Visual Opinions

Secret CDs - June 2010

Written by Adam J Bell

Back at the cosy Pheonix Cellar Bar on Edinburgh's Broughton St, the 31^st Secret CDs evening promised to be a good one. As the bands sound-checked the small stage seemed once again set to deliver a powerful sound.

Rantum Scantum were the first act of the night, opening with a lively and upbeat number. The guitar and fiddle duo played with an air that can only be gathered by years of playing as accomplished musicians. The lead showed good humour too, introducing their second song with: “This song comes with a disclaimer, 'It Was nae Me'”. The potent mix of harsh accent and the instruments leant a great meaning to the lyrics of 'Battle For the Sun' which captivated the audience. The duo showed fantastic spirit throughout and the heartfelt music spoke of a band who had truly seen it all. Their last song 'Cartoon Cavalcade' summed up the mood, a cynical one, yet full of truth. “Life's a tragic comedy as a monochrome cartoon, when you lost your painted heart to Betty Boop”. The two are off to Norway later this week and if they are back in time will be playing at The Listening Room on Sunday 13 in Blue Blazer. Look them up: http://www.myspace.com/rantumscantum2.

The second act was Francie Jones who's beautiful American accent was apparent from the start. Her second song 'Tuesday' displayed her ability to play songs that were both melancholy and upbeat. This set the tone for her act, as many songs spoke of unrequited love and a powerful will – a will to get through anything. She explained how her song 'Love Warriors' was once played to an all-classical audience who did not appreciate her style. It certainly was suited better to this environment where the seemingly simple song had a powerful effect on the audience. Jones too may be playing The Listening Room on Sunday 13 and also has an EP available called 'One Word and Other Wonders'. Her myspace is here: http://www.myspace.com/franciejones.

Lindsay Sugden was next on stage, being one part of Lindsay and the Storm. It was clear from the offset that she had impeccable vocal control and pitched her voice well alongside her guitar. In the second song Nelson Wright played the harpsichord and gave a wonderful texture to the piece. Her third song sounded almost like a lullaby. She introduced it saying: “This song is about how things look different in the moonlight than in the daylight”. She goes on to sing “Cos promises can fade in the daylight”. The bridge is very compelling and lulls the audience to a state of calm. Sugden's voice is almost haunting in some of the choruses, adding to the melancholy feel of the set, which is highlighted by the guitar: simple chord progressions mixed with intricate picking. Her last song 'On the Wire' was one such example of this beautiful composition. Her new EP which she says might be called “Time Stands Still” should be out within a month. Her current EP recently won the well-known “Acoustic Idols” award. Check the band out online: http://www.myspace.com/lindsaysugden.

The last act on stage was the Stu Goodall Band who we last reviewed at Acoustic Edinburgh. It was great to see them again tonight with a profound mix of wonderful lyrics and the sound of two acoustic guitars, an electric bass and a violin. The female backing vocalist lends extra depth to the performance. There were several clap-alongs to demonstrate the bands reception by the close-knit audience. Their song 'Sparks' again revealed the delicate balance of pitches between the four instruments. The song seems almost simple when you look at the individuals, but when played together the timing is perfect and the song harmonious. Good humour was shown from Goodall as he jokes about “tuning banter”. Their last song, the appropriately named 'Leaving Song' showcased how the band work so well as a unit, with the energy focused on Goodall for the timings. The song encourages the crowd to “Stay for a while” and I'm sure we all left with the line “And I won't let you down” ringing in our ears. The band hopes to release an album later in the year and if you haven't found them yet, do so now: http://www.myspace.com/stugoodallband.

A great big thank you once again to James Igoe and the Secret CDs team. The event is all about selling CDs at fantastic prices to account for the work of these wonderful artists, so head to www.secretcds.co.uk for more info.

On a final note there aren't many places so intimate and friendly that I can just sit in the middle of a group of young French people, with my camera, and not feel out of place. I had a discussion with them about how so many places and events like this one exist in Edinburgh, if you know where to look. Keep it locked and we shall bring you all we can.

The Secret Bedroom

Written by Eoin Greensmyth

On Wednesday 31^st of March, Voodoo Rooms were graced with the presence of four fantastic bands as a fundraiser for Out the Bedroom, one of the city’s most influential open mic events and to help in this, Out the Bedroom co-founder James Igoe (now Secret CDs), joined forces and put on a fantastic evenings entertainment. Both of these names – Out the Bedroom and Secret CDs – are well known to any involved in the Edinburgh music industry, so expectations were high. Nobody was disappointed.

The first act to grace the stage was the Beggar Girls, a delightful mix of folk instruments and vocals. After their first song, I felt as if I was in the 1700s being entertained at a banquet of sorts – it really took the audience by surprise. Throughout the remainder of their set, there was some spectacular displays of musical talent from each and every member of the band. One of the most intriguing songs from the set was a Finnish Polska, which was an amazing listen and encompassed an obscure language which seemed to have been created by the band themselves. The only criticism to be heard would centre on slightly poor stage presence, but this made little or no impact upon the set. Overall, the Beggar Girls were a delightful band, with some very impressive song writing, accompanied by excellent musical skill. Definitely worth a trip to see these live, with their next gig in the Eastgate Theatre in Peebles, 29^th May. 

http://www.myspace.com/beggargirls

The next batch of entertainment came in the form of Emily Scott – the evenings first and only Ukulele player, so there was clearly a level of anticipation, which always follows Ukuleles. There isn’t much to say, other than after overcoming a level or nerves, the music was, as described by myself and a colleague, music you could sit and listen to for hours on end. If you love acoustic music, or just music in general, try and see Emily Scott in her next gig, in which she is supporting John Smith in Sneaky Petes, 23^rd April.

http://www.myspace.com/emilyscottmusic

The audience of the evening was entertained by the multi talented Matt Norris and the Moon. After getting the whole “speaking thing” sorted, a mixture of music kept everyone entertained for a portion of the evening. Special mention has to be made to the trumpet player, who doubled up as a very impressive Mandolin player. The fusion of double base, guitar, mandolin and trumpet – along with all three members on vocals – made for a very interesting and entertaining listen, especially considering they were 2 men short. Unfortunately they didn’t have any CDs available, unlike all the other artists, but these guys are definitely worth checking out.

http://www.myspace.com/mattnorrismusic

Now, the act that everyone was anticipating, including myself, as I had never seen them play as a band before. Edinburgh based groove trio, Gecko 3 were a fantastic headline act, who even got various members of the audience up on their feet to show off their dancing moves! Their whole set was showed off the clear musical skill and talent held by each band member, with no song in anyway disappointing. One point to be made about the evening as a whole, but specifically Gecko 3, is well thought out lyrics. It’s somewhat refreshing to hear well thought out lyrics, which make you actively listen to each individual song, rather than passively listen to the set. One of their most memorable songs, for me, was Donkeys and Elephants (available for listen on their Myspace page) and this is due to one particular line “big white house in the centre of a target shaped lawn” – I love it. I have seen both Paul Gilbody – double bass – and Martin Philip – guitar and vocals – before, in Acoustic Edinburgh, though never as a full band, considering previous performances from these two individually, expectations were very high and were easily surpassed by this excellent and extremely entertaining set, I would highly advise either going to see them live or get your hands on their EPs! You can see them next live in Aviemore, Old Bridge Inn, 7^th May. 

http://www.myspace.com/gecko3

Out the Bedroom is an original music only, open mic night, well worth a visit, which is in The Tron every Thursday evening.

http://www.outofthebedroom.co.uk/ootb/

The stage awaiting the Beggar Girls

 Emily Scott, the only artist without a double bass.

 Matt Norris and the Moon, minus two.

Gecko 3 - Paul Gilbody, Martin Philip and Hugh Martin.