Del Amitri Reunion Gig The Hydro Glasgow

This reunion gig after a twelve year break, with one of Glasgow's favourite bands was Celtic Connections biggest show so far and it’s first at the shiny new Glasgow Hydro. The show was the start of a 12 date UK tour for the band and drew a crowd of over 8,000. In fact Curran seemed somewhat surprised by the size of his audience and he said one of his mates had bought seven tickets! 

The excitement in the air for this return gig was palpable as the band took to the Hydro stage. Successful Scottish 80s band Del Amitri delighted fans with a return to their 80s favourites and with the entire floor of the vast Hydro on its feet, the audience sang along with gusto and with calls of 'brilliant' and 'We've missed you!! 

They started the show with some of their best known - The Last To Know, Kiss This Thing Goodbye and then the driving rhythms of The Ones That Lead You Nowhere. Curran and Harvie's songs are full of both optimism and regrets.  

Other songs - Driving With the Brakes on, Being Drunk in a Band, Not Where It's At and Hammering Heart,  In The Frame. 

 

Fiddler player extraordinaire Aidan O'Rourke (from Lau) joined them on stage for several songs adding that extra Celtic magic for a lovely take on the songs - This Side Of The Morning, Sleep Instead of Teardrops and Be My Downfall. 

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Tell Her This was sung acoustically which gave the enthusiastic crowd a chance to vent their vocal energy and resulted in some of the biggest cheers of the night.

There was also singing for their other hits such as - Nothing Ever Happens, Roll To Me (top ten UK Billboard), Driving With the Brakes on and Spit In The Rain - which is apparently a Glasgow taxi drivers favourite song! 

The band played rockier numbers and also took the pace down for the insightful poignancy of their acoustic songs in the folk idiom, with Be My Downfall, What She Sees and Driving With the Brakes on. 

Encore Songs -  In The Meantime, Here and Now, Just before you Leave, Move Away Johnny Blue,

The band were on top form as Currie's rich vocals and their tight harmonies rang out over the vast arena. Del Amitri's songs have emotional rhythm and country soul, with sensitive guitar and words that ring true.

The band centre on Justin Currie and Iain Harvie who are sensitive story tellers and have a way with words that leaves them hanging in the air. With words such as.... 

Freezes up from time to time. Lonely tonight and lonely tomorrow. Hard to say you love someone. My one girl once again tonight, till we find someone new.....

 

 

The marrying of rock and Scottish lyricisms gives Scottish bands an added uniqueness and honesty on their music.  I was over in the States when all these Scottish bands came to the fore - Deacon Blue and Simple Minds, and I remember Simple Minds on MTV. 
There was a revival of Scottish arts and music in the 80s after we lost the vote because not enough people voted, so some (not all) of their songs were new to me - and I am certainly now a newly converted fan!
This really was a great feel good concert! I loved it.

They were well supported by The Os from Dallas and The Big Dish, another first rate Scottish band reunited just last year.  

Del Amitri , Scottish alternative rock band, formed Glasgow 1983. Justin Currie (bass and vocals), Iain Harvie (lead guitar), Bryan Tolland (guitar) and Paul Tyagi (drums). Currie and Harvie are the only band members to remain and were the songwriters. The band had several top ten albums UK - . http://delamitri.com/

Rachel Sermanni, Katie Sutherland and Laura Marling

Laura Marling

Rachel Sermanni

Katie Sutherland

 

Folk vs Pop? – the different routes into the business.

I first saw Rachel Sermanni at a Celtic Connections Open Mic at the Concert hall a couple of years back and noticed then her lovely voice and songs. That year she won the open mic at the festival.http://www.rachelsermanni.net/

Also here in Glasgow I went to gigs by Katie Sutherland in 2009, another 22 year old Scottish singer with a lovely vocals and catchy songs who also looked good. Katie, who was then calling herself ‘Pearl and the Puppets’, had put her songs up on myspace where they drew the attention of record labels. Katie has a mesmerising honey toned voice live. http://www.katiesutherland.co.uk/

I know of several other young people given major record label deals a few years back – the thing is they are little more than an advance and young people should be warned of the pitfalls here.

This year Katie has been recording an album and using Pledge Music to fund this and Rachel is playing several UK festivals this summer. I can’t help wondering comparing the two that going via the folk route can bring more ‘respect’ generally in the industry but can also mean less attention sometimes. It’s a very strange thing music. At the end of the day it should be all about the talent.  

Then there is also the very young Laura Marling – who sings slightly folk influenced songs. She has a distinctive image and sound which is also key and her father runs a studio. She is also Neil Young influenced and her voice has edge and depth in it. She has managed that valued cross over between being respected and also having commercial successes. Laura is from Hampshire and drew attention on the London folk circuit and it seems to be easier for younger artists in London to get the right label deals into the industry. Marling is playing at the London Albert Hall this weekend. http://www.lauramarling.com/

Even more worrying is the lack of many young male singer songwriters with much depth or much to say- where are they? Marling became prominent with the London folk scene, she has also toured with a number of well-known indie artists in the UK. Her debut album Alas, I Cannot Swim and her second album I Speak Because I Can were nominated for the Mercury Music Prize in 2008 and 2010 respectively. She won Best Female Solo Artist at the 2011 Brit Awards.

*Where are the Troubadours?

Singer songwriter legend John Martyn, famous for 'May You Never'

'The highlight of my career? That's easy, Elvis recording one of my songs.' Bob Dylan. 

Our most loved singer song writers become like our best friends. 

In ages past there were Troubadours who toured their songs. It used to be (not so long ago too) that young artists would get out and perform on the circuit of live folk clubs, uni refectories and local bars in the UK and Europe and elsewhere. It used to be not so long ago that creativity was alive and well in the world of music. Back then it was all more organic rather than a production line. Musicians then played 'residencies' where they might hone their song craftsmanship through the varied experience of playing to a live audience. In the 50s singers toured with the Big bands and money was made through the Publishers Sheet music.

Since the advent of recorded music the Studio (and therefore Radio too) has taken precedence in music. Recorded music has led to a break down of boundaries of place and time and has also brought about vast changes to our tastes. The drums of Africa have mixed with the European folk tunes, the sitar with pop, the jazz clarinet with the violin solo, the rock of The Who with modern electronica.The advent of the iPod broadened our taste yet again with thousands of instant tracks. Of course 'quantity is the opposite of 'quality.'

There are problems now over who should define or select the great from the average. Who are the 'experts' in music anymore? There are the taste makers the Labels, the music reviewers and music websites. It used to be that the Royal Court would decide which artists to commission - who decides today?       

I read about writers and producers Jerry Leiber and Mike Stoller.

They wrote - HoundDog, Stand By Me and many other great rock and roll hits. Yet how many have heard of these incredibly gifted artists? I don't understand the system at all and I am not an Elvis fan for a start - give me the singer songwriter any time. Apparently Elvis added the line to HoundDog 'Aint' nothing but a rabbit and he ain't no friend of mine.'

For me the voice of the writer of the song simply has more to say to me.

Quote from Mike Stoller, 'Beyond the brilliance of his mind and the mastery of his story telling, Jerry had in abundance two beautiful qualities that guaranteed his immortality. Jerry had spirit and Jerry had soul. '

'He could sing - and man, he sang as midnight. By the way he interpreted lyrics, we were sure he'd grown up in the same ghetto as us,' Quote vocalist Carl Gardener. 

It is only through knowing the 'knowledge' of the 'old' that the young can build something great. There are still some great Troubadours here in Scotland, who have great individual strength of character and something that matters to say in their voice, music and songs - Dick Gaughan, Michael Marra, Rab Noakes.... I'm just not sure where the young Troubadours are though?   

Songwriters Circle BBC 4

October 7^{th -} Leon Russell, Nick Lowe, Paul Brady.

October 14th – Donovan, Buffy St.Marie, Roger Cooke.

October 21^st – Neil Finn, Janis Ian, Ryan Adam.

October 25^th – KT Tunstall, Ray LaMonatgne, David Gray.

Fridays 9.10.pm. Held at the Bush Hall London. The art and process of songwriting. They perform, collaborate and chat about their songs.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b015cxf3/broadcasts/2011/10

Followed by ‘Singer Songwriters at the BBC.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b015f4w6/broadcasts/upcoming