Su Casa - 9/02/12 (Ayr)

This review is sponsored by Irn Bru and Insomnia.

Mainly (sic) when I head out for a gig I know I'm going to see varying degrees of talent on display.
There's very often the good, the bad and the ugly thrust forth into the spotlight, and more often than not all on the same bill.
It's rare for a night to run smoothly with every act being a delight to listen to.
Even rarer is for every single one of them to manage to bring something different to the experience and enhance the evenings entertainment in its totality.
Yet that was exactly what happened in Su Casa.
This was to be my first experience of seeing lauded local artist Scott Nicol play and I wasn't disappointed.
It would be fair to say his performance effortlessly matches the praise he has received locally and globally.
I'm sure Scot himself wouldn't claim to be reinventing the wheel with his music, but it sounds honestly passionate, and what he does is delivered so well that while others are doing similar he manages to come across as the cream of the crop with his take on what I guess you could call mature acoustic rock music.
An indication of how good Scott is as a performer is how from a cold start he managed to get people singing along to his own material in a very short space of time.
He arrived, made an impression from the off, and then hung onto the attention he had drawn to himself.
Harder that some would think, but it's to his credit that he made it look easy.
I was so impressed that as soon as he finished his short set I approached him and bought a couple of CDs and I wasn't the only one.
Next the very young (It's obligatory to say that) Sam Christinson was to grace Su Casa with his presence, and while I thoroughly enjoyed his previous set many months ago - and his more recent 4 track EP release -,I was surprised at how he had progressed in such a short space of time.
He's far more self assured now, and with that confidence the music has flourished.
The singular new song that he sang is yet another down payment on a promise of things to come.
Definitely a young talent to remember the name of as a singer songwriter of the future..
The co-host and regular performer that is Jamie - Little Fire – McGeechan was next and managed yet again to breath some life into his material.
Each time I see him I find him tinkering with his delivery of his material with no two performances sounding the same.
It's a pleasure to hear the evolution of his songs as they grow towards being recorded..
This year will see him releasing his début album, and at this moment in time I have no clue as to how it is going to sound.
That it's going to be good is - in my opinion - a given, but I wouldn't dare to hazard a guess as to how the songs will finally find form.
It's going to be one of those 'watch this space' situations.
Anna Sweeney followed Jamie and similarly to Sam has taken a huge jump forward in the confidence stakes.
It's a captivating introduction to her as an artist for those who haven't had the pleasure of seeing her before.
Her song writing abilities are well defined and show a level of maturity that is rather astounding for a young woman of such tender years.
This was the first time that I had seen her accompany herself on piano rather than guitar and I'm in a quandary as to what I prefer.
Maybe it will all depend on my mood on the night as both are equally entertaining.
Now I haven't got a problem in saying that Rose Parade are one of my current favourite bands.
I'm an unashamed fan and love how they can create perfect slices of pop music while maintaining a great deal of indie credibility.
Acoustic guitar, single bass drum, banjo, electric guitar and glockenspiel doesn't sound like a marriage made in heaven, but close your eyes and listen and it all makes complete sense.
There short set in Su Casa admirably displayed their talents, and I would be very surprised if they don't manage to draw some wider attention from music fans as this year progresses.
If so, then it will be well deserved, and if not, then I'll be at a loss to understand why.
Similar could be said about Melisa Kelly and the Harmless Thieves.
The word authentic gets bandied about with alarming regularity to describe so many carbon copies of what has come before, but when I hear the word I think of Melisa Kelly.
Previously I'd only ever seen her perform solo, or with Jamie of The Harmless Thieves providing some cajon, but this time it's the full ensemble with bass and keyboards.
The difference is like night and day.
While Melisa's voice soars with minimal accompaniment it's taken to a whole new level when supported by accomplished musicians who know the songs inside and out.
There's a free flowing aspect to how the music is played that only comes from being intimately comfortable as a band.
It sounds organic. From rock and roll to a snippet of some Stevie Wonder it was just pure magic.
I reckon that every time Melisa sings Jools Holland gets a hard on.
He just doesn't know why yet.
Finishing the night was Alan Frew who managed to avoid being upstaged by delving into what must be an encyclopedic knowledge of music and delivering some belting numbers that included the trad song 'Pick a Bale of Cotton' that was more vibrant and rockin' than the Leadbelly version that most would be familiar with.
He left me with the impression that with a guitar there's not a lot he can do.
I've had some great nights in Su Casa, but this is right up there.
Outstanding.

Sam Christison - 3 Songs about you and 1 about me.

Sam Christison isn't the usual sort of artist that would feature here.
It's not that his style of music clashes and doesn't meet some woolly idea of what should and should not be reviewed, but more so that as an atheist my own tastes don't often gravitate towards music that delivers a religious message through their lyrics.
However that's not to say that I don't appreciate talent or a degree of spirituality, and here across the course of four songs there is plenty of both on offer.
There's a soft commitment to his faith that holds your attention without causing any offence.
No one is looking to push an agenda, but instead Sam is wanting to simply share his outlook on life, as most artists do.
That part of how he perceives the world around him is shaped through his faith just adds a little something to it.
Even when it's not blatantly on show.
I guess the point would be that I consider that it sounds grounded and that slightly different source has given him a maturity as a lyricist that you wouldn't normally expect from a fifteen year old.
The accomplished musicianship also lends itself to creating a layered but simplistic backdrop to his voice, and for a debut effort he's already streets ahead of much of musical peers, and that's not to say fifteen year old peers as I'm inclusively talking about everyone who is coming forth as a singer/songwriter in Ayrshire.
It s lovely and positive introduction to a young man who I'm sure will continue to throw up surprises as he continues to push forward in life.
Free download here - http://www.reverbnation.com/samchristison

Brown Bear and the Bandits/Mechanical Smile/Athos/Trusty and the Foe/Sam Christison - Su Casa (6/10/11)

Su Casa was gridlocked.
For a cold and damp Thursday night this flies in the face of the normal midweek turn out for a gig.
Once every seat had been taken and the remaining gaps in the room had rapidly filled with standing room only bodies a young Sam Christison took to the microphone to entertain what was literally a captive audience.
Initially over the course of his first song I was unimpressed as the vocals seemed at odds to the self penned song.
That's actually pretty unusual as who knows how to best sing a song other than the person who wrote it?
Thankfully he rolled into a cover song to follow it and in doing so managed to pull things back a bit.
Maybe it was just a case of opening nerves that sabotaged the first song as when he approached the third track, and second original of the night, everything managed to click into place.
There's some nice guitar work on display, some Dylanesque harmonica and a good grounding in providing a performance.
Yet another young artist to keep an eye on that the Su Casa nights throw into the public eye.
Next was an unannounced set from Trusty and the Foe and it is safe to say that familiarity does not breed contempt. In fact the opposite is true as I'm quickly becoming increasingly enamoured with their soft take on indie folk.
The vocals seem to float on top of the finger picking guitar work and while what they do may not appeal to a crowd looking to rock out it is still a thing of sublime beauty.
It's about time they got into a studio and laid down some tracks, and the sooner the better in my opinion.
Athos (who I'd seen playing an accomplished electric set a few weeks ago in the Monkey Bar in Kilmarnock) set up next to do their very first acoustic show and it was a bit of a game of two halves.
The problem is that the acoustic side of things sounds like a work in progress. The first three songs were nearly there, but falling short of nailing it.
It was only midway through the second song that I thought I could put my finger on what was missing and that was the singer loosening up a bit and letting go with a bit more of a roar.
This guy has a voice. I've heard it, but in trying to convert what they do to an acoustic setting he seemed to be trying to interpret it with a different vocal interpretation and it was only partially working
I'd like to see them play acoustically six months from now as I reckon that once they are comfortable with the format it will deliver huge dividends.
The second half of their set seen them becoming more comfortable and there was a definite light at the end of the tunnel.
It's just a bit out of reach at the moment.
Mechanical Smile who were playing this gig as the second night of their Scottish tour were the band who I was very keen to see, and along with Brown Bear the reason why I made the trip to Su Casa.
The last time I seen them live I felt that all the parts were in place, but similarly to Athos acoustically that they were within reach of the prize but falling short of grabbing it.
Now all these months down the line and with a fantastic ep tucked under their belts and loads of gigs ground out they have reached the point of having done that and bought the t-shirt.
All the promise I felt was there has now been delivered upon.
Strong material, tight musicianship and best of all the attitude of a band that know what they are doing and have their eyes set on a bigger and better future.
These guys are far more than a post grunge rock act as their acoustic set proves.
As with all bands a great deal of effort is put into getting a foot on the bottom rung of the music business, and all the effort from Mechanical Smile has brought them to that point right now.
It's going to be interesting to see if they can start climbing higher now.
Last band of the evening was the much lauded Brown Bear and the Bandit.
A band that I seem to have managed to miss again and again until now.
From the moment that the first chord was struck it was very obvious that their reputation as a band to see was well founded. It's an electrifying experience that deserves more than the usual superlative praise that can be heaped on a band.
The guitar, bass and cajón drum is used to mix a heady brew of sound and it's all delivered with a bit of an anarchic edge.
Styles and genres are all there for the picking and the band are elbow deep in bringing it all to the table to flavour their songs.
Cleticindiefolkpunkpopandrollagogo.
This is a band that if there was any justice would be featuring heavily in all the 'bands to watch in 2012' lists that proliferate in the 'must read to be classed as cool' magazines, but the main difference from the rest mentioned is that they they really are the band to watch.
So bring on 2012. Brown Bear and the Bandits are ready. Are you?
http://soundcloud.com/brownbearandthebandits
Truth or Dare by brownbearandthebandits