King Tuts must be a classy joint. Well, at least they use a better class of plastic glass to serve the Guinness anyway. Gad, it almost formed a head. Whilst waiting for his Guinness, Bluesbunny looked up at the heavens. The roof kind of got in the way but it was hard to miss the sign on the wall. Very informative it was too. It said that Tennent's Lager only has to travel 1.2 miles to get here. The Guinness had travelled much further than that but it is a drink with stamina and was unaffected by its journey. Bluesbunny has always felt that lager was a bit of a lightweight drink that really needs some support to see you through an evening. Indeed, during Jackie Leven's performance, we discovered that the man himself liked to fortify his lager but with the immediate drink agenda sorted and without further ado, Bluesbunny found himself a vantage point.
The Miss's take to the stage. Hmm… interesting. There are three of them - later introduced as Audrey, Michelle and Jenny - so there is a clear and present danger of harmonies. Now, harmonies are difficult things. Most people assume that they are just a couple of people singing at the same time. Not the case at all. The voices have to intertwine to create something greater than the sum of its parts. Michelle has a big voice. When she cranks it up, it would easily fill a football stadium. "Mr Muscle" (from their new EP) charms you before Michelle's voice pushes it out through the wall into the street. Jenny's voice, in contrast, is soft and sweet like an angel's kiss. Add in Audrey's tasteful support on guitar and harmony and the end result is truly convincing. Harmonies dot com, if you like. Their songs steer well way from the navel gazing and indeed show a proper understanding of melody and dynamics with "Don't Walk Away" standing out. Mind you they don't take themselves too seriously as they even manage to throw in an amusing Christmas song called "Mrs Claus" that could have formed part of the repertoire of a sixties' girl group. If this were an auction, Bluesbunny would be the highest bidder. Sold!
Next on are the Doghouse Roses and they are a rather different kettle of fish. They are cask strength folk musicians without a doubt. There are only two voices on the stage this time but, when one of those voices is Iona Macdonald, there is no need to worry. Paul Tasker's guitar playing is right on the money too. "Pilgrim's Tales" and "On My Way" convince the Bluesbunny of that. They have a very relaxing sound and perform as if we are all together in their front room and not in a city centre music venue. Managing to make the stage disappear is quite a trick but the Doghouse Roses can do it. Their own songs are mixed with traditional songs like "Nottamun Town" into a classy sonic cocktail. If we had to pick a favourite then it would have to be "As the Crow Flies". Folk music done badly is little better than karaoke but when done properly - as is the case tonight - then it gains a haunting, almost spiritual quality that touches the soul. If the Bluesbunny ever found a way to regain his innocence then the voice that we would want to sing us a lullaby would be that of Iona Macdonald. Exquisite!
To the main event. Jackie Leven has been around a long time and has built quite a cult following. Certainly, there is a good sized crowd in attendance tonight for him and they clearly have an encyclopaedic knowledge of his back catalogue. To his shame, this Bluesbunny had but a cursory knowledge of this man's musical contributions. It is clear from the start that Mr Leven is a true storyteller, a raconteur par excellence. He tells a hysterical story about meeting Sir Laurence Olivier in his final years and introducing him to the "Scottish Cognac". Like all master storytellers, he knows that there is no laughter without sadness and he gives that particular tale a poignant but beautiful ending. The songs don't take second place however. Whilst his stories are entertaining, his songs are tales of a tortured soul. "Elegy for Johnny Cash" is a fine example of this. Close your eyes and you can see the dark clouds coming in over the horizon. "Museum of Childhood" echoes round the room. Remember that this is just one man and a guitar yet he transforms the room into the wide open spaces. He's getting thirsty now and cajoles a member of the audience into ordering up "a pint of lager with double vodka in it". Respect where it is due - this man knows that lager is a woman's drink on its own. His thirst quenched, he tells the story of a song - "Here Comes the Urban Ravens" - that he contributed to a Kevin Coyne tribute album. Death features in many of his stories and songs and you get the feeling that he has spent a fair amount of his life outrunning the devil. A story came into the Bluesbunny mind. Jackie Leven went down to the crossroads to pay his debt to the devil. In the meantime, the local planning department had put in a set of traffic lights as part of a traffic calming measure. Jackie Leven jumped the red light and headed up the road to redemption as fast as he could leaving the devil behind. For that traffic offence, we should all be grateful. Amen!
Maybe some of you might wonder why the Bluesbunny does this reviewing thing? It certainly isn't for the money (ha!)or the kudos. It is for nights like tonight when you hear truly excellent music and leave feeling a helluva lot better than when you went in. Hope springs eternal (or from King Tuts on a night like tonight). Large chicken pakora and a cheese sarbeni to go, my good man. I have dreams to dream!