Sometimes even a Bluesbunny ponders the meaning of life. Or at least of life without Guinness? Since there is no Guinness at Barrowlands 2 and the beer substitute on sale (Calder's Cream Tea, as I recall) was not hitting the mark, it was time to hit the cocktails. So a "Jackie Leven" was duly ordered up (it is, after all, the only cocktail that a man may drink). And the cocktail was duly served in a plastic glass. Don't get me started…
However, a distraction from the woes of the evening was about to take the stage. Her name was Carrie Macdonald. Now, if you do not know the venue then it is worth taking a moment to reflect on its décor. Black walls, black ceiling, black floor. Basic black. Ms Macdonald was but one woman with a guitar but she fairly brightened that room up. She can sing too with a voice that rang out loud and clear and she displayed no small amount of spirit in her performance especially on her closing song, the anthemic "I'm Worth It".
Taking to the stage next were Swearbox. Nice name for a rock band and they turned out to be a decent rock band. Simple and straightforward, they belted out their songs with conviction. Lead singer Campbell McNeil was ably and effectively assisted in his vocal duties by drummer Keir Inglis and their harmonies worked well within their big, brash sound. Any band that has a drinking song in their repertoire is doing just fine in the Bluesbunny's book and indeed Swearbox do in "Wasted". They certainly woke the audience up anyway.
Next up were Ohio. A four piece band from Glasgow, they have a nice line in well written, country rock flavoured songs. Sensitive and vaguely melancholic in tone, their music made a bit of a contrast to that of Swearbox but that is the way of events like this. Certainly "Dreamer in My Arms" had plenty of life about it but it was their gentler tunes that stuck in the mind. "September", in particular, is a beautiful song that would probably have been better enjoyed in a more intimate venue. However, they left to the stage to a quite respectable amount of applause so the boys done good.
Jill Jackson took to the stage and immediately encouraged the audience to approach the stage. This they did and it was clear that it was her that they had come to see. She even had relatives seated at the front on the stage (remember this is not a seated venue) to give the proceedings a warm, friendly feel. That feeling of intimacy was infectious and there were a lot of happy faces looking back at her from the crowd. From ballads like "You Don't Mean It" to conventional country songs like "Just Not Myself", she made it all look easy. It helped that there were some damn fine musicians keeping her company on stage with Lorna Thomas' subtle yet imaginative bass guitar work being of particular note. "Driving you Home" got the biggest applause of the night as its vibrant rhythms slammed right into the curfew. This was the first time that the Bluesbunny had seen Jill Jackson perform live and she managed the rare trick of sounding familiar whilst not actually sounding like anyone else. Worthy of your attention without a doubt.
Wonder if they have chicken pakora in Nashville? Perhaps not but they have it in Glasgow.