When was the last time you walked into a record shop, bought a ticket for a gig, and then walked out clutching a 6x3 inch piece of wood? I'm guessing here, but probably never, right?
Well, that was the scenario I encountered a couple of weeks ago, and there I was, last night, walking to a quiet little back street venue in Edinburgh's historic Leith area, with a block of wood tucked into my jacket.
As W&H have found in the past, when THE FENCE COLLECTIVE gather for a live show, they always have a few surprises up their sleeves. The tickets, when collected and assembled, made up an art installation, incorporating the Fence Records logo, to create an imaginative stage design.
The Village, an 'old-man's pub' in the heart of Leith, has been given a recent makeover, turning it into a small, busy and trendy music venue. The tight backroom (there were only 70 tickets available) looked like an old converted village hall, but it proved the perfect location for this, the launch night of Fence Records new fanzine. This quarterly publication concerning all things Fence, imaginatively entitled of 'The Fencezine', is available through the Fence website and comes with the Collective's superb new 14 track cd, 'Humptydumpinshite'.
As is custom now, the evening's entertainment was kicked off by Fence head-honcho KING CREOSOTE. A beautiful acoustic version of his recent song 'Circle My Demise', proved to be the catalyst for a very special night.
KC then made way for the haunting and evocative sounds of THE PICTISH TRAIL. A fragile, beguiling character, The Pictish Trail's strong, but subtle, voice is always a highlight of any Fence gig, and tonight was no different. The highpoint being his stunning version of The Red Well song, 'Make Your Way Inside'.
King Creosote returned to the stage with a band consisting of OnTheFly (drums), Uncle Beesly (bass), Pip Dylan (drumbox), James Yorkston (vocals, melodeon) and Pictish Trail (vocals, tambourine), to give an all too brief set, that included rousing versions of 'Friday Night In New York' and 'Space'.
As they departed the stage, PIP DYLAN remained to perform another short, but delightful, clutch of acoustic songs. Full of humour and evocative storytelling, Dylan commanded the respect of the audience with his intricate guitar work on a selection of songs that included 'Eagle' and 'I Believe It's True', before finishing with a stunning version of his classic, 'Senorita'.
A short break gave the crowd time to refill their glasses before the highlight set of the evening.
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Scottish Domino champion JAMES YORKSTON (I know, it's an old joke) took to the stage to enthrall the audience with his laconic folk tales of love and life. 'Cheating The Game' and 'Sweet Jesus' were beautifully enhanced by the backing vocal of the Pictish Trail, but it was Yorkston's jaw-dropping unaccompanied version of the traditional song 'Blue Bleezin' Blind Drunk', that stunned the crowd to silence.
As is the Collective spirit, they were then joined on stage by Yorkston's fellow Athlete Reuben Taylor (accordion), King Creosote (drums) and Pip Dylan (steel guitar) for a rousing finale of 'Shipwreckers', and a stunning, racous 10 minute version of 'I Know My Love', which incorporated the chorus of Donna Summer's 'I Feel Love' to hilarious effect. Welcome, ladies and gentlemen, to Folk Disco.
To be honest, that really should have been that. To ask any band to follow such a performance was a bit cruel. But, to their credit, and in an ultra-rare live appearance, THE DEAF MUTES, fronted by Radio Scotland DJ, and long-time Fence advocate Vic Galloway, gave an energetic, pop/rock filled half-hour performance. With Reuben Taylor on keyboards, Uncle Beesly on bass and King Creosote again on drum duty, the highlight of their set was a rocking version of new track 'Sweetness'.
With the midnight hour approaching, the Collective flooded the stage for one last song. The ensemble on stage for the, now traditional, finale of 'The Happy Song', included King Creosote (vocals, guitar), Lone Pigeon (vocals, energy), Uncle Beesly (bass), OnTheFly (drums), Pip Dylan (steel guitar) and The Pictish Trail (vocals).
On a night of so many highs, it might seem churlish to mention any negatives. But, when the Fence faces of HMS Ginafore, U.N.P.O.C. and the Lone Pigeon are present, but fail to perform, it's easy to see where the disappointment lies. And, of course, we had the, by now, usual chatter-merchants at the bar area. But, even they couldn't spoil a night that'll be remembered round these parts for a long while to come.
www.fencerecords.com
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