Live Reviews


  Alexander Murray and Emma Jane live at MacSorleys in Glasgow



Cities are strange places. Even on a summer night when you cannot blame the dark for it all, strange things happen. The Bluesbunny heads to MacSorleys to catch up with a musician that has been recommended as suitable candidate for review. Glasgow is full of strange sights tonight. With the EUFA cup final the following day, the town is full of Spaniards. The odd thing is that they are all wearing bright red jackets. Not exactly camouflage is it?

MacSorleys is located a very short distance off the main thoroughfare of Argyle Street. It is a long established pub and has a regular acoustic night. Tonight there were supposed to be three performers - Larry Guild, Emma Jane and Alexander Murray. Our interest for this evening was Larry Guild - a performer of some repute we had been told - but he (or rather, his good lady) has phoned in sick. So the Bluesbunny curse goes further than the usual bringing of wind and rain to actually causing the victim of our reviews to fall ill. It must be witchcraft. Our host for the evening, a chap called Martin Forry, does the decent thing and fills in with a few songs. Showing the unassuming nature of the Glasgow singer songwriter, he sips his beer and takes the opportunity to run through some new material. To provide some light entertainment, a drunken chap with a scar (of course) strolls up to the bar and attempts to get served. Naturally, he gets refused so he occupies himself by enquiring of everyone in range if they have any "skins". Failing to obtain any "skins" or notice that all pubs are non smoking these days, he departs but it will not be the last we will see of him this evening.

Bluesbunny sometimes feels like a stalker rather than a reviewer. Hiding in the corner does not really work. When you encounter one of the regular worthies on the Glasgow music scene such as Alexander Murray, it is clear that a better disguise is required. Our Mr Murray has been in the studio - so we are informed - and it has drained his voice. He growls his way through one of his best songs ("City Streets") as an opener. Sounding like a Glasgow version of Joe Ely and gaining confidence as he goes, he ends on "Don't Want to Talk About It". Much like Guinness, he gets better with every time that we see him.

Some more brightly coloured Spaniards enter the bar just as the delightful Emma Jane takes the stage with a cover of "To Love Somebody". Her dulcet tones are well known to Bluesbunny. She looks rather ill at ease in this big old Glasgow pub but she catches the attention (and ears) of our Spanish friends who applaud appreciatively. Hopefully, they will take home a positive impression of the musical talents of this city and spread the word about our Emma Jane. A talented singer and interpreter of songs, she also has an unexpected ability for "giving it laldy" as evidenced by her closing song "Now You're Gone". Now that's the kind of song that gets attention.

Our inebriated, battle-scarred, protagonist has returned and attempts to get served once more. A petite, female, member of the bar staff decides that enough and escorts our friend to the door and indicates to him that his bus stop is actually across the road and he had better hurry if he is to get the last bus home. Glasgow women - they are truly a special breed!



Reviewer:
Review Date: May 15 2007


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