Wednesday 25th March 2009

Sandy’s Open Mic at the Clutha Vaults, Glasgow

After another lovely spring, blue-sky day, musicians headed for the Clutha Vaults for Sandy's Open Mic.

Sandy started with ‘Must be loved’ followed by ‘Dancing for the Beast’.

First up was Jim with ‘I shall be release’ and then the Leonard Cohen song ‘Manhattan’.

Elspeth Durkin was next up singing ‘Autumn Leaves’ and then ‘After the Goldrush’.

Sandy then sang ‘I’m looking through you’ He then mentioned that he has a new band called Lucky Jim and sang one of the new songs he wrote with them called ‘Ode to blue’. Bob Leslie then sang ‘It’ll last another day’ followed by ‘Her eyes’.

New face Heather then asked Bob if he could play along with ‘Both sides the Tweed’ and then she played and sang ‘Caledonia’.

Duncan then played ‘Hum Drum Days ‘ followed by his own song about St. Andrew’s day - after an inordinate amount of tuning his own guitar!.

Sandy then asked Big Ronnie Simpson to come up and sing ‘The Green fields of France’.

Kate McGee was in the audience and she got up to sing ‘Valerie’ followed by ‘Ain’t no sunshine’. Kate is hosting a new Monday evening Open Mic in the Clutha as from the 30th March.

Sandy then asked Catriona up to sing ‘Can’t explain’ and then she tried ‘Louis louis’.

The incomparable Willie ‘Jukebox’ Mathews was then asked up to the stage - He performed ‘The lady is a tramp’ followed by ‘Flip, flop & fly’ and then ‘How blue can you get’.

George then got up and sang ‘Back to black’ and then ‘Wheels on fire’. Final act of the evening was Bob, Willie and Kate performing ‘Love the one you’re with’.

A very short jam session followed before everyone was being asked to leave the pub at midnight.

Wednesday 10th December 2008 Clutha Vaults

Sandy’s Open Mic
I arrived a little late, so a few people had already been up . Kirsty was up on stage singing ‘Lost child’ followed by the Nina Simone classic ‘My Baby just cares for me’. Johnny T Miller was next up on the acoustic guitar singing ‘Take what you need’ followed by ‘Down to Louisiana’. [He and his band will be entertaining the customers on the 24th December and on Hogmanay in the Clutha this year]. Joe Kidd was present and sang a couple of his own songs ‘ Good Day’ (or as the regulars call it - the EBay song) with Bob Leslie on accompanying acoustic and Johnny T on Bass, and a new Christmas song which I didn’t hear the title of clearly. Stuart Workman then took Joe’s place in the trio and they performed ‘Cocaine’ and then the Leonard Cohen song ‘Manhattan’. Denis then got up with Sandy [& Bob & JT] to sing ‘Another Saturday Night’ which had lots of people in the audience joining in, and they were joined in the chorus by Frankie on a tenor Saxophone! Stevie Osbourne then joined Sandy, JT, Bob & Frankie to sing ‘The Eastender Blues’. Sandy then played the music for one of the audience ‘Tony’, to sing ‘Romancing’. Next up was Kate McGee who sang Autumn Leaves with Bob and joined by Frankie. Bob Leslie then took the stage and sang two of his own songs ‘It’ll last another day’ followed by ‘The Devil ain’t a friend of mine’ with some assistance on the Bass from Spam. Elspeth Durkin then joined them to sing ‘Will you still love me tomorrow’ followed by ‘Santa Baby’ - complete with festive season red cowboy hat!!. Jo then performed a couple of songs with her friend Miguel from Caracas who had his tom tom drums with him. I didn’t recognise the first song, but then she sang a version of ‘Love Cats’ which had everyone joining in with the chorus. Stuart, Jenny, JT, Bob, and Frankie then all got together to perform ‘Eire Canal’ followed by ‘Smile’ a Doris Day Song!. Bob & JT stayed to help Stevie O with his own song ‘Good to be alive’ about former drug addiction. Duncan Adams then took to the stage and sang a Travelling Wilbury classic ‘End of the Line’ with some help from Sandy on the chorus lines, which he followed with his ever popular ‘Where am I gonna Live…’. Joe MacAtamany was the penultimate performer with ‘Powerful song’ and then ‘Up the Northern Water’ before relinquishing the stage to Carl Bridgeman who was joined by Miguel on the drums. Carl performed two of his excellent songs ‘This never could happen’ - which was about racism, followed by ‘The things I’ve seen’ about some of his experiences of living in a scheme [Drumchapel]. An excellent evening, full of good music and good company.
Unfortunately there are no photos as the battery had run out in my camera………..sorry.

3rd November 2008

Monday Night at the Clutha with Kate and George

I arrived in about halfway through the proceedings and Kate and George started to perform 'The Wait'. They then asked Elspeth Durkin up to perform with George and she sang 'Autumn Leaves'. She performed the next song accapella [unaccompanied] which was 'The Last Leviathan' about the end of the whales, and it was not until after she had left the stage she discovered that a tableful of tourists [ladies] were actually from Norway - a whaling nation!!oops!

Kate and George filled in with another song before getting Joe MacAtamany up to sing 'Lily of the West' followed by 'Broom of the Cowdenknowes'.

Kate and George once again took the stage and sang 'Valerie' with some participation by some of the audience. They then asked Elspeth up again , when she sang 'Fields of Gold' with George accompanying, and then two accapella songs 'Home is behind' from the film Lord of the Rings - Return of the King, and then a traditional ballad 'Our Wedding Day', all well recieved by the audience.

Kate and George then performed another couple of numbers 'The Cherry Tree' and then 'Love the one you're with' before getting Joe Macatamany back up again. He sang 'A powerful song' and then 'Haul away'. Kate and George then finished off the evening with 'Time after Time' and then 'Big Yellow Taxi'.

23rd June 2008 Bob’s Open Mic at the Clutha

Bob had started the evening off as usual, singing a medley of sings and finishing with ‘Caledonia’

First performer of the evening was Joe Kidd who gave us a new Neil Diamond song ‘Pretty Amazing Grace’ then a couple of his own songs, ‘Good Day’ and ‘Don’t talk, listen’.

Next up were Kate and Linda McGee. They started off with an old Eurhythmics song ‘Here comes the rain again’

and then Linda sang ‘Killing me softly’ with Kate playing guitar. They finished off with a Blue Nile song ‘Tinsel town in the rain’.

Next was Trevor with his version of ‘Don’t think twice’, and then the Byrd’s song ‘Down in the easy chair'.

His friend Willie was next with a truncated version of ‘Fire and Rain’ and then one of his own ‘Get out of my life’.

Bob then got back up to sing ‘The thrill has gone’

before getting Elspeth Durkin up on stage. Elspeth sang ‘Fields of Gold’ and then Bob played ‘Autumn Leaves’ which she managed to sing part of before breaking down at the line ‘since you went away ..’ -having to leave the stage rather emotional! Bob said that it "was the anniversary of her man's death and she's a bit fragile!" [it is actually four years since her husband , musician Joseph Durkin, had died.]

However Joe MacAtamany filled the spot and sang ‘Lily of the West’ and then ‘Jock Stewart’.

Carl then took to the stage and played a couple of his own compositions for the bass guitar and vocals ‘Leave it alone’ and then ‘she’s an Angel’ which he composed to the rhythm made by some broken windscreen wipers!!

Joe Kidd then returned to the stage to sing ‘Cherry Baby’

followed by Kate singing ‘Valerie’

and then Joe Mac singing ‘Ride On’

Finally Bob and Elspeth got Carl to join them for ‘Dixie Chicken’

and then a finale of ‘Gloria’ which Trevor also came up to the second mike and joined in with!. The evening finished at 11.45 and there was still a glimmer of light in the sky to the west - as the sun was skimming the edge of the horizon at this point of ‘high summer’. The solstice is past and the nights will slowly be getting longer from now onwards but the light of community within the Clutha will keep shining out!!

view from the Clutha front door; to the West along the River Clyde.

18th June Sandy's Open Mic at the Clutha

Sandy started the evening with a couple of songs including the Beatles classic 'Hide your love away'.

First up was Jo singing 'She wants money' and then 'Broken Glass'.

Bob Leslie was next with 'It wasn't down in Texas' and then 'Smell the Roses'

Sandy got back up and sang 'They will be to you'

and then got Gavin Watt up to sing 'As long as I can see the light' and then 'Message to Ruby'

Elspeth Durkin then sang 'Autumn Leaves' and 'After the Goldrush' accompanied by Bob.

Jer McDade was next with his own compositions 'Sanctuary'

and then his popular song 'Bob Treetop' with a little backing from Sandy!

Joe Kidd was next with 'If you were my girl' and then 'Ain't done nothing wrong'.

Terry then changed the style with 'Guns across the river' .

Andy Logan was impressed enough to be watching through the window whilst he had a quick puff!

Next up was Joe MacAtamany singing 'Annie McKelvie' and then 'Ride On'.

Kate McGee got up and gave us 'Valerie'.

Newcomer David Aiton then got up and sang his own song 'Raindrops'.

Andy Logan then took to the stage and finally decided to sing 'St James's Infirmary',

and got some accompanyment from Michael on trumpet!

Duncan Adams, arriving late as usual. gave us a rousing rendition of 'Just want to dance the night away' also with a little help from Michael on trumpet,

before Destino [Carl and Michael] finished off the evening with a couple of songs 'Spirit in your all' and 'Leave it alone'.