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.

10th March 2010 - Clutha Vaults

This evening started quietly with a small audience in the bar. Sandy started with a couple of gentle ballads "Deportees" a Woody Guthrie song and then "Oh No" by Billy Connelly. Bob joined in with some lovely guitar harmonies.
John Alexander was in the bar and got up to perform "The train that carried Jimmy Rogers home" followed by "Further on up the road".
Bob Leslie then performed a new song he had written at the weekend whilst suffereing from food poisioning - although the song bore no relation to that fact whatsoever!! It was called"Can't wait another day". He followed that with an older song of his which he had not sung for a while "Mara".
Andy Lindsay then went on stage and sang a Jake Thackery song "On again,on again,on again" and then a Harry Hagan song "Sam the skull" - which is about a Glasgow cat, and includes then lines '.. the kind that can strangle a rat and even the occasional Dug!' Many of the audience were joining in with the chorus for this one!
Sandy then got back up and sang another Billy Connelly song "Seargeant, Where's mine?".
Martin from Manchester then got on stage, and after apologising for being English [not his fault!] said he had learnt a Glasgow song and he then sang a Paolo Nutini song "Tricks of the Trade" - and was a little non-plussed when we told him Paolo was from Paisley!!
Elspeth then got on stage and Bob played "Autumn Leaves" and then "After the goldrush" for her.
Blair McGinley then went onstage and sang his own songs "Ain't got the love" and "Coming home again".
Andy Logan then got onstage looking like a lumberjack, and performed "Two for a penny" into "Good-hearted Woman" with a little guitar harmony from Bob.
Sandy once again performed "Livin alright" in order to introduce Robbie from Sunderland who then sang a Tom Petty song"You're so bad" and then "Crazy".
George then got up and sang a couple of David Bowie songs "Star" and then "I'm only dreaming". Sandy then got Dennis to play "Another Saturday night" which he joined in with harmonies for - along with most of the audience. Andy Lindsay then got back up with a Bob Dylan song "Love minus zero" and Andy Logan with a request for "Games people play".
Final performer of the evening was Duncan Adams with "Little Runaway", "Where am I gonna live?" and "Let me be there".
There then followed a rather riotous jam session with lots of harmonising, guitars, mandolin [Blair], hand drum and tambourine!! It only finished when they started putting the lights out and 'turned us out on the street'. An extremely enjoyable evening!

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.

25th February 2010 -Clutha Vaults

I missed this session, but Sandy told me that not so many people turned up due to the bad weather, however they made the best of it and had fun when the musicians all decided to "sing each other's songs" [ie they songs which they usually sing!]

17th February 2010

Andy was just finishing on stage as I arrived, but he was followed by Ashley [accompanied by Sandy] who gave us a brave rendition of Valerie followed by Summertime. She said she had needed a few vodkas to get up and sing, but she need not have worried as she had a great voice.
Bert then took the stage and played 'Me and the Devil' followed by a slide version of 'Falling of a rock' [with some accompanyment by Bob Leslie].
Bob then took the stage himself and sang a new song of his 'Just another Story Monday' followed by one for Joe Kidd [who was NOT present] 'The Devil ain't a friend of mine'.
Joe MacAtamany was then up and he sang 'Eldorado' and then 'Ride On' depite some "noise from the gallery". Billy and Sandy then sang 'Another Saturday Night' before the welcome return of

Stretch Dawson from the Isle of Mull. A fantastic player he gave us three songs 'She ain't Rose' , a syncopated jazz version of 'Falling Leaves' and then 'It's all your fault'.

Elspeth Durkin then went on stage and sang 'After the Goldrush' and then 'Will you still love me tomorrow?'
Duncan Adams had arrived by this time and he got up and performed 'Here comes my baby' and then the ever popular 'Where am I gonna Live' before handing over to

Ger McDade who performed 'Getaway' and then Man. City Blues'.
Andy [the Dandy] Logan with a little help from Bob, played 'On the Road again' segwayed into 'Good-hearted Woman'
Stuart Workman then sang a Steve Earle song 'If you fall' and then a request, 'Manhatten' before getting

Jenny up to join him and sing 'Eirie Canal'. He finished off with 'Reflections' - with Bob Leslie.
We had run over time so there was no jam session afterwards. Another great evening of music.