Vanderhof and starbright debuts...

Cloudland Blue Quartet – Track of the Day
“You Taught Me How to Love You” from “Doveloveshawk” (1999)

Playlist
Cloudland Blue Quartet – Starlightnight Live Set
Haydn – Heiligmesse
Stories – About Us

Up just after five and spent almost the entire day mucking about trying to get a fifteen minute three song set together for Out of the Bedroom* tonight...

Finalised it late afternoon – while both Hearts and Queens were thumped in their respective leagues – Queens are bottom again...

Finally decided on the full length (or almost full length) versions of both “Vendome” and “Starlight Starbright” as opposed to the edited versions in the ten song live set I’ve already prepared for next week...

Stuff packed...



...and, with the moon and stars out...



...we picked up Lynn and headed into town...

Anne and Lynn were off out on a birthday girls’ night out celebration for Lynn’s sister Sheila...

Arrived in plenty of time...



...to get one of the eight open slots and played fourth on the night...

The sound was not great on the stage as the backing track I was using couldn’t be folded back into the monitors but I am advised by attendees that the sound front of house was fine and dandy – always a relief when playing with no soundcheck...

Just as I started, a lady who’d played earlier walked past the stage and didn’t seem to notice she’d knocked my lyric crib sheets off the music stand – luckily a helpful audience member (fellow performer Mr James Whyte) reinstated the words...



Mission accomplished and back next week with the same set up, this time for a full headline set of all ten songs from the upcoming album...



Here's my set from tonight - three of those very songs...

1. Vendôme
2. Vanderhof
3. Starlight Starbright

...two of which were debuts (all three were OOTB debuts), at what was my 60th appearance at OOTB (playing my 72nd, 73rd and 74th different song at the club)...

OK so I keep stats...

Listen/download here - CBQ Live Set 25 02 2012

Tonight’s main attraction comprised Norman Lamont & the aforementioned lyric sheet saving Big Jim Whyte and they were mighty impressive – swapping guitars, bass, banjos and mandolin between songs and both handling vocals...







Norman plays classic storytelling numbers with singalonga-bits in quite a few and it was good to hear Jim’s classic “I Found Love” for the first time in too long a time...

John and Ali from Impossible Songs were along...



..with Ali filming proceedings on her IPad...



...and John snapping me in front of a George Michael poster...



Kat MacKenzie was also there and advised she will shortly be adding some keyboards to some Ian Sclater recordings...

I left to go and pick up Anne and Lynn...



By the time the ladies were ready it was close to midnight on what had turned out to be rather a good night...

Highlight of the Day : Performing...

*Out of the Bedroom happens every week on Saturdays in the Montague Bar, on the corner of St Leonards and Montague Streets in Edinburgh.