Matt Scott - Stairway Songs EP Launch - Bakers Sat 29th March (Kilmarnock)

It's a rare performance from Matt Scott that doesn't end with him being approached by people wanting to buy a CD.
Unfortunately while Matt had the songs the recording process has not been a quick one, and he has often had to resort to the fall back position of saying 'it's in the pipeline' to more people than he would probably have wanted to.
Those days are now behind him though, and with his brand spanking new ep delivered from the pressing plant he found himself with another dilemma.

Where should he launch it from?

Ideas were thrown about with the decision settling on it having to be either Glasgow or his home town of Kilmarnock.

On one hand Glasgow is a solid hub of musical activity and he has a solid track record of playing there with a couple of successful King Tuts appearances under his belt, and who could forget the opening slots to touring acts that widened his fan base.
On the other hand is that the people who supported him up until the point that he felt comfortable in playing in a major city are predominately all Ayrshire folk, and the temptation to return some of the love has a pull all of its own.

So ultimately in a battle of the heart and mind it was the heart that won out and the latter option was firmly grasped with Bakers being selected to host the evening.

Then, as is usual, another dilemma raised it's head.

Who should he approach to support him?

It was only then that the word support started to take on a rather egotistical force of its own, and the idea that it should be a mutual appreciation society event of like minded friends who have all shared the same stage on the their musical journeys solidified.
And with that Brown Bear and The Bandits, Rose Parade and Ross Crawford were sounded out and took up the offer in the spirit it was intended.

So no real supports, and instead special guests, and that's how from the humble beginnings of an idea it has become an evening where a good percentage of the cream of the talent that have worked tirelessly to enhance the entertainment options that are available to Ayrshire music fans came together for a special night.

Tickets are available from RGM (Kilmarnock), Big Sparra Vinyl (Ayr), the bands themselves and a limited amount will be available on the door.

Brown Bear and the Bandits - Bakers - 30/11/12 (Kilmarnock)

I've been saying 'oooft' a lot recently.

Not out loud, but in print.

I have no idea why it has slipped into my limited online vocabulary, and it doesn't even legitimately mean anything.

It's more an indication of a small brief exclamation of surprise, positive or negative, but the fact remains that over the last few weeks there's been a lot to oooft at.

There was the couple arguing at Rizzle Kicks. Oooft.

There was the fantastic show from Tragic City Thieves and Electric 6. Oooft.

There was the news that Springsteen is coming to Glasgow next year. Oooft.

The release of a nice Jam box set. Oooft.

,,and then there was the Brown Bear and the Bandits gig in Kilmarnock that wholly deserved an oooft as well.

Oh that was a night of ooofts!

First was Matt Scott who I have seen many a time, a guy who I now consider a friend, and for the sake of honesty I'll admit to quasi managing him although I hate using that term as it really just about spreading the word a bit about a talented young man.

I never really expect him to play badly, and I always enjoy his performances, but everything clicked into place in Bakers.

The quality of the sound and lighting perfectly set the stage for him to showcase his voice, and the environment just lent itself to lifting the performance from a good one to a great one.

There was nothing in his set that wouldn't have been out of place on a bigger stage in front of a larger audience, and the magic that had drawn me to appreciate his talents was there for all to hear and see.

I could quite easily imagine that if a record label executive was in attendance then Matt would have left the stage to an invite to a meeting where they could discuss his future.

There's very few singer songwriters plying a trade in the Waits, Dylan, Miller style as he is, nor doing it so well. 

If you haven't seen him yet, then do so.

Following Matt was the much touted Baltimore League, and while I was impressed with the studio recordings of Martyrs and Town that are on their facebook page I couldn't say the same about the live performance.

I just wasn't feeling it

There was a disjointed feeling to the material with them sounding as if they were being performed by different bands depending on who was assuming the lead vocal.

Maybe in a few months the songs will be able to assume more of a band sound and a live set will come across as less fragmented.

There's no doubting the band are talented enough musicians, and the song writing is fine.

It's just that it feels to me that they are still stepping around each other, and the day is yet to come when all three members fit together to work towards a common sound and aim.

It could well be very interesting when they do.

There's no such drifting from Paul McGranaghan who was introducing his new full band project to promote his debut album.

While I've always enjoyed his solo acoustic outings I would have to say that none of them prepared me for the album when I heard it.

Taking his influences from the writing of Hunter S Thompson the album has a broad range of styles that reflects the lyrical content of each song, and while it's an eclectic mix it also has a solid solid thread that holds it all together.

It's an album that I would expect to hear from an artist many releases into their career, and not on a debut.

It's damn impressive.

So impressive that I have tried to review it on a number of occasions and ended up hitting delete as nothing I have managed to get down has come close to putting across how good it is.

Prior to the band playing - who were made up of the drummer of ShelfLife and the bassist of Brown Bear and the Bandits - I was wondering how it was going to be interpreted on stage, especially with it being a trio playing the material, but as the last note rang out I was none the wiser.

Right there was the main oooft moment of the night

The performance didn't sound like it was possible to have been made by three guys.

Great guitar work throughout, solid drumming, and bass runs that helped fill everything out and made it all sound far bigger than it really should have were the order of the evening.

If I was asked if Paul delivered then I can only say that it was like ordering a main course and getting the full three courses for the same price.

From blue collar rockers to a singular moment when if you closed your eyes you would have thought that led Zeppelin had entered the building it was quite possible the best debut of a band that I have seen.

Utterly compelling stuff if you are a music fan.

Brown Bear and the Bandits had a great deal to follow after that performance, but follow it they did with a set that comprised of pretty much everything they have recorded, and a few tasters of material that will be on their debut album that could well be with is for March.

They did exactly what a band has to do when a support play a blinder and that's step up to the plate and take a deep breath and go for it.

The new songs that were introduced sound like a natural progression from the material on the Truth or Dare ep so it's doubtful that anyone who considers themselves a fan of the band just now will be disappointed, and there's enough forward momentum to allow the album to attract new fans to.

So all sounds well and good in the Brown Bear camp and once again I got the distinct impression that I was seeing a band who are not going to flounder at the big fish in the small pond stage, and instead on who were ready and willing to make the leap to bigger things and take it in their stride with some aplomb.

I would be surprised at all if in 2013 the band become the next Ayrshire one to make a splash nationally.