Named after the debut single by Teenage Fanclub.
This blog is all about being a music lover in Glasgow; reviews, interviews, memories, old faves, new discoveries (past and present), playlists 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.
Insta - @everythingflowsglasgow
Bruce Springsteen, AKA The Boss, turned 70 in September 2019. This landmark birthday inspired Roddy Hart to arrange this years Roaming Roots Revue in Springsteen's honour.
The annual bash, a real highlight in the Celtic Connections calendar, celebrated its 8th birthday by selling out their usual haunt at the Royal Concert Hall
For the first time in the events history, a second night was added, in the stunning Old Fruitmarket in the Merchant City area of Glasgow.
Reports from night one were euphorically emphatic and I was thoroughly looking forward to celebrating my birthday with family and friends to the sounds of Springsteen.
What a show!
The setting, song choices, artists, band and performances were just perfect. And we squeezed in right down the front at the side to have a brilliant up close view of performances.
Roddy Hart and The Lonesome Fire were on fire. I think the all standing venue made a difference and perhaps they were looser after playing the night before.
The guests who joined them on stage were exceptional; The Rails, Ryan Bingham, Phil Campbell, Lisa Hannigan, Karine Polwart, Jonathan Wilson and Craig Finn. They all brought something a little different, all teased something out of Springsteen's catalogue that made you appreciate his work as a songwriter and performer a little more and every artist showed their appreciation for the songs and artist that will make me go back and revisit songs and albums over the weeks to come.
Roddy Hart used the first half of the show to introduce his guest singers, with each performing a song or two. Phil Campbell chose to play a song called Western Star from Springsteen's latest album - it was stunning and will ensure I check the album out later in the week.
Roddy Hart and Phil Campbell
After the interval the show didn't let up. The tech team ensured swift changeovers and the show flowed like ... well like a Bruce show should!
The evening was one long beautiful feel good highlight. Although I guess I should note that the 4 songs I played first thing this morning were I'm On Fire, Brilliant Disguise, Hungry Heart and The Rising.
Lisa Hannigan's take on I'm On Fire was jaw droppingly beautiful. You could have heard a pin drop in the Old Fruitmarket. What a voice!
Roddy Hart and Lisa Hannigan
Phil Campbell has an incredible voice and an infectious energy to his performances. He blew me away at the Abbey Road Roaming Roots Revue in 2019 and he did so again last night. I look forward to checking out his new band The Byson Family. His raw, rasping, soulful vocals were perfect for Darkness On The Edge Of Town, Campbell threw himself into the performance.
Karine Polwart led a charing version of The Rising that really got the place going. I found it really interesting to hear her singing in this way, I guess with more ferocity in the music behind her, it really suited her.
I loved the interaction between James Walbourne and Kami Thompson, AKA The Rails. Walbourne tore into his guitar and their harmonising was glorious.
Craig Finn from The Hold Steady is a huge Springsteen fan and his love shone through, he looked super happy to be on stage and taken aback by the audience response.
Look at the setlist below - stunning. Roddy and his band worked the set (see below for full setlist) order brilliantly, building to huge anthems Born To Run, Dancing In The Dark and Badlands. By this point everyone was on stage, playing guitar, singing lead or backing vocals, or just enjoying themselves.
It was fitting that Roddy Hart, the curator of these fantastic annual events, took to the stage with two of his band on piano to deliver a spine tingling encore of Thunder Road. Hart's voice was magnificent, strong and soulful, possibly the best I have heard him.
Last night left me buzzing all day. A truly fitting tribute to Springsteen.
I do hope that the demand for tickets in 2021 will ensure Roddy's Roaming Roots Revue keeps a second night at the Old Fruitmarket. I have to confess that earlier on today I was thinking of ideas what they could do. I thought of Carole King, she'll be 80 in 2022 so that is one to pipeline as a potential for then.
My friend Ian went both nights and nabbed a setlist from night 1. Ian noted that the set list had 3 changes on the second night (which, incidentally he said was best): Ryan Bingham and Lisa Hannigan did different tracks, and Land of Hope and Dreams was dropped. But what a show
Glasgow discovered a fantastic way to banish the January blues many years ago - the city decided to launch a festival called Celtic Connections to celebrate the rich cultural heritage of music our small country is blessed with (and other music we enjoy too!). As many cities pubs and restaurants experience their quietest month of the year, Glasgow keeps on going as pubs, venues and restaurants are packed with people out to enjoy music and banter. It's the Glasgow way, we are a social bunch and like nothing better than to watch talented musicians with our friends and a beer.
Roddy Hart's Roaming Roots Revue has become a staple of Celtic Connections. Roddy and his excellent band The Lonesome Fire, become host and backing band for a string of artists to pay respect to great artists like Dylan or Petty, or scenes like the West Coast of America, or, in the case of last night, an album.
Abbey Road was the last album The Beatles recorded and it was released in 1969, 50-years ago. It's a nice round number, definitely an excuse for a party.
And what a party Roddy Hart conjured up. He's quite the host and knows how to choose guests that will get a crowd going. Last night, as well as being joined by a capacity crowd at the fabulous Royal Concert Hall, Roddy was joined by his outstanding band The Lonesome Fire, a forty (yes 4 0 ) piece orchestra and stunning artists; KT Tunstall, Lomond Campbell, Phil Campbell from The Temperence Movement, The Staves and new band You Tell Me (Sarah Hayes from Admiral Fallow and Peter Brewis of Field Music).
I did wonder how they were going to fill up a whole evening with one album, Roddy quickly informed us that each artist would come out to play 2 or 3 of their own songs with The Lonesome Fire and then they would move on to The Beatles.
Each artist was fantastic, Roddy is clearly a fan of Lomond Campbell and I'm sure he will have won a number of new fans after a heartfelt performance. The debut album by You and Me is literally just out, so this was a perfect opportunity for them to get the word out - the album has been picking up excellent reviews. Sarah Hayes beamed from behind a huge piano and he voice was sweet and soulful, combining beautifully with Peter Brewis.
Phil Campbell is not someone I was aware of prior to last night. I've heard of his band The Temperence Movement but have never checked them out, I will be after last night. This guy oozes cheeky charm and charisma (more on this later). His short set allowed him to display a raspy early 70's Rod Stewart style voice and he bounded around like a cross between Steve Marriott from the Small Faces and vintage Jagger. Oh and he melted hearts when his young daughter shouted Daddy when the crowd was quiet and he said he loved her.
The Staves are three young sisters who I will be checking out. Roddy introduced them by highlighting their classic songwriting and 3-part harmonies were winning fans everywhere - no wonder! They were spellbinding.
And lastly, KT Tunstall bounded on looking pretty cool in stripes flares and a vest top, playing 3 great songs and also giving us some great between song banter ranging from a drunken night at karaoke with her friends when she found that two of her songs were on the list - she played Suddenly I See - and also talking about playing in the pouring rain to two ladies giving it laldy at the opening of the new Queensferry crossing - the Queen had left and after that so had everyone else. The two left were her Mum and Nicola Sturgeon.
On to Abbey Road.
Roddy and friends made full use of the space and sound quality by getting a 40-piece orchestra to back them up! The sound quality last night was utterly brilliant - sonic goodness of the highest order.
My money was on Phil Campbell to sing Come Together, but it was KT Tunstall who came out and channelled the urgency, soul and humour of Lennon, setting a high bar for the rest of the guests.
Lomond Campbell accepted the challenge and his version of Something was beautiful, the way the song flows is sublime and the 40-piece orchestra took it as high as they possibly could and it soared during the you're asking me where my love goes, I don't know, I don't know section.
You Tell Me arguably drew the short straw with McCartney's Maxwell's Silver Hammer, but the melodies and humour carried the song and it actually made more sense live than on record. This is a song that Lennon famously refused to play on.
When I think of Abbey Road Macca I think of side 2. I'm not massively fussed about the above song or Oh Darling. My opinion of both changed last night, especially the latter as Phil Campbell took the song to another level with an astonishing vocal performance, whipping himself and the band to sensational heights. The look on some of the faces of people playing in the orchestra was priceless as Campbell shared, shimmied and cajoled himself to get every ounce of soul from the song. This was a stunning vocal and frontman performance and he received an extended ovation that was very richly deserved.
I love Octopus's Garden. There I've said it. I love the melody, the dreamy charm, the fact my kids love it and I love that Ringo wrote it (allegedly -I still kind of think McCartney might have had a hand in it!). It was nice of Roddy to hand it over to his drummer, Scott McKay, to sing. Scott had never sung a song in front of an audience, so when Roddy told us that, Scott had everyone on side. And he had everyone helping him out, it was a lovely moment.
Then we had Tunstall and Phil Campbell duetting on a powerful and sexual I Want You (She's So Heavy) that was a joy to hear and witness. The guitars were superb.
Then we had that spell binding side 2 which quickly developed to almost everyone being on stage. You and Me had the joy of Here Comes The Sun with a Spectoresque number of guitars helping the orchestra.
We had The Staves with a breathtaking performance of Because, we had You Never Give Me Your Money into Sun King, the romp through Mean Mr Mustard and Polythene Pam into the uplifting She Came In Through The Bathroom Window. Lomond Campbell, KT Tunstall and Phil Campbell all coming and going with remarkable fluidity. The ooh's and aah's delivered by The Staves were truly beautiful
Then it was into McCartney's stunning finale - Golden Slumbers, Carry That Weight and the most beautiful of closing numbers The End.
Only it wasn't, as per the album Roddy Hart played Her Majesty after the applause had finally died down.
What a performance, what a show! Top marks to all involved.
There was a little encore, as Roddy said, why waste the opportunity of a 40-piece orchestra! You Tell Me were at their best on She's Leaving Home and Penny Lane was a riot with every singer taking lines.
Quite a few of my recent blogs have been decidedly retro - anniversaries of classic albums or shows. I am extremely fortunate that many of the bands and artists I got into in my teens and early 20's are still around and I do enjoy looking back at their classic albums and blogging about their current activities. However I want to ensure that my blog allocates space to plenty of new bands and artists that I enjoy and also some of the issues they face.
So I thought I would write a blog about a recent (indeed a current) experience I have had with my sisters band TeenCanteen - one that should be of interest to a lot of DIY/unsigned bands.
The experience involved the crowd funding platform Pledge Music and I have to say that it has been extremely positive -so read on if you want to find out more...I hope this may help some bands or artists in the future.
The cost of being in a band
Some people really have no idea how much money you need to be in a band, even a relatively small one - equipment, rehearsal studios, travelling to gigs/touring, recording - studio time, production, mixing, videos, releasing..... believe me, it can all add up...especially if things start to get serious.
Most bands will put in their own money and any money they make from gigs, PRS or self releases then goes straight back into doing it all again. Unless you have a (major or large indie) label, sponsor, backer or you make some serious money from a song or release, then money is a constant worry.
Funding a serious start-up or DIY band is a serious issue.
Crowd-funding and Pledge Music
I first came across Pledge Music a few years ago when I was managing the Vigo Thieves. Pledge were very interested in capitalising on the interest Vigo Thieves were generating through their use of Social Media. Engagement with fans is something that singer Stevie Jukes is something of a specialist in - in person and online. To this day I remember Stevie hand delivering me Vigo Thieves first EP with a ticket for their show at Sleazys. Online - competitions, asking fans for their opinion, pics, updates, videos...it all helps. Social Media is essential for crowdfunding.
Vigo Thieves at King Tut's
Like a record label - Pledge have an A and R team, so, like a record label - Pledge need to find bands to make money. They get a commission, so it is in their interests to take on bands that will achieve their target and hopefully smash it.
Pledge Music was and is, an interesting, yet extremely simple concept - fan funding, or crowd funding. It is now part of common culture. People interested in a project help to fund it - simple!
So if you are in a band, Pledge Music have the format, skills, knowledge and experience to help you set up a fundraising project; for the vast majority of bands this is to raise funds to record an album. Not cheap!
Funnilly enough I did something on a much smaller scale with the band Sonny Marvello when I managed them. We raised some decent money through shows at Stereo in Glasgow, but also set up a Fanclub - the 100 club. Only 100 members and you got a mini-acoustic album, access to a secret show at a vintage clothes shop in Glasgow (what a night that was!) and a badge. It sold out in a few days and raised £1,000 for the band. Crowd funding - it works if you offer the right event/product/project, promote it correctly, deliver and thank.
Good studios like Tape in Edinburgh, Rocket Science, Cava or Gorbals Sound in Glasgow can cost £400+ per day. Smaller studios like the brilliant La Chunky or Green Door in Glasgow are around £200 per day. So if you're laying down 10-tracks and recording everything separately - you need a good number of days. (please correct me if I am wrong on any prices)
So for recording, mixing and production of an album, you can be looking at a fairly considerable sum. Not the kind of money most bands have lying around.
Cava Sound
Vigo Thieves decided against Pledge Music in the end, largely because at the time it was pretty untried and untested. In 2015 it is fast becoming one of the best ways for small and also for large bands to engage with fans and to fund projects; The Libertines are one of the biggest bands to currently be using Pledge. Cast, Marillion, Reverend and the Makers are others. Do The Libertines need a record label in this day and age when they already have a huge fanbase?
In Scotland, Roddy Hart and the Lonesome Fire are a band who have embraced crowd funding and Gerry Cinnamon is an emerging artist who has smashed his Pledge Music target to fund his debut album. Gerry is an artist who wants complete control, no compromise- he has it.
Gerry Cinnamon
My sister Carla has a band - TeenCanteen - and she asked me if I could help her raise the remaining funds required to complete their debut album that they are working on at Tape Studios in Edinburgh. They had found the right studio and producer, recorded 4-songs (in Mono), but needed a cash injection to complete the album.
I spoke with Pledge, they liked the band, their engagement via Social Media was strong (despite the fact they maybe didn't have the follows or likes of other bands), they had good songs and videos, good support from the likes of 6music and they also liked the fact that as well as being a music fan, I am a fundraiser by profession.
I worked with my sister and the band on setting up the Pledge project. We set up a range of ways that fans could get involved to help the band complete their album..... Stripped back home sets, a live album, limited artwork, TeenCanteen cover versions, appear in a video, do handclaps on the album, a Skype harmony lesson, handwritten lyrics....something for everyone ranging from £10 to £350 with loads in between.
We couldn't believe what happened next.... but before that, check the video below....
22/09
TeenCanteen launched their Pledge Music campaign, spending a small amount on Facebook advertising and sending an e-newsletter to fans.
23/09
The campaign is almost at 50% within 24-hours with pledges towards TeenCanteen doing cover versions and a stripped back home concert helping with a large percentage of that total. Cover versions were £50 and a home show was £350.
In Fundraising Terms people pledging for a home concert are like your major donors - pledging a substantial amount and really making a difference.
But like fundraising - for a crowd-funding project to really work - you need a variety of income streams. Look at Comic/Sports Relief for example, they have big shows, big challenges, people holding events for them, but they also need people texting at £5, £25 or going online and donating whatever they can.
They are also great with the films they make, highlighting the difference you can make. So the video above definitely helped.
24/09
Carla posts a short Thank You video on Facebook as the campaign reaches 54%. Within a few hours this leads to cover versions and home concerts selling out and an increase towards other pledges; including the Skype harmony lesson.
In fundraising - thanking your donors properly is of paramount importance. It strengthens relationships.
24/09
The campaign reaches 94% and Carla posts a video of an excited Chloe running around the pub they are in - leading to the campaign breaking 100%.
Another great example of thanking and showing how much it meant to the band.
25/09
The campaign breaks 100% and Carla posts a thumbs up thank you picture leading to more pledges.
27/09
A further thanks and a reminder that there are still loads of things like handclaps on the album available.
The campaign remains open and pledges are still coming in, even though the band are concentrating on communicating with pledgers rather than promoting the project.
We are now in the process of sorting out everything that needs to be done - communicating with fans, timelines for recording covers, letting fans know recording dates for handclaps, letting people know when they will be sent things, working out availability for home concerts..... I guess this is when a manager comes in handy - or someone like me who can help.
What is really interesting is that it is truly fans that have embraced the Pledge campaign. 98% of the pledgers are non family/close friends. They are proper fans who have read about the band, or heard them on 6Music or caught them at a festival or supporting someone.
This is something that has given my sister a huge confidence boost - the fact that the songs she has been writing in her bedroom and creating with her friends is generating real love and people want to help her make the album.
Music fans - supporting a band to create music = is it really that simple?!
Beerjacket in action at King Tut's for his 10th anniversary
Beerjacket, AKA Peter Kelly, has just celebrated his 10th anniversary with a career spanning show at King Tut's Wah Wah Hut, complete with special guests.
I first stumbled across Beerjacket back in 2009 and I have followed his music with interest ever since; admiring the poetic, emotional and descriptive lyrics, the melodies, invention and the independence that has been clearly displayed.
The personal touch is sadly missing from many things in life these days, so a nice hand written note to accompany an album bought from theBeerjacket Bandcamp page was a lovely gesture.
I thought it would be a good idea to catch up with Peter to look back at his career to date and just as importantly, to look forward to the future.
I am very grateful to Peter for taking the time to answer my 10-questions for his 10th anniversary. It is a fascinating interview that I have thoroughly enjoyed reading.
I would wholeheartedly encourage anyone reading this blog to follow the link above, or to click on the links to Peter's personal 10-song selection at the end. But don't jump ahead just yet! Read on and find out about Beerjacket's extremely limited edition first album, what Peter thinks is the best Beerjacket song, a metal band with an indie legend and lots, lots more!
1. 10-years and 5-albums (I think it is more but there are 5 on your Bandcamp) is quite prolific and consistent by many artists standards. Can you share any memories about how, why and when you first started writing your own music? Did the music or lyrics come first? Were any of those songs recorded and released?
There have technically been
eight, although I would only really speak of the past three being proper albums
and especially the past two as they are studio albums. Up until then, I was a
self-recorder and I basically released everything I ever wrote in that period.
I certainly wasn't any good at recording my own music and I think a bunch of
songs were really stunted by poor home production.
By the time I went into the
studio to record The White Feather Trail - my first recorded with producer,
Stuart MacLeod - I had managed to refine what Beerjacket is meant to sound like
and I think it's a really good album as a result.
My writing has changed a
lot over the past ten years. I always wanted to write songs even before I could
play a musical instrument and before I had anything to write about. I was only
about seven or eight years old when I first started writing 'songs' and
compiling them as 'albums'with artwork
and all the rest. These, by the way, were blank C60 tapes with covers drawn
with felt tips and accompanying lyrics about WHO KNOWS WHAT.
Initially, I hadn't much
direction about what Beerjacket was other than acoustic music influenced by
Will Oldham, Lou Barlow and Bill Callahan, amongst others. That said, I still
released everything utterly rough around the edge. Truthfully, it was probably
live performances that brought together a following for Beerjacket - recordings
were not a strong point until I recorded my last homer, Animosity. I thought
that was probably the best I could manage until I went into the studio with
Stuart in 2011 for The White Feather Trail and now I couldn't even think about
doing a record with anyone else, let alone by myself.
The White Feather Trail
2. Has your writing style changed through the
years - if so, how? How often do you write and have you ever had the dreaded ‘writers
block’?
I used to write very
traditionally, albeit taking the unorthodox approach of recording and releasing
everything! The turning point for my writing came when I stopped adopting that
'songwriter-mode' and just wrote in a stream of consciousness style for
Animosity. I would step onto a train and just write continuously in a notebook
and revisit it when I next held a guitar, taking the same approach to the
music. That was pretty revelatory for me as it removed any anxieties about
writer's block and made me feel much more creative. I think the truth is that
everyone is on the edge of being creative all the time and we put the block in
the way through trying too hard.
I don't write continuously
and I can't decide it's time. I just have to respond to it when it's on the way
and record what appears. I never write anything down in a notepad now and I'm
never in the process of writing something. If I'm writing it, I've written it.
For me, writing it just means I listened to what appeared in my head, followed
my hands and captured it in a recording.
3. Tell us about the lead up to the release
of your first album. How were you recording, what shows were you playing and
what ultimately made you feel ready to release an album?
There was no lead-up to the release of the
album! My first Beerjacket gig was with Roddy Hart at Brel and it was supposed
to be the first and last one. I wrote and recorded an album at home on 4-track for the gig, called it
Oh My Head and burned 5 copies onto CD-R with cover art made on Microsoft Word! Every copy sold and there was no going back!
Beerjacket's first show at Brel, 10-years ago
4. What lessons have you learned since your
first release? What advice would you give to any artists self releasing?
I have learned that it is best to record songs
properly! Whether you record yourself or with someone else, whether you are
solo or in a band…Whatever
the case, it’s a myth that having
technology or a machine of some sort means you can release an album! It took me
five years to realise that and I managed to make Animosity sound respectable.
Even then, I wish that I had recorded it with Stuart in the studio.
Self-releasing is absolutely something I would
recommend though if artists can be organised enough to do justice to what they
produce.
The traditional idea of a record label as a stamp of quality is still
relevant where we’re talking about the
likes of Sub Pop or Bella Union and it’s
certainly not the case that we don’t
need labels because of the Internet.
Nevertheless, it’s definitely got definite plus points in that you don’t have to negotiate (probably hopelessly)
for complete creative control, you control everything by default! Nowadays,
word of mouth is all the more powerful online as it spreads worldwide rather
than being limited to a small circle of mix-CD swappers.
I’m
really proud of what I’ve
achieved despite not being attached to a label or management company and there are most definitely
advantages to being truly independent.
5. Have you been approached by any labels to
release through them? If so, why have you chosen to continue the DIY approach?
I have been approached by labels in the past and
I’m always really
honest with them. I’m not available in
the way that other musicians might be: I have a family and a job I really care
about. It’s in the situation I
am in that I can be creative and leaving that would not only make me unhappy,
it would stall my writing.
Being DIY (although I’m not quite anymore, I work with a number of other folks now in
recording and performance) is advantageous as I can decide what works for me. I
feel that no-one can care as much about an artist’s music than the artist. I respect the industry though and there are
good people working all over it. As long as you are doing what suits you best,
you can’t go wrong.
6. You have collaborated with a number of
other artists on your releases and had a number of guests at your 10th
anniversary show. If you could choose a local, national or international artist
to collaborate with on your next album who would you choose and why?
Collaborating is great as it not only encourages
a fresh voice in your music, it’s
just very friendly and human. I’ve
been really enjoying that over the past few years.
The people I’ve collaborated with have brought a lot to Beerjacket songs (roll
call: Julia Doogan, Louise Connell, Ross Leighton, Emma Pollock, Stuart
MacLeod, Rachel Sermanni and Michael Cassidy) and these collaborations have
come about very naturally.
Beerjacket with Rachel Sermanni
I would love to work more with Kristin Hersh,
who I invited to sing on Darling Darkness when we were playing shows together.
It didn’t happen, although I
think we’ll certainly do more
together more over the years. Maybe we’ll
get our metal band Mildred together one day!
7. You first came to my attention in 2009
with your gorgeous cover of Springsteen’s ‘Dancing in the Dark’, which, if memory
serves me correct, was picked up by Rolling Stone magazine. Was that a ‘breakthrough’ moment for you? Or do you feel you have had a ‘breakthrough’ moment(s)?
That was weird. I recorded that in twenty
minutes on a 4-track and having sent it to a pal, it made its way to an
American blogger and then a Rolling Stone journalist. There was quite a lot of
fuss made about that and, in retrospect, I now wish I had spent more time on
it! It was the only cover I had done amidst all these Beerjacket songs and it
was, in some ways, a little bittersweet that it got so much attention.
The funny thing was that it was never supposed
to be a cover. When I started playing the riff, I thought I was writing
something new…
8. You’ve just played a special 10th anniversary show at King Tut’s. Does it feel like a landmark? Are you ready for the next phase
(so to speak)? What are your future plans/ambitions?
That was an amazing night. It was the longest
set I’ve ever played at one hour twenty minutes! The nature of the
occasion meant I really had to play all night as old school members of the
audience
expected it. There were so many songs and yet still some inevitable
omissions…
In a way, it was both a retrospective evening
and a hint of the next step. I’ll be going into the studio with Stuart
next month to begin recording an album of ten of the best Beerjacket songs from
the past decade when I was still home recording. There will hopefully be some
more guest turns on there too…
9. Could you list 10 of your all-time
favourite bands/artists?
This is impossible. Here are ten I love:
Nirvana. Kristin Hersh/Throwing Muses. Neil
Young. Jeff Buckley. Simon and Garfunkel. Leonard Cohen. Bonnie ‘Prince’Billy. Elliott Smith. Bruce Springsteen. Cat Power.
10. You’ve been approached by the BBC for a special TV show to celebrate
your 10th anniversary and you have to play a 10-song set. What do you play?
Intriguing and quite
unlikely scenario, Murray! (Murray - You never know Peter!)
The first song I ever wrote or could even play
on ukulele. The ukulele is a fairly divisive instrument and some people really,
really hate it but I probably don’t
play it too much like a ukulele. Personally,
I think it’s
a really beautiful instrument and this song has served me very well, especially
when I play it first in a set. It sets a tone and asks for quiet but best of
all, it’s a strong song about
weakness.
There are lots of things I
love about this song. I wrote it on the train in 2009 and the words just fell
into my notebook. This was when I had a notebook! Now the words fall into my
head instead, which is fun and strange. It's a song about the destructive
potential of passive aggression and how damaging it is to relationships.
This song is based on the
image of having one of my children on my shoulders and their arms making it
look like I have antlers. I make no apology for writing about my kids and
fatherhood in general as that's real and the most important part of my life.
The last thing I wrote before I recorded The
White Feather Trail and absolutely inspired by the sound of Louise Connell’s voice, who agreed to sing on it and who
was subsequently grabbed for lots of other Beerjacket songs on that album and
Darling Darkness.
As much as it surprises me, this is the
favourite Beerjacket song of many folks. It’s really a pretty sad song and yet people always ask for it. Maybe
it’s the appearance of
eggs in the lyrics, a pretty common theme in my songs bizarrely…
Volcano, you melt me
I'm devastated by your grace
Make me pass on my living love
Through hysterical destructive haze
The witches that watch you just wilt and then with away
For no riches or fortunes could ever lay claim to your face
This is the ‘superhero song’.
It’s another song about
being a Dad but it could relate to any protective relationship really and is
about human failings not getting in the way of everyday heroism.
For my money, this is the best ever Beerjacket
song. It has every element of the music I’ve been writing over the past ten years and perhaps that’s why it’s been so successful. I love hearing it on the radio, I love playing
it live and I love hearing people sing along. I just love it.
My first big tune! I was totally honoured to
have the opportunity to play this song completely live on BBC 2’s The Review Show when The White Feather
Trail came out in 2011. Paul Morley was a guest on the show and I’ve always been a huge fan of his writing,
plus everyone I knew was watching along with half a million others. Monumental
for me and one of my happiest memories of playing Beerjacket music.
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
Roddy Hart and his band The Lonesome Fire displayed all the signs of a band on the way up at a sold out Oran Mor last night. Riding high in confidence on the back of the Forever Young - Bob Dylan birthday concert at the Glasgow Royal Concert Hall in January, Hart and his band flew through their back catalogue and played a few new songs to boot.
Support band the Sunshine Social played a short acoustic set, with Hart and co determined to have their equipment set up and ready to go. The highlight of the set was a stunning song that the singer played at the end called 'Bones' that moved him to tears. It was emotional and the young guy was baring his heart and soul on stage, resulting in a hug from his band mates afterwards.
The Lonesome Fire is now a 6-piece band as Hart continues to develop his sound; think Petty mixed with Dylan, The Band and Springsteen. With two (sometimes 3) electric guitars (Roddy is normally on acoustic), there is a real warmth and depth on stage.
Opening with a new song, the band barely let up for the first few songs until Roddy welcomes and thanks the crowd.
Throughout the course of the night and the between song banter we learn that Roddy has had a busy day; finishing a song (that he plays along at the piano with the lyrics in front of him), attending a mate from uni's wedding and playing two songs, getting stuck on the M8 on the way ack(checking to see if someone who tweeted him to say they were stuck has arrived) and playing a packed Oran Mor!
There are many highlights from the night, I should really take a pen and paper to gigs to get the setlist, but I go to gigs to enjoy them, not to take notes. So in no particular order;
'She Is All I Need' was a searing blast of American rock with Hart on harmonica; 'Home' received one of the biggest cheers of the night and rightly so, with beatutiful guitar work and Hart's voice at its best.
'Send A Message' is epic pop with eches of U2 and Coldplay at times, Petty and the Heartbreakers at times, particularly towards the end when it moves up through the gears with the; 'send send, send send the message' section with a gorgeous stadium size (yet delicate) guitar riff.
The band rip through a song called 'A Girl Named Joe' and afterwards we learn that it originated from a jam session with Ryan Adams, although he ended up collapsed in a corner, so Hart finshed the song. It was good fun guitar pop.
'Take Me Home' was another cracker, harmonies reaching skywards, a lovely piano riff taing the song all the way.
'Edge of Love' is stunningly beautiful, the band seem to work as one throughout the night and Hart ensures they are well thanked and name checked to applause from the crowd.
'I will take away your loneliness and fear, to the edge of love I will follow you my dear'
'Bright Light Fever' is one of a number of new songs thrown into the set, it is another epic song with the band really going for it. A possible future single (to my ears anyway), this is a song that the band clearly enjoy playing, I could imagine it being played and enjoyed at festivals.
'Mercy Boat' ends the night in stunning fashion, Hart's lyrics are among his best, his voice throughout the night is sensational, rising and falling when required, roaring and straining in all the right places, backed up superbly on harmonies by the Lonesome Fire.
'it might take time, strength, prayers, we'll get there'
This summer will see the CD release of his third album Road of Bones (currently available on LP here) and I am sure that the band will kick on from there. I'd highly recommend going to see them live the next time they are in town, although if you fancy a trip to Paisley they play there in June.
Alcohol and music pretty much go hand in hand, I’m sure that goes without saying for many of you reading this blog!
In recent years the drinks industry has recognised the significance of the live music audience and moved to ‘get in there’ (Scottish football fans expression) and ‘get about it’ (another one). This has been tried and tested on various different levels.
This week will see Sailor Jerry’s put on a night at Stereo with Pete and the Pirates, to tie in with Sailor Jerry Spiced, with the crowd invited to get ‘torn into’ (another good Scottish expression) a number of combinations including Sailor and Ginger and Sailor and Cola.
Amazingly, I have been getting some rather good hits/visits to my blogs since I started writing regularly and someone got in touch asking if I would go to this gig. As someone who was converted to the wonder of Sailor Jerry’s by Sonny Marvello, I immediately asked if there was any space on the bill for them, sadly there wasn’t but I fully intended to go along and sample the wares anyway.
Until I realised that this weekend is absolutely manic for me and I had completely forgotten that I’m going to see Roddy Hart and the Lonesome Fire at Oran Mor on Friday.
Anyway, it got me thinking about Drinks companies and their increasing forays into the live music market, in turn prompting this blog. So I’ll look at Sailor Jerry’s, but also Miller, Guinness and Carling who have all got involved in the music scene in Glasgow over the last few years.
Sailor Jerry’s
I first heard about Sailor Jerry’s at the wedding of Sonny Marvello’s singer Stephen to his lovely wife Hayley. I was fed up of beer and needed a spirit. Low and behold, Mick and Craig from the band produced Sailor Jerry’s and with simple mix of coke and ice I was back in the mood to party, suitably refreshed and recharged. They seem to be a drinks brand going quietly about their business and generating recommendations through word of mouth and some clever advertising.
Sailor Jerry’s are no stranger to live gigs; in recent times they have put on gigs by rising bands The Joy Formidable and Mystery Jets. So they clearly have someone with their ear to the ground in terms of rising bands, indeed Pete and the Pirates latest single ‘Come To The Bar’ has been deemed ‘hottest record in the world’ by Zane Lowe. So they may just have their ear to Radio 1 rather than the ground!
Pic by Stephen Guillock
So Pete and the Pirates headline Stereo on Friday 27th May,tickets are a mere £5 with no booking fee and they are available from www.sailorjerry.co.uk You can also visit www.facebook.com/sailorjerry where you can win a signed guitar and there will be regular giveaways through the year.
“we can't wait to play Sailor Jerry Presents and we always have fun when in Glasgow so it's going to be a great show" - Pete and the Pirates
Norman “Sailor Jerry” Collins was the father of old-school American tattooing. Sailor Jerry preserves the legacy of Norman Collins and celebrates his old-school values of independence, hard work, and unyielding standards of craftsmanship.
So there is a good link between independent up and coming bands who like to get out on tour and .....are good. It will be interesting to see how Sailor Jerry’s relationship with music develops. They seem to be ‘targetting’ a certain market and my own opinion is that they are choosing a good selection of bands and venues and Glasgow will naturally feature regularly given our love of live music and drink.
Pete and the Pirates seem to be a band on the rise, so with the mix of some Sailor Jerry’s and an excellent venue, this could be a good night. This is the first one I’ve heard about, so I look forward to seeing who they put on next.
Miller
My introduction to Alcohol Companies using the live music market to enhance and promote their brand was through Miller Genuine Draft and their series of monthly gigs in Glasgow and Edinburgh circa 2006-2007/8 (I lose track of time). The concept was simple – get two of the hottest and best bands around, get them in a cool venue, promote it well, make it free (you had to text) and get the beers in – Miller only though of course.
I went to a number of gigs at the Mill in both Glasgow and Edinburgh and two of the bands I went on to manage; Futuristic Retro Champions and Sonny Marvello, played at the nights they put on. So looking back I can assess them as a music fan, from a band/management perspective and in reflection on what they brought to the live music scene. I can also hazard a guess at what they got out of it. So I’ll do just that!
Music fan
The Mill gigs were weekly (yes that’s right – weekly) gigs in both Glasgow and Edinburgh. I think that not only highlights the number of bands in and around those cities, but also the quality. I recently met with the girl in charge of these nights and she wouldn’t put on any old crap, nor would the brand wish to be associated with terrible music. So as a music fan you had access to regular quality music in great venues – for free!
Band/Management
The Mill (Miller) promoted the sh*t out of these gigs with adverts in The Skinny, The List and on billboards throughout each city. So if you were an ‘out and about’ type of person, you really couldn’t miss the fact that they were on. This is a major plus point for bands, they knew that there was a very good chance indeed that they would be playing to people who had never seen them before in a great venue with a great sound system (several plus points).
To make things even better The Mill gigs were filmed at broadcast quality, a superb marketing tool for any aspiring band, something that would have cost them thousands. Check out the example below.
Sonny Marvello, 'Whispering Song' live at The Mill
They were also recorded through the mixing desk – yet another plus point, I’ve lost count already. Oh and the bands got a crate of beer each!
Music Scene
Miller brought a sense of excitement to the music scene, you would often hear ‘who is on at The Mill this week’ in conversations about what to do that week/night. They also brought a sense of trust – good bands, good venue, good sound system and all for FREE. They did of course have a huge budget in which to do this.
Miller
Miller must have spent a small fortune on the series of gigs. In actual fact I know they did, and it must have run easily into the high hundreds of thousands of pounds. So was it worth it? I’m going to say yes (I also hope it was as they deserve it). They got their brand out there, they did it over a sustained period ensuring raised levels of awareness, they got people talking about Miller and they certainly got people drinking Miller. Through the gigs they got direct access to their target market, there were questionnaires and research.
I would love them to do it again. I doubt Sailor Jerry's have the budget of Miller, but it would be worth a look at their model.
Carling
Carling were the former sponsors of the O2 Academy in Glasgow. This meant that their brand was promoted to hundreds of thousands of people through listings, tickets, adverts, promotions and through the actual sale of the lager in the venue.
So if Miller adopted a ‘hands on’ approach you can certainly say that Carlin were going in at a much higher level. Now I could only guess at how much Carling paid per year to sponsor the Academy. It must have been a fair whack.
Guinness
Going at things in a different manner (as you would half expect from the Irish) are Guinness who sponsored Snow Patrol’s Bellahouston Park show last year. I was up in Inverness for Rock Ness at the time, so I don’t know what extent they sponsored the show to, but I do know that the second stage for unsigned bands was sponsored by Guinness. Putting on a big show like Bellahouston costs a small fortune, so to have the backing of a major company like Guinness eases the burden. It probably kept the ticket price down by a good few pounds! I’m also sure Snow Patrol like their Guinness!
So to summarise
Well it isn’t rocket science. Alcohol companies can align their brand with cool bands, get direct access to cool people (yeah OK, we’re not all cool, more of their target audience) and research opinions. In a way I guess this is ‘direct marketing’, just in a clever roundabout way.
And bands get a boost in promotion and occasionally some money in their pocket, certainly a drink in their hand!
It would appear that if the drinks company do their job well, the bands put on a show and people turn up, then everyone is a winner..?
