I was so knackered after work yesterday that I very nearly didn't bother. But I managed to do battle with the online food shopping and win (I think) and decided that I would commit to going out, so booked my ticket online. Paid now. Have to go. So... this one, last night.
http://www.thebasementyork.co.uk/event/1880/The City Screen is undergoing renovations, so it was all a bit building site in odd corners of the place. Basement seems unaffected... and is a venue that I really like, to the extent that I'm completely unphased by going to stuff there on my own, pretty much. Last night it was mostly occupied by Officially Young People in skinny rolled up jeans and checked shirts. Many of whom were sporting mildly entertaining facial hair. I bet they all rode there fixed. And brakeless. I hadn't really paid much attention to the line up, apart from the name "Blue Rose Code" catching my eye on a listings website, but the Basement events often offer a 3 or 4 band lineup and I usually find something in there that I can get on OK with. I have discovered a very strong preference for female vocalists, overall, but there's usually one in there somewhere.
I got there part way through the first support act so caught 3annabit tracks by him. A chap called Chris Laycock, with a guitar, who I actually rather liked. Nice voice, and a pleasingly confident-but-not-cocky-quite-glad-to-be-here-thank-you-yes-I -do-enjoy-doing-this-hope-you-do-too sort of attitude. He got a female accomplice to join him for his last track (which is cheating really as she was bloody good and that automatically won him points with me) and jolly good they sounded too. I'd go see 'em again. Or, actually, just him.
Next up, a chap called Zak. With a guitar. Skinny jeans? Check. Checked shirt? Check. Beard? Check. The loud people in the audience got louder. Dunno if they knew him - there was banter about birthdays, so maybe. OK, but I couldn't make out the words and that always irritates me. A heck of a voice on him, but it was all a bit impassioned and heartfelt in a way that felt a bit OTT after the more understated first chap with a guitar who I definitely preferred. Despite impressive facial hair he got possibly the best audience heckle of the night, from a lady sat at the table just in front of me, when he announced a song called 'When I was Young'... "What do you mean? You're about 10!"
Next up, a chap called Nathan. With a guitar. Spotting a theme yet? No check shirt or beard tho, opting instead for an emphasise-your-fragility baggy black t-shirt with huge armholes and wafting-around waist length hair with much timotei-esque sweeping it off one's face. Mandatory skinny jeans present and correct, however. I have to say, he can clearly really play his guitar. And there's a voice there all right, but the mid-atlantic drawl from a nice Yorkshire lad irritated, as it so often does. "Honest Love" was an expression of his cynicism about romantic love that made me want to ruffle his flowing locks patronisingly, since I'm old enough to be his mum and sometimes get a little tetchy when singers lecture me about such things. A song about his parents splitting up caused me to reflect that this was the second time in the last month or two I've seen an act young enough to be my child perform a track about parental strife, and both have irritated me. If you're old enough to be drinking beer and performing on stage you're old enough to not be whining about how your dreadful parents had the temerity to fall out of love and fuck you up in so doing. There were a couple of covers but, in my dreadful woeful cultural ignorance, I couldn't tell you what of. I actually think he was possibly better than I'm making him sound, mind.
Then, around 10 o'clock and after 2 hours or so of chaps with guitars, the headliner. A chap. With a choice of guitars. Skinny jeans, checked shirt, beard. Fingers crossed....
A few words about the creaky stage floor, moving the mic stand to a slightly less creaky spot, and off we went with a softly sung number. And, completely unexpected bonus, a Proper Accent! I hadn't noticed he was Scottish. The atmosphere in the room went from typically York-ish politely quiet (the rowdy lot had left after Zak finished) to quietly attentive - a subtle but important distinction.
I really, really liked him. A voice powerful enough to fill to overflowing every nook and cranny of the (admittedly diminutive) space but used intelligently and, particularly in the quiet moments, capable of being stunningly beautiful. Gravel aplenty, and honest vowels to boot. Quality banter, and there wasn't a song in the set list that I didn't like although Skin and Bones stood out, and the one about the highland clearances. Oh, and the Ghosts of Leith, and my favourite was probably Julie during which he got all the supporting acts on stage to sing backing (apparently it had been the same lot, doing the same thing, last time he played York a few years back) and made us join in and despite being the random fat middle-aged-scruffy-bird-at-the-back and a little out of place and Not Approving of such things, I did because I felt like it. Partly because he was so very engaging and all that. Plus it sounded rather good.
I've listened to the album today - quite a lot. He performed the majority of the tracks from it last night, and they sounded very different since there's lots of other instruments and people involved on the recordings. But both versions work for me.
And the best thing of all? He's playing Deershed in July. I have tickets!
