The Edinburgh festival 2004 -- Reviews -- Music -- (D) -- 4 out of 50

(D) 4 out of 50

Rating Guide
None = Unmissable

= Unwatchable
Page number refers to the Fringe programme

Dougie Maclean in concert (Page 97)
Drams 0 - none needed
Music Dougie Maclean's own songs and music
Musicians Dougie Maclean; Greg Lawson; Jamie Maclean, Kevin Macrae; The Perthshire Ensemble
Venue Queens Hall (Venue 72)
Address Clerk Street
Reviewer Iain Gilmour

Dougie Maclean

For most of the enthusiastic and knowledgeable near-capacity Saturday night audience it was a case of meeting an old friend, rather than attending a concert.

Dougie, an international icon of the Scottish Folk scene, strolled on stage to a rapturous reception. From then on it was two hours of homely chat and banter interspersed with songs where the words had real meaning. Family reminiscences of Scottish rural and island life led into songs that were place-specific.

Stories of schooldays were capped by the casual information that Dougie had bought his old primary school and turned it into a high-tech recording studio.

Most of the songs were old, valued favourites with the audience at first coaxed into singing the chorus lines, then encouraged to join in if they knew the words.

One new song, The seventh sea put across some fairly deep philosophical ideas - "holding back in the darkness of believing". So did the admonition in an older song - you can fall but you cannot lie down.
Dougie's masterful guitar playing seemed effortless even though he also, briefly, added a mouth organ and for one item switched to a fiddle.

In the second part, Dougie was joined by the Perthshire Ensemble and the strings added thrust to the final items.

At the end, of course, it was his famed Caledonia that filled the hall with sound and sentiment.

The only dissenting voices were those lamenting the fact that the concert was over -- and those complaining that the rash of digital camera owners taking flash pictures (tacitly encouraged by Dougie) was an extremely annoying distraction.

© Iain Gilmour August 22 2004. Published on www.EdinburghGuide.com See also www.dougiemaclean.com

Run August 20,21

Dean Friedman in concert (Page 97)
Drams

pre ordered for the interval
Presented by Deep Blue Theatre
Music John Kander
Musicians Dean Friedman plus guitar and Kurzweil keyboard
Venue Brunton Theatre
Address Ladywell Way, Musselburgh
Reviewer Julian Davis

Dean Friedman

If you wonder what Dean has been up to for the last 25 years, the answer is simple – beavering away writing songs which, unfortunately for Dean’s British fans, have suffered the vagaries of our controlling music media by total under exposure. So it came as no surprise that Dean enjoyed playing at the Fringe so much last year that he returned to gratify his adoring fans. Of course you could have caught him at the Pleasance Dome and the Pleasance with his Squirrels in the Attic and (Even Sillier) Silly Song, Sing Along but tonight was Dean (like his 1998 album of the same name) with Songs for Grownups; but then again aren’t we all kids at heart?

After starting poorly by being delayed - due some numpty advertising the show on the Internet starting half an hour later than the Fringe published time - this show could only go one way: up! And boy didn’t it just do that. There were examples of all the different modes and moods of this talented lyricist, musician and performer. Gentle lilting melodic tunes and sensitive, introspective lyrics were juxtaposed with raucous mocking songs like the scandal of the Clinton administration put into a context of a less globally threatening saucy innocence with a chorus of I miss Monica.

In a world of increasing cynicism and fear, Dean has a refreshingly light, open, honest and slightly risqué view of his own emotions, of the relationships around him, even of political and moral issues. He tackles issues such as cloning, adoption, breaking up, smoking pot with a sideways view that can simultaneously bring a tear to your eye (like his hopes for the world in Arab Man and Jennifer’s Baby) and a smile to your face. He still has that sort of cheeky school-boy grin that could disarm a nun and songs such as The Babysitter’s Song sung for Lisa (aged 8 sitting on the front row), his lonesome Nookie in the Mail and an obsession with a McDonalds Girl in a polyester uniform only served to widen that grin (as well as being banned by the BBC for overt commercialism).

And then again, there were all the old favourites. Lydia, Woman of Mine, Ariel (Dean – maybe you should bring this down a semi tone or two?), Rocking Chair and the indomitable Lucky Stars which the audience sang along in counterpart after demanding an encore. Do these songs stand the test of time? Who watches that TV programme about cleaning houses? Twenty six years ago Dean sang Take a look at the place you call home. You’re reflected in all the things you own – well at least the Cuckoo Clock told him that during some altered state of consciousness.

It has often been said (regarding up the US/UK relationship) that we are two countries divided by a common language, but that certainly was not apparent here. Dean was like a distant uncle back to visit relatives and friends and the starkness of the stage production gave it the feeling that he had just cleared his front room and invited us all in for the evening. It was close, you could even say intimate as we shared his emotions, but there was no mistaking the message as the sentiment flowed back and forth between performer and audience in a musical bonding session. It was a pleasure to have experienced it.

© Julian Davis. 24 August 2004. Published on www.edinburghguide.co.uk See also www.deanfriedman.com

Daimh (Page 96)
Drams to help withstand the pace
Music An eclectic mix from the band members' cultural background, their own music and Scottish traditional dances
Musicians Daimh: Colm O'Rua (banjo, whistle and mandola); Angus MacKenzie (large and small pipes); Gabe McVarish (fiddle); Ross Martin (guitar); James Bremner (bòdhran)
Venue Reid Hall
Address Reid Quad, Bristo Square
Reviewer Pat Napier

Daimh

What makes a band based in Lochaber, made up of two authentic West Highlanders, one Californian, one Cape Breton Islander and only one Irishman stress its connections to Irish music? Could it be that they'd played in Belfast the night before and succumbed to the charms of the Guinness? Or could it just be that Colm's patter and banter just emphasised that?

Whatever... the band were revved up at full speed and going full blast for the whole, breakneck 75 minutes. And their audience were in fine form too. Cabbages were the topic of the night - introduced out of the fact that they'd all just had a curry before going on stage. They didn't always remember the names of the sets of tunes they played but that didn't matter.

Occasionally some details surfaced, especially about those cabbages. After playing a set of strathspeys and reels, including a tune Colm had written for Fr Seumas McNeill of Benbecula, there were roars of laughter when he said that the following tune (which had a tongue-twisting Gaelic name) had been That's how cabbages go bad.

Later, when Ross had been telling how Colm's mazurka - yes, mazurka - had been written during a trip to Galicia in Spain, he remarked on the strange fact that "our national dish of fish, cabbages and potatoes, a peasant dish" was a high-priced delicacy on the menu of a a "wee restaurant up a side street in Compostela". And so, Down and out in Sant'Iago was born.

It hardly seems believable that this immensely talented band, who play together as if they'd been playing for decades, were only formed in 2000. The stars seem to be Gabe on fiddle and Ross on the pipes, big and small. They're certainly the basis of the band's unique sound. Various sets demonstrated aspects of how their sound is mixed, in groups of fiddle, small pipes, guitar and bòdhran or fiddle, guitar and mandola (which they joked that they'd found in a cupboard next door on their last visit). By the way that joke, heard more than once, fell flat for few folk in the audience were aware that the fascinating Collection of Historical Musical Instruments actually lives next door!

Daimh on stage

But the real driving force is the steady, exciting and varied underpinning of James Bremner's bòdhran. And when the banjo and the guitar join it to act as the backing rhythm, Gabe and Ross can really take off and fly.

Talking about flying: we were treated to the fastest, most driving encore I've heard in years, with everyone in exact time with the others, with the tempo ratcheting up tighter and tighter, the pace reaching dizzying speed and the tunes jumping from player to player until we thought they'd all explode out of the Reid Hall. Seven most amazing minutes. I knew they were anxious to get to Sandy Bell's but they very nearly got there - rocket propelled! And they deserved whatever they were going to sup.

© Pat Napier, 27 August 2004. Published on www.edinburghguide.co.uk

The Dead Beat Club - Debut Gig (Not in the Fringe brochure)
Drams 0
Music Their own music plus an eclectic mix from the band members' cultural background,
Musicians Bob Tucker (co-vocalist and acoustic guitar); Shona Brodie (co-vocalist and bass / acoustic guitars); Bill T Walsh (Fender-Rhodes piano); Don McLean (Bass guitar (acoustic on ‘Morning Light’)); Dave Bell (Keith Moon drums); Gordon Robertson (Gibson SG guitar)
Venue Whistle Binkies
Address 4-6 South Bridge (Venue 304)
Reviewer Julian Davis

The Dead Beat Club

Their own publicity states that they were formed during the summer 2004 (can anyone remember what day that was; I think I missed it?) out of two hardworking Edinburgh bands, Lebowski and Kabuki. To conjure up the atmosphere, before reading further, think of Glen Frey’s unique vocal arrangements for the Eagles, think Lindsey Buckingham and Stevie Nicks of Fleetwood Mac (or Annie Lennox and Dave Stewart from the ‘Tourists’ era) brought up to date with a Keane, Coldplay, REM, U2 feel – guitars, piano, layered vocals and big, big self-penned melodies. This is undoubtedly the direction the band is heading, but for their debut performance how did they do?

Judging by the size of crowd who poured in well before the commencement, there is already a big fan-base. Sitting just some 15 ft from the stage, I had to peer through more than 50 people just to glimpse the act. I could hear them though, for as anyone who regularly frequents ‘Binkies the sound reverberates well under that low ceiling. I was a little concerned that a six-piece band could adequately fit onto that small stage, but Shona and the boys didn’t appear too concerned.

They did well to fight the piped music to get a sound check, but once finding an acceptable balance, they kicked off with Bigger, a mid–tempo number with a nice drum and organ intro and Bob on acoustic guitar swaggering like a young bearded Oliver Reed. The vocal harmony was good and I could just see Shona having a wee jig over on the right side of the stage evidently picking up on the vibes and getting into the spirit of a live gig. It dispersed the early nervousness and they settled well. With Bob’s acoustic intro, they followed it up with Makes my day, a slowish rocky ballad, but with a tight, polished sound and great middle 8 from Bill’s keyboard playing.

One more day, an altogether heavier sound, saw Shona take lead vocal but I felt the drumming was too prominent and tended to drown her out – but maybe I’m being just a bit pernickety and it probably could have been rectified with more volume on her mike. As the lights in my half of the club dimmed, there was more swapping of equipment with Don shifting to acoustic guitar and Shona to bass for the acoustic guitar/ harmonica-led Morning light. This song has a great chord progression and Gordon’s lead guitar solo was most welcome. I liked this one a lot and while the band were beginning to ooze a lot more confidence, the fans were doing their bit to encourage them.

Shona Brodie
Dead Beat Club

Tell her had Shona taking on acoustic guitar and although I initially felt it struggled to get going, it turned into a very melodic and sensitive song and was very well received by the audience. Falling away with Bob resuming on acoustic guitar started with a slight hiccough but once the band got it together it had a nice sort of Lou Reed feel to it and again Gordon’s lead guitar featured well. All too soon the ultimate song Movie Stars came round - a mid tempo rocker in a definite Fleetwood Mac style. This was a song which for me epitomised all the best qualities of the band. It was well balanced, had a hugely melodic lyric and rounded off the session perfectly.

As the band stopped, the fans raised a chorus of encore only to be drowned out by the house music system cutting in. If there was any indication of how well it went, you only had to look at members of the band hugging and congratulating each other in a wave of both relief and exuberance. It was a bold step in launching the band and although one could be critical over parts of individual songs, you have to give credit and be supportive of original pieces presented in very competent manner.

One may drag out the clichés and suggest that Ms Brodie is coming into her prime and though the boys may not quite fit the bill of ‘crème de la crème’ yet there is an awful lot of potential here. It would have been better if there had been some dancing room to allow the fans to better express themselves, but that’s not the bands’ fault. For a first outing this was a most encouraging start and I feel there is definitely scope for a lot more to develop out of this formula. I wish them well and hope the fan-base continues to support them at their next appearance at Bannerman’s Bar on 13th September!

© Julian Davis. 03/09/2004. Published on www.edinburghguide.com

(D) 4 out of 50


	Edinburgh Film \| Edinburgh Theatre \| Edinburgh Festival \| Edinburgh Venues \| Photos Edinburgh Accommodation : Self-catering \| Hotels \| Guesthouses \| B&Bs \| Serviced Apartments \| Hostels Copyright © EdinburghGuide.com 1998-2008, Edinburgh, Scotland.