Su Casa - 17/11/11

I've always felt that the adage 'if you haven't got anything nice to say then don't say anything' seems to be more about individuals attempting to avoid criticism than them trying to promote positivity.
Then again I could be wrong. It has been known to happen.
So for a couple of weeks I'm going to give it a try in the reviews on the blog and see how that works out.
So here goes.
Last night in Su Casa I seen Martin McLaughlan. I have nothing else to say about that.
Next was Matt Scott who I have plenty to say about.
Matt is a star in the making.
If you had a tick list made up that covered every single attribute that would lead to success then there's already a little tick in every box.
He's an accomplished musician.
He can write songs that have a depth to them that most young men of his age couldn't match.
He has the ability to convey the emotion in the lyrics, and I'm sure the ladies would say that he aint too bad on the eye either.
Like I said he ticks all the boxes.
Imagine a young man who knows the importance of Dylan and Springsteen as songwriters, understands how the blues work and similar to a band like the Kings of Leon is able to make it all sound fresh.
That's what Matt does, and all that he needs to take it to the next level is to be in the right place at the right time.
After Matt we were treated to a couple playing guitar and violin.
Unfortunately I only caught the name of the violinist. The lovely Francesca Masucci.
I got the impression that it was more of a jam than anything else, but when two people can follow the nuanced moves of each other in the manner that they could it becomes something that bit special.
It all sounded very evocative, and with your eyes closed you could have imagined that you were fireside in a gypsy encampment in Spain, or somewhere similar.
It was a fantastic - if short - set, and one that Su Casa should be rightly proud of giving a platform to.
Jamie Uchima was to play next and I enjoyed his poetic style and delivery.
Another nice gear change in the music for the audience
There sounded like there was a great deal of a Goo Goo Dolls influence in the guitar playing, but vocally and lyrically there's not a hint of it.
Three songs into his set and it was all positivity. However I have nothing to say about the last song of his set.
See what I did there?
Anyway onwards to the more positive comments again.
Little Fire was to follow Jamie, and along with one of Melisa Kelly's Harmless Thieves on cajon and Francesca Masucci making her second appearance of the night, he ran through a few of his songs that I'm already familiar with.
Yet it has to be said that in the context of a small band, rather than solo, the material is given wings. Little Fire is great on his own, but with others it just takes it all into another direction that is equally as impressive.
The violin in particular goes hand in hand with the material and gives his voice a solid foundation to layer itself over.
Very lovely, and maybe a small hint of what is to come from Little Fire in the future.
I've seen the next band Fole, and front man James Foley, a couple of times now and I've always been impressed with them, but this time they seemed sharper, faster and more urgent than they have been previously, and it was all good.
There song 'Tightrope' sounded especially muscular and the it's good to see that the original music that they are playing can be shaded in different ways.
If I was to list a top ten of favourite Ayrshire acts then Fole would definitely be on it.
The last act to entertain us was the irrepressible Melisa Kelly.
I say irrepressible as she is down with a cold and while some singers would use that as a reason to pull a performance Melisa doesn't, and apart from a short apology it's all business.
Similar to Matt Scott, Melisa is a talent waiting to be discovered.
She has the whole package going on to.............and that voice. What a voice.
Every once in a while female vocalists come along and through the sheer force of the passion in their voices manage to draw attention to themselves.
Billie Holiday did it in the field of jazz and Janis Joplin rocked the world. Both had that raw attention to the detail of the vocal and Melisa has it to.
You believe every single utterance. She's one hundred percent authentic in her delivery, she doesn't just sing the songs, but emotes them.
You really had to be there, but as some weren't I'm hoping to get Fole and Melisa down to play a Sunday Session in 2012 and I can't wait to see them blow everyone away.
Thanks to Robert Gemmell here's some footage shot on a phone from the night.