Blueflint, Voodoo Rooms

A night out at the wonderful Voodoo Rooms, one of Edinburgh's most beautiful venues.

One of the great pleasures of life is going to a gig you've been looking forward to and discovering a support act that excites just as much as the band you've come to see.  Tonight's revelation was provided by Little Rach.  A singer/songwriter from Manchester, it was just her, a guitar, and a sense of humour.  A compelling voice, a folkie with an innate rocker streak, the biggest thrill I got from her music was that of anticipation.  Each song was melodically unpredictable, a fairground ride through storytime, and the audience were never sure what might happen next.  Plus Rach has an engaging, almost naif, ability to amuse with her patter in between numbers, an extension of the wordsmithery that shine in her lyrics.

Great hair too.

For Edinburgh based Blueflint this was the home town launch for their new (third) album.  They are fronted by vocalists and songwriters Deborah Arnott and Clare Neilson, who also play five string banjos and few other instruments besides.  Backing them up were drums, double bass, and the multi-talented Danny Hart on fiddle, acoustic and electric guitars.

Their style is a mix of bluegrass, folk and rock, with plenty of changes of pace throughout the set.  Much like The Proclaimers (who they supported on tour a couple of years ago), Blueflint are at their best lyrically telling tales of the mundane, bringing everyday stories to life in vernacular verse.  Both singers take a share of lead vocals.  Clare probably has the stronger voice technically, but Deborah's is slightly the more appealing, perhaps because her accent comes across so strongly when she sings (much like The Proclaimers!).  Together they combine in some beautiful harmonies.

The band is tight, their enjoyment of their music comes across strongly, and they interact well with their audience.  A highlight was the number where the whole band descended into the crowd to deliver a wholly acoustic performance.

Now looking forward to playing the two CDs, one from each act, we emerged with.  Meanwhile here's one of the best songs of the night to enjoy.  Cool video too.