12th May Open Mic - Clutha Vaults

This was a "Farewell to Sandy" evening, as well as being an Open Mic night.

Sandy and a few of his friends.

Kevin started the evening off with a Guy Clarke song 'Broken Hearted People' followed by 'Me and You'.

Bob Leslie had once again brought his electric guitar from the recording studio, and played along with many of the performers throughout the evening.

First up was Joe MacAtamany who gave us 'Jock Stewart' and then 'Ride On'.

Kevin then sang 'I can do better than that' and then got

Martin up onto the stage for a couple of numbers.

Gordon the took the mic to thank everyone who had come for Sandy's evening - and then Sandy gave a small thank you speech, saying he had felt it was a time to change some of the things in his life, but that he would still turn up occasionally, and keep in touch!

He then gave us a song, accompanied by Stuart on acoustic and Bob on electric, 'Start over again' - very appropriate!

Stuart Workman then gave us a Neil Young classic 'Harvest Moon'.
Kevin then did a short burst of a Bob Dylan song - 'It ain't me Babe' before getting the two guys

who called themselves Minor Detail up to sing - they did their own songs 'St. Andrew' and then 'Humdrum days'.

Andy Logan then got up to perform 'The Games people play' and then 'Fulsom Prison Blues'.

Sandy then came up to sing a happy song for some of the girls and started singing a John Denver classic 'Country Roads' but had trouble about half way through as he looked over to the audience ........to see a sea of his own faces staring back at him!!! He did manage to finish the song, and then made the comment - he never knew he was so handsome!!!

Kevin then got Duncan Adams up to sing 'Lay down Sally' and then 'Where am I gonna live?'

Jerry MacAtamany then sang a jaunty version of the Eagles 'Peaceful Easy Feeling' and then a Bob Dylan song 'Positively 4th street'

Gary [Light ?] then sang 'The Gambler' and then tried to give us a Pink Floyd song.

Next up was a chap who called himself Fly Glider sang a couple of songs whose titles I didn't catch.

Enjoying the music!

Jer McDade then gave us a couple of his own story songs, and managed to break a string towards the end of the second song, so whilst Stuart changed the string,

Kevin took the electric guitar and sang 'Hoochy Coochy Man'.

Stuart Workman then performed 'King of the Swingers' specially for Sandy, and then 'Manhatten'.

Bob Leslie then took the acoustic guitar and performed 'Heatwave' , and then

Elspeth Durkin joined him on stage and they sang the Little Feat number 'Dixie Chicken'.

Elspeth stayed on stage to sing backing vocals with Sandy [and Bob] on 'Glory glory' which finished off the main part of the evening, just as the bar closed.

There was a very short jam session before the staff moved everyone out.

Open Mic Shock!!

I got a shock last night to find that Sandy Watson has given up the Clutha Vaults Wednesday night Open Mic sessions.

I did know that the Vagabonds had dis-banded on the 9th April, but I had thought Sandy would continue with the Open Mic, as it was 'his' session.

I had been late arriving, without Bob Leslie as he is still recovering from a Gall Bladder infection which had him in hospital over the 11th/12th April, and someone called Martin was caretaking last night, but I have never seen him at the regular nights before, and he didn't know some of the more regular people.

He was a good singer, but I had arrived late, and the first person I saw up was a decidedly drunken Dennis - who stumbled through several first verses of songs without getting to second verses, and there was now sign of Martin. Suzie got up with Dennis to sing Peaceful Easy Feeling, and did well to continue singing when Dennis dropped his pick and stopped playing. When she had finished, Dennis stood up and fell over, and was grabbed at the last minute by Suzie, which stopped him from crashing to the floor, with the guitar in his hand!!

Martin arrived back at this point and sang an extremely sad Irish song, during which Andy 'the Candy' Logan arrived with Alec, so Martin got Andy up immediately for a couple of songs [Games people play and Good-hearted Woman] and then Alec joined him on his clarinet - (unfortunately the clarinet and guitar were in slightly different keys which made it slightly grating on the ears). Then Andy finished off with a request for 'St. James Infirmary'.

I had forgotten to pick up my camera on my way out the door this evening, so there are no photos, and I have to admit I left early, for the first time in years, not feeling as if I had been out for the evening at all.

3rd March 2010 - Clutha Vaults

Sandy started the evening off with a song which he said was about agraphobia called "Trees and Flowers" by Strawberry Switchblade originally. He then sang "Somewhere in China" a song from an 80's band called 'The Shop Assistants'!
Robert was the first guest to the stage and he sang "killin the blues" followed by "Love Hurts" and then "Love in mind" a Neil Young song. Sandy then sang the theme tune to Auf Weidersein Pet - "Livin alright" in order to introduce

Robbie from Sunderland, who got on stage and sang 'Hallelulia", "Sorry seems to be the hardest word" and then "Working class hero" a classic John Lennon song.

Sandy then asked Elspeth Durkin up to the stage to sing, accompanied on guitar by Bob Leslie. She sang "Autumn Leaves" and then "After the goldrush".

Alan Stewart was in this evening so he then performed "All I need is my guitar", "Maybe I'll find love again" and "Baby I love you".

Bert then played some slide blues with "Fallin' off a rock" followed by " She caught the KT" with some accompanyment by Bob Leslie on his guitar.
Ger McDade then took to the stage and gave us his usual stirring performance of his songs "Mum and Dad" and then "Hello Lois".
Sandy then sang another song [ dor Des] "Girl Talk" with some audience participation!
Bob Leslie then performed a couple of his own songs "Have I just woken" a new creation, followed by "The Devil ain't a friend of mine"
Annie Fagin then went up, with Sandy on guitar, to sing "Ramona".

Stuart Workman, with some harmonies on guitar from Bob, sang "Harvest Moon" and then "The Ballad of Billy the Kid".

They were then joined on stage by Jenny to perform "Summertime" and then "Eirie Canal".
Andy Logan finished the evening off with "Good-hearted woman" which segwayed into "Crossroads".

There then followed a short jam session whilst Sandy dismantled the equipment, before we were all finally asked to leave by the staff!!

Yet another enjoyable evening.

Wednesday 10th February 2010

A very enjoyable evening, with a birthday party for Marlene going on in the background, Sandy started off the Open Mic Session with a couple of ballads - 'Flow' and 'Blackwaterside'. Michael Fagin was the first musician called up and he gave us a delightful rendition of a Neil Young song 'Heart of Gold' and then a Simon and Garfunkel song 'The Boxer', before rejoining the "party". Elspeth Durkin was up next singing Autumn Leaves with accompaniment on guitar from Bob Leslie, but accappella for 'Our Wedding Day'.

Jerry MacAtamany then sang 'Positively 4th Street' followed by 'What made Milwaukee famous'.

Sandy then gave us a version of 'Girl Talk' before getting Ger McDade up on stage to perform a couple of his own songs ' One day life got serious' and as he put it "the fourth in my trilogy of Decade songs" - 'the Nineties'.

Sandy then played for Annie Fagin to sing 'Ramona' before getting birthday girl Marlene up, with Michael, to sing 'Over the Rainbow' and then , joined by Annie and Michael, wonderful harmonies with - 'Kiss me mother'.

Sandy then sang a Jimmy Rogers number 'In the Jailhouse now' with some additional guitar by Bob,before getting Robbie, from Northern England, up to sing 'Dance me', 'Crazy', and 'Where the children play'.

Jerry then got back on stage singing 'American without tears'

followed by Sandy and Bob [& the audience] with 'Honky Tonk Women' before getting

Michael Fagin back up to give us 'The only living boy in New York' by Simon and Garfunkel.

Andy Login had appeared by this time and he took to the stage to sing 'Good-hearted Woman' with some help on the chorus from Sandy, and then 'Games people play'. Andy then introduced a couple of lads from the Battlefield area -

Tony on vocals and Micky on guitar who gave us 'Ring of Fire' and then Fulsom Prison Blues'. Tony has a wonderful baritone voice which impressed everyone there, we hope they come back again.

Big Bob Leslie then finally took the stage and finished the evening - starting with 'Who do you love' in his usual full of gusto style, before a duet with Elspeth

of the Little Feat song 'Dixie Chicken' and finishing off with 'How sweet it is to be loved by you'. A great evening,

A short Jam session followed at Marlenes table!

and finally

Many Happy Returns to Marlene!!