Fife's Top Quality Singer

Saturday 2nd April 2011 - British Legion, Roslin

Another highly enjoyable night at Roslin.  Last time I was hit by the contrast between the two clubs I had visited that weekend, and I may have been unfair to the people of this British Legion.  They are a lively bunch, and are always up for a laugh.

I wasn't 100% this week, so my big bottle of pineapple juice came in handy - I find it has almost magical properties for me when I have a tickly throat (NB I am not a doctor, so I can only speak for myself). As a result, I tend to blether a bit more to the crowd - more talking = less singing, after all.....

We all had a great time, and I am booked back for later in the year.

Saturday 20th November 2010 - Roslin British Legion, Roslin

Roslin British Legion was a bit quiet on the night, as quite a few people had been out the night before for a dance.  Along with a fair few folk from Bathgate!  It's a small world eh?

This club is a bit more traditional than Bathgate, and they like their older material, which suits me.  We try to keep the sound at an acceptable level, and I do a little bit of chatting between songs. 

I felt a wee bit unsettled at this gig for some reason (I don't really know why), and I was finding the lack of applause a bit disconcerting after the previous night's reception.  Having said that, I had several people come up to me at the end of the night to tell me they had enjoyed themselves, and ask when I would be back.

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Saturday 24th April 2010 - Roslin British Legion, Roslin

I seem to be getting a lot of gigs at British Legions, Ex-Servicemen's Clubs and Bowling Clubs this year.  As a result I am currently learning a LOT of material to suit.  Don't get me wrong - I have enough of the right kind of music to make a pretty good night at these clubs, but I think there's a wee hole in my knowledge of the types of music these clubs enjoy.  I have taken advice from the lovely Janey Kirk, who has many more years of performing and experience under her belt.  Thanks Janey!

New venues always give me that butterflies-in-the-tummy kind of feeling, and I was a little nervous.  We met the Secretary of the club outside, and had a good chat about what the club expect.  This kind of information is priceless, and I must thank him.  Having said that, he was away to run a ceilidh up the road, so he was also the competition for the evening!

I had also been in contact with Mark Mulgrew, one of Scotland's foremost entertainers, who suggested that I keep the sound down to suit the older audience.  It was quite a change to have the sound down a fair bit, and I must admit to being amazed at the clarity of sound gained by having everything at a low level.  I can sometimes be deafened at gigs, and have to wear my in ear monitor in both ears to hear what I am doing.  Not so here - the crowd were very polite and stopped talking to listen - it's so refreshing to get a well behaved crowd.

They got up to dance to a few songs, including Shania Twain and "Amarillo", and I take it they thoroughly enjoyed themselves, seeing as my diary was out straight away for another booking.  They were a bit disappointed that I couldn't make it back til later in the year, and one lady even suggested I come back every week! 

My head barely fitted through the door, and we drove home on a wee cloud of pride.  Thanks, Roslin.

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