Live gig review of The Cowboy Mouth who were promoting their latest album in conjunction with the ninth birthday party celebrating Glasgow label, Last Night From Glasgow
The beautiful, converted venue of Cottiers, a building built to serve as the parish church of the Dowanhill United Presbyterian Church in the 1860s.
A crowd who seemed to have followed the likes of ‘support acts’ Chris Thomson and Hazel Morrison from the good ship The Bathers since their inception.
Fellow long term collaborators in Jerry Burns and Paul McGeechan.
And finally, to start proceedings off, Xan Tyler accompanied by John Rennie.
With all the above components in place, even without a note being played, this was an evening we were all thoroughly looking forward to.
Xan Tyler may only have been on stage for a relatively short time, however she managed her allotted time really well with songs that are becoming more familiar as she becomes a regular guest singer on this particular Scottish music scene, providing a modern twist to long established incumbents who frequent nights promoted by the likes of Last Night From Glasgow or Frets Concerts.
Pared back from her album’s versions, they offered an ideal opening to the proceedings with both the tracks Joyce and Joanne together with Vicky being the standout crowd favourites.
Chris Thomson and Hazel Morrison were next onto the stage. After all these years I’m wondering why everyone likes Hazel so much? Is it the beautiful backing vocals she provides? The steady drumming that’s key to The Bathers songs? Or just that she always seems to be enjoying herself being on stage? She ticks all three boxes for me.
Time is short though, and after a couple of Bathers numbers the stage numbers is added to with the arrival of Jerry Burns and Paul McGeechan. Jerry has a melancholic golden voice that echoed across the room. Supported by Paul on keyboards, she held the audience’s attention in the palm of her hand and seemed genuinely delighted to be part of show. She certainly won the best dressed musician of the night.
Starless songs were reprised, as was that of Friends Again and The Bathers. While Jerry left, Xan returned to provide further backing vocals. This was the party aspect in full flow. Many had maybe just come along to see the opening salvo of the night.
They wouldn’t have been disappointed. As a vocalist, few can match the depth of feeling in Chris Thomson’s voice. Chris, with acoustic guitar to hand, Hazel behind keeping the beat, Martin on bass and Paul on keyboards. Whatever the tempo, whatever the track being played, toes were tapping, lips were moving in an almost silent singalong.
Maybe not so much an encore, as a well-received time overrun. Few complained if any. To have a roster filled with musicians past and present is what makes Last Night From Glasgow such an inviting proposition.
Album launches.
There’s two ways of looking at an album launch.
You’re delighted the act you follow is making new music, even if there has been an extended period since the previous ‘model’ was released.
However, if you haven’t heard any of the songs before, it’s very much a judgement call as to how well they’re received and how much internal comparison is going on between the long distance forebearers which are much more familiar than the new material.
On first listening then, the songs seem more upbeat in general, though there are a couple which would sit well in My Life As A Dog or Love is Dead too. It will no doubt take a few more listens, but the ‘upgrade’ sounds like it will hit the mark.
The Cowboy Mouth have experience in abundance. From drums through base, lead guitar to vocals, they are a tight unit of musicians at ease with the songs they play in the knowledge that the audience built up of the years will remain with them throughout.
Like Chris Thomson, Grahame Skinner has a voice that I’d be happy to hear on a more than regular basis whether that be via The Jazzateers, Hipsway or The Golden Tree amongst other collaborations.
There’s a gift of the Glasgow Banter about him that breaks the ice and puts smiles on the audiences faces. ‘Douglas Macintryre, the Jimmy Page of Strathaven but better?’ It raised a smirk or two from Douglas. Who would argue though?
Douglas himself is a well kent and respected member of this scene via any number of musical projects past and present over the years – Port Sulphur, QUAD90, Article 58, Sugartown, The Sexual Objects, etc.
Dougie Hannah on drums and Lachlan Allan who played with Douglas and Grahame in The White Savages make up the foursome, though the words make up don’t do their presence justice. They provide the driving rhythm, especially on the up tempo tracks.
Standout track on the night was Poster Boy, though the final number Sweet Jane with Chris Thompson on backing vocals was the ideal end to an ideal evening.
The combination Ian Smith, Julia and Co put on was a massive hit. A glimpse of the old, the new, the borrowed and the blue.
What more could the audience ask for?
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