Sleazys. Saturday night. Drink in hand. All the prerequisites for enjoying some live music are here. Trying to bring peace, tranquillity and love to the Bluesbunny world tonight are the Coley Magic Experience, the Electric Hellhounds and Loris.
The Coley Magic Experience leads us off on the path of happiness tonight. A 3 piece outfit with distinct echoes of a punk past in their songs, they hide their no doubt sordid musical beginnings behind a polite and tidy performance. Well received by the crowd, their short set is over way too soon.
Next on are the Electric Hellhounds. They look a bit familiar. Very familiar in fact. It is Bluesbunny's favourite lovable rogues, the Ballachulish Hellhounds, who have adopted a subtle change of name just for this evening. No doubt they have some reason for that. Yes, they do have a reason for it as they have kidnapped the drummer from The Scuffers - John Murphy - to do the hard rock thing and have forced him to wear a Motorhead t-shirt. Despite the fact that there were several Scuffers in the audience, no one seemed to recognise their captive. Amazing how effective a Motorhead t-shirt can be as a disguise. Terrifying the audience with an onslaught of feedback and low slung guitars, they launch into a set of loud and macho rock. Whilst introducing one of their songs - "this is a romantic one… it's about b*m sex", an entire table of 8 people stood up and walked out. Perhaps they were from Newton Mearns. Continuing their assault on our senses, they pull the pin out of the grenade and throw a ZZ Top cover across the room. However, that Hellhound's good humour pervades all that they do and they get plenty of well deserved applause.
Headlining tonight are Loris. Purveyors of highly polished melodic rock sounds, they are practised and ready to please tonight. They have a new CD out and blast through some songs from that with "Pick up the Phone" proving particularly pleasing to the Bluesbunny's ears. Being crowd pleasers at heart, an apparently unrehearsed - although you would never notice it - version of "Rollercoaster" is played to satisfy requested by a visiting "east coaster". Showing where they are coming from, they even throw in a very respectful cover of "Sunshine of your Love". You know the best part of their act? Their manic drummer Bruce Ferguson, who does the whole method acting approach to being a drummer. Wildly animated, he is excellent entertainment in himself.
Curfew time approaches and it will soon be time to go. But there is still time for the Bluesbunny jury (of one) to announce a verdict. By unanimous decision, the Electric Hellhounds are crowned as tonight's winners. Hopefully that will make them give up their life of crime and debauchery and consequently do the right thing by returning The Scuffer's drummer.