Tom Snowball, George Thomas, Ceylan, Liz Green, - 13th Note

I wasn't sure where tonight's gig was so I tried Sleazys first, found Commander Keen on the door, not the gig I was after so I bade him farewell, fond regards and headed off. He'd said that he thought Take A Worm For A Walk Week were playing the Note but I wasn't so sure.

Arrived at the Note as dusk fell, Wee Patrick was outside talking to some sexy kids and I hurried inside.

Tom Snowball on the door, looking as youthful and fresh faced as always. I remember him being the bard of the Tchai Ovna many years ago with a beard, I remember him playing Last Night From Glasgow, and now a promoter at the Note.

Ceylan's on stage, providing backing vocals to some other guitar on guitar, playing the final song of their set. Christina says "she was great" and Ceyaln herself swears it was her best show ever.

I bought a drink and bade hello to friends and ladies.

Next up on stage is a painfully nervous singing girl, Liz Green. After starting with an accappella song she picks up a guitar and goes full on two string Billie Holliday.

Faint echos of Lily Allen in her retroness and hamming of decades old genres. "She sounds a bit like a cross between Billie Holiday and a muppet. I don't know if that's a good or a bad things - Christina. Katesby picked up on the Billie Holliday thing too. I wonder if this is actually what Billie Holliday sounds like.

"I was playing that on the wrong fret, so it was lower than I expected, luckily I have a voice like a man"

Big Jim is here, and Katesby off of the internet, some of The Drive Carefully folk, and uncle Brendan chin stroking by the mixing desk at the back.

"Actually I take it back, she's pretty good. Peculiar voice though" - Christina again.

George Thomas and The Owls, starting off in the troubador style with a thin acoustic cover of "I'm so Excited", his vox ain't so good on it. Uncle Brendan's stood right behind me, so I feel I should mention the buzzines from one of the speakers, doesn't sound power related, some kind of ground loop or interference.

George Thomas is playing really gentle music, dry half mumbled lyrics, so slight you can almost see straight through them.

My Kappa Roots, Morgan's Orange, Ceyland, The Owls, Viking Moses - Tchai Ovna

I saw my friend The Photographer just in the street on the way to the Tchai Ovna this evening, she really likes the place, likes the character. In the past six times I've been, after asking for my tea, I've waited patiently but the tea never comes. I had tea here a while ago, yogi tchai, my favourite, but the service, it doesn't serve. I wish it did, I really do, but well, I've give up on my tea ever coming. And for a tea shop, that's kind of bad.

The first act here tonight, My Kappa Roots, played so quietly I couldn't hear anything, guitar and whispers, even with a microphone, it was too quiet and didn't carry to the back of the room.

The final dramatic chord, possibly a 'G', was nice, but nothing special.

The second chap on, Morgan's Orange, was the opposite, a loud brash American, wandering about with his Cat in a Hat guitar. I was going to find nice things to say about him, but...

He seemed rude to the serving folk here, said he wouldn't swear and swore in the next few songs and his guitar was out of tune halfway through and never got fixed.

Sub-Tom Snowball surrealism, ten-a-penny campfire guitarist, too many weird noises, warblings and animal naming.

He held the crowd enraptured with cheeky asides and giggling, a travelling bard of a Ben Folds.

Another sea-change as next up is Ceyland, wee young girl sat up front, nervous with a twelve-stringer and the voice of an angel, doing the wailing thing too and it working. Neat dynamics on the guitar.

I dunno, seemed a bit pastoral, maybe its deepest blues maybe folk, I dunno the describing words. Check out the MySpace and figure it for yourself.

Maybe she could have done with a setlist.

Ooh, the Drive Carefully crew are here, and iamchemist

Not sure who the next chap was, he seemed awkward on stage, I think Ceylan introduced him to me as George, but he could be performing as The Owls. Stood at the front, quiet finger picked guitar, vocals drifting in and out. Neatly finished by ratehr than singing a verse, he explains what happens in it.

Oop, it seems I've stolen someone's seat, at an empty table, they'd nipped out for a half hour long cigarette. Aw man, I think I vaguely know them, ah well, there goes another MySpace Friend.

Oop, three folk on stage now, the first American chap, Ceylan and some deep voiced Nick Cave impersonator. Rather good really, I wish I'd listened to more of Nick Cave's stuff when I were younger. Oop, the guy singing has gone a bit Screamin' Jay Hawkins on us.

I didn't notice at first, but the awkward chap, George, is up playing too, crouched on the floor with a Casio.

Some way behind me, Adam Plimpton and Paul from The Martial Arts are muttering about their forthcoming Easter Sunday Plimptons gig, it should be rad.

Crikey, its all coming together on stage. The first American chap doesn't seem so offensive, awkward George seems comforatble in his role, the girl's wailings are perfect backing for Screamin' Jay. The elctrified acoustic guitar giving a neat drone before the dynamic vocal crescendos.

Paul doesn't seem convinced, "The ghost of Will Oldham would be shaking his fist saying 'it wasn't supposed to be like this'", but then he did get in for free. I thought it was okay even though I paid.