Sometimes it is good to escape the hustle and bustle of the Glasgow crowds. Monday night's adventure took the Bluesbunny to Greenock. Of course, Bluesbunny wasn't expecting to sit down …
Local boys The Lazarenkos opened the proceedings with an acoustic set. For those not in the know, The Lazarenkos are much revered in Greenock, and with good cause. "Gone for Good" was a colourful opener, setting the scene perfectly for "Walking on My Own Two Feet", a folk-pop gem that Tom Petty could have written. "Weary Road" allowed for main man David Nicol to throw some harmonica into the mix, to good effect. Switching then to mandolin, David and the band continued to impress with their vocal harmonies melding nicely with the accompanying guitars and mandolin. Such a fine performance has prompted this BluesBunny to try and catch the full electric band. Clearly capable of combining clever lyrics and flowing melodies, this band could easily go as far as they desire.
A short intermission led us to the Hunger Mountain Boys, who cracked right into a blistering bluegrass reel. Had the show allowed for standing and readily available alcohol, there's no doubting that most of the crowd would've kicked into a line dancing frenzy. While staying true to the bluegrass ascetic, The Hunger Mountain Boys, in all their fiddle reliant, fedora sporting glory, also did well to accommodate other styles of music in their songs, from celtic to ragtime. More joyous reels were to follow - just a shame no one could dance - before stand-in main vocalist Teddy Weber restarted his chanting on "The Blues Is Back Again". The quirky, though terrific "Rat's Been On My Cheese" - stand-in fiddler Adam Tanner's composition - certainly served as one of the best laughs of the night. The band would round off a near flawless set with a rendition of Tampa Red's "Don't You Lie to Me" and traditional favourite "Leavin' Home", and depart to deserved applause. The band's virtuosi ability matched by that lovable hillbilly nature meant that the Earl Brothers had a tough act to follow.
Within seconds of the curtain rising, "hillbilly goth" pioneers the Earl Brothers took us on a lost weekend of bourbon-soaked alt-bluegrass, stopping only to introduce a "good killin' number", which proved to be every bit the hunk of twisted bluegrass that was promised. "Troubles to Blame" continued the drunken steam train sound, with the band maintaining their uncompromising bluegrass onslaught. "Brokenhearted Fool" was the first of many odes to love lost. It should be noted that aged mandolinist Larry Hughes held an almost imperious presence onstage. Likewise the rest of the band, but there was something about Hughes's presence in particular that really accentuated the onstage talent. The sight of four men huddled around one microphone was one to remember: the music really meant something in a primitive sort of way. To round the show off, the band welcomed Adam Tanner back to the stage. "Hard Times Down the Road", Cluck Old Hen", and "Girl with Long Black Hair" brought us to the end of a fantastic show. The show was well-attended and will hopefully encourage both US acts to return to Scotland someday.