Bob’s Open Mic – Avante Garde - 23rd January 2014

 This evening ended up being an all-female guest evening!!

 Bob Leslie started the evening off as usual with a few old favourites including “My old friend the blues”, “Heatwave”, “The letter”

 Then he got Elspeth Durkin up to sing their favourites “After the Goldrush”, “Autumn Leaves” and “Will you still love me tomorrow” 

Bernadette Collier was up next and was joined on the guitar by Bob when they performed “I am no mermaid” and then the Simon Dupree & the big band number “Kites”.  Then they sang one of Bob’s numbers – “Me and Kenny”, as Bob said afterwards it is just because it has the line “It’s just my age”!

Laura Caldwell had also arrived for the evening and Bob got her up next.  She sang a lovely Chris Isaac song [but no-one could remember the title].  Then she did a Rock and roll medley [with Bob joining in from the side with harmony on the guitar] including several Elvis songs such as “That’s alright” and “Hounddog”.

Bob then sang a few more songs including the Walkers Brothers song “No regrets” after asking Elspeth and Bernadette to act as his backing singers ‘The Chicken Supremes’!  Then he sang the Beatles classic ‘Norwegian Wood’.  Then Bob, Bernadette and Elspeth sang the Dylan song “I shall be released. This was followed by a duet with Elspeth of “Love hurts” and then the Little Feat song “Willin’”.

Laura got back up then and did Fulsom Prison Blues/ The Joker/ Jailhouse Rock/ and Walk the Line.

Bob then performed with Laura jamming with him on “Ikoikoanay”/ The thrill has gone/ Dock of the Bay

 The evening finished off with Elspeth joining Bob and Laura on stage and singing “Dixie Chicken”, “The Boxer”, “California Dreaming” and then “Gloria” and finally finishing with the Peter Cook and Dudley Moore number “Goodnight”!!

 

We would also like to remind readers that on Friday 25th  at Avante Garde there will be a benefit Gig by Clutha Vaults Players in support of the Clutha fund.  No entry fee but a collection will be taken and Avante Garde will be giving 10% of the proceeds towards the fund as well.  Starts at 7pm as SO MANY musicians wished to take part and give their services.  Hope to see you there!

18th October 2012 : Avante Garde, King Street, Glasgow

Bob's Open Mic Night [every Thursday night]

 

It was an EXTREMELY wet night outside which would put most people off going outdoors if they could help it, however there were quite a few souls who had braved the weather this evening!

Bob Leslie opened the evening with a few songs and then got newcomer Ryan Morcombe up to start.  He sang a song of his own and then did his own version of a Lady Gaga song 'Born this way'.






Next up was George Martin, and excellent guitar player who performed a David Gray song ' Sailawya' and then an Oasis song 'Stop crying your heart out' and finished with 'Never meant to cause you trouble'



John Morrison was next up to the stage, with a classic 'What have you done to the rain?' followed by an old Mungo Jerry song 'In the summertime' and finishing with the amusing little song 'You can never do a tango with an eskimo'!!




Bob then asked Elspeth Durkin to the stage and he played while she sang 'Autumn Leaves' and then 'After the goldrush' finishing with a duet with Bob to 'Love hurts'.

Bernadette Collier then took to the stage, with some extra accompaniment from Bob, where she performed a Hazel O'Connor song 'Will you....'; this was followed by 'Chasing Cars'.  She then asked George to go up and play guitar for her for the song 'Make you feel my love'.

Bernadette and Bob

Bernadette and George

Carmella and Jess

Next up was another new face Carmella [stage name], and her friend Jess who brought some drums.  She sang her own song 'Rocket Girl', and then her own version of a David Bowie classic 'Major Tom', and then another song of her own [sorry - missed the title]. 

After Carmella finished Bob had been going to get Andy Logan up on stage - but he had had to leave during Carmella's performance.   SO Bob asked Bernadette and George up to do some harmonies when he sang 'If we said goodbye'

Andy' the candy' Logan

Ryan then came back up doing one song of his own before he too had to leave.
John Morrison came back to the stage to sing , as HE put it an "Archie pelican" song by Matt McGinn - 'heidrum hodrum'!![?] Quite funny actually.

George Martin was next up again to sing a few songs 'Old Man; 'Something fine'; 'Wild horses' and then 'Santiago de Cuna'.
Bob then got up and sang 'Lonesome Blues' and then 'You're gonna miss me when I'm gone'.  He then got Elspeth back up on stage with him to do some harmonies  especially on 'Dixie Chicken' and then 'Tracks of my tears', 'Love the one you're with', and 'Who do you love' before finishing the evening off.

Happy New Year 2011

I am afraid that I have not been attending any Open mics since my last blog in May 2010........ finances mainly - couldn't afford to travel into Glasgow just for the Open Mics!

Hopefully I shall become gainfully employed once again in 2011 and be able to attend some more Open Mics this year!

Happy New Year to us all!!

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.

Clutha Open Mic - 7th April 2010

Sandy was away this week and had asked Big Bob Leslie to take the Open Mic session for him.
Bob started the evening off along with Bernadette, singing 'My old friend the Blues' then Bernadette sang 'I am an Orphan Girl', followed by
Bob with 'My Girl' and then
Bernadette again with 'Tougher than the rest' and then Bob with 'Tears of a Clown. First guest to the stage was
Eddie with a couple of his own songs....The first was called 'West Highland Way' but although he was singing no-one could make out any words.... and his song went on for about fifteen minutes. Bob had told him he had two songs, so when he had finished the first, he started again - and to be honest the second song sounded exactly like the first, and was just as long..............!
Stevie Osbourne was back at the Clutha and Bob got hime up to sing 'East End Blues' which was well received.
Andy Lindsay then took the stage and gave us a couple of ausing little ditties - the first a Peter Nardini song 'A dog called Billy, a cat called Pat', and then 'Sam the skull' - aka the Glasgow Cat!! - which had audience participation during the choruses.
Joe MacAtamany then got up and sang 'Fancy Free' and then 'Eldorado'.
Elspeth Durkin was next and sang accapello for the first song - 'Our wedding day' and followed that with a duet with Bob of 'Love Hurts'.
Chris McLean then got on stage and sang 'The town of Kiandra'.
Next up was Brian McDade singing 'Burk' and then 'The night you lit up the Blues'.
Jerry MacAtamany then followed with an Eagles song 'Peaceful, Easy feeling' and then 'What made Milwaukee famous'.
Stevie O got back up for a second time and sang 'Good to be alive' and then 'Don't take any more away from me'.
George then got on stage and performed 'LA woman' and then the U2 song 'Heroes' [most of it in German!!].
Bob then asked Elspeth back up to duet with him on 'Dixie Chicken' and then with Bernadette too on 'Take another piece of my heart'.
Brian got back up and sang 'Songs from the port' and was followed by
Stevie O again with an Elvis song 'Hound-dog'.
Joe MacAtamany then sang 'Coorie Doon' before Bob and Bernie finished the evening with 'Sloop John B' with lots of audience participation.
A good evening enjoyed by all.