Last post was all about Carl Marah‘s latest Voodoo Rooms gig, yeah, that post almost three weeks ago, oops; you can now see an eight minute video from said gig on his YouTube channel featuring You’re Always Right and It Takes One To Know One. Oh, and while you’re there do check out the Live at EverymanCinema video filmed in August, see why I love Carl’s song Cat’s Eyes so much! That’s on there along with Roll the Dice, well worth a peek. You want more? Check out his latest posts on Instagram, I particularly like the ones where the camera is looking down on the piano keyboard, yes, the lad’s tickling the ivories with his tunes! Nice to see a proper old piano being played.
The dark evenings are bringing folk into the pubs earlier now, I’m used to wandering into an almost empty Stramash at the back of seven for the Scat Rats, but now it’s miserable and colder outside, all the best views are already taken by the time Babe Station lures me in (despite my determination to be in before the Rats started on Friday evening, once again I made my entrance to it, haha). They’re playing Stramash again next Friday, can I make it in earlier?!
I also caught Jed Potts and Nicole Smit both times they played at Whistlebinkies this month, always a delight, and oo, they’re back in Binkies next Saturday afternoon (two Saturdays in a row, great stuff!). Jed was back there this evening with his new band Power Denim, yeah, I gave it a miss just to catch you up, but I will be trotting up the way soon for the Louis Crosland Trio at midnight, third time this month. It has been a pretty fine month for me music-wise, I just won’t think about the rest of it.
I’m determined to get back on top of things next month, er, tomorrow. After a lull in my Park meanderings I’ll have to get back out there more, get into practice for going all the way to Arthur’s Seat for New Year’s Day, and probably Christmas Day before that; yes, I’m staying here in my moose cave this year!
Wednesday evening in the Voodoo Rooms was awesome. There may have been fireworks going off outside for Bonfire Night, but inside the atmosphere was sparkling and crackling with fine vibes. Local musician Jack Hinks was support for the evening, some rather lovely tunes there, and a gorgeous voice, rich but not too much (I know what I mean). Tone for the evening nicely set, drink in hand from the bar, good position to see, ready!
Of course, this was the first gig where Carl Marah has played his solo music with a band, which added to the anticipation, not just one man and an acoustic guitar anymore. On drums was Gavin Lamont, like who else was it gonna be? As lovely as he is talented, no 5/4 timings could throw this chap. On bass and occasional backing vocals was one Simon Toner; he and Gavin are in a band Sekoya with Luke Cunningham, who played keyboards with The Buccaneers (oo, how good to have the three of them with Carl some time? make that happen!). A very promising line-up, and how!
It was a gentle start with You’re Always Right and how right was the sound – just perfect. On to Lost and Found, gorgeous but I did find myself contemplating whether, lovely as the band version was, the acoustic solo version had something extra for being less for me. World Keeps Turning next is a tune that’s already one of my accidental hums (oh, I can hum unaware that I’m humming for ages), a cracking song, definitely up a notch with the extra punctuation from the drums.
The setlist was thirteen songs in total, all known to the faithful to some degree. James Gilhooly, the go-to cameraman, was around filming the proceedings. At the start of Long Way To Oban I noticed the array of drumsticks Gavin had to hand, but then I guess that’s how he always gets just the right sound; Holidays with the brush sticks was luscious. The poignant 39 was sooo beautiful, a moment to reflect.
Song of the night for me has to be Cat’s Eyes, oh my heartses. I’d just popped to the loo and came back out into the little hidden area to the side of the stage, it seemed a perfectly good spot to watch the band as the music drove along, taking corners, foot down on the straights. Oh, I’m already there, Cat’sEyes on the stereo driving along the A702 in the dark, can’t wait! Only Don’t Wanna Love You No More could have followed that, yay, Carl getting down and bluesy, always fine with me!
As it’s the latest single Roll the Dice finished the evening. Yeah, right. Encore! One more song! Hmmm, something that really would really show the whole band off, something by one of Carl’s favourite artists? Paul Simon? 50 Ways To Leave Your Lover, yay, what a way to end, excellent choice. What an evening, I’m looking forward to next time already, hopefully it won’t be too long. Meanwhile, Mr Marah can be seen in the pubs of Edinburgh singing to the stags and hens and mooses.
Such a great gig really deserved better pics for my blog than I could manage with my mobile – many thanks to @hateinacageonfilm for letting me use some of his photos, what a guy!
I’ve come to realise that I first heard Carl perform Roll the Dice in the Auld Hundred last October, I have a vid clip of it, but later couldn’t remember if that was one of his own or a cover, ha. I thought it was, but didn’t want to put it on Instagram and have folk point out that it was actually an old Paul Simon number! There is an air of Graceland about it (as Carl is happy to acknowledge), I’m excusing my cautious lack of surety as a compliment to Carl’s ability to write timeless songs that defy being placed in any particular decade.
Do check it out, Roll the Dice is available on the usual streaming platforms, a few listens and you’ll soon find yourself tapping out bits of the rhythm at random moments of the day (or is that just me?). Carl plays all the instruments and was his own backing choir on the studio recording, everything except the drums, and who better to lay down a jaunty 5/4 rhythm than fellow Logan’sClose member, Gavin Lamont (really, no one!).
There’s an official video too, featuring Carl, his fiancée Klaudia, Piccolo the Dog and a cameo appearance of the Edinburgh Monopoly board and pieces. Our troubadour pops up all around the town looking for his lady, will they ever be on the same space together? A sweet, delightful film that’ll warm your cockles! And you can play identify the places in this montage of Edinburgh spaces. [And if you’re part of an acapella choir visiting Edinburgh this Fringe, why not do an acapella arrangement of Roll the Dice in one, or a few, of the spots? Carl would love that!]
Of course, there’s not been just the single and video released this last week, Mr Marah also started another promotional tour, kicking off in the Voodoo Rooms last Sunday evening, the Ballroom no less! Very nice it was with tables and chairs laid out in a relaxed fashion; we had been warned that there was no support i.e., don’t be late! The Jefferson Airplane classic WhiteRabbit heralded Carl’s arrival on stage, a fine choice.
For starters we had Siren Song but, oh my, the lad’s gotten into looping! With guitar, keyboards, percussive knick-knacks, this was Marah MkII; this time round the sound is fuller, richer. I really enjoyed his songs the first time round, but wow, to hear them again switched up, it’s great hearing the progression. What will they sound like by the third single tour?! I’m looking forward to that already.
Fourteen songs, including a new work-in-progress, Me, Myself and I, some sweet chord progressions there, I’ll admit I was more engrossed by the music than the words, next time. Carl played 39 without any introduction, a beautiful song, the natural slight melancholy timbre of his voice adds to the poignancy of the lyrics. You’re Always Right was played on the keyboards this time (with added percussive loop); about halfway through it hit me, Lynsey de Paul, mid 1970s, that’s what it now reminded me of! Yeah, okay, you’re probably thinking, who? But for those of a certain age I’ll put up a vid of it on Instagram, I’m sure you’ll get what I mean!
Oo, and Cat’s Eyes, this time around by the end of the guitar break I was like, oh wow, John Martyn, by the end of the song I could almost hear his voice. I mentioned it to Carl afterwards, haha, he understood what I meant; Carl does wear his influences proudly and unashamedly on his sleeve (he knows where he’s come from and has a fair idea where he wants to go). After Cat’s Eyes it was time for the final song, the second single Roll the Dice.
First the build-up of the loop, shaker, tambourine, hand claps (interesting with it being in 5/4 time, did I mention that before?!), drum beat, and to great cheering, triangle (Would any other nation do this? Pure, silly glee at the sight of a lowly triangle?), oh, and backing vocals. While the studio version is great, a live version built up to over an evening, oh my heartses! A wonderful climax to the evening, Marah MkII was a great success! After the crowd had called out for more (we couldn’t just leave at that, we needed to be gently brought back down), Carl obliged with a cover of Squeeze’s Up The Junction.
I do fully intend to catch the show at least one more time, but right now I really need my bed. Goodnight, sweet dreams!
And the world keeps turning – into what it’s difficult to say but it’s not looking very pretty right now, unlike Mr Marah who’s continuing to delight audiences across the UK with his Siren Song Single Tour. This week it’s been Birmingham on Tuesday, down to London town on Wednesday, tonight it’s Round The Corner in Liverpool, a circuitous route home! Next weekend he heads back up north to Inverness and then over to Ullapool on the west coast – if the weather’s good that will be a stunning drive! But for now, last week…
Last Wednesday evening Carl Marah took his solo show over to Glasgow, a venue called the Red Door Club. Put the name into Google and it takes you to a pub called The Old Toll Bar, a bit confusing initially (especially when you’re glancing through the details without your reading specs!) The pub itself is a real gem with the original Victorian decor and a good range of beers, while the club is down in the basement with a wee stage and walls covered with murals of famous Scots, though it’s a tad odd to have Billy Connelly constantly looking over a performer’s shoulder at you!
See what I mean? It’s a tad distracting
It was originally Julen Santamaria as the support, but he had to pull out (a shame as I’d been looking forward to seeing him playing solo), so instead it was one Adam Thom who I thoroughly enjoyed, a worthy replacement. A great voice, some cracking lyrics and a country sound, all nicely set up a warm vibe in the room; and after another drink up in the pub, it was back down for the man.
Really, I’m looking at this thinking, but what can I actually write about it? Yes, I know that sounds daft, but for me Carl’s music is so right, the sound grabs me, swamps me, defying me to describe it adequately. I can’t but here’s a few moose musings….. first off, his voice has such wonderful tone and timbre, occasionally reminiscent of Bobby Goldsboro. And when Carl performs You’re Always Right it’s like hearing an old Gilbert O’Sullivan song, sweet, quirkily honest with a teensy plaintiveness. Lost and Found would make a great second single, at least a studio recording (on an album?), it is rather scrumptious; Cat’s Eyes would be a fine edition to anyone’s driving playlist, especially in summer, hint, hint!
On a more serious note, Carl’s song 39 is his tribute to the 39 Vietnamese nationals who were found dead in a refrigerated trailer in Grays, Essex in 2019. Such a beautiful song, Carl’s poignant lyrics will still you, and the ending, the room paused, before a warm applause. How to follow that and bring the mood back up? A harmonica, apparently sales have soared since a certain recent biopic in the cinemas! And Mr Marah couldn’t possibly not play some blues, come on, so there’s I Don’t Wanna Love You No More (potentially an LC song when it was first written some years back, when the boys were beatniks) with some juicy, snappy lyrics along with some shredding.
A big favourite of mine is Stags and Hens another fine example of Carl’s lyric-writing, it may be based on Edinburgh pubs but the pictures he paints will be familiar in many towns (I did find that particular song popping in my head a lot as I walked around Newcastle on Saturday). Siren Song is like the cherry on top of the icing on top of the cake by the end. Yes, this show is too good not to be seen a third time – I went to Newcastle at the weekend.
I’ve only ever been to Newcastle once before (passed through plenty times on the train), that was many years ago to see Stevie Ray Vaughan at the City Hall. Time for another visit, cheapest trains there and back, a bunk in a hostel, breakfast, just about sixty quid; oh, and Nando’s before the gig, sweet. Had a great time wandering round, admiring the architecture, browsing in shops, chancing upon Newcastle’s vampire rabbit. Yup, a vampire rabbit!! How have I not heard of it before?! How is it not famous, or infamous? Neither was I particularly aware that there’s a castle in Newcastle, well, the keep and gatehouse are still there, worth a look round.
Behold, the Vampire Rabbit!
The gig was in the Head of Steam a fine boozer close by the train station. Again, like in Glasgow, the gig room was in the basement. Support was AJ Potter, a good northern lad complete with flat cap and a pocketful of great tunes, one of which I’ve found on Spotify One Night, loving the studio arrangement! Interestingly, two other bands, from London and Spain, who had been due to play at a sister pub to Head of Steam were shifted over and played after Carl, four bands in one evening! The London band were good, a tad eclectic for me, they didn’t seem to gel right to me, they seemed to be off in different directions at times, but it was fascinating to watch. Unfortunately the final band had the drums way, way too loud which was a shame as the female singers/guitarists were all very enthusiastic and bubbly, it would have been nice to hear them.
It was another fine performance from Carĺ. This time it was the catchy World Keeps Turning that really snuck into my head, snippets of it still keep popping out! I love the in-between patter of musicians, when some bits will be almost word for word the same every time and other stories may be expanded on or cut to barely more than the title; this is the mark of a relaxed, self-assured performer, this is the Carl Marah who’s worked hard to get to where he is. The lad’ll go far.
Bruce on the Fringe 