Graeme Wilson: tenor/baritone ; Paul Edis: keyboards ; Mark Williams: Strat ; Adrian Tilbrook: drums & Andy Champion: double bass.
Brel, a so-called Belgian Bar, charging Brussels' prices, on Ashton Lane - a fashionable part of Glasgow where bars and restaurants abound - is named after Jacques of Ne me Quitte Pas fame, naturellement! Saturday was a sultry hot day and the bars, their al-fresco tables swarming with last-chance Hawaiian shirts and summer dresses, were more akin to Bourbon Street than the pride of The Clyde. This was a late summer break for ACV - an afternoon slot in three 40 minute sets - playing to a laid-back, sun-drenched clientele, many of whom even braved The Brel Conservatory, where ACV sweatily bloomed in airless Bayou conditions.
In that very Mississippi hothouse ambiance that bore the original sacred fruit, the Glaswegian 'Saturday Afternooners' showed no surprise when ACV launched into the steamiest Line made by Walking I've heard to date - the Spanish mosses and baby Spider Plants abseiling down above the Tenor and Keyboards to get a better view of the dots. A new AC composition Wedged showed strong green shoots, a modal opening growing into a driving swing before bursting into bright 'Feel no Changes' improv and reprising with a floral Samba surprise. While I nipped over the street to get faster, cheaper service, Mark wrote on my notes that New Peculiar had also gone down well, although his spelling was a bit iffy - there's no 'F' in 'Great' Williams!
By this time a group of devoted fans had gathered up front, including local Jazz man Richard Burton and the amazing Sandra Singo, an African cabaret singer and dancer of some note I believe. A beautiful blond woman even brought her 1 year old daughter up dangerously close and decided to use my knee as a tom-tom - "I'll give you 20 minutes to get off!" I appealed.
Giant Mice, climbed over everyone in its enigmatic variations, engaging Paul as he waved a magic wand over the keyboard for mouse sounds - no, seriously! Without Bones, weighing in at over 2 kilos, really blew the glass doors off the place, flinging them open just in time to let the baritone notes solo out to terrorise the beer garden, Adrian breathing a cool sigh of relief as loud applause echoed through the bars of Ashton Lane.
Considering the venue and the time of day this turned out to be a passionate performance, Fail in Wood album sales reflecting ACV's popularity on the day - really more of a 'Succeed in Wood' - ouch!
Photos.
George M
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