Brown Bear and the Bandits Su Casa EP Launch

Here I am back in the driving seat with another review. I'll be taking over the blog soon.
This time I managed to get along to Su Casa for the Brown Bear and the Bandits EP launch and listening party without Mainy as he was working.
I had been night shift before this myself so it was straight out of my bed and into the car to go and pick up Claire before we took the road to Ayr.
Once in Su Casa we did our usual and grabbed some large mugs of hot chocolate and then jumped upstairs to get some good seats.
I'm glad we arrived early as with every pasing minute the room started to fill until it had got to bursting point.
I'm not sure I've ever seen it that busy before.
First to get up and entertain us was Little Fire.
You would think that seeing him play nearly every Thursday would start to wear a bit thin, but that's not the case.
I love listening to him sing and I can't see a time when I will get tired of watching him perform.
His talent shines through.
His songwriting skills, voice and guitar playing all fit nicely together and you get the idea that this is the full package.
Wonderful again.
Next to entertain us was Paul McGranaghan who initially regaled us solo with some very well written songs.
Similar to Little Fire he manages to make everything fit together.
That not to say that they sound alike, but instead that both are performing to a very high standard.
Midway through his set a friend joined him, and while I had been very impressed with Paul playing himself this additional guitarist took it all to another level.
He has an album coming out soon and I'll definitely be buying it.
Until that comes out I'll have to make do with the EP that he had with him.
On it are three tracks that go a long way to confirming to me that we have something rather special in Paul.
(A review of the ep will follow)
Through both sets I kept wondering where Jamie and Matt (Brown Bear) find all this talent from.
So far it had been exceptional.
On the down side the curse of the chatter was back.
It's something that I've been becoming increasingly aware of.
There's a bit of balance that maybe needs to be reached.
I don't expect people to sit in reverential silence, but neither do I want them to raise their voices and compete with the act who are performing.
Throughout Little Fire, and then Paul McGranaghans sets, there was a few people at both ends of the spectrum.
Some appeared disinterested and were speaking loudly and maybe they could have been a bit more respectful and took their conversation downstairs, while one woman was loudly shushing people and in doing so making more noise than the people she was directing her shush at.
I don't mean to come across like the gig police and push strict guidelines on gig etiquette, but possibly just make people aware of how their behaviour can have an impact on other peoples enjoyment.
Anyway. That's me had a very small apologetic rant.
The band of the night, and the band it seemed everyone was there to see, were next, and by this time I was at the back of the room and there was no chance of me getting back to my seat at the front.
I ended up standing next to Laura and her friends and even managed to take a guys seat when he wasn't looking.
So much for gig etiquette eh?
When Brown Bear and the Bandits began it was very obvious why they are SAMA winners and a band whose name is on lips of everyone.
They were stunningly good from start to finish.
Their cover of the Talking Heads classic 'Phsyco Killer' was as unexpected as it was brilliant.
On the way home it was still filling my head.
The material from their forthcoming release was rolled out for everyone and it sounded like every single new song has hit stamped on it.
It was a great atmosphere from the start, and midway through their set it seemed like everyone in the room was up dancing and singing along.
As they finished everyone started chanting 'two more songs' and with big grins all round they gave in and played another couple.
I've seen them a few times now and always enjoyed myself, but this time it was a whole new experience.
You can tell that all the pieces are starting to fall into place for them and it was a pleasure to participate in their launch night.
A couple of t-shirts bought later and I hit the road to Kilmarnock with my ears ringing, Psycho Killer roaming about in my head and a smile that wouldn't go away.
Another great night. Roll on the next.
Kelly Conway

Richie Blitz

I was once asked how I seem to be able to keep finding new music and very often I shrug and say that I don't know.
Maybe in some cases it's osmosis, or it's possible that I'm a music magnet and it is drawn to me.
The truth is that I trawl about and make connections from one thing to another.
I get a recommendation from one person and I check the band out and find that they are playing nearby so I go and see them, pick up a CD of the support band, go and see them again and catch their support band, pick up a CD and.....well you get it don't you.
Or maybe I hear a band on a compilation and then go and grab everything else they have done.
In all honesty there are a million and one ways to find new music, but only if you make the effort.
Basically I just leave myself open to everything, and due to that I seem to manage to pick up on a great deal of great - in my opinion - music.
In the case of Richie Blitz I seen a comment he made about apolitical punk bands that had a link to his blog where he expanded on his thoughts.
At that point I didn't even know he was a singer/songwriter, but when I was looking through his blog it became apparent and there was the option to download his album and a more recent EP for free.
As we share similar political opinions I thought I'd give them a listen and there you go.
That's how I found Richie.
It's that curiosity factor that takes you from a to b to c and so forth.
I'm glad I do have that natural curiosity though.
If I didn't then I wouldn't be currently playing Richie's album and tapping my toe to it and entertaining thoughts that as long as we have people like him singing protest songs then maybe the world can be pulled back from going to hell in a handcart.
It's now obligatory to name-check Woody Guthrie when you mention protest songs, and that's probably down to there being so many one man and a guitar acts howling their frustrations out.
From Billy Bragg to Billy Liar you can hear the echo of Woody, but I doubt I'll get bored with it.
Now here we are in a different time and a different place and Richie is picking up the baton and running with it.
Anti-fascist, pro-equality, anti-racist, pro-freedom.
When said like that it seems simple, but why does it need to be more complicated?
Richie isn't preaching fundamentalist opposition in his music. He's simply making a stand based on a moralistic understanding of the world around him.
He's drawing attention to what is right and wrong on a very basic level that doesn't need additional frills.
Honesty never does.
You can check Richie out here, and find the links up at the top of the page.
http://richieblitz.wordpress.com/
Maybe sometime this year we can get Richie to make the trip to Scotland and entertain us.
Plenty of comments and shares would possibly edge him towards making the effort.
So you know what to to. Go to it troops.
You can listen to some tracks here.
www.facebook.com/pages/Richie-Blitz/140055156029232?sk=app_2405167945

The Banana Sessions Revisited - Kilmarnock (25/02/12)

As promised here's yet another review of the Banana Sessions gig from Kilmarnock.
Similarities and differences abound. Enjoy.
Many thanks to Alana Anthoney for supplying it. Mucho gracios.

Dirty Martini's review - 25-02-12 (spelling and grammer might be ridiculous, I am a hopeless dyslexic)

What a weekend to be in Ayrshire, or anywhere near the Ayrshire music scene for that matter.
Matt Scott playing Tuts, a frankly majestic line-up at Su Casa in Ayr featuring Mark & The Mystics, Little Fire, Julie Doogan & my personal favourites of the Shire, Melisa Kelly & The Harmless Thieves.
But even those were not enough to keep me away from Dirty Martini’s for The Banana Sessions, the band I have been slightly obsessed with over the past 3 months. But we’ll get to them shortly.

It was a very different night in Dirty’s from any other I’ve seen in Killie in a very long time; probably from the days of The Sanctuary, if anyone remembers those good old days? Tonight is very varied in style from what Killie and indeed Dirty’s is used to.

Fife’s Homesick Aldo oozes cool from the second he walks into the building. Looking like a cross between 80’s Bon Jovi and 90’s Alexis Arquette (What about a young John Cooper Clarke Alana?) he turns Kilmarnock into New Orleans for an all too short yet gripping set, harmonica in hand and, presuming by his gruffly blues vocals, cigarettes in pocket. Nothing around sounds quite like this.
If we’re going to call it blues, then it’s vibrant blues, bursting with energy and colour.

It got very Hip Hop for a while and the downstairs bar was a-flutter with talk about Hector Bizerk. Popular amongst their peers in Glasgow where the duo hail from, many people are excited about this male rapper and female drummer combo. It’s an interesting concept for a local band and an idea that could go one of 2 ways; luckily for this pair, Killie are digging their style and it’s not long before the majority of the crowd are getting really into the set. “Man Up” is a big crowd pleaser which spits lyrics about local and worldwide political let downs, which is almost unexpectedly observed by this seemingly “non-educated delinquent” looking word-gun.

Loki, another Glaswegian rapper, unfortunately doesn’t kick and punch quite as effectively as Hector. I notice that a few of the crowd seem to have lost interest in the Hip Hop and have either floated off for a fag or are enjoying casual conversation amongst themselves whilst Loki spits derogatory lyrics about prostitutes with fag burns on their skin… lovely. It’s not that Loki is bad; I’ve seen him wow crowds in Pivo Pivo many times, however tonight I get the feeling that Kilmarnock are just not used to this. There is a fantastic and frankly fascinating underground Hip Hop scene in Glasgow with plenty of dedicated followers, a few of which can be heard in the crowd tonight, but mainly the crowd seem a little under appreciative of the bad boy political poet before them.

Next up are the glorious Girobabies who bounce on with as much enthusiasm as always. Mingling styles of indie,
Brit pop & sometimes hip hop, Giros are at their best in front of a crowd like this, glowing with energy that we have come to expect. They are tight tonight, maybe it’s because, as lead singer Mark points out before they start, all of the people in tonight’s line up have actually met and played together before!
Mark is the quintessential local front man, giving a good bit of banter and some audience interaction. He is joined on stage for a short time by Nicolette who I’ve seen perform on the same bill as the Giro’s, doing cute parodies of modern pop song, but singing them about jobbies. But tonight, the shit is off the table & her sweet vocals are a great juxtaposition with Mark’s gruff Glaswegian slur. It’s defiantly stuff to get the feet tapping, but not even this could have possibly prepared Kilmarnock for was about to hit them; The Banana Sessions!

I became aware of The Banana Sessions only around 4/5 months ago when a friend Facebooked me a YouTube link to The Drunken Dormouse. Since then I’ve been strangely addicted to the Edinburgh 5 piece, who have been popular on the UK festival scene (including Wickerman & Glastonbury) for the past 3 years or so.
When I told my 8 year old brother I was going to see The Banana’s tonight he was actually crying to come to the pub with me. Literally EVERYONE loves these guys.

When lead singer, Roberta Pia kindly, before the band have played a note, asks the crowd to move over a tad to create a dance space anyone not familiar with the band’s sound might find it a bit arrogant, but whenever the band start with the sweet yet infectious “Pot Noodle” it’s clear that we’re all in for an unpredictable treat and that Roberta’s request was probably for the best… The Banana’s don’t waste any time at all getting into the mood & effortlessly take the crowd with them.

It’s not often you see a happy band any more. From my recent experiences in the local music scene there are a lot of boys and girls on acoustic guitars, churning out lyrics they wrote whilst crying into their pint in the Union. But not these guys! They are much more mature than that, but at the same time, listening to a song like “My Favorite Song”, if you close your eyes you might imagine it’s the cast of Sesame Street on stage when you open up again.
It’s THAT much fun!

There are so many styles of music within the one distinctive sound that the Banana Sessions emit. There’s a clear jazz feel, some skiffle, a bit of a reggae beat every now and again and maybe the sound of a nursery rhymes album about them as well. All of this is bound together with charm and charisma and a delightful non-attempt at hiding that Edinburgh twang, everyone is the room is falling a little bit in love with them it would seem.

I’ve been to plenty of gigs in Dirty’s over the years and I’ve felt the floor and the foundations shake, and I’ve seen things fall off of the walls and the ceiling caused by excessive dancing/moshing, but I’m told that tonight is worse (or maybe better) than ever before.
I was almost surprised when Roberta comments on the bouncy floor as I hadn’t noticed at all. Then I realized it was because my feet had barely been on the floor long enough to feel it!

A couple of covers never go a miss & The Banana’s have some classics. Their Prodigy Medley has become a favorite on their YouTube channel with almost 225,000 views, mixing together a number of 90’s Prodigy classics including Breathe, Smack My Bitch Up & Out Of Space with their signature, fruity sound. It goes down a storm, but no-one was expecting 2Unlimited’s No Limits to slip into the set list. But who knows what to expect any more from these guys? It’s awe inducing.

Finishing off (or so they think) is Jukebox, a song which has recently been complimented with a Jazzy & stylish music video & it’s clear to see why The Banana Sessions are causing such a buzz everywhere they go. The band look to be having as good a time as the crowd as Miss Pia smiles cheekily, armed with just her tambourine & makes everyone in the room fall in love with her.
Although there is a flute, a melodic and even a tuba player on stage, it’s hard to take your eyes off of her.

I look to the heavens & pray that the lights done come back on just yet. And my prayers are answered as the crowd chant for one more tune. And we receive it in the form of the aforementioned The Drunken Dormouse. G-ing the crowd up firstly by teaching them the “rum-bum-bum-bum” part of the song in some sort of call & response style, Roberta gets everyone bouncing and singing along, in a shameless frenzy. It’s the perfect way to end a marvellous gig.

Trust me; if you get a chance to see these guys perform do anything in your power to be there!

A wee rundown of the set list too in case you’re interested:
Pot Noodle
Picture Yourself
Caterpillar
Roundabout
My Favourite Song
Mexican Standoff
Bucky
Pesky Rabbit
The Prodigy Medley
No Limit
Bally Dancer
2 Seasons
Jukebox
The Drunken Dormouse

The official website: www.thebananasessions.co.uk
Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/thebananasessions 
The YouTube channel:http://www.youtube.com/user/thebananasessions?feature=BF 

Alana Anthoney

Apologies extended to 'A Band Called Cadence' as in one review they get a partial mention and in this none as the reviewer missed their set.
On the upside if anyone wants to submit a review and photographs of their set then there's no problem in putting it up.
It doesn't even have to be a review from the Killie show.

Alabama Shakes - Boys & Girls

There's little doubt that I'll not be the only person mentioning Janis Joplin during her Holding Company days in an Alabama Shakes review.
There's just no getting away from it.
The ghost of Janis looms large through the sound-alike vocals of Brittany Howard, but while the same rawness in the delivery is there, it also has a great deal of sweet soul in it that's wholly Brittany's own, and it's that southern soul that gives the band their own persona.
It's little wonder that the music industry is in a lather about this band.
It's not based on pr stunts, or the deep pockets of a backer, but instead the excitement is rooted in the awareness that this band can write a mean song, and with that ability paired with a vocal delivery that could either raise the hair on the back of your neck. or strip the paint from a wall at hundred paces is something that they will see as a sure fire money spinner.
Similar to how the world fell in love with The White Stripes, and then latterly The Kings of Leon, with both bands bucking the mainstream trend, I could see Alabama Shake doing the same.
Once the album is out in April then watch for a Jools Holland appearance and a single nestling between a couple of mindless empty pop ditties in the charts.
It just seems so inevitable.
Global success must be on the horizon.
If it doesn't happen then I think we should spearhead a revolution that will allow us to put in power people who will ensure that bands like Alabama Shakes get the credit they deserve.
So am I saying that this band are actually worth turning the world upside down for?
Well I suppose I am.
Pre-order it now and be forever happy.

The SAMA's - The Results.

Well that's the SAMA's been and gone for another year.
It would appear that everyone had a ball - as expected - and the list of winners is now out.
Congratulations to all nominated, and equally to Richy and everyone involved in making these awards a reality.
In my opinion there were no losers. Just winners.
The amount of talent displayed across the breadth of the nominations was quite frankly mind blowing.
However as is required there must be winners and they are.

Best Live Act, sponsored by Messer Schmitt : We Were Promised Jetpacks

There wont be many complaints as We Were Promised Jetpacks nabbed best live act. Hard work and talent has allowed them to reap the rewards.

Best Rock/Alternative, sponsored by Ignite Records : Fatherson

Ayrshire lads deservedly cement their reputation as thee band to watch out for.

Best Electronic, sponsored by Bar Bloc : Fridge Magnets

Claimed to be Scotlands hottest electro act by STV they just keep going on and grabbing plaudits wherever they manage to land.

Best Newcomer, sponsored by Cathouse Glasgow : Bwani Junction

Another well deserved feather in Bwani Junction's cap. They arrived on the scene with fully formed infectious indie pop tunes and are effortlessly managing to get their name on the lips of everyone.

Best Metal, sponsored by Departed Apparel : Ten Tonne Dozer

No need for any BS here. I've never heard of them, but I sincerely doubt that they are undeserving. 'mon the metal.

Best Hip Hop, sponsored by Young Scot : Madhat McGore

As Scottish Hip Hop makes waves in the underground offering something fresh and edgy to those who want to walk on the Wildside it's Madhat McGore who can act as your guide.

Best Acoustic, sponsored by JamHut Studios : Brown Bear & The Bandits

A personal shout out from itsaxxxxthing to Brown Bear and the Bandits.
Yaldi.
Says it all.


For more information, images and video clips visit: http://officialsama.co.uk/

Bruce Springsteen - Wrecking Ball

When Bruce Springsteen gets angry on 'Wrecking Ball' he sounds like a tightly coiled force of nature.
There's no lashing out in blind rage at the perceived injustices that have been visited upon the people of the US - and the rest of the world - from the businesses, bankers and political parties, just an incisive passionate and laser sharp denouncement of them.
However 'Wrecking Ball' isn't actually all about rage as some broadsheets have claimed.
Instead, writ large throughout, is an appeal for people to think and insist that we take a more humane direction when we reach the looming fork in the road.
It's not even a message that's being pushed down throats, although it is impassioned from start to finish, but instead a finger being pointed at the writing on the wall, and a request to just think about it........and then speak out, but mainly to think about the world around us and how we got to this stage of economic failure, and how the light of hope is being extinguished for so many.
It's a plea for us all to pull back from the brink.
When he sings on the opening track 'we take care of our own' it sounds completely heartfelt and without any sort of artifice.
It sucks you straight in and holds you close to its breast.
There's blood pumping through its veins and you can feel the truth in his words.
You can hear it roaring in your ears.
Not just hear the truth. But feel it.
This is the magic that Springsteen weaves and it's all on display on the very first strong.
His cards are on the table
Straight out of the gate and he has you.
He's the worlds blue collar every-man making a solid connection.
A chronicler of a wide and inclusive journey through life.
Equally at home singing about the bitter-sweet loss of a first love as he his tipping at the windmills and issuing a challenge to corporations to accept responsibility for the welfare of those they employ.
Now in 2012, and who would have thought it, but here he is with 'Wrecking Ball' an album that doesn't stumble once.
This is his album where he delivers everything that his fans have ever wished for.
There's elements of Darkness on the Edge of Town mixed with his Seeger Sessions. Some Born to Run and Nebraska. Even hints of Born in the USA paired with Working on a Dream.
Regardless of what era of 'The Boss' punches your buttons you will find it represented here, and none of it sounds as if it has been shoehorned in to entertain the masses.
It's simply just a hugely sprawling, and organic sounding, work of genius.
The point in his career when the cumulative experiences of a lifetime entertaining people around the world has allowed him to create an album that will strike a chord with people from all walks of life.
Just as others, who some would consider Springsteen's peers, are running out of ideas and falling short of being relevant to modern audiences he has taken it all to yet another level.
Vive le Boss.

Time to speak out and set the record straight.

The future of the NHS is very obviously the hot button topic right now in the UK.
On the one hand we have the coalition government doing it's utmost to privatize it (let's just call a spade a spade here), and on the other we have a minority trying to raise the alarm, while the majority sleep walk into a future where the effects of a private health care system will no doubt be met with an incredulous 'how the fuck did that happen'.
There is however a different angle to all this, and that is how our NHS is perceived abroad.
I've seen a whole raft of misguided comments about it.
How can you expect a quality service for free is one, but who said it was free? We all pay for it and we all reap the rewards.
People die while waiting for treatment was another.
Well of course they do. Show me a country where no one dies while waiting for treatment and we can all move there.
Physical ailments do not respect time.
People die everyday. It's part of the circle of life.
Of course timely intervention can help, but it's all very haphazard. I could equally say that people die after treatment to.
We file it away as shit happens and move on.
Not everyone will be saved, nor will they have a positive experience of the care they receive.
It's not a perfect system.
Life is not a perfect system. Deal with it.
Add onto those two the claims that of filthy hospitals where it would appear that we have to climb over mountains of soiled bedding and avoid dirty needles while fending off leprous nurses and I'm starting to wonder where people get this sort of impression from.
There are many more of these examples to.
So many that on occasions I've thought that maybe in some insidiously manipulative way that we have been slowly getting primed for this.
For at least a decade the idea of, private health care system good, socialist health care system bad, has been promoted relentlessly.
The only problem is that I don't see it.
While accepting that the NHS is not a utopian dream come true I consider that it's not far off it.
I actually think our nurses are, in the main, angels who work long and hard for a pay that doesn't really reflect their worth.
The doctors, from GPs to surgeons, provide us all with a breadth of expertise that boggles the mind.
Together all our health care professionals are the mechanics of our country who keep the engine running.
I firmly believe this.
I always have done, and whenever I have required treatment they have proved me right time after time.
Just a little over a week ago I was at work and felt a pain in my chest.
It was like a clamp squeezing the breath out of me, a huge weight that was settling on my chest.
The pain radiated down my right arm and my fingertips felt as if there was a small electrical charge running through them.
Once the pain reseeded I came out in a feverish sweat and thought I was going to throw up.
Basically I had displayed all the symptoms of a heart attack, except it was my right arm instead of the left.
So I left work and went to my doctors surgery.
Within a very short space of time I was seen by a doctor who diagnosed a chest infection and a possible pulled muscle in my chest.
Both together mirroring virtually all the symptoms of a heart attack.
Throughout my examination the doctor was calmly supportive and at no point did I feel that he was being inconvenienced by my emergency appointment.
From my limited experience – as I very rarely avail myself of the NHS – I didn't expect anything less.
All in, from the initial pain to a diagnosis, and including the offer of treatment and the uplifting of the medication itself, it took about two hours.
I can't see anything to complain about there.
Then this morning I found that I needed to contact my surgery again for another matter entirely.
I called at 8.30am and was told that a doctor would call me back within the hour.
It was actually about twenty minutes later when the phone rung out and within minutes a course of treatment was advised.
Once again I felt that this doctor - a different one from over a week ago – delivered a service second to none.
Compassionate, empathic and on the ball.
So I want everyone to do me a favour.
Can you all speak up on behalf of our NHS.
Lets not focus on the one or two issues that we have had, and there are issues and sometimes very upsetting ones, but instead let's focus on the lifetime of treatment we have had and how over all it is simply fantastic.
I don't want us all to start appreciating something once it is gone.
Speak up now and let's keep our NHS as the benchmark that everyone else across the world needs to reach for.

Little boxes

I got an email today.
Well actually I got quite a few emails, but nestled between the one from Jessica who wanted to sell me a penis enlargement product, and the request for my bank account details from Benjamin from Nairobi, who apparently wants to transfer a sum of money that has been left to me by an African prince, I got this.

Do you not think that more people would read your blog if you focussed on punk, as it IS supposed to be a bloody punk blog.
No one wants to read about local folk bands and you taking your kid to see fuckin Rhianna.

Initially I wondered how I had managed to rattle their cage, and when I had specifically claimed it was a punk blog.
I also wondered why they so emphatically thought that this was the case.
I was going to respond that while punk bands and gigs are featured some people actually seem to like the local folk bands, indie bands, rock bands, hip hop acts and mentalists that are sometimes mentioned, getting some blog space to.
I was also going to throw in something about the hits that the reviews of Rhianna and her ilk get, but then I decided that there wasn't much point though.
I mean c'mon.
I'd probably have more luck opening a successful bacon buttie franchise along the Gazza Strip than swinging the myopic view of this individual.

The problem is that I seem to have upset this person by spectacularly failing to fit my blog into some little box that they consider it should exist in.
A neat little box that meets their specific blogging needs, but I can't help but think that this short - and misguided in my opinion - message is indicative of a wider issue in society.
In just a couple of sentences someone who fails to give a name - and who I may not even know - is putting a request in for me to basically tailor MY blog to their specific tastes.
Am I alone in thinking that's just slightly arrogant.
That maybe it displays a rather egotistical attitude.
It's not something that I'm that surprised at to be honest.
It seems like an extension of the monkey sphere theory (Dunbars number) where it is proposed that as humans we can only manage to maintain relationships with a certain number of people. (Who we compartmentalize as existing in our personal self created monkey sphere)
In this case it would appear that I, and I presume others, should arrange everything into neat little packages that fits comfortably into this persons life sphere (limited bubble of existence), as anything that doesn't fit either can't be understood, or drags them too far out of their comfort zone and fills them with anxiety.
The short missive from planet 'give a monkey a brain and it thinks it's the centre of the universe' doesn't really surprise me though.
It seems that on a daily basis I see that very same attitude being mirrored by people in general.
People who hold a fundamental view to their breasts like a soiled comfort blanket.
Those who have evolved as far as they wish to and see any other advancements out of the cul de sac they find themselves in as unnecessary.
I don't really grasp where they are coming from.
I'm personally all about advocating that we dip our collective toes into a very large melting pot of experiences and consider that we can all have our lives enriched by doing so.
For those who can't jump on board with that then they can either skip the posts that hold no interest to them, or find a more one dimensional blog that does meet their requirements.
This isn't a punk blog, or even a music blog.
It's just a whole mess of randomness spilling out of my head, and that's what it will continue to be.
I hope that covers everything for them as the return address on their hotmail account appears to have been deleted after the message was sent.

The Banana Sessions plus supports @ Jollys - Kilmarnock (25/2/12)

We had been talking about this for weeks, months possibly, and were so looking forward to something very different to the norm going down that night, but we still managed to be late
My fault entirely and we missed Homesick Aldo completely and the majority of A Band Called Cadence.
Fools that we are, well I am mostly.

That being the case I cannot comment on Aldo that night, other than to say I have seen him in the past, enjoyed him greatly and fully intend seeing him again.

As I also said we missed on most of A Band Called Cadence, but that which we did catch we thoroughly enjoyed.
I am predominately a fan of beats, dance, hip hop, Northern Soul, anything that gets you moving and nodding your head…not the only genres I enjoy but a groove, a nice beat, a catchy melody and I am hooked…with no shame incurred, I likes what I likes ye ken? :)

And that is what we heard from A Band Called Cadence. I have been ill recently and I don't go out much any longer, I don't operate well in crowds so when we initially walked in I felt a tad overwhelmed,perhaps we had to many "hits from the bong" beforehand but I felt no urge to " jump around." ( sorry for the terrible hip hop quotes) That changed upon hearing these guys. We went in and made our way towards
the bar, thankfully where our friends were located. We exchanged greetings, had a few minutes chat, got some drinks and it was then that I noticed everyone I knew round about me, myself included, were shuffling around to the music, clearly relaxed and having a good time..a good sign.

The next thing I knew they were almost over and I was getting down with some dodgy dance moves to a cover of Michael Jacksons 'BAD.' I actually could not believe I was hearing a cover version of the song nor that I was dancing to it.
But it WAS good, and my that boy could sing, not Michael of course, he was not there. I am going to make a point of seeing these guys in the very near future.

Next we had Hector Bizerk.
Like I said I am a hip-hop fan.
The one band I have stuck by since I was 16 being the Beastie Boys. I have listened to , and seen live, many, many other acts of course but Scottish Hip -Hop?? F**k off, the. accent has just never fitted for me. I have over the years listened to london accents giving it large and working, GunShot for instance, but the Scottish thing just never really sat well for me, god I even cringe when I hear someone talking
slang on the television.

That changed for me there and then.

Hector Bizerk were bloody fantastic. The delivery of the rhymes, the flow and the subject matters chosen were all beyond fault. Clearly a very intelligent and talented wordsmith! (Is that even word??) And the drumming???? My god we were BLOWN away! The girl on the drums was really something else. She changed tempo, texture and volume
seamlessly, a beat was never missed.
It was so good I honestly at
times thought there must have been some sort of sampled/recorded backing being played. Nope. It was just the two of them. And they complemented each other well, the rhymes and beats were so locked down together, so perfectly entwined that what came across was a polished and impressive performance. If I had any criticism, which I don't, I would say that I was hanging out for a bass line to be laid in-between
vocals and drums just to satisfy me. They seemed fine without it, as did the crowd, but to me it would have added up to almost perfection.
I am serious, that is how much I rated these guys, my attitude towards the Scots doing rap has been changed forever.

If i wanted Hector to bring in some bass then Loki did not let me down.His backing tracks had guitar riffs, funky ass beats and bass a plenty. And his rhymes were none to shabby. Many a subject was covered in an intelligent and lyrically creative fashion, ecstasy, Glasgow and politics were all touched upon, it was a lesson.

People talk about hip hop, rap artists, spitting out rhymes. This was certainly heard tonight, these guys both had conviction in what they were saying and we listened. Man I enjoyed that.


On second to last were the Girobables, an act whom I have seen live now around 4/5 times, each time in the same venue and each time I have enjoyed the performance. How can I describe them?
Well talented nutters sits with me.
Not the kind of nutters you would find outside a pub at closing time looking for bother, the kind that would be in the field opposite wearing day glow tutu's in complete darkness, jamming on an acoustic guitar, 2 zylophones and screaming into a broken loudhailer, the good interesting sort of nutter.
The only person who may not enjoy their live act is Jeremy Kyle as he has had sexual relations where he should not have, or so the song goes.

A great precursor to the main meal. and delicious it was to be!!

The Banana sessions blew me and everyone I spoke to that night, and since, completely away.
They were tight musically, had a good sense of humour about the performance and an infectious groove that had the whole place bouncing along. Including the buildings foundations.
It felt like an earthquake had singled out that pub alone and was determined to shake it to bits, yet have fun doing so.

I don't know how they managed an entire brass band in there, or that they actually did, but it sure as heck sounded like one. In my head I heard tuba, flute, trumpets, drums, a celestial choir singing about what I am convinced was buckfast, a melodica (yup I never really knew what one was either) about 43 penny whistles and I was consumed with an overwhelming urge to clomp around like a wild eyed ring leader at a
circus leading band of gypsy pirates as opposed to circus animals.

I have listened to a lot of their stuff and watched previous performances and videos curtesy of YouTube so I thought I knew what to expect.
Song wise I did, they played everything I had hoped for. What I wasn't prepared for was the sheer joy and 'bounce along' factor that
hearing and seeing them live created. Everywhere I looked people were dancing along, smiling , doing a crazy form of the pogo and loving every second.

They captivated the place, it was hard to take your eyes off them and your ears? They were hooked. It was like a musical narcotic was being lovingly stuffed into your mind via your ear canals.
My head felt like it was filled with a funky feel good candyfloss and I was grinning
from ear to ear as though someone had just whispered in my ear that I had won the lottery while a dusky maiden gave me come to bed eyes over her drink and slipped her mobile number into my hand.

That is how good their performance made me feel.
All this in my local pub in little old Kilmarnock?
I could scarcely believe it was happening.
Not only must a HUGE thankyou go out to all the acts who performed, but to David Hanvey for pulling off this amazing feat and to Jollys/Kelly's management and staff, past and present,for a truly enjoyable evening and one that will leave me going cold turkey until, hopefully, something as brilliant happens again and every fibre of my
body can once more feel fed the drug of music, fun and friendship.
A GREAT night, a great friendly crowd and a great atmosphere. I doff my cap to all those involved.

Mucho gracios to Alan Thomas for filling in as guest reviewer. Yer a star mate.
Don't hold your breath just in case it doesn't happen, but there may be another review of this same show from another perspective.

Mark and the Mystics - Su Casa - 25/02/12 (Ayr)

It seems that it's been a long and difficult week for everyone I know.
So how better to finish it than with a trip to Su Casa in Ayr to see the début gig of Mark and the Mystics.
Well that was the plan, but it wouldn't be a night out without at least one spanner being thrown in the works.
This time it was that Kelly, Claire, and myself had travelled to a small place called Crookedholm to collect our brother in musical appreciation who is otherwise known as Robbie Mills.
Unfortunately Robbie wasn't there.
He was hanging about in a car park in our home town and waiting patiently for us to pick him up.
It was a simple mistake of some crossed wires, or as we would say locally 'numpties with tatties in their ears' but after a few cryptic text messages back and forth we were all reunited and still managed to get to Su Casa in plenty of time to catch Trusty and the Foe who were the first act of the night.
I've seen them a few times now and they've never failed to impress me, but tonight everything seemed to take huge leap forward.
It wasn't that they were playing better, but instead that the sound guy nailed it.
Every single note from their guitars weaved in and out with perfect clarity, and the vocals were perfectly balanced in the mix.
This was exactly how Trusty and the Foe should sound.
Imagine if Simon and Garfunkel were in their early twenties and just starting to play coffee shops right now.
If you can manage to wrap your head around that then you wont be far off from grasping where Trusty and the Foe are coming from.
It was a sublime set of folk inspired music and as the audience were appreciatively quiet when they were playing it made it all the more special.
Following Trusty and the Foe was Julia Doogan who has a lovely soft voice that expresses some timidity without sounding fragile or weak.
This was my first experience of her performing and I was quietly impressed with her folk pop songs.
There did appear to be some nerves on show, but in a way it allowed the audience to pull for her.
To quietly urge her on by allowing the atmosphere to be quietly supportive.
It all made for a very lovely experience.
Next on the bill was to be Melisa Kelly and her Harmless Thieves who have now appeared so often at Su Casa that they could be considered the house band, but similar to a few other Ayrshire acts you can never tire of seeing them play as every performance is different.
This time the Harmless Thieves are missing Jamie on Cajon, but are bolstered with a a couple of members who I've not seen play with them before.
One on saxophone and the other on acoustic guitar.
The dropping of one instrument and the addition of two more alters the sound dramatically, but it's not that it sounds better or worse, just different again.
Unsurprisingly the set is shockingly entertaining, and it will never get old reiterating what a soulful and barely tamed vocal delivery that Melisa has.
She could sing the phone book and still enthral an audience.
Mark and the Mystics, the headlining act of the evening, very obviously had to pull something rather special out of the bag to follow Melisa and her Harmless Thieves, but that's exactly what they did.
I was under the impression that what we were going to see would be the usual front man and backing band set up, but instead what we got was Mark Rafferty, Teri Booth and Terry Balfour, displaying their individual talents together as they effortlessly swapped instruments and the taking on of the role of lead vocalists.
It's difficult to put a finger on how they did it, but something that could have been a very disjointed affair was far from it.
As instruments changed hands and the differences between vocal deliveries became apparent it could easily have lent itself to soaring highs and crashing lulls in the performance, but there simply wasn't a hint of that.
Instead what we got to witness was three fine musicians managing to convey a great deal of camaraderie, and in doing so elevating what could be considered a jam session to something much more appealing.
It all sounds polished, but also organic. A finely balanced performance.
Even the changing of seats and minor technical hiccups come across as part of the performance as Mark uses them to display a quick and sharp wit that some stand up comedians could learn from.
To say that I enjoyed them would be an understatement.
I'd happily part with some hard earned cash to see them all individually never mind pay a paltry five pounds to see them all.
It's going to be interesting to see what they come up with in the studio and how they will be able to convey what they do in a live setting.
Su Casa host Little Fire was the man to finish the night off and that he did in fine style.
Recently he supported The Secret Sisters on their Celtic Connections appearance in Glasgow and later this year he has secured the support slot to Joan Armatrading.
So things are going rather well for him and once he starts singing his songs it becomes obvious why.
Everything revolves around the well trodden path of the boy meets girl story, but the reason that path is so well trodden is that the subject material is timeless and as long as it is put out there with passion then no one will tire of it, and that's what Little Dire does.
A fitting end to yet another great night in Su Casa.
February has just delivered one excellent gig after another. March has a lot to live up to.