As the Storm Broke: the gigs of early 2020 before Covid-19 shut down live music

Reflections on the live music that brought in 2020. Before the music stopped. These gigs took place between January 15th and March 1st 2020.

 

As 2020 started my gig going was mapped out through to the summer. Tickets were booked for a series of gigs by artists I hadn't seen before. Some thought was being given to going to a festival with costs being weighed up against the roster of artists performing. Then it all stopped, quite abruptly. Coronavirus was known and its potential to shut things down was known and being trailed. 

These are the performers I saw live before the lockdown and the end of live music as we knew it.

Native Harrow

A welcome return from Native Harrow the collective name of Devin Tuel and Stephen Harms whose music causes me to use the word mesmerising to describe it because it simply is. I'd seen them before in a badly suited venue where they'd soldiered on while the audience dwindled and the casual drinkers wondered why the football was not on the screens. I'd stayed to the end of that gig out of solidarity but was too embarrassed for them to stay and chat afterwards. I did pen a review and hoped they'd be back soon.

And they were. This time they were in the more appropriate surroundings of the Voodoo Rooms and played a wonderful set of songs drawn from their breakthrough album 'Happier Now' and the at that point unreleased follow-up 'Closeness'. I stayed and spoke to them thanking them for coming back so soon and sharing a joke about the previous gig. It was a great start to the gig year and I left full of hope for a great year of live gigs.

https://www.nativeharrow.com/

https://nativeharrow.bandcamp.com/album/closeness 

KT Tunstell

What a night! Part of the 'Burns and Beyond' festival where attendees ticket allows them access to various venues across Edinburgh for a night of music and poetry celebrating Robert Burns. I decided to stay at the assembly Rooms for the evening and catch 4 sets from KT Tunstell and band. It was worth it. Yes I heard some songs several times though thanks to some skillful rearrangements I was well entertained and got the jokes.

KT's all woman band played at full pelt throughout never lacking for energy. KT herself respendent in tartan encouraged the ever-changing crowd to join in. This was a party and eveyone was invited. As I said at the start what a night! 

Postscipt: I came down with a flu-like illness following the gig hich saw me take most of the week off and I slept mostly. A precurser for the Covid-19 pandemic to come? 

Ginger Cowgirl

I'd spotted the name Ginger Cowgirl on the listings of upcoming gigs at local bar the Leith Depot and was intrigued. Quick research revealed that Ginger Cowgirl was the stage persona of Stacy Antonel a young appropriately flame haired American singer/songwriter with a liking for honky-tonk music. I was in!

Touring alone she was backed on some songs by members of the support acts for the night and performed a set centred on the country honky-tonk styles of her eponymous e.p. On the song '6 weeks in Nashville' you could almost smell the bourbon (it possible did help that she was performing in a bar in Leith). There was an infectiousness about the performance as she drew the audience into the songs. The songs had swing to them that showed that she'd absorbed the various styles that make up country music - swing, country blues, honk-tonk vis Bakersfield and more besides. This is a talented songwriter with surely more to come.

https://gingercowgirl.com/epk

https://gingercowgirl.bandcamp.com/album/ginger-cowgirl 

Ira Wolf/Izaac Opatz  

This was a first for me - an actual house concert. One of my newfound gig buddies Kendall had invited me and so a weekday journey to Stirling was undertaken. Ira Wolf is a singer/songwriter I'd found online and loved but didn't think I'd get the chance to see but here she was along with Izaac Opatz who again I'd found online (thanks to the random choices of Spotify).  

By its very nature this was an intimate gig audience and performers mixing beforehand like any house party, getting to know one another, laughing, exchanging anecdotes. 

To hear Ira and Izaac's songs so stripped back just voice and guitar was an experience I'll not forget quickly. Ira has a lonesome sound all of her own that no doubt comes from her solo touring round the states like a restless troubadour - another town, another audience, another set of songs, new acquaintances, thank you and goodbye see you later. 

Izaac Opatz songs are a mix of wry observations of life and the things that happen that induce a smile and the occasional nod of recognition of some insight.

The two worked well together and the night was a good one with some other gig buddies there to chat to before the drive home. 

Badge news: Ira wore an enamel badge that bore the legend 'Listen to Townes Van Zandt'. Good advice. She also had her own badges that say 'Ira Wolf made me cry'. True.

http://irawolfmusic.com/ 

https://irawolf.bandcamp.com/ 

https://www.izaakopatz.com/

https://izaakopatz.bandcamp.com/merch 

My Glass World

This gig was the surprise in my early year gig schedule. In fact it wasn't scheduled at all. I got a text from a neighbour as I was returning home from a day in Fife saying he had a spare ticket and was I interested. To be honest I had to look up the band and was intrigued. The leader had played with various bands and other members had been in a variety of groups. It was Sunday night and it as the Voodoo Rooms (a certain symmetry there) so why not.

As we travelled to venue we talked about Covid 19 restrictions and the possible threat to gigs not really knowing that this gig was likely to be our last of the year.

My Glass World are lead by Jamie Telford (who my neighbour knew from University days). Jamie is a musician who has had a varied musical career that includes playing on hits by the Jam among others which would explain the quality of a band that also includes Sean Read who's worked with Beth Orton, Edwyn Collins and Dexy's Midnight Runners.

This was sophisticated music that showed flashes of influence from across the decades but was and is its own sound and song writing. It said to me this is what live music should and can be - something you've not heard before played well with life and exuberance matched with lyrics that both amuse and make you think, played by a band steeped in music playing their tunes their way.

As my last live music event of 2020 this was an unexpected delight. 

https://www.facebook.com/MyGlassWorlds/ 

Spotify 

Where now? After the lockdown I joined the livestreams online at times finding it difficult to keep up with the various Facebook, YouTube and Instagram 'live' gigs. I started watching the pay to view gigs increasingly put on by many musicians but became choosy - I craved the event, entering a space with a group of musicians and sharing that space with them, the best of these gigs give you that albiet a strange distanced intimacy.

I am the audience - Ned Roberts at Leith Depot

It was one of those cold winter nights in early spring that Scotland is famous for with added hail. Wednesday night too. However that really is just an excuse and a lame one at that. But I'll get back to that.

I first heard of Ned Roberts when he was playing support for Anais Mitchell a few years back and he'd impressed me with his songs and his voice. It being the modern age I downloaded an e.p. to my iPod and listened for a while before other more insistent voices and music made my memories of this engaging singer fade.

Fast forward a bit and somewhere I discover that Ned has a new album coming and that he's touring. even better he's playing in Leith!

Now back to that audience. You see Ned was playing Leith Depot on a night organised by local singer songwriter Kat Healy and there was support from a local singer called Purdie. I turn up two songs from the end of Purdie's set. There's not a huge crowd and it's early I say to myself. As the evening continues through Kat's set of finely observed songs of relationships I begin to piece together who the groups of people in the room are. Purdie has a group of friends with her who are thankfully settling in for the night (it's Baltic outside so who could blame them). Over by the bar is a group who are with Kat. So that leaves me and three other people.

The headliner takes to the stage and works his way a mesmerising mix of his old and new songs. He's got a rich voice that works well on his well crafted songs like 'Drifting Down' 'Hazy Days' 'Angel Station' and 'Lights on the River'. There's some nice guitar playing and that rich deep voice works well with the songs that recall Nick Drake, James Taylor, Leonard Cohen and a bit of Dylan (a

fair bit of moothie accompanies the playing and singing).

Of course he's not a household name but you can't help thinking, well I can't help thinking that after playing a full Pleasance Theatre a few years back albeit supporting the more established Anais Mitchell he should be pulling in a few more punters.

For now I feel like I'm glad to be part of the small group who came along to see him. I have to say he doesn't disappoint and would say unreservedly that you should seek out his music and certainly his gigs. There's room.

Bandcamp https://nedroberts.bandcamp.com/

Soundcloud https://soundcloud.com/nedroberts/

Facebook https://www.facebook.com/NedRobertsMusic

Kat Healy https://www.kathealymusic.com/

Playing Old Games - Erin Rae and the Meanwhiles, Hug and Pint Glasgow

I'd only listened to a couple of songs by Erin Rae McKaskle before going to see her. Those songs 'Playing Old Games' and 'Clean Slate' gave me enough to guess that a full set would be more than rewarding.
Good guess! I lucked out. In the dark and cramped basement of the Hug and Pint Erin Rae's songs shone. She worked her way through a wonderful set of old and new songs. All show a refective thoughtfulness and keen insights into the human longing, frailty, joy and loss.
What made the sound of Erin Rae's high clear voice even more stunning were the harmonies provided by her two bandmates. They echoed old time bluegrass country but were altogether modern and truly sublime.
Erin Rae and the Meanwhiles are playing small venues on this tour, building their audience. Should you join that audience you won't be disappointed.


**********
Leith Depot - the next night.

On my home turf I just could not miss catching Erin Rae again. It was a similar sized venue and size of audience. The set was familiar and again I was struck by the quality of the songwriting and while the themes are well trodden there seems a particular insight that Erin Rae brings to her songs. 'Playing Old Games' remains my favourite but I am liking 'Wild Blue Wind', 'Futile Attempts' and 'Monticello'. Good news too that there is a new album in the offing with a number of new songs being showcased on this UK tour. This is a singer songwriter who is building up a body of work of high quality and is one to watch.

https://www.erinraemusic.com/
https://themeanwhiles.bandcamp.com/
http://www.clubhouserecords.co.uk/

Wild Blue Wind live video
https://youtu.be/5PYc-IIxPfI