Live in Edinburgh This Week – 13th September 2009
It’s not quite so mental this week on Edinburgh’s live circuit. There are quite a few interesting gigs, but not all that many unmissable ones, so I think it might be easier to pick and choose a couple without overburdening yourself. Last week’s strategy of driving to gigs in order to prevent excessive alcohol consumption proved extremely successful (until the weekend, but then the weekend is supposed to be for fun so bugger off, besides, it’s not every day your label has an EP launch party) so I might just continue it this week. In any case, I have three five-a-side football games this week, so it may just be necessary anyway, whatever I personally may wish to do.
Monday 14th September 2009: Jeremy Jay, Tisso Lake & the Colourful Band at the Bowery.
Jeremy Jay is a K Records star, a label give considerable love by Ruth from the Bowery when she made an appearance on the Toadcast a couple of weeks ago. Ian from Tisso Lake has a gorgeous voice and a lovely guitar sound and while I haven’t seen him with a full band before, he is rather Rob St. Johnish (*sniff, bye Rob) when he plays solo. The Colourful Band are from Leith and while their recorded material can seem a little lacking in real conviction, there is definitely a lot of potential there, so I will be very interested to see them live to get a better idea of what they are really like as a band.
Jeremy Jay – Beautiful Rebel
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Tuesday 15th September 2009: Brook Pridemore at the Forest Cafe.
[This has shifted to the Forest Cafe from the Bowery] Anyone who saw Dan Costello at the Bowery last Monday will know that Brook is his drummer, and will be breathlessly waiting for him to sing Breakup Song for Brook Pridemore to Sing, written by Mr. Costello with the fairly obvious intention that it be sung by erm… yes, Gary Barlow, that was it. Apart from that, I have little idea what to expect, but if he plays with anything like as light a touch and generous-spirited a nature as Costello himself then this will be a really enjoyable night.
Tuesday 15th September 2009: Theoretical Girl at Sneaky Pete’s.
[Edit: due to the cancellation of the support acts, anyone mentioning Song, by Toad at the door will be given free entry - bloody excellent!] I am not entirely sure about Theoretical Girl, but there’s definitely something interesting going on there, so if New York anti-folk isn’t quite your bag then this slightly theatrical, often piano-led, somewhat Dubstar-esque lady is well worth investigating.
Theoretical Girl – Another Fight
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Wednesday 16th September 2009: Jesus H. Foxx, Second Hand Marching Band & Wounded Knee at the Wee Red Bar.
We all know how good I think the Foxx are, but I am also bloody delighted to get the chance to catch the Second Hand Marching Band again. They encompass a lot of styles, from carnival folk, to more mysterious, dreamy territory and I haven’t seen them for ages.
Second Hand Marching Band – Mad Sense
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Thursday 17th September 2009: Whispertown 2000, Joe McAdam (from the New York Fund) & No Pasaran at Sneaky Pete’s.
I liked the Whispertown 2000 debut album, maybe not quite enough to review it, but enough to be fascinated by their music. They’re getting bigger, too, and I think they are about to play the End of the Road Festival, so they could be on the verge of making a bit of a breakthrough.
Whispertown 2000 – Done With Love
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Friday 19th September 2009: Beerjacket & Emily Scott play Trampoline at the Wee Red Bar.
Despite threatening suicide on a number of occasions, Trampoline soldiers on, as the one of the best and most consistently under-publicised nights in Edinburgh. Of the bands on Song, by Toad Records I saw two for the first time at Trampoline shows, and the lineups are almost all excellent.
They have a couple more bodies on board now – Dave and Michael from The Stormy Seas/Shipping Forecast Garden Party/ex-Rubix – so I am really hoping they can push this onto a new level. The lineups are almost always top notch, and I think as a night it should really benefit from the extra help, because it deserves to be a lot bigger than it is. Euan wrote about Beerjacket when he was babysitting this blog in June, so I am really looking forward to seeing them for the first time.
Saturday 20th September 2009: The Declining Winter, Conquering Animal Sound & Fieldhead at the Bowery.
I might not be a massive fan of the Declining Winter myself, but I am bloody delighted to see Tracer Trails back promoting gigs again. The current groundswell of belief in the Edinburgh musical community owes an awful lot to the work done by Tracer Trails a couple of years ago, who consistently brought left-field artists, often of some renown, to Edinburgh and hence, along with the now defunct I Fly Spitfires, did an enormous amount to actually make Edinburgh a place good bands would seriously consider putting on their tour schedule. They also both made a huge contribution to actually building the audiences for this kind of music, giving subsequent promoters a confidence that there were people who would come, if they put on shows themselves.
Both promoters pretty much vanished, just as their labour was beginning to bear fruit for everyone else, which was a huge shame, so it’s really brilliant to see Tracer Trails back in business. I urge you all to go along and show your support, because it would be great to see them back on the list of reliably excellent and challenging promoters we have around at the moment.
Couple of things.
1. The Kays Lavelle and Wounded Knee are playing White Noise tomorrow night at Electric Circus. Music quiz from 8pm and then music from 10pm.
2. Julia and the Doogans from Glasgow complete the line up for Trampoline on Saturday. It should be a great one.
Thanks for your kind words. And thanks to the wonderful people who have agreed to step up and help keep Trampoline afloat. It keeps nearly sinking and then people hassle me to keep it going. It’s all rather nice.
Cheers for that Matthew.
Could be wrong but I think Brook Pridemore is tonight at the Forest…
Why don’t you just have one big fifteen-a-side soccer match, instead of three little five-a-side ones.
Seems daft to me.
Dylan – rugby’s crap. accept that.
rugby? who cares?
I actually quite like five-a-side.
I used to like playing the indoor version at school with the ball that was like a big tennis ball. Good fun that.
I’m guessing jesus h foxx are replacing withered hand instead of being added to the bill?
Rugby is rubbish really.
Replacing Withered Hand? I have no idea, sorry, I just took it straight from the Wee Red’s website.
Yeah I heard withered hand was playing that one, all for would certainly make for a brilliant wednesday eve.
Matthew- I thought you updated things when people told you about other gigs??
My last comment should read “all four”
Hi, yeah, Brooke Pridemore is cancelled at the bozzer…sorrry!
We are playing two gigs at the wee red bar. This wednesday and the wednesday after too. I cant see that listing on their site for that other week so Im not sure whats going on with that. Maybe thats the one with withered hand? I cant check our emails right now to find out as my phone has died and work blocks almost every site….*sigh*
Euan, that’s kind of hard with no internet access at work other than my iPhone. Commenting is fair enough, and I can send emails, but tinkering with posts is not at all easy.
Besides, I only occasionally update the main post anyway.
I’m in Scotland this week so I was looking forward to this post with particular interest. I think Wednesday night at Wee Red Bar looks a good one. And if you need a goalie for 5-a-sides just let me know.
Hi Peej old chap, excellent news! I wanted to ask you about New York gigs for FOUND. Catch you Wednesday then?
So how the fuck do you all afford iPhones? Are you all a bunch of trust fund kids or what?
£100 plus a contract. It’s not that crazy.
My brother works for a phone shop so i get 30% off my monthly bill.
3G phones are free
3Gs £100
contract £35
bargain!
So how the fuck do you all afford iPhones? Are you all a bunch of trust fund kids or what?
I think we might have just found out who Adolphe Crosby was!
Good spot Dylan, well done!
Yeah I have some best man duties to do ahead of a wedding next weekend but should see you there.
Rugby is crap, I’d rather watch my beloved Hibs any day.
Gigswise…Chris Bradley – one fifth of Aberfeldy and a 17 Seconds recording artist in his own right, plays at Ryries in Haymarket this Saturday.
You bunch of soccer nancy-boys aren’t going to get a rise out of me.
Not this time. Oh no.
All four Welsh regions got humped on the first weekend of the Magner’s this weekend – so when it comes to taking the piss we’re doing quite well by ourselves already!
Wasn’t having a go Matthew.
I don’t have an iphone.
Dylan – rugby sucks.
I like rugby but I don’t like football (soccer) … for you, Dylan. kisses, darling xoxo
Oh dear. Tart falls in the ‘confessing to being an idiot on the internet’ trap. Sorry Tart, but this one isn’t controversial, it’ll just make people feel a bit sorry for you.
They don’t like it when you say bad things about their soccer, Tart, they get awfully defensive.
Which is odd when you consider what a silly, corrupt, morally-bankrupt and unsporting activity the professional game has become.
At least in Rugby if you’re caught cheating, you can count on the governing bodies to punish and penalise you, instead of condoning and encouraging you, like in soccer.
Oh I confessed to being an idiot on the Internet ages ago when I took off my …. Oh well nevermind that part. When I started a blog, let’s say.
and really, how does one support a sport that refuses to allow the use of your hands? never did get that about it.