Burn's suppers have a lot to answer for. The centre of attention is supposed to be that bogging haggis thing but actually it is all about excessive drinking in the name of poetry. It's a pity that kebabs weren't invented earlier as I'm sure that the Immortal Bard would have preferred a large donner (extra onions) and a portion of chicken pakora. Having been cursed with a hangover all day, the thought of reviewing anything loud had little appeal.
Duty is duty, however, and words had to be written. Fortunately, the sonorous tones of Caragh Nugent welcomed me into the basement bar of Pivo Pivo. It's been a while since last I heard her sing and I hope it is not so long before I hear her again. She has the kind of voice that distracts you from your troubles and she sings songs that are filled with emotion. Songs that would lead you out of your spiritual darkness. Her voice is a thing of wonder and it grieves me to recall how long I have been saying that.
Salon Society is on next. Tonight they are four strong and, with my spirits raised by Ms Nugent, I find myself ready to be impressed. And impressed I was. Lead singer Roxy throws herself into each song like she was doing theatre at the Old Vic. The addition of Roy Collings on the bass filled out their sound and when Dorothee Weber abandoned the guitar for the drums, a strange thought filled my head. Delicate harmonies and over the top theatrics are this band's stock in trade but now - and I kid you not - they had turned into a rock band. All they had to do was crank it up a bit more and they would have taken the roof off.
Last on were Julia and the Doogans. Altogether gentler and more restrained in their approach, they showed promise. Without the band, Julia and her banjo would have comfortably fitted into the twee pop pigeonhole but the band brought a bit more muscle to the sound making comparisons with seventies folk rock appropriate. Whilst not entirely convincing as a band tonight, you would be a right soulless git if you weren't charmed by them.
A well attended night it was as well tonight. Remarkably so for a Monday night in Glasgow. Maybe somebody has finally got the live music formula right in this city?