Barry Adamson is nine albums into a lengthy career that has included collaboration with such luminaries as Nick Cave, David Lynch and Howard Devoto. He’s written soundtracks, made records, and god knows what else, but I read in The List that this is his first tour? First?? Bugger me!

It was pricey, I have to be honest, and nineteen quid was too much for what we saw. I love some of Adamson’s stuff, but he is a little patchy. King of Nothing Hill really wasn’t a very good album – all the venom and menace neutered – and I have heard that the new one isn’t very good either, although I have yet to listen to it enough to form my own opinion. That said, he has at least three brilliant albums to his name, and when his particular brand of cinematic jazz noir is good, it is truly brilliant, so I thought why not chance it.

In the end, I really enjoyed myself, but I wouldn’t say I was in raptures. It’s completely unfair to judge someone on the strength of their first tour, especially someone so trepidatious that they wait this long to pop the cherry, so I think some leeway is called for in evaluating this gig. In the end, though, I think the live show was just a little loungey, which kind of stripped the music of some of the slightly theatrical malevolence which it oozes in recorded form.

Ultimately, Adamson’s music is pretty experimental most of the time and, despite the evident proficiency of the band, it ended up slightly anaesthetised. It was a bit like watching an action movie with no swearing, in some ways, because I knew the attitude was in there somewhere. This all makes it sound like I had a bad gig, which I didn’t. I enjoyed myself, and I really enjoyed the show, it’s just that I know there’s more and I ended up trying not to spend most of the evening waiting for it.

Barry Adamson – Jazz Devil
Barry Adamson – Deja Voodoo
Barry Adamson – My Friend the Fly

< Day Two
<< Day One

Did I mention that my head hurt on the Saturday? Would you be surprised to know that it hurt on the Sunday as well? Didn’t think so. I skipped Beefball, to my shame, and only managed to pootle along to music-related shenanigans by about two in the afternoon. It was like being a student again.

In fact so severe was my hangover that the only thing you could really do with it was give the bastard a taste of its own medicine, so yes, more beer it was! I bumped into The Pictish Trail on the way down to the Hew Scott Hall, and he was nice about Mary Hampton that I decided to see what the lass was made of. She was a skinny lass and friendly of demeanour, and played her songs with an intense, otherworldy air to her. It was nice – lovely English folk in the modern hippy style, if you know what I mean. That and a couple of quick bottles of Becks made for a fine way to ease into the day.

I tried to get in to see James Yorkston, but by the time we made it up to the hall it would have involved climbing over half of Homegame, so there seemed no real point – grab a paper and head to the pub. There is little more pleasant than convivially drinking away your hangover in the pub on a Sunday, as Scotland’s weather never quite makes up its mind outside. It was almost a shame there was all this bloody music to intrude on matters.

Again, I found myself taking it kind of easy on the Sunday evening – relaxing in the Hew Scott Hall at the Red Deer Club night, and enjoying some bloody marvellous acts*, like George Thomas, Sara Lowes and Magic Arm. The latter two have released superb mini albums this year, and their performances here had all the wit and warmth of those records. I was a bit pished by this point, and had wandered over to Dunc le Chunk to ask about the re-jigged lineup and ended up pestering him, Sara and Marc from Magic Arm for most of the rest of the evening. The shame of it.

Anyhow, assuming I didn’t ruin their evening, I certainly didn’t ruin my own, which was brilliant. Again, folk wandered in and out from time to time, and I ended up chattering with all sorts of people I didn’t really know particularly, but who were unfailingly tolerant of my drunken enthusiasm. The gigs themselves were really excellent as well. It was such a relaxed, friendly atmosphere that it seemed to spread to the musicians themselves, as they all appeared to take it pretty easy, enjoy the evening and play with a kind of relaxed ease that made the evening such a pleasure. It really was like they’d just popped round your house to play some songs and have a laugh.

Magic Arm – Move Out
Sara Lowes – Down & Out

*Did you know that The Red Deer Club released the Moulettes EP earlier this year? No, me neither, first I’d heard about it.