Sandy's Open Mic, 2nd April 2008

Sandy started the evening with his usual couple of songs including 'Drunken nights in the city'.

Kirsty was first up - sporting her new look which really suits her!

Her songs included 'Dirty Pennies'.

Andy Lindsay was next with a couple of old classics 'I put a spell on you' and then 'Istanbul/Constantinople'.

New face Peter then got up and sang 'Rock Island Line', 'Fulsom Prison Blues' and then Route 55 [a song which Joseph Durkin used to do a slide blues version of].

Dave was then up with 'All he wanted'.

Stuart Workman and Johnny T Miller (on Bass) then did a Leanoard Cohen number 'First we take Manhatten' and then the Steve Earle classic 'Copperhead Road'.

Joe MacAtamany then took the stage and sang 'Lily of the West' and then 'Coorie Doon'.

Next on stage was Gavin Watt with 'Four strong winds' and then the ever popular 'You don't dance the techno anymore'.

Bob Leslie then took to the stage with a couple of his own compositions 'Smell the roses' and 'It'll last another day'.

He stayed on stage to accompany Elspeth Durkin who sang the Dolly Parton classic 'Jolene'

and then 'Dixie Chicken' along with Johnny T as well.

Vivienne then got up with Johnny to sing the Sandy Denny song 'Who knows where the time goes'.

Willie Mathews then took the stage with Johnny T and Andy Lindsay [on hand drum] and they performed 'Rollin and tumblin' followed by 'Black Magic woman'.

Jimmy then got to the stage with Johnny T and did 'Out of my Head'.

Johnny stayed on to provide the bass line and Sandy then got Andy Logan up to sing 'Good Hearted woman,

and following him, Duncan Adams with 'Where am I gonna Live?'.

Final act of the evening was the group Foobar, who had come along a few weeks ago. They gave a great performeance of their songs 'Old fashioned way', 'There's more to life than me' and a newly written 'Peter Sellers', all of which were enthusiastically received.

As there had been so many great perfomers in this evening, the performances finished dead on midnight [although Foobar had anounced both last orders and that the bar was closing between their songs]. A great evening with good performances and a great atmosphere.

Wednesday 12th March 2008

What an excellent evening!
Sandy started off the evening with a couple of songs including ‘Everything Flows’.

First up was Stewart who sang a ballad ‘Roddy McCorlie’ unaccompanied.

Bob Leslie then got on stage and sang a couple of his own compositions ‘Smell the roses’ and then ‘Cordelia Jane’

Sandy then asked Andy Lindsay up - and

Willie Mathews joined him on guitar for the first song ‘New Leopard skin pillbox hat’

followed by ‘Beer is best’ both songs had a comedic turn which brought smiles and laughter. Then Sandy asked a group up to play, and after a bit of re-organising of microphones, etc. they started. They are calling themselves ‘Foobar’

and they performed three songs ‘More than me’, Wish you well’ and ‘Skinny Chicks’. They got cheered at the end and when asked to do another song by Sandy [and the audience] they did a reprise of the first song, [this time joined by Bob on small drum and Elspeth on Tambourine from the floor]. We certainly hope they come back a lot more often. Next up was Elspeth Durkin with Bob, and they sang one of Bob’s songs ‘Different Worlds’ followed by ‘Autumn Leaves’.

Next up was Jimmy with a Leonard Cohen song ‘First we take Manhattan’ which he followed with the classic ‘If I were a Carpenter’.

Eddie then got up and sang a Steve Earle song ‘Copperhead Road’ followed by a David Bowie song ‘Ziggy Stardust’.

We had some people, from the area of Tain, in celebrating a 40th birthday [Happy Birthday to Callum] and two of then Fraser and Fern got up and performed ‘Freedom’ and then ‘Play that funky music’.

Fern had a fantastic ‘rock&roll’ voice, perfect for the songs chosen. This had everyone fired up and then their friend Charlie Ellis got up and performed a song

from the Ozark Mountain Dare Devils called ‘Chicken Train’ [after asking for some help from the drum and tambourine too]

- which also had people clapping and stamping along to the song.

Carol then got up to the mic and sang an old Billie Holladay song ‘My Man’ without any accompaniment.

Sandy then asked Joe MacAtamany up to the stage and he sang ‘Shenandoah’ and then ‘Gallipoli’.

Willie Mathews then got to the stage to accompany David Martin on ‘Handbags and Gladrags’.

and then then stayed on to perform

‘Sunday morning sidewalk’. He was followed by Izzy and Andy with ‘I want a hug’ and then ‘I could have danced all night’.

The evening would have ended there if Ian Adie [owner] had notgot Sandy to keep going for a while longer. Ian then got on stage and sang a Neil Young song followed by an adaptation of his own ‘William Wallace’.

Andy Logan then got back on stage and sang ‘Games people play.

Unfortunately the battery on my camera ran out at this stage so there are no more photographs.

He was followed by Sandy singing ‘Strawberry Fields’. Sandy then asked Bob and Elspeth back up and sing ’Take another piece of my heart’. They stayed on stage and were joined by Willie Mathews and Andy Lindsay, with a Ry Cooder classic ’They call me the breeze’ [Willie-guitar & vocals; Bob-Guitar; Andy-drum; Elspeth-tambourine.

Joe Mac got back up and sang ‘Annie McKelvie. And the evening was finished off by Sandy, Davie [and Bob].
A really great evening full of vibrant music and laughter!