Bob’s Open Mic at Avante Garde 15th November 2012

Bob’s Open Mic at Avante Garde

15th November 2012

Bob and Bernadette were just finishing off a small set when I arrived.

Bob then got Clare and guitarist Craig up.  Clare has an excellent voice and sang three songs beautifully. 

 

 

 

 

 

 

John Morrison was next up on stage and had decided to do a seasonal song because Avante Garde already have their Christmas tree up in the corner!! However it turned out to be a very, very humorous song about Hogmanay!!

Elspeth Durkin was next up, accompanied by Bob on guitar, and they started with a duet of ‘Love Hurts’ and then Autumn Leaves [one of Bob’s favourites] and finishing with ‘After the Goldrush’.  Bob then sang ‘ Tracks of my Tears’  and his own song ‘Cowboy in the heart of Glasgow’

Next up was Joseph Quinn for a few songs.  Joseph plays in a professional band, but had been out on the town with family.  He did ‘Sally; free and easy’, his own song ‘The Ligger’ and finally ‘Deil finds work for idle hands’.

John Morrison then joined John Condron and Mags Peters  and they performed ‘Ride On’, ‘Rocks off’ and finished with a mashup of  ‘Only Fools and Horses/Proud Mary’.

Mickey Reid was up next singing ‘Promised land’; ‘Stand by your man’ and  ‘Angry’.

Bob and Bernadette did one duet before she had to leave – ‘I can’t remember if we said goodbye?’.

Roddy McLachlan was up next and did a couple of his own songs.  He was a ‘quiet’ singer, but he had a good voice and sang very well. [just needs some more practise with a microphone].

John, John and Mags got back up again and performed ‘Hallelulia’ and then ‘Caledonia’ which Bob ended up joining in with [backing vocals and small drum].

Last up was Elspeth again, who did a new song [never done before] ‘Come by the hills’ with Bob picking it up on the guitar after the first verse. She finished with ‘Will you still love me tomorrow’.  Bob and Elspeth finished off with ‘Dixie Chicken’ before Bob finished the evening off.

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.

Thursday 11th October 2012 at Avante Garde

Bob'S Open Mic Night at Avante Garde, King Street, Glasgow.

Bob started the night off as usual with a a round of good songs :- 'My old friend the Blues'; 'It'll last another day'; 'One size don't fit all'; ' The ballad of Pancho Villa' [a Townes Van Zandt song]; another blues song;  'Harmonise'; 'Willin' [a Little Feat song]; and then 'Handjive'

First up was John Morrison  with his 12 string dobro mandolin singing 'Black is black', 'Sunday morning sidewalk' .
Bob then got Elspeth Durkin up to sing 'After the Goldruch [a Neil Young song], and then 'Autumn Leaves'  [ dedicated to her late husband Joseph Durkin] accompanied by Bob on guitar.  She and Bob then sang a duet of one of Bob's song 'Different World'.

Bob then sang 'Beans and Beer'; 'Ruby'; and another of his songs 'The Devil ain't a friend of mine'
Bob then got Andy Craig up on stage.  He sang 'It's what you do with what you've got; 'Pink flow'; and finally 'Bright Star'

Bob then sang 'She's a lady' and then 'Love the one you're with' before getting John Morrison back up on stage again.  This time John wanted to try using an occarrina linked to a microphone.  He plaayed 'Dirty old town', and then a couple of scots airs.

Bob then sang  a few more songs 'Ring of fire'; 'Don't start the revolution in the morning'; ' Life's too short to wait for the miracle' and finally 'Hook your train up to my wagon'
Bob then got Elspeth back up to sing a couple of duets with him - 'Dixie Chicken' and 'Love hurts' and then to add some backing vocals on 'Tears of a clown'; .....'If we said goodbye'
Bob then sang ' Heartbreak hotel', and a lowden wainwright song 'Nobody loves you when you're down and out'.  At this point Michael Fagin came into the room, so Bob sang 'Big dead Bob' which was about a rumour that michael had started about Bob dying and the shock everyone got when Bob walked into the next music session!
Bob then persuaded Michael to get up and play a couple of songs - 'Down by the schoolyard' and 'Perigor'
Bob finished off the evening with a couple more songs and finishing on 'Gloria'.

Avante Garde Open Mic night - 23rd August 2012

 

Finally got back to Bob's Open Mic held in Avante Garde, in King Street Glasgow, on thursday evenings.

 It was quite a quiet evening with many people away on holiday I believe.  I was a bit late arriving anyway however.  There was the group "Tighnamara" [gaelic for 'House by the sea'], who were up a couple of times playing a variety of songs including Tambourine man.  Unfortunately my slightly drunken brother had grabbed my tambourine and was 'joining in' badly!!]

  

 

 

Bob then went up to sing again and got Elspeth Durkin up to 'help' him with some harmonies. 

Then she sang a couple of songs herself, before joining Bob in a couple of duets again, by which time it was the end of the evening.

Come along on a thursday night if you fancy getting up and performing, or just come along and enjoy some good live music!

 

Sad Losses

I was very saddened in March to hear of the death of three former regulars of the Open Mic nights at the Clutha Vaults.
Willie Mathews died in January,

{Willie and Fraser Lindsay]
His death was closely followed by that of  Johnny T Miller, who often brought his bass along to the Open Mic and played along with lots of the artists, as well as singing a few of his own!

Playing with Joe Kidd

Playing with Bob Leslie, Fraser Lindsay and Elspeth Durkin

Playing with Fraser Lindsay and WIllie Mathews

and in February Pamela Nicols a regular audience member also died.

Pamela was alway cheery and willing to get up and dance when the mood took her!

All of them will be missed in their own ways,

and the music world will be a little poorer for their passing

 - but I'll bet they are having a rocking time in the afterlife!!!