The Rulers of The Root. Glad Cafe. Sunday 27th April

Posted on May 3, 2014 by Paul Kerr

Blabber’n’Smoke had first caught sight of this grizzled bunch a week or so ago when they played a few songs at the Southside Sessions, battling a noisy crowd and a wonky PA system. Even so their weird take on Beefheartian delta Dadaism was somewhat intriguing so the promise of their own gig some days later was a no brainer, we had to investigate.

The Rulers of the Root are a four man band who don’t have any product to push, no discs, no mp3s, no tee-shirts or even fridge magnets (so far), just four guys who have got together to play some music and fortunately they seem keen to do this in front of other folk. While Beefheart may be an influence there are shades of Tom Waits, The Meters, Alex Harvey, The Blockheads and David Lynch to be heard while their absurdist sense of humour recalls the pop Dadaism of the Bonzo Dog Band along with a whiff of the late and lamented Chou Pahrot. Opening with the word salad lyrics of Cat Fur, a junkyard blues maelstrom that was the most Van Vliet influenced song of the night it was clear that they are a diamond in the rough with the raucous vocals battling with some ferocious guitar. Rose Of Jericho was a sea shanty as sung by sailors on mescaline while The Doctor tangoed like a mutant Tom Waits with some salacious wordplay. Millport Cowboy was a gnarly ode to the pseudo gunslingers who invade that Isle for their Tombstone festival while White on Rice invoked a reverb soaked trip into David Lynch country and western territory. It should be noted here that singer Patrick Gillies had a bag of props which the band temporarily tolerated before tossing aside leaving him to populate the songs with an array of headgear to fit the moment. Pirates, cowboys and gladiators ruled the roost depending on the song being played.

With the rhythm section ( Mick Murphy, bass and Chris Quinn, percussion) as tight as the proverbial duck and Gillies in full “method” mode this was already a sight to see and hear but the cream on the top was the guitar playing from John Palmer, a veteran of the Glasgow music scene. Able to crank out the chunky Feelgoods’ I Can Tell (their one cover of the night) and then come across all Marc Ribot on the more Waitsian numbers he was outstanding throughout the night. And while their distorted Magic Band angularisms might be their calling card The Rulers visited Ry Cooder territory on Sinaloa before adopting a Clash attack on Murdoch Browns, a song that attacked the hypocrisy of that media magnate. Ian Dury’s music hall mirth was invoked on Spartacus with Gillies totally in character with his Roman helmet and sword a swinging while the Tour de France got a good trouncing on the final song Maillot Jaune (Yellow Jersey) with the audience thrown suitable headgear to get in the moment. With Dury and the Blockheads again channelled it was funky as hell and topped the show without any performance enhancing drugs in sight.
You can catch the band on their Facebook page and see them in action below. Blabber’n’Smoke hopes to talk to them soon in order to inquire into this weird mutant sound in the South Side.

The David Latto Band. The Glad Cafe, Glasgow. Sunday 27th April.

Posted on April 28, 2014 by Paul Kerr

Shamefully this was Blabber’n’Smoke’s first attendance at Southside Americana which takes place virtually on our doorstep hosted by the fine establishment that is Shawland’s Glad Cafe. The occasion was a rare Glasgow show by The David Latto Band promoting their new EP, Here Today, Ghost Tomorrow, reviewed here. The EP and their preceding self titled album both portray this young band in a fine light with some excellent writing and good old fashioned musical chops and they proceeded to confirm these skills with what was, all in all, an very fine set.

All acoustic tonight other than electric bass we were robbed of some of the electrical embellishment that they throw into the studio recordings when required but Latto and Gavin Brady’s finger picking more than made up for that whether they were scrubbing frantically on Byway Man, soloing on We Cannot Be Friends Anymore (the lead song on the EP and written by their chum, Phil Lee) or casually strumming the West Coast sound of Wait A Minute. With John Mather (on bass) and John Alexander (doing some sterling work on Cajon and a tambourine) along with Brady all harmonising the overall sound was reminiscent of seventies LA canyon bands like Poco or even the Eagles with Latto himself proving to be an assured and confident singer at the front.

There were several highlights with Here today, Ghost Tomorrow standing out with its sense of loss and regret, perfectly conveyed by the band. Every Now and Then was as soulful live as on the disc However 3000 Miles From Nashville, inspired by Shetland fisherman, Thomas Fraser whose Jimmy Rogers inspired recordings were only recently discovered, was somewhat stunning. A romantic tribute to “the truest Scottish lonestar” it captured some of the late Gene Clark’s spirit tonight. Winding up with the raucous hymn to booze, God, I’m Drinking Tonight they certainly won over the audience judging by the queue at the merch table after their set. They play Edinburgh’s Summerhall on May 9th before some dates in England and then a short tour in France. If you can’t catch them you can buy the EP here.

Simone Felice. King Tuts Wah Wah Hut, Glasgow. Friday 11th April 2014

Posted on April 13, 2014 by Paul Kerr

With his second solo album safely under his belt Simone Felice is rapidly conforming his status as one of the finest purveyors of Americana around these days. Fortunately (for us) he remains somewhat under the mass radar allowing audiences to see him in intimate settings such as the hallowed King Tuts, a perfect space to see and hear his shamanistic offerings. A mesmerising performer tonight he possessed a leonine grace, prowling and genuflecting, iconic at times and all the while with that voice, a pure unsullied adult choirboy, soaring to the heavens, tender, affecting. While this might lead one to believe the evening was a worshipful event the reality is that Felice balanced his arching and aching ballads with a fine and earthy dose of rock’n’roll while his rapport with the crowd was engagingly down to earth especially as he repeatedly acclaimed ( and imbibed) the local water of life, singing some songs with a whisky tumbler in hand. It was notable that after the second encore he was off stage and at the merch table before the band had finished, greeting each and all as if they were long lost friends.

Backed by cellist Gabriel Dresdale and guitarist/Dobro/mandolin player Matt Green Felice hopped between his acoustic guitar and a small drum kit throughout the set. A squall of noise from guitar and cello opened the show before New York Times showed Felice as the impassioned balladeer, pleading and plaintive, foot stompingly percussive and matching the drama of the recorded version. Bye Bye Palenville followed and when, halfway through the song, Felice moved to the drum kit to shift the song up several gears it was clear we were in for a treat as proved by a vibrant rush through Molly-O! while an infectious You & I Belong had the audience joining in on the chorus. Sublime renditions of If You Go To LA, Shaky and Radio Song followed with Felice prowling like a panther on the latter as his band mates soloed before he welcomed support act Emma Jane up to accompany him on Running Through My Head. Encoring with a crowd favourite, Wild Mountain Thyme, dedicated to cellist Dresdale’s late stepfather the band then dunked into an excellent medley of Neil Young’s Helpless and Knocking On Heaven’s Door both of which tonight seemed to have been tailor made for Felice’s voice. An excellent evening which appears to have been professionally filmed so keep an eye open for that.

website

John Murry. Broadcast, Glasgow. 25th February 2014

Posted on February 27, 2014 by Paul Kerr

John Murry’s 2012 album The Graceless Age has gathered an impressive pedigree since its initial release here in the UK. With staggered worldwide licensing and with a limited two disc version available it’s appeared in end of year top lists in the UK for two years in a trot. Recorded during Murry’s “lost years” when he was in the grip of an addiction it remains a startling and powerful listen, redemptive despite the harrowing tales it tells. Murry himself appears to have a love/hate relationship with the album with tales of emotionally wracked live renditions alternately confounding or amazing audiences.

Glasgow had a brief glimpse of the live experience last year when Murry and his band played at Celtic Connections. However the venue selection of Kelvingrove Art Gallery proved to be ill conceived as the cavernous galleries swallowed up the sound and regurgitated it with booming echoes making it almost impossible to listen to. Tonight was a different story. The cramped (and packed) basement bar allowed Murry and his accompanist Will Waghorn the intimacy to directly confront the audience with his psychodramas which proved to be emotionally wrenching, for him and the audience, with several of the songs from the album mesmerising. Murry’s voice ached and broke as he relived his traumas while his guitar playing and foot stamping added a sense of urgency to his need to confess. Waghorn on drums added colour with a delicacy that was very impressive and it’s clear that the pair have a bond that’s been forged on the road. While much of the show maintained Murry’s burning intensity he leavened the night with a wry sense of humour and a fine line in self deprecation that at times had the audience in fits of laughter. Playing to the gallery he regaled a tale of a lost passport then announced that he’d rather play some covers and asked the crowd to vote for their favourites from Neil Young, Neil Finn, John Prine or Bruce Springsteen. Arguing over the result, in the end he played a song by each of them. He also paid tribute with covers of songs to Mark Linkhouse of Sparklehorse and Tim Mooney, the late producer of The Graceless Age.

The set opened with a new song, co-written with Chuck Prophet, called Glass Slippers that continues in the vein of songs like Photograph with Murry totally enveloped in the delivery. Another new song, The Stars Are God’s Bullet Holes was a lyrical delight and was propelled by some fine propulsive percussion. The meat of the evening however were the songs at the core of The Graceless Age. Photograph featured some visceral guitar playing while Ballad of The Pajama Kid, stripped of its narcotic fuzz, blazed with Murry’s vocals ragged and powerful. California (introduced as a happy song compared to its predecessors and spelled out as KKKalifornia) built to a powerful climax as did Senor Malverde as Murry delved into his past mistakes and misadventures. Little Colored Balloons, the centre piece of the album and the most naked of his songs ended the show. With Will Waghorn managing percussive rolls while playing a restrained Euphonium Murry poured his all into this cathartic tale of his overdose and resuscitation. In its recorded state it’s an arresting song but live it seems almost as if the mournful horn is a funereal accompaniment to Murry’s death and rebirth as he wrenches the words out riveting the audience. Astonishing and electric in its delivery Murry conspires with the audience in his pain here and it might seem hyperbole to pronounce this as one of the best performances this writer has witnessed but then, you had to be there. Fortunately for us all he’s survived and while able to invite us into his world, his own personal Calvary, hopefully with the new songs he’s able to move on and news that he has an EP in the works will allow us to listen to a great songwriter who has turned his life around.

Sturgill Simpson/ Daniel Meade. The Admiral Bar. Glasgow. Sunday 23rd February.

Posted on February 25, 2014 by Paul Kerr

Glasgow’s premier Americana promoters, The Fallen Angels Club celebrate their tenth anniversary of bringing top class acts to the west of Scotland this year and they kicked off the celebrations with Sturgill Simpson, a star in the ascendant who’s riding high on the back of the UK release of his superb album High Top Mountain. Simpson, from Kentucky but now living in Nashville has been touted by all and sundry as “the next big thing” in country music here and in the States as High Top Mountain pumps a shot of adrenalin into the flat lifeless chest of Nashville music. Whether he makes it big remains to be seen but there’s no doubting that he can rip it up with the best of them and then add a George Jones like mournful ballad straight after.

Tonight it’s just him and his guitar and he’s drawn a sizeable crowd for a wintry Sunday night. Announcing that he’s going to play a bunch of songs he wrote and a bunch that he didn’t he proceeded to deliver several songs from High Top Mountain that, stripped of the country rock trappings, highlight his “hillbilly” leanings while his covers were for the most part a dip into classic country with selections from Lefty Frizzell, Carter Stanley, Willie Nelson, Charlie Moore and Bill Napier along with Steve Fromholz and Jimmy Martin. As Simpson said, he has hundreds of these songs in his head and currently he plucks them out at random. He may choose them at random but he proved to be well versed in their delivery with his voice capturing the slight nasal mountain style that goes hand in hand with Appalachian songs while his guitar playing is fluid, deftly picked and strummed with several of the songs featuring breaks that recalled bluegrass picking. Sad Songs and Waltzes Aren’t Selling This Year, I’d Have To be Crazy, I Never Go Round Mirrors, all plucked at the heartstrings the way they’re supposed to with Sturgill sounding as if he’s lived these songs all of his life.

Achieving an easy rapport with the audience Simpson explained the provenance of several of the covers and had us laughing as he described the “laundry list” conception of his collection of Nashville clichés that constitutes You Can have The Crown. He’d done his homework as well even venturing a joke about the local football rivalries but the highlights of the evening were the songs from High Top Mountain. You Can have The Crown was given its full title (King Turd of Shit Mountain) and the solo delivery allowed for the humour of the lyrics to stand out. However it was the songs that relate to those heartstrings and the sad tales that excelled with Water In A Well, Time After All and in particular the story of a mining community left high and dry in Old King Coal all getting fine deliveries. The Storm, a powerful brooding number on the album, was transformed into a reflective introspective piece while Life Ain’t Fair and The World Is Mean retained its jaundiced punch.

In the midst of this Simpson announced that he has a new album poised for release in a few months (High Top Mountain had a belated UK release) and offered us a peek with Living The Dream, a bittersweet reflection at the end of a career in music which bodes well for his next release. If its half as good as High Top Mountain then it will be well worth getting.

Simpson had some solid support on the night from local picker, Daniel Meade who regaled us with several songs that ranged from talking blues to ragtime to folky songs with a Guy Clark feel. Several songs from his album, As Good As Bad Can Be, Hard To Hear and If It’s Not Your Fault (I Guess It’s Mine) were all well above par. You can listen to the album (and buy it) here.

Bearpit Brothers E.P. Launch. Glad Cafe. Glasgow. 23rd November.

Posted on November 27, 2013 by Paul Kerr

A trip back in time in more ways than one to see the pre fab four inspired Bearpit Brothers launch their retro rock E.P. (unfortunately not on vinyl but you can’t have everything). The Bearpit Brothers consist of Jim Byrne, a musician who’s played for the past three decades in Glasgow but who continues to just bubble under the mainstream and the remaining members of rockabilly band The Creeping Charlies (Robert Ruthven and Larry Alexander), a band whose profile is so low it makes Byrne seem like a megastar, dogged as they were over the years by catastrophic problems. The Charlies were regulars on the gig circuit when Byrne was playing with his band Dexter Slim and The Pickups and recently Ruthven and Byrne decided to join forces and give birth to this band of brothers.
We reviewed the results here, only four songs so far but they’ve lovingly recreated a period when rock’s original wild men had been virtually neutered by the media and tin pan alley held sway. The period between Elvis going into the army, Jerry Lee shamed, Little Richard finding God and the worldwide domination of the Beatles is often thought of as barren but both within and out with the charts there was a host of good music produced. Spector, The Brill Building writers, early Motown, Roy Orbison, Bobby Vinton and others vied with light orchestras, syrupy strings and Frank Ifield and these days not many folk listen to old Frank.
The Bearpit Brothers capture this well produced, melodramatic style of 50/60s music almost as well as Richard Hawley, a man whose music speaks of Saturday nights at the ballroom under a glitter ball followed by a long walk home with a bag of chips in hand, the glamour of his evening enough to buoy him up during the working week. There wasn’t a glitter ball in sight tonight but there was an old standard lamp and a Dansette adorning the stage as Ruthven, Alexander and Byrne (accompanied by Lejoe Young on a single snare drum and Angus Ruthven on beat box) strolled on. It might have been nice to have them in matching tuxes and doing some Shadows type steps but I suppose you can only take a concept so far. As it was the quintet stepped up and delivered a fabulous recreation of the E.P. with some excellent vocals and outstanding guitar work from Alexander. His pitter patter raindrop intro to I’m At Sea was excellent and his warm and swooning guitar was ever present reaching new heights on Blue Boy. Ruthven’s physical presence belied his honeyed voice as he crooned away and he seemed humbled by the applause offered. With only four songs to promote this was a short set but they fleshed the show out with Byrne taking the lead on A Picture of You and a song called Lemon Crush which had some sparkling guitar from Alexander and was worked up into a clamorous climax. Called back for an encore the called up the time machine again for an old Dexter Slim & The Pickups song, Facial Scar. Admitting that remembering the lyrics might be a problem they battled through with some fine twangy guitar and by the end they were all word perfect. A fine ending to a fine set.

Earlier we were treated to some culture (as opposed to dirty rock’n’roll). Local writer Elaine Reid read a piece which captured the inquisitive and impressionable mind set of a child interjected with some black humour. Impressively delivered the piece could fit well within a Wes Anderson script. Poet , Aidan MacEoin, from County Clare but domiciled in Glasgow read several of his pieces accompanied on guitar by the spindly shock haired Craig Ralston who played some slow but dramatic bluesy runs as MacEoin’s wonderful brogue captured attention. His droll tales and wit reminded us of the Liverpool poets at times and we could have listened to him and Ralston for the best of the evening such a balm was he. Overall a fine night and the first time for us in the Glad Cafe, a beacon of sensibility in the South Side by all accounts.

Danny and The Champions of The World/ Chris Devotion & The Expectations/Jim Dead. Pivo Pivo. Wednesday 20th November.

Posted on November 25, 2013 by Paul Kerr

Buoyed up on rave reviews for their latest album, Stay True, Danny & the Champions of the World (from here on in, the Champs) blew into Glasgow for an exhilarating display of country, rock and soul all wrapped up in the diminutive figure of Danny George Wilson and his blistering band. A six piece outfit this time around (including pedal steel and sax) the Champs tore through their set in fine style. While they retained the rootsy raucousness that was apparent on their previous release, Hearts & Arrow, stretching out on several numbers especially towards the end, the heart of the matter was contained in the soul sounds they captured on Stay True. Danny has surely been listening to Van Morrison’s Tupelo Honey as he captured Morrison’s old Caledonia soul vibe down to a T but throughout the show the band conjured up the spirits of Muscle Shoals and Detroit while Wilson almost preached to the audience in the manner of soul greats such as Solomon Burke and Sam Cooke.

They opened with the autobiographical tale (Never Stop Building) That Old Space Rocket that kicks off Stay True and immediately the country rock shuffle of the band caressed by the warm pedal steel licks and Danny’s emotive voice showed that we were in for a treat. Cold Cold World followed in a similar vein with the sax more prominent and if anything it upped the ante sounding as it did like an old Brill Building hit with a tremendous chorus. Danny then crossed over into Motown territory for Let’s Grab This with Both Hands, a song that Smokey Robinson would kill for and one which the band nailed with the pedal steel snaking along throughout and the rhythm section solid and tight. All that was missing were the matching suits and choreography. Having introduced the audience to the vibe of the new album the band then grabbed them by the scruff of the neck with a vigorous rendition of the epic Colonel and the King with Paul Lush’s fluid guitar eventually building up into a Crazy Horse type meltfest that was , well, awesome. Darling Won’t You Come In From The Cold allowed a brief respite with its mixture of Blood On The Tracks era Dylan and Morrison’s stoned blissful and bluesy soul before Henry The Van allowed the audience their first opportunity to join in the chorus. By now the audience had closed in, there was dancing for the rest of the set and truth be told this writer was up there losing the ability to capture the rest of the set list although Restless Feet did feature somewhere in there. . It was hot and the band made it hotter before they eventually stumbled off. A great show and one that showcased how fine the new album is as well as how fine an outfit the current Champs are.

Support for the Champs on the night was provided by two local acts. Jim Dead produced a fine set of his parched cinematic meditations conjuring up a landscape of grim faced existential heroes battling against fate. Renditions of Steady Us, Gold and Silver, Head Full of Booze and the brooding Stealing A Mile were grim and packed full of dread while a new song, Keep Me In Mind bodes well for the future as Dead drew a picture of another outsider who awakes to the sound of birds singing his favourite hymn. Next up were Chris Devotion & The Expectations, billed as an acoustic set but they lied. Devotion, looking somewhat like John Grant in a suit ambled on to deliver Don’t Worry, We Can Still Be Friends all on his ownsome before his guitarist joined him for the next song. Pretty soon bass and drums followed for an exhilarating power pop/rock/country experience as they blasted through a set that reeked of The Lemonheads, The Ramones and the Replacements with some sixties Who thrown in for good measure. Throwing in a fine version of Tonight The Bottle let Me Down and an excellent hokey I Ain’t Got No Home (perhaps to please the country fans although it eventually turned into a fantastic thrash). A whirlwind performance and a band to watch out for.

Phil Lee with Hamish Roberts. Tintos Tapas Bar, East Kilbride.

Posted on August 1, 2013 by Paul Kerr

Nashville troubadour and man of the world, self styled Mighty King of Love, Phil Lee has been touring as part of a package deal put together by Rob Ellen’s Medicine Show. With the mighty Lee in the driving seat this nod to the old fashioned package tours has featured guest stars along the way and in Glasgow this week Mary Jean Lewis, niece of the infamous Jerry was on the bill. The Gods however were unfavourable towards your Blabber’n’Smoke scribe as events crashed into one another resulting in a no go to the show. Fate smiled however when it transpired that the prospect of a gig free day so alarmed the miniature dynamo that a guerrilla attack on the quiet backwater of the Old Village in East Kilbride was hastily arranged and so it was that Blabber’n’Smoke along with around 30 others were privileged to see Lee and current sidekick Hamish Roberts in the cosy surroundings of Tintos Tapas Bar for an evening of unalloyed enjoyment as Lee sung, talked, joked, played and played with the audience.

Hamish Roberts, occasional guitarist with the Slim Panatelas opened the evening with a fine set that displayed his undoubted dexterity on guitar. Covers of Hendrix’s Wind Cries Mary, Tony Joe White’s As The Crow Flies and Steve Stills’ Treetop Flyer were well crafted while his slide work on Nobody Knows You When You’re Down and Out was a treat. A self penned instrumental that included some snatches of Wild Mountain Thyme recalled the work of John Martyn and was mesmerising.

Time for The Mighty King of Love to appear and Lee, dapper in appearance like a frontier medicine man a wee bit too fond of his own potions effortlessly slipped into gear from the off. Armed with guitar and harmonica he came across like a pixie Dylan or Guthrie with some wicked quips and an eye for the girls in the audience. Singing about living with a stripper or losing himself in the generous folds of flesh of Jemima James he plays up to his faded Lothario persona much to the audience’s delight with Every Time’s couplet “Every time I see you nude I want to give your number to another dude” gathering guffaws of laughter. Humour aside Lee performs these songs with a great degree of aplomb while his voice, a close relation to Dylan’s never sounds mannered or forced, in fact it sounds as if he’s having as good a time as his audience. Solo at the start Lee was joined for most of the set by Roberts who provided some sterling backup guitar despite his having to run into the street for tuning up as Lee accused him of being a perfectionist. Together they made a fine noise and away from the talking blues numbers and humorous asides Lee reminded us that he’s a great songwriter wringing pathos from Just Some Girl and whipping up a storm on the magnificent Babylon which was given an extended workout allowing Roberts to play some fine solos. For the encores Lee had some of the audience up dancing as he delved into rockabilly and then was persuaded back for a rock’n’roll medley which melded Whole Lotta Shakin’ Going On and Shake Your Moneymaker. The audience lapped this up and by the end an hour and a half of Lee just didn’t seem enough.
This was an excellent opportunity to see a veteran and accomplished musician at close range. If you’re quick you can catch him at Belladrum at the weekend before he heads south for some English dates.
website

Album review

Celtic Connections. The Two Man Gentleman Band/The Kilcawley Family The Piping Centre. Saturday 26th January.

Posted on January 29, 2013 by Paul Kerr

It was a bit of a light relief to attend this show and to be thoroughly entertained (and at times laugh out loud) by the very dapper two piece Two Man Gentleman Band who are, interestingly enough, a two man band. The two members, Andy Bean (guitar and American four string banjo) and The Councilman (double bass, kazoo) sang about food and beverages, girls, guys and food and beverages with Bean wisecracking with a terrific comedic sense of timing while the Councilman was the perfect foil. The problem with being seen as a comedy act is that folk might end up more interested in the jokes than the music but The two Man gentleman band proved they were no one trick pony as they blitzed the audience with a dazzling display of virtuosity on their instruments and a great vocal rapport. The humour was merely the topping on a very tasty cake.
Working in the same vein as the late Slim Gaillard’s celebrated duo line ups there was little of Gaillard’s hipster slang ( although one song did celebrate reefer), rather it was as if two Connecticut Yankees had turned up at the Cotton Club as opposed to King Arthur’s court. And while most of their songs did refer to food and drink with Pork Chops getting some belly laughs from the audience we were invited to join in songs about President William Taft’s girth and were regaled with some fine mock trumpet on Bye Bye Blues. All in all a great set and a fine night.

Support was provided by another two piece, The Kilcawley Family from Tyneside. With autoharp, guitar and harmonica they delivered a fine set of old time American folk songs that portrayed their influences such as the Reverend Gary Davis and Doc Watson. Somewhat trepidatious at times they did win the audience over with renditions of 500 Miles, Railroad Boy and Dink’s Song. A particularly spirited Wildwood Flower showed them at their best while a self penned lament based on the reflections of an elderly Morecambe woman (they currently reside in the faded Lancashire resort) showed some promise with the intimations’ of mortality contained within showing that they have learned from their forebears.

Blabber 'n' Smoke

A Glasgow view of Americana and related music and writings.

Category Archives: Live