What a fun, lovely way to spend a Saturday. A daytrip to Edinburgh to catch Found and The Red Well, whose recent releases on Fence Records had been thrilling me for a few weeks now.
Held in a church hall tucked away in Jeffrey Street almost under the North Bridge, and kicking off at the early time of 2 p.m., the hall was elegant in a dusty sort of way and spacious with the bands playing in an alcove. An extensive selection of singles, albums and other treats had been alluringly laid out on the serving counter of the kitchen. It was an unusual but charming venue for an unusual but charming day.
As The Red Well soundchecked the empty hall looked a little imposing but by the time we arrived back it had filled up nicely. We managed to miss a couple of acts including the lovely Pictish Trail and Ziggy Campbell from Found’s solo set but caught part of soundman and solo artist, Little Pebble‘s set which was neat enough. The Red Well did a short, acoustic set, augmented with a double bass and pedal steel guitar. The first highlight in a day of many highlights. They played gentle, gorgeous versions of two songs from their wonderful album along with two equally fantastic new songs, the first of which was dreamy and soporific, the second more upbeat with its jaunty rhythms complimented by a harmonica.
Animal Magic Tricks had a more offbeat, fractured sound. A duo, they employed a cello, keyboards, acoustic guitar and fuzzy samples and electronics into a spellbinding short set. They reminded me a little of Cat Power but more introverted and out-there, the way the female singer sang at times as though she was singing to herself while the, at times, spindly sound could still sound so dense and layered. Author and musician Doug Johnstone had a nice line in quips and amusing song titles including the eerie ‘Bjork Is Calling Out From The Wreckage’ which imagined ending up in a car crash to a soundtrack of Bjork singing ‘Violently Happy’ while his final song, ‘Song For The End Of The Set’ made me smile.
Wee Baby Jesus. Great name, great quiff and great songs as well. Another duo. One guy singing, playing an acoustic and charming and scaring the audience, another seated, picking out intricate patterns on his electric guitar. The songs were gentle and sweet with a dark heart lurking just below the surface, the singers deep, gravelly voice adding warmth and gravitas. The last song, which was ‘dedicated to anyone wearing a late 80s Johnny Cash tour t-shirt. Even though it is showing off a bit’, was utterly splendid, stark and lovely. Mersault, an impossibly tall, thin guy with a guitar didn’t initially grab me with his first song but, by the end of the set I was convinced by his twisted line in acoustic folk-blues. Men Diamler was a bundle of energy, getting the crowd to sing along during ‘Black As A Cat’ before leaping, twitching and jumping around the audience singing the end of the same song acapella. I particularly enjoyed the look on a little girls face as she observed him. It seemed to be saying, ‘so this is what adults get up to when kids aren’t around then?’ Oh, if only… Mr. Diamler then returned to his seat and guitar and asked if he could do one with swearing before finishing with a raucous ‘When I Get Fucked’. Bloody brilliant but in a church hall? He wasn’t, I’m happy to report, struck down by lightning.
Player Piano, a lone, rather bemused looking American, seem a bit out of sorts. I don’t know if it was jetlag or bewilderment, but his attempts to connect with the audience seemed to misread the atmosphere and fall rather flat. His set was pleasant enough to suggest that there might be more to him than a slight grumpiness. The Red Well’s second set did feature lightning with their two-guitar mini-onslaught mixing album songs up with a new song and we did get to see Mr. Pictish Trail at last as he added some guitar and vocals to a wonderful set ender. Last, but certainly not least, Found looked slightly unassuming as they set up their keyboards and laid out a veritable cornucopia of little instruments on a table. However, as they got going, they proved to be the days closet party animals with the audience breaking out into a mass of dancing, smiling faces to the joyous soundtrack of Found’s skewed pop. What a way to end a brilliant day.
And it was. The atmosphere was good and convivial, conversations with strangers were had, beer was drank, new bands discovered and a hoard of happy memories, seven inch singles and albums taken home to be treasured. Fence Records. Every home should have one…
For more pictures and a review of the gig check out la-terrasse.blogspot.com