Added on Monday 29 Mar 2010

West End Volume 31

It had been a good week in music for me. A random review - right day, wrong venue - meant an unplanned encounter with a French band called Intervale who impressed with a supremely cool pop meets funk set. Later that very week, a trip to Edinburgh was on the cards for the launch of Susanna Macdonald's new album "Some Misconceptions". Edinburgh is, of course, not designed to make us soap dodgers feel welcome as every parking space miraculously disappears just as a west coaster approaches it. The venue for the launch night was the aptly named Big Red Door (yes, it had a big red door) and it is normally used for cabaret type events. This did suit the eminently theatrical Ms Macdonald down to the ground however and a good time was had by all. She's playing in Glasgow on the 21st April at Pivo Pivo and, as the saying goes, be there or be square.

The very next day it was time for a dream bill kind of event with The Viragoes, Shimmer and the Ten to Five Project playing. Sadly, it would be the last time to see the Ten to Five Project as they are disbanding but both Shimmer and The Viragoes showed a class that you wouldn't normally expect from a local band as a sort of compensation for that bad news. It's a simple thing when you think about it - write some good songs and perform them well - but so many bands just don't get that. In fact, a promoter recently described reviewing to me as "1001 ways to describe mediocrity". I try not to think of it like that but he has a point.

So put Susanna Macdonald's "Sweet Misconceptions" album and Shimmer's "Open Up, Listen Now" EP in your shopping basket and put the 21st April in your diary for the experience of seeing Ms MacDonald do her theatrical thing live.