George Glen

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Don’t know why I decided to go see Lotte … she just showed up on Sneaky Pete’s website  and I was intrigued enough. Unfortunately not many other people were tempted on a Monday night.

Support Jazz Morley has a strong voice and interesting, melancholy songs. She knows this! I felt like saying ‘Cheer up hen!’, but obviously resisted.

Lotte is clearly a skilled crafter of songs.  Her singing and playing style is good but not really my cup of tea. I did enjoy the night though and lots of that was to do with Lotte’s in between song stories and explanations. Really funny and informative on the life of a songwriter.

Good luck and best wishes … I’ll keep an eye out for their future music careers.

6/11 Attended by George

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The War on Drugs are an American band from Philidelphia … but really a vehicle for founder member singer/lead guitarist/writer/leader Adam Granduciel. I didn’t know much about them but was intrigued at the hype and thought a few songs I had heard were interesting.

Well they are good at what they do and a packed Usher Hall was right into them … but their soft thoughtful rock is not really my cup of tea. I happily stuck out the 2 hours including 5 encores … but the style of the songs was a bit samey and Adam’s delivery of vocals and guitar solos doesn’t have enough variety for me. Maybe the songs work better recorded and the last album got amazing reviews. I’ll give that a listen and maybe I’ll come round!

6/11 Attended by George, Neil and John

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I’d seen Jennie 7 times before … But only as a backing singer to Ane Brun and Peter Gabriel, not as headline act with her own band. I’m such a big fan I had to put that right, so it had to be London, the closest to Edinburgh on her European tour!

The show was part of the ‘Ja Ja Ja’ club night showcasing Nordic artists at The Lexington, a really cool small venue. ‘Mont Oliver’ from Denmark were first up and I was most impressed with their melodic electronica so I’ll watch out for them again. ‘Psyence Fiction’ from Norway next were a different kind of sound but good in other ways. Strong songs with some wry humour in the lyrics.

With all the setting up and down each band only had limited time which was a pity. I could have enjoyed much more of them all especially Jennie from Sweden who could only fit in 8 songs (as far as a I can remember) … ‘Snowstorm’, ‘The War’, ‘Phoenix’, ‘Entity’,’In This Life to Live’, ‘Wolf’, ‘Hole In You’ and ‘Why Did I Leave Home’. But a great 8 songs all the same!

Jennie’s singing is always perfect, she has a great way of holding an audience and her band are superb – Johannes Berglund on Bass Synth and enthusiasm makes a big difference to the songs, Micke Häggström is inventive and powerful on drums and Samuel Starck has all the keyboard fills to complement Jennie on her illuminated plexiglas Xylophone. Just Magic!

8/11 Attended by George

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Klara and Johanna Söderberg have come a long way since the first time I saw them at tiny Sneaky Pete’s on their first UK tour to now selling out the Usher Hall and large venues around the world. That success is well deserved for their precocious talents and sheer hard work so I was so proud to see them be a big deal in my home town!

The fact that they paid a celebrity visit to Edinburgh’s first cat cafe ‘Maison de Moggy’ earlier in the day just made me smile all the more (see pics in slideshow above) as did their now customary drinking of Irn Bru on stage!  Edinburgh certainly gave them a big welcome but the scale of the big theatre does not faze them at all and they put on a suitably big show to match. Their extended band including drums and pedal steel player makes a real difference and they handle that ‘beefed up’ sound with aplomb.

I’ve grown to really love their latest album ‘Stay Gold’ and songs from that rightly dominated the set including my favourites ‘Cedar Lane’, ‘Stay Gold’ and ‘ Waitress Song’. Covers also made a big impression, especially a brilliant take on ‘Love Interruption’ by Jack White. They always sing ‘Ghost Town’ at the front of the stage without microphones and to carry that off in such a big hall with a thousand backing singers was wonderful. Well I sang along with everything!

A great night with a celebration atmosphere. Well done girls. Lots more good stuff to come in future I’m sure!

9/11 Attended by George & Karen

http://www.setlist.fm/setlist/first-aid-kit/2015/usher-hall-edinburgh-scotland-5bca93d8.html

• First Aid Kit ‘Stay Gold’
• St Vincent‘ St Vincent’
• Cara Dillon ‘A Thousand Hearts’
• Jennie Abrahamson ‘Gemini Gemini’

• Ane Brun
• Jim Jones Revue
• Emiliana Torrini
• White Denim
• Cara Dillon

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Another fine show from TSDBTB. Special for us because Jan had just arrived back from Australia so we had good cause for celebration, the music making for a great party!

7/11 Attended by George, Karen & Jan

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I saw Peter on this same ‘Back to Front’ tour back in October 2013 and enjoyed that so much I thought it worth the long drive to Aberdeen for a reprise!  I’m glad I did since I had listened more to his music since and the set was more familiar and recognisable to me. The performance was also great and I was able to anticipate and appreciate it more.

The downside was a decidedly cool audience who took ages to warm up and contribute much to the atmosphere. Eventually they did though in time for the encores!  Great to see Jennie Abrahamson and Linnea Olsson again. Jennie is now one of my favourite singer/songwriters, and though I’ve seen her supporting and backing 7 times, I’ve yet to see her in concert in her own show … need to sort that in 2015!

Will Peter tour again, this one having been so long running and extensive?  If he does, I’ll be there!

8/11 Attended by George

http://www.setlist.fm/setlist/peter-gabriel/2014/aecc-ge-oil-and-gas-arena-aberdeen-scotland-43cdc787.html

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I only recently got Anaïs latest album ‘xoa’ but it’s so good it may well be my album of 2014.  Maybe since I’ve had more chance to listen to her albums and especially ‘xoa’ I enjoyed this show even more than the last time we saw her in February this year.

The Tolbooth is a really nice venue and theatre. I could tell that it gets a knowledgable, appreciative audience and we were all enthralled, firstly by support ‘This Is The Kit’ and then by the queen of modern American folk!  Anaïs has a special gift for melody, poetry and especially storytelling. Her latest release ‘xoa’ is just her and her guitar playing a selection of her best songs with a few new ones. Since I’d listened to it non stop for weeks, and this concert was near identical, I was obviously in the right mood to appreciate and sing along with every delightful nuance. Superb!

‘Any Way the Wind Blows’ has to be my favourite song of 2014 and most of my other favourites made the set including ‘Now You Know’ and ‘If It’s True’. First encore singing ‘Coventry Carol’ with Kate Stables (This Is The Kit) was lovely and Anaïs followed that with her now customary ‘Goodnight Irene’. Best gig of the year? … Yes indeed ! :o)

10/11 Attended by George & Karen

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I first saw the Valves and The Cheetahs back in 1979 I think. Only at the Ross Arthur Band gig the night before did I discover their combined resurrection 35 years later as ‘The Valeetahs’!  Karen was a big Cheetahs fan so we made sure we didn’t miss this, and so glad too!

Valves Ronnie McKinnon (Guitar), Gordon Pada Scott (Bass) and Gordon Dair (Drums) were joined by Cheetah Joe Donkin (Vocals), Gordon McKinnon (Keys) and Fergus (Guitar).

I remembered the 3 Cheetahs songs better than most of the Valves and new ones they played but it was great to see the guys enjoying themselves and doing a good job of the songs too. A full house had turned out and were really into it so we had a great nostalgia blast, singing along at the tops of our voices! Great to chat to Joe and Gordon after, reminding Gordon of his time in AVO-8!

Will it happen again? See The Valeetahs on facebook here to find out! – http://www.facebook.com/VALEETAHS

Attended by George & Karen