What a fantastic night I had at Swiss Family Orbison’s gig at The Voodoo Rooms in Edinburgh. It was my first visit to the venue, and even aside from the music, the bar blends opulent Victorian décor, gothic flourishes, and cabaret‑era glamour and is well worth a visit.
Singer-songwriter Neil Morrison opened the evening with a beautifully stripped‑back set. One guitar and one voice were all he needed to carry his melancholic Americana sound. https://linktr.ee/neilmorrison.music
Swiss Family Orbison — Kit Clark, Keith Matheson and Gregor Philip, joined this time by guitarist Ross Nicoll — followed with an uplifting and musically tight set. They don’t perform together often these days, which made the night feel really special. Their harmonies were superb, at times echoing early CSN&Y. I’m in Love was the standout song for me.
I headed for the tram home, energised after a genuinely great gig. https://theswissfamilyorbison.bandcamp.com/
Come along and join in the fun at St Andrews Church at the bottom of Easter Road, Leith, Edinburgh on Saturday 5th September 10.30- 3.30 PM. I'll be joining other musicians for an hour of trad tunes from 11.00 am. There's lots more going on during the day, showcasing local efforts to turn this into a community facility https://www.facebook.com/leithstandrewstrust
What a great afternoon at the trad session in Leith Depot on Saturday 8th August. I was leading with Siobhan, and we had a strong turnout, with a good mix of tunes and sets. It was encouraging to see new players joining in, and when I spoke to a couple of them afterwards, they said they’d really enjoyed it and planned to come back.
I sang one of my songs, In the Morning from my album Line Up Some Country, which I'd last performed at Tayfest.
I had the opportunity to play two tunes I’ve recently put together into a set — Battle of the Somme followed by Lord Huntly’s Cave.
The first tune was composed shortly after the battle by Pipe Major William Laurie of the 8th Battalion, Argyll & Sutherland Highlanders, and the second by James Scott Skinner.
All in all, a really good session, and I’m looking forward to the next one on Saturday 22nd August at 1.00 pm
