Not a Stereotype - Terry Hall

Terry Hall RIP. 

I wasn't expecting that to be staring out at me from a social media post this December. It was true though that after a short illness Terry had died.

It can often be said that a musician was the soundtrack of your youth and Terry fits that bill in my case, though perhaps elongated into young adulthood. With the Specials AKA he offered something different from the 'punks not dead' griminess and the post punk seriousness and you could also dance to the Specials. As the laconic front man in a interracial band Terry quickly became an icon moving from Fred Perry blue beat skinhead chic to pinstriped double breasted suits and a flattop. His diffident almost conversational delivery was deadpan to say the least. His delivery suited the early period ska stompers and the later cinematic acid easy-listening lounge dub ska equally well.

It would be easy, perhaps too easy to pigeon-hole Terry as a key member of both the Specials and the Fun Boy Three (and their collaborations with Bananarama) due to the uncanny run of chart topping singles, memorable videos and Top of The Pops appearances. His return to the revived Specials in recent years probably cements that legacy. But with Terry Hall there was more than those guises however successful and beloved they are.

Not all he did was commercially successful. The pop trio Terry, Blair & Anouchka failed to break through and what on track record alone should have worked his teaming up with Eurythmics Dave Stewart for Vegas also failed to produce hits despite 'Walk Into the Wind'. The constant in these guises is his voice shining through allied to some sublime song writing. 

Terry explored further interracial music in his 2003 collaboration with Mushtaq from Fun-Da-Mental where they mashed-up a variety of influences to impressive effect. 

Terry was a talented songwriter and that is maybe missed a bit in the Specials due to their cooperative ethos but it was evident fairly early that he could craft songs beyond the bands he inhabited. The prime example of that is 'My Lips Are Sealed' a co-write with Jane Wiedlin and a hit for Terry's Fun Boy Three and Jane's Go-Go's. That ability to write catchy pop songs seems always to have been with him through The Colourfield hit 'Thinking of You' to the songs on his two solo albums 'Ballad of a Landlord', 'Forever J', 'No No No' and others often co-written with Craig Gannon. He had a eye for good melodies and the songs he chose to cover can be quite stunning see Todd Rundgren's 'I Saw the Light' and the Lightening Seeds 'Sense'. I've read that he sometimes struggled to produce material which is a shame because on the evidence he has left us he could easily have sung the soundtrack of our more mature selves.  

Terry Hall RIP

Tuesday night gig: Charlotte Cornfield with support from Lorkin O'Reilly, The Orange Trees

 Small venue gigs are the ones for me really. It's the intimacy with the act you've gone to see nothing beats it really. That and the wonder and surprise of discovering wonderful support acts who you might not have discovered otherwise. Those damn streaming algorithms don't always come up with the goods. Music is from the heart not numbers after all.

 It was Tuesday night at Sneaky Pete's and there were three acts to see. I bought my ticket to see the headliner Charlotte Cornfield and knew nothing of the support acts Lorkin O'Reilly and The Orange Trees. 

The latter were first up, a duo with a bossa nova influenced set of pop songs with a darker tinge but that jazzy lightness that transported me back to the early 80s when there were similar sounding bands popping up with engaging bittersweet lyrics. That's what we had tonight and yes, I fell for that light jazzy style and the lyrics with a twist. 

Lorkin O'Reilly I have to admit I'd never heard of before seeing the bill. Originally from Leith now living in New York he was a revelation. well picked guitar and a gritty world-weary voice told tales anti-social neighbours, dysfunctional relationships with a unique poetic take on these vignettes of frustrated lives. The lyrics like pins startling you with their sharpness. Echoes of Townes Van Zandt and Blaze Foley but this was something altogether different and captivating. I could have listened to him forever. He was joined on stage by Melanie MacLaren for an unscheduled duet (she'd flown in from NY) on 'Clearance Aisle'. I'll be listening to a lot of Lorkin O'Reilly from now on. 

I always like it when those singer songwriters from afar who I've found on streaming services (the algorithms sometimes work) play a gig in my hometown. It makes this big world seem much more of a village. It brings us closer; the troubadour is in town. Charlotte Cornfield hails from Toronto and here she is with a drummer and bass player on a small stage in Edinburgh playing songs from her album 'Highs in the Minuses'. They've been touring for a year, and this was the last night of that long tour, so the band dynamic was tight as they've lived inside these songs for so long. There were so many standouts on the night and here's some 'Skateboarding by the Lake' (or skate, kick thing...listen to it!), 'Headlines', '21', 'Drunk for You'. These are well drawn lyrics, and they are matched with melodies and tunes that dig into your psyche. And you wake up next morning with them embedded in your head. If you haven't heard Charlotte Cornfield, then you should. Better still catch her live.

All too soon it was over, and I was out into the night mulling over what I'd just seen. Small gigs, small gigs. They are the best.

A Big Time at the Usher Hall: Angel Olsen with Tomberlin

 It's always interesting, to me anyway, how you find yourself connecting with an artist and their art. Some it is immediate and with others it takes a time. A slow burn, I guess. That's what it was with finding my way to Angel Olsen. She turned up in my streaming suggestions and I tried but didn't quite get it though thought I should (get it). 

It was her duets with Sharon Van Etten that pushed the door open just a bit. And then there was 'Big Time' - I dove right in loving its huge melodies. She flippantly called it less bangs more twangs. Maybe that was the hook that got me in I don't really know. I think there is an honesty to that record that cut through any doubts that I might have had. 

And so, I found myself at the Usher Hall to experience that album and more at first hand. Angel didn't disappoint. Those huge songs with their gorgeous melodies filled that big big room. One thing I wasn't expecting was her humour. She wisecracked her way through the set including a hokey intro to 'Shut Up Kiss Me'. That one of many stand out moments of the evening. Her encore was an unexpected (for me) cover of 'Without You' - yes that one (Nilsson/Badfinger) calling support Tomberlin on halfway through to duet on the closing verses.

So, Angel, it's taken me a while but I'm there now and thank you for the music, that evening.

******

Contrary to what I have written about the journey to discover, to 'get' Angel Olsen it didn't take long at all to get Tomberlin. From the moment I heard 'idkwntht' I was there. It was wonderful to see her centre stage with just a guitar connect so effortlessly with the audience and importantly that the audience actually listened. It's brave for a lone singer to stand centre stage in a room this size not knowing how they'll be received and find an appreciative audience. Tonight, she got them on side quickly with her songs and the audience chatter that often mars support slots was absent. Watch this one for future wonders.  

Monday Night in a Record Shop with Beth Orton

 Music in shops should be a thing, a big thing. In my experience it is usually found in records shops and book shops (very few coffee shops for some reason).

Anyway, I digress. Monday night found me in Assai Records to see and hear the wonderful Beth Orton share some tracks from her new album 'Weather Alive'. The crowd file in packing themselves into the space after the scanning on tickets and the presentation of the appropriate vinyl or cd pre-ordered as part of the entry to this event. 

There is some gentle jockeying for better positions and folk behind me are probably saying 'got a tall bloke in front of me'. Then suddenly she's there in a faded denim jumpsuit beaming smile and curtain of fair hair. Beth is accompanied by a saxophone/flautist player for an intimate and affecting airing of four tracks from the new album. We hear 'Fractals', 'Friday Night', 'Forever Young' and 'Weather Alive' which is as good a snapshot of the new album as you can get. Beth plays keyboards, sings, whispers, speaks her way through these songs and the sax and flute are used to add colour and emphasis almost like another voice. These songs are impressionist paintings bursting through with colour and emotion creating moods and shades. The four songs done it's time for orderly queues, signing of appropriate merchandise and Monday night restaurant recommendations nearby.

I head out into the Edinburgh night effervescent with the music and the event. Music in record shops lets have more of that.  

Hot Air and AirBnBs

 I was mildly amused but not surprised when I read that Tory MSP Miles Briggs was calling for the licencing of short term lets to be paused. If anything epitomises the free market it is short term lets. Property owners are encouraged to maximise the profit they can make from the homes they own by exploiting the short term let market. In Edinburgh it has seen the private rental market hollowed out as property owning landlords move from long term rentals to workers, families, students, elderly and the unemployed to the short term let market. The knock-on effect is higher rents in what remains of the private rental sector, more pressure on the socially rented sector, council and housing association waiting lists, and a loss of community especially in shared stair tenements and modern flats. 

Miles Briggs MSP make the case that the businesses that run short term lets are still recovering from the Covid-19 pandemic and now have the cost-of-living crisis to contend with. He argues that this new licencing scheme will add costs. 

Aside from effects of the Covid-19 pandemic on the market is that really true? If these small businesses are renting out what are actually homes shouldn't the owners already be registered as landlords? If the property was previously a long-term private rental, shouldn't it be up to safety standards? Indeed, if the property was rented to a shared group of people previously shouldn't it already have a Houses in Multiple Occupancy (HMO) licence? 

The new legislation to regulate and control Short Term Lets (STLs) is designed to make sure properties have standards akin to HMOs which have been regulated for nearly two decades. There is also the requirement to apply for 'change of use' permission under the planning system as the property is being taken out of use as a home to become a, no doubt, lovely 5-star TripAdvisor apartment for transient visitors. Property is a responsibility and not merely an investment to be maximised. Unfortunately for some housing is now unobtainable to rent or to buy in the overheated property market and the drive to short term lets has helped fuel that overheating. It is no surprise that Edinburgh is also looking to introduce rent controls (a common tool in other countries but an anathema to free marketeers).  

The legislation to regulate short term lets has been lobbied for by local politicians and local authorities like Edinburgh for too long while communities have suffered. The legislation has been passed and it is now time to put it into practice. Enough hot air.

The Weather Station + Circuit des Yeux - Summerhall, 31 August 2022

 This gig was like a double bill - two strong female performers taking their music to new areas and pushing the boundaries.

I was there to see headliner The Weather Station (aka Tamara Lindeman). I'd seen her play four years ago when her sound was decidedly guitar based indie. Since then she's been on a journey from the early folk stylings that when I first heard her duets with Daniel Romano put me in mind of Emmylou and Gram. Ever restless she has moved on through the companion albums 'Ignorance' and 'How Is It That I Should Look At The Stars' with their shimmering melodies and pop sheen. 

The last two years over which time these two albums were recorded and released have also seen her star shine with the albums being highlighted by reviewers and seen as among the most important of recent years. She seems at home with these songs and is certainly relaxed, inhabiting the songs with a casual intensity as she moves between instruments and paces the stage. She talked of dancing and wanting to write songs to dance to and a number of the songs have the kind of rhythms you can move to, even her quieter numbers have melodies you can slow dance to. I'm listening carefully and think that despite the exceptional quality of her songs and performance there remains a striving for something that is just beyond her grasp, yet. I expect the next music from The Weather Station to move the boundaries further forward and the next time I see her I feel she'll have reached a new peak of creativity further up the scale - I look forward to that. 

Circuit Des Yeux were a revelation to me. Sure I'd listened to her album '-io' but that did not prepare me for the cathedral of sound that Haley Fohr and her two supporting musicians drenched us with. A maelstrom of foreboding as she fills the stage with her presence seeming like a giant as she prowled the stage looming over the audience before descending to pace back and forth in front of the stage then darting into the audience, climbing back onto the stage and literally hanging off the walls. It was spectacular and the sound was huge invoking glimpses of late period Scott Walker, darkest Billy McKenzie and Diamanda Galas. She did take it down a notch for the last beautiful song and left us there contemplating what we'd just experienced.

So in summary an evening of music by two emerging women talents who are creating the music they want pushing at boundaries and what is expected of women performers, moving at their own pace. Different approaches, yes but both reaching for new sounds and tonal qualities and creating something wonderful in both cases. I've little time for nostalgia, who should when new music like this is available?

http://www.theweatherstation.net/

https://circuitdesyeux.com/ 

Shawn Colvin - University of Calgary 1993

 From the vaults: found this unpublished review of Shawn Colvin at the University of Calgary in 1993 when I was on a trip in western Canada. There were two handwritten versions and a typewritten which may have been submitted for publication. It remained unpublished until now. 

Looking fragile under heavy lidded eyes Shawn Colvin takes to the stage to face a boisterous audience at the University of Calgary. She leans on the band for the opening couple of numbers while she finds her level and then picks her way through her repertoire delighting the audience with selections from the albums Fat City and Steady On. The up-tempo 'Round of Blues' gives way to the delicate 'Shotgun Down the Avalanche' as she silences an initially noisy crowd with her skill.

Years of club dates have not only taught Colvin how to capture an audiences attention it has also seen her develop into a fine guitar picker. she is ably assisted by her band, particularly the excellent Steuart Smith formerly sideman to both Rodney Crowell and Roseanne Cash. His playing is unobtrusive but you're always aware that he is doing more than just playing guitar. T-Bone Wolk is a revelation. For some time I'd been under the delusion that T-Bone Wolk was the bass plying pseudonym of T-Bone Burnett. This delusion is nixed when a tall be-hatted Texan* with a Hofner bass arrived on stage and proceeded to play the most melodic bass I've ever heard - truly sublime!

In recognition that she is playing in Canada Colvin includes a couple of Canadian friendly covers in the Band's 'Look out Cleveland' and 'Restless Heart' by Steve Earle - though a Texan Earle is something of a star in Canada. The reaction more than suggests that the audience appreciates her consideration and when it finally comes time to call it a night the shouts for more are certainly for real.

Shawn Colvin has something very special in the combination of songs, voice and music which live she builds slowly, almost stealthily until you're hooked and you don't want her to stop. Wonderful.

*Postscript: above is what I wrote at the time word for word including the continuing T-Bone Wolk delusion - he was not a Texan (T-Bone Burnett is a tall Texan) but from Yonkers, New York. I saw Shawn Colvin live one more time in 1994 in Edinburgh at La Belle Angele. Same sublime and at times fragile performance. I think that performance prompted me to marshal the thoughts I'd scribbled down on her Calgary performance into a presentable review. I turned down the chance to meet her afterwards. I still hold Fat City and Steady On as two of my favourite albums. 

  https://shawncolvin.com/

Because the Night - in praise of impromptu gigs

There is something to be said for spur of the moment gig going. Yeah it's great the anticipation of a gig weeks or months away, the build up, listening the artists in preparation, finding out if friends are going. But just going out and catching live music must be one of the greatest thrills for music lovers. It is for me anyway.

So last night with nothing planned I'm scrolling Facebook and spot a post from my gig buddy Stewart saying Humbird and Luke Callen are playing a popup gig at the Pianodrome in the Old Royal High School in Edinburgh. 

I'd missed Humbird when she played the Waverley Bar in July - like last night finding out a few short hours before the gig. I was not going to miss her a second time. 

Bit of background, I'd seen Humbird (the stage name of Siri Undlin) when she was part of Rachel Ries 'Her Crooked Heart' project, a super group of talented female performers a few years ago in a packed bar in Leith. I'd been following her on Bandcamp ever since thanks to hand written cards they handed out that night with their socials and music links.

I arrived at the 'Resonancy Bar' ordered a refreshing pint of Bellfield IPA and bumped into Stewart, quick catch-up and then we met Siri and Luke who were friendly, easy company. then it was show time.

The set was short, just twenty minutes. A traditional folk song, a Dolly Parton cover then one original apiece - Minneapolis for Luke and North Country Girl for Siri (inspired by the Dylan, but from the North Country Girl's perspective) finishing with a Blaze Foley cover. It was the distillation of a popup gig - this is what we do, here are our influences. If indie folk Americana were manifested in a punk gig this would be it. Here we are.

All too soon it was over.

Postscript: Luke and Siri had tickets for the main show next door in the Pianodrome and said they'd pop out and tell us what it was like. Siri was as good as her word and we joined a packed house as standing latecomers to catch part of the set by the Brothers Gillespie from Northumbria - high English folk harmonies that were a revelation for me. The headliner was Kate in the Kettle a fiddle, viola and cello trio whose take on folk was mesmerising in its scope verging on classical and jazz to these ears.

There should always be room in your life for impromptu gigs, be open to the possibilities and be prepared to be startled.

humbirdmusic.com/ 

lukecallen.com/

pianodrome.org/

A Saturday afternoon with Sierra Ferrell, Assai Records, Edinburgh

Music in a room, what can be better. A crowd of strangers, mainly, joined in the communal appreciation of an artist a performer sharing their songs, their music.

So it was on Saturday when I ventured out to Assai Records in Edinburgh to catch an instore performance from Sierra Ferrell a rising star of new old country (ok I've coined that myself). Her songs sound like they have always been in existence. They haven't, they are new and come from this sparky West Virginian and conjure up a country sound that is not Nashville, now or I would contend then.

I turned up early and a summer downpour saw me take shelter in the Blue Blazer, a howf with many memories. I wasn't alone with my thought for long. My music buddy Stewart arrived, like me sheltering from the summer rain. We shared our pints and talked music.

And then it was the priority queue for Assai and the wonder that is Sierra Ferrell, playing as a trio with fiddle/mandolin, her guitar, and double bass, beautiful harmonies. Perfect for this small space. The appreciative audience enjoying every precious minute, gamely joining in in the audience participation on 'At the End of the Rainbow'. The show was everything is needed to be, an intimate audience with a wonderful new artist far from home in Scotland (enjoying the beer) finding a warm enthusiastic welcome.

For me it was a bonus to be there - I was going to miss her show in Glasgow the next night. If you haven't heard Sierra's music don't miss out. A packed record shop in Edinburgh will testify to that.

Losing an Election is not as simple as A,B,C

 In May I stood for re-election to the City of Edinburgh Council. I didn't make the cut for the fourth seat in the multi-member Leith Walk ward. These are my thoughts on that result and how it came about.

Elections are complex events with none more so than Scottish Council elections using single transferable vote to elect 3 or 4 councillors per ward.

As a recent unsuccessful candidate, I perhaps have more to complain about. I ran in a 4 member ward as one of two SNP candidates. It was a ward where the SNP had successfully achieved the goal of electing two councillors at the previous elections in 2017. There is strong SNP support in the ward that would indicate that two SNP candidates could be elected. We also had two active and responsive incumbent councillors standing for re-election. It should have been a forgone conclusion, but it wasn’t.

I missed out at the final stage when a wave of transfers from the unsuccessful Conservative candidate swept the LibDem candidate to success, winning the fourth seat.

What were the reasons for my loss? The easy answer would be to just blame the alphabet. I’ve featured in two newspaper articles that have followed that line. The second article included quotes from me which backed up the hypothesis that the alphabet was to blame. Taking that line makes me sound a bitter loser and downgrades the quality of my running mate Amy McNeese-Mechan who thoroughly deserves her seat on the Council based on the work she has done for the Leith Walk ward since her election in 2017. I did outline to the journalist the other factors that came into play but his starting point was the alphabet and I guess the other significant factors were seen as peripheral and therefore unimportant. 

So what were the other factors that affected the outcome?

The SNP have recently taken the highest share of first preference votes in the Leith Walk ward with the Greens not too far behind making those two parties the dominant players in the ward elections. They are most likely to get their candidates successfully elected. The Greens got their candidate Susan Rae elected comfortably at the first stage and I benefitted from transfers. Amy McNeese-Mechan was also elected at the first stage and again I benefitted from transfers. These transfers put me back into play pushing me into fourth place. I remained there until the wave of Conservative transfers secured the fourth seat for the LibDem candidate.

While any comparison of the 2022 result with the 2017 result does show that the alphabet bias was more pronounced this time around the reasons are likely to be a complex mix of factors.

If it wasn’t entirely down to the alphabet, then what were the other factors? The messaging of the campaign is important – did our campaign get the ‘how to vote for an SNP team’ message out clearly to our supporters and those inclined to vote SNP? How strong was the appeal for second preferences? Did we have right mix of leaflets and letters to communicate that message effectively? Did we get the ward split wrong for this election? A different ratio or split may have worked better. Did our vote share hold up? There was a drop of 5.37% in the SNP share in Leith Walk this time which could be as a result of the quality of our campaign, weariness of voters especially with a major infrastructure project Edinburgh Trams running through the heart of the ward, even the number of candidates standing - there were 12 the second highest in the city. The drop in vote share will have deflated the votes for both of our candidates and is significant as the lower the overall vote share the less likely getting two candidates elected becomes. The drop in vote share may well have been the key factor as had the SNP vote share maintained 2017 levels it is possible that my first preference total may have been above the LibDem candidate  and my running mate would have had more transfers to share with me. Could the sequence of candidates being elected or excluded have changed to result? Maybe, certainly the Conservative transfers to LibDem proved decisive.  A higher turnout may (there was a 3.1% drop in turnout in the ward in 2022)  have given more helpful transfers from Green and SNP voters that would have pushed me across the line. In the end STV multi-member elections come down to percentages and shares of percentages. You can follow the result here (thanks to Indylive and Democracy Club).

In the end I was just not successful in my bid to be re-elected. There is risk in every election, and it is a risk every candidate must bear. I accept the outcome. I wish all of the successfully elected councillors for Leith Walk the very best for the next five years representing a varied and busy ward.

2022 full results https://www.edinburgh.gov.uk/downloads/download/15127/ward-12-leith-walk-2022-election-results

Ballot Box Scotland published their breakdown here https://ballotbox.scot/le22/edinburgh#ward12

Memorial/Elanor Moss/Jack Hinks - Sneaky Pete's

 A Tuesday night gig in my favourite Edinburgh venue Sneaky Pete's. I'd been waiting to see Memorial again ever since their support slot with Courtney Marie Andrews in Glasgow at the tail end of last year. 

As is often the case at Sneaks there were two support acts. There were lots of acoustic guitars.

First up was Jack Hinks, I think formerly of the Jack Hinks Band, but tonight solo. I missed the beginning of his set and only caught the last three songs. One was about Los Angeles and how even though it's big it is also small. I liked that and the idea behind the song. I'll look out for him again, I think he's local (though maybe not to Los Angeles).

I'd never heard of Elanor Moss before. I don't know why. It's a complete mystery to me what with my liking for women's voices and sad girls with acoustic guitars. She was a revelation. Very assured songs, a beautiful voice and cheery between song chat. She's right though the songs are sad and it takes a brave performer who finishes their set with a song about a serial killer, in this case an Italian woman who only killed men who'd wronged her. Seems fair. I'm going to stick my neck out and say we'll be hearing more of Elanor Moss. I certainly want to hear more and probably will.

Memorial could be a goth band but they're not. It's the name. They're two blokes who sing and play acoustic guitars so not goths though the songs are sad. They have a way with harmonies and the interplay of their voices at times conjures up both the brightness and the melancholy of Simon and Garfunkel. That likeness doesn't dominate but is there and I was intrigued that they were going to play a cover of a song by 'Garfunkel' one where he hadn't used harmonies but they had added harmonies. Unfortunately that song remained a mystery as the venue informed them they were over time and had only one song to go so they switched to one of their own. They have a album to sell and their own songs to sing. They do that extremely well. I don't know if Memorial are going to be big but if you like keenly observed lyrics and really lovely harmonies then this is for you and anyone who likes the same. Which should be a lot of people. I'll be keeping my ears open for more of their music that's a certainty.   

The Bonnevilles at the Banshee Labyrinth 4th February 2022

This gig was a release - a release from Covid, a release from the isolation that the pandemic brought . This was a release from all of that anxiety. As Andy said 'What the **** was all that about?' 

The Bonnevilles are primal - a scream of the purest rock'n'roll that takes it to the maximum every time. I've never seen them and thought they were better last time. Andy and Chris always hit their mark and serve up a brand of garage blues punk that is such a full and joyous sound that is at once a nod to the past but a clear full steam ahead with a noise that is astonishing when you realise this is made by just two guys from Lurgan. Do yourself a favour catch the Bonnevilles live sometime. Really. Do.

Support was from the sublime Mudlow who produce a swamp or estuary interpretation of of punk blues and all the better for that. They created a joyous (that word again) racket that set the scene nicely for the Bonnevilles maelstrom to follow.

Suffice to say a very, very good night.

Native Harrow live at the Hug & Pint Feb 1st 2022

Native Harrow have been my first gig of the year twice. Last time was in 2020 as the first in a clutch of gigs before the Covid lockdown paused live music. To be fair this gig was supposed to be in December 2021 but was postponed due the omicron variant.

It was a great way to open my gig year - a favourite band performing in the cosy cellar that is the Hug & Pint performance space. I have my favourite spot to stand so was set for a good night. And it was. Drawing mainly on their last album 'Closeness' - apt title in these socially distanced times and for an album that came out during the first lockdown. 

In their performance the songs seemed to me to have a tenderness, a softness that spoke of the distance that had been put between the band and the audience by the forced shutdown, and false starts of the last two years. That gentleness of tentatively getting to know one another again suited the songs made for an evening where Native Harrow seemed as assured as I've ever seen them. The music Devin and Stephen make together evidences as much as it hides of its influences and presents a music that is recognisable but also unique and quite itself. 

A wonderful start to my gig year.