Sandy’s Open Mic Night Clutha Vaults 20th December 2006.

I’m afraid the Clutha did not look very festive this year - the only Christmas decorations being a string of coloured fairy lights around the top of the bar area!! I did add a very small bit to the mic stand - a little ‘dancing’ Santa Claus!!
As usual Sandy Watson opened the evening with a couple of songs ; ‘Nowhere Road’ and ‘Diamond’.
First up was Harry, an occasional visitor who performed a couple of blues songs ‘Everything’s going to be alright’ and ‘The moon up above’.

After Harry came Jer McDade - who managed to break a string after only 8 seconds!! Once it was replaced he sang his own composition - ‘The sixties that never existed’.
Next up was Andy Lindsay who sang another little ditty of his own - called ‘Christmas Time’ - which as he said “if ye canna do this at Christmas time when can you do it?”
After Andy, Sandy called up Elspeth Durkin accompanied by Bob Leslie. Elspeth sang her version of Santa Baby (- the Eartha Kitt classic after waiting on Bob to get the guitar back into tune!) which was very well received by the audience - who were starting to get into the Christmas spirit!!
Bob Leslie then sang another of his compositions ‘Cordelia /Jane’. After Bob, we had a ‘group’ song from Stuart Workman who was joined by his son Scott on electric guitar and Johnny T Miller on Bass who gave us a rendition of the classic ‘First we take Manhatten ‘. Jenny, Stuart’s partner, then joined them for a spirited version of ‘Pharaoh’s Army’ with some accompanying harmonies from Willie Mathews, Elspeth Durkin and Bob Leslie in the audience!

Sandy then got Willie ‘Jukebox’ Mathews up to play with Scott and Johnny.
They performed ‘Mojo working’, with tambourine from Elspeth, and audience participation for the chorus! The bar was pretty full by this time, and several people started to dance in the small open space in front of the performers.
Next up to perform was Joe Kidd who did his song ‘Don’t talk, Listen’ closely followed by Arthur who performed ‘Know when to hold’ and then Stevie , who sang a blues song accompanied by Bob Leslie and Johnny T.

Stevie with Johnny & Bob.
Andy 'the Candy' Logan.
Next up was Andy the Candy Logan with Lucinda who sang another blues song. Then Andy sang his incomparable version of ‘The games people play’. He was followed by a couple of ‘newcomers’ Gordon and Scott

who gave us a really good rendition of the Beatles classic ‘Help’.
Followed by Chris who gave us ‘Reason to believe’.

Next up was Stuart Nugent with ‘Up the Junction’, followed by Gavin and Johnny T with ‘Please Help me’
Next up were John Fleming

followed by the “elder statesman” of the open mic - Joe Macatamy.

Following Joe came Stevie Maguire who performed ‘Hole in my soul’ . The penultimate performance was from Jerry McCue who did a wonderful gentle ballad in finger-picking style ‘The Road to Dundee’.

Final act of the evening was a combination of the heavyweights of Willie Mathews , Bob Leslie and Johnny T Miller and joined by Sandy Watson.

As usual we finished much later than expected, nut there was still time for a very short jam session whilst the equipment was dismantled and put away.

An unfortunate end to the evening was when Sandy discovered that someone had gone off with his Capo, which had been left by Jerry on the shelf at the entrance , and it was gone after Willie and the guys had finished performing. It would be nice to think it was a mistake and that someone will bring it back next week!!
We all hope that everyone has a lovely Christmas, and perhaps we will see you in 2007 at the Clutha Open Mic performances! Please leave a comment or message for the performers for 2007!

Clutha Vaults, Wednesday 13th December 2006

Howling gales, flooded roads, the River looking like it was about to

burst its banks...........but still the dedicated band of Open Mic performers braved the foul weather to make their various ways to the Clutha on Wednesday, to perform!

It was very quiet at the start of the evening, but Sandy started the ball rolling with four songs including 'Don't walk away' and 'I'm looking through you'.

First up was Big Bob Leslie, who performed two of his own compositions - 'Adios to Rock and Roll' and 'First man on the moon' [available on the Outfit cd 'Tales from the Mine"]. These got people into a party mood and some even started dancing!
Sandy then got Elspeth Durkin up - and, without any rehearsal, she and Bob gave a rendition of the Eartha Kitt song 'Santa Baby'.

The next up were a duo - Ian Hamilton and Elaine Feeney who gave a fantastic blues rendition of 'Whole lotta medecine and 'Since I fell', both very well received by the crowd.





Jer McDade then gave us a couple of his songs 'Singsong' and 'Until we die', protest songs about segregation etc.


Next up was George Campbell and his sister-in-law Elaine, who sang 'Bring it on Home' and 'To Love somebody' followed by George singing 'Lyin Eyes' although Elaine jumped in at the end to help with the last verses!
Then the old romeo himself was up - Andy 'the Candy' Logan, performed Crossroads and then 'The games people play' - which was duly accompanied on the choruses by the audience!




Joe Kidd and Johnny 'T' Miller had arrived and settled in by this point, so Sandy got them up next - singing 'Don't talk,listen' and 'Good day' both excellent cmpositions of Joes.




Johnny stayed up to accompany a few of the next singers.









Kevin Young was up next singing 'I might as well be down and out' another of his own songs.












Two brave Edinburgh folk [braving the weather that is] were next up - Jenny with Stuart Workman sang 'Moon River', followed by 'The Erie Canal'








and then scottish stalwart Joe Macatamy who gave us 'Haul away'.






Duo Paul and Evelynn got up and gave us 'In the real world'. George Campbell was back up then to give us 'Cod liver oil and the Orange juice' [not literally thankfully].


The penultimate performer was Ian Adie [with Johnny T] singing 'Take the ribbons fron your hair'.


POSERS! [for a photo that is!]





Last performance of the evening was from singer/songwriter Stevie Maguire who gave an emotional performance of 'Faultless'.


The official evening ended there, but there followed a bit of a jam session for about twenty minutes, until the bar staff insisted on everyone packing up and leaving!

Figure 8 - Saturday 9th December 2006

I was in town to meet a friend on Saturday afternoon, and she had suggested meeting at the Clutha Vaults.

It turned out a couple of friends Stuart Nugent and John Elliot [alias FIGURE 8] were playing there in the late afternoon. There was a good sized crowd in - many of whom were there ust to see the band, as a large percentage left after the lad's gig finished!!

Wednesday 6th December 2006

A cold miserable,wet, stormy evening outside, but a very warm and friendly atmosphere inside. That is what it is like on a Wednesday evening at the Clutha Vaults. Sandy Watson was once again hosting,[after his 'kidnapping' last week, and started off the evening with the beautiful song 'Everything flows' followed by 'Don't think twice'.

First up was Frank who sang a quiet ballad - 'Far away with you'.
He was followed 'on stage' by Kirsty, up from Lesmahagow once again, and having a belated birthday celebration with her friends -

Happy Birthday Kirsty' She gave a lovely rendition of 'California, I'm comin home'.

Sandy then got Andy 'the Candy' Logan up, and he entertained us with 'Time slips away' -

and as usual was accompanied by the audience in the chorus - to which he quipped " I know the words!!"

Next up was Jer McDade and sang an appropriate little number of his own called 'The new James Bond'

He was followed by Paul who sang 'I believe', and then newcomer Arthur got up and gave us his rendition of 'Me and Bobby McGee'.

Steven was next up [but I forgot to write down which song he sang -sorry].

Gavin, with Johny T on his Bass Guitar, sang 'Here comes your man'. Then Joe Kidd and Johnny T did Joe's lovely ballad 'Don't talk, listen'.

Next up was our regular Edinburgh visitor, Stuart Workman who entertained everybody, and even got a few folk up on their feet dancing!

Duncan Adams was next up and he sang two songs including his 'signature' tune of 'Where am I gonna live when I get home?'

Elspeth Durkin then got up to sing an accappella piece, 'The Quiet Joys of Brotherhood' over the noise of the pub, as her normal accompaniest Bob Leslie was not present this evening.

David O'Neill then sang a Gram Parsons song 'Hickory Wind' and then Gavin was up again singing 'You don't dance the techno anymore'. The classic combination of Andy the Candy and Izzy [of Theatre Nemo (www.theatrenemo.org fame] gave us the irrepressable song 'I want a hug'.

Sandy then called up the self proclaimed king of the Clutha Ian Adie, who gave us his song 'William Wallace and me'.
Stuart Workman and Johnny T were up next {with percussion accompaniement from Elspeth on Tambourine and Duncan on small drum} and gave us 'Copperhead Road'
Joe Kidd and Johnny then performed Joe's song 'Good Day' before the
evening being rounded off by Joe MacAtamy giving us 'A powerful Song'