Sometimes you get to thinking. Well, it's a sunny afternoon in Glasgow and they are not that common. There are bound to be side effects. Like pondering the motivations of the singer songwriter.
Amy Belle is the subject of the Bluesbunny's musings. She seems slight but confident. She smokes a cigarette and picks up her guitar. Bluesbunny saw her arrive. She even carries in her own PA system. She's a one stop shop, about as far from Pop Idol stardom as you can get. Is it a job? Is it a vocation? We can but guess.
Her voice shows the practice of the professional. She sings the songs the people like. It's a classy audience that bask in the sunshine today. They get a bit of John Martyn, a bit of Tom Waits, a bit of Fleetwood Mac. A selection guaranteed to appeal to the demographic. The question is whether the audience gets a bit of her. Isn't that the way of things today? Reflected glory for everyone. I voted for her - each text message costs £1 plus your normal network charges. Is that not how it is done?
There is a moment. Amy Belle pauses after a song. She looks at the ground and smiles. What's going through her head? Is it the irony of the situation? Is she selling herself short? Seeking success is a worthy goal. Does playing in a beer garden on a Sunday afternoon get you success? Probably not - but it might just pay the bills.
She sings one of her own compositions - "I Love You" - and her eyes say it all. Give the people what they want and they'll take it all even if they don't actually need it. Give them something of yourself and then what? You risk rejection. For the few short minutes of this song, her eyes mist over and she seems alone. There's nowhere to hide on that small stage.
Maybe that's why musicians go down to the crossroads and do a deal with the Devil. A soul only has value until it is destroyed.