Detour podcast team have booked it out for June.

I didn't catch much of the first band so I'll skip quickly on to Scottish hip-hop artist Loki. Loki took to the stage (floor space) with his b-boy to back him up. I was trying hard not to laugh when he started, my first impression was that he was a total ned (and I might not be wrong). He had brought along some friends (his posse) who all looked like they dressed straight from the hip hop shop under the bridge at Central Station.

Despite my initial reaction I warmed to Loki. It took him a song or two to warm up but once he did he stopped the beats, sent his b-boy packing and told a tale about a night out in Edinburgh acapella. It was funny, entertaining and observant. It drew a great response from the crowd and Loki took great encouragement from it. A different b-boy took to the stage to join him (not as good as the first guy) but the remaining few songs saw the crowd getting into it and Loki introducing a song 'A West End State Of Mind' about drinking Bucki and getting high in the West End of Glasgow.

The line-up for the night was eclectic and next up was Louise McVey & The Cracks In The Concrete. Louise looked stunning in a vintage dress. The band play a leftfield mix of music that immediately had me thinking about the likes of Jefferson Airplance. Her backing band are tight and she can certainly sing. 'Ode' from her current EP was a highlight, although I didn't catch all of the set as I went downstairs to give Ken's brother a break from merchandise duty as he wanted to catch a bit of their set.

On to the headliner, Admiral Fallow (formerly Brother Louise Collective). I have to admit I am quite sceptical about bands that change names but keep the same songs. However it does appear to have given Admiral Fallow a new lease of life and lets be honest, it is a better name!

With an album under their belts confidence is clearly high within the band and that transferred on to the stage at the Buff Club and the audience was treated to an outstanding performance. I had caught Admiral Fallow in their previous guise at Tuts back in December and although it was clear they had talent, the sound on the night didn't do them any favours.

The sound engineer on Friday night did a great job. With a flutist and clarinet player (when he isn't playing keyboards) in their line-up, the band created some wonderful soundscapes. Lead singer/songwriter Louis' lyrics are pretty autobographical and they are certainly very descriptive.

Opener 'Dead Against Smoking' (I think this is what they opened with, but excuse me if I have the order wrong) was quite apt for a cancer benefit gig. 'You smoke when you're hurt, or when you're bored, or other things but I don't mind. Who cares if the big C comes when we're having some lovely times?'

The song flows beautifully and the chorus 'You're like a gasoline, you're like a willow tree, you're like a split screen, you're the green in me' lifts the song at the right times.

'Subbuteo' brought the tone down but maintained the interest of the crowd before 'These Barren Years' took things higher with flowing melodies from the gorgeous Sarah on the flute and Kevin on the clarinet.

The set was one of the best I have seen/heard in Glasgow for a long time and was full of highlights. 'Squealing Pigs' started off quietly before a good old Celtic beat kicked in and stopped the talking at the bar, Louis' singing was complimented by the gentle tones of Sarah Hayes.

The album 'Boots Met My Face' is available now on itunes and check the bands myspace.

A special mention must also go to Jim Gellatly for hosting the night. Well done to Ken for all his hard work.