The Next Big Thing

Daundered into Glasgow yesterday to catch the post-Belladrum Medicine (music) Caravan. This was to feature Joe West, The Tom Morton Two, I See Hawks in LA and Tony Gilkyson. However, it is said that one part of the wagon train hit a bit of a snag and the latter two didn't make it. The on/off tosh with regard to the will they/won't they turn up malarky was bollocks. However, the West/Morton end was kept up well and they both made a valiant attempt to salvage the evening. Joe West has a great song called "Rehab Girl" and he knocks out a mean Townes song. His album is called "The Human Cannonball", no relation to Webb Wilder. Tom and his son James do a nice line in loud skiffle. They do the one about hating The Beatles and a new song "Gay Bomb" that sounds like a great lost 45 from 1977. They've got a neat wee combo going here and they rock (albeit acoustically). Some other guy came on and I left, he was awful. Well, maybe not awful but not good. Something about ping pong and bananas or some tiresome fnar,fnar bollocks like that. As for the no-shows, what the fuck is that about? Not something that a free drink will smooth over in my estimation. But the guys who did show up did good. Woulda been better suited to The State Bar in terms of numbers but that's Glasgow on a Sunday evening for you. Earlier, I walked past Beanscene and Chris Difford was doing a pre-Tuts warm-up. There weren't too many folks there either and it reminded me of the night Squeeze played Grangemouth Town Hall and only drew 90 people after having a Top 30 single. Simple Minds opened and it was the night I met the great Howard Thompson. Those were different times alright.