Adam Ross – Assai Records, Dundee – Saturday 25th May 2024
Gillian Fleetwood – The Art Studio, Hospitalfield, Arbroath – Saturday 25th May 2024
Adam Ross / Gillian Fleetwood / Zara Gladman – Mono, Glasgow – Thursday 30th May 2024
Adam Ross and Gillian Fleetwood – MPLR, Cupar – Sunday 9th June 2024
OK, this is a slightly complicated review, covering no fewer than SEVEN performances across three different dates in four different venues (including our living-room!) so it’s probably best to do this by artist.
First up was a trip to Assai Records (en route to Arbroath) for Adam Ross’s in-store appearance to launch new solo album ‘Littoral Zone’.
Whilst this performance featured just Adam and his guitar, he’s become such an accomplished solo performer you never feel like you’re being in any way short-changed by a solo performance. Relaxed and chatty, Adam played half a dozen songs from the new album to a warm reception from an enthusiastic audience.
In contrast, Thursday’s performance at Mono was a full band affair in a proper venue. Of course, it was far more expansive but it was really nice that each member of the band had individual songs on which they were the most prominent musicians.
There was a much more luxurious feel to this performance because of the instrumentation involved although the fact that the set was taken at a much more relaxed pace compared to a Randolph’s Leap show also contributed to that. But the contribution of the musicians is arguably more important than the pacing. Gill’s harp could easily get lost in the Leap’s clatter but here found its niche whilst the playing of talented musicians like Pedro Cameron (violin) and Andrew Wasylyk (bass) contributed to the overall feel. Pete McDonald was the only other Leaper on stage but his playing was more expansive in this setting.
Yet Adam’s pop sensibilities were to the fore on the likes of ‘Life Is Not A Competition’ or ‘Caught The Sun’. Murder ballad ‘Brambles’ looked like it might be the highlight but was eclipsed by a beautiful rendition of ‘The Going’ with surprisingly melodic accompaniment from the audience. I did suggest to Adam afterwards that it would have made a great finale but on this occasion there was still the pseudo-encore ‘Apogee’ to bring the show to an upbeat almost Leap-like conclusion.
Setlist:
I Get It Wrong
Shrinking
Union Gary
Ego
Brambles
Cairngorms
Free Will
Caught The Sun
Life Is Not A Competition
The Going
Apogee
The final performance from Adam was different again as he played the house gig with Gill as a duo . The harp proved to be surprisingly versatile in adding melodies from the record that would be played on different instruments. Add in the interaction between the two and you had something truly special.
Gill’s run of performances started with a band show at Hospitalfield.
Her band consisted of C Duncan on bass, percussion and keys, Laura on violin and Emma on viola. Whilst it was to some extent a stripped back affair compared to the instrumentation on the wonderful ‘Together With Yourself At Sea Level‘ album (and even the performance at Hospitalfield a few years ago), the four piece managed to conjure up the moods and atmosphere of the record brilliantly.
The set was built around the album but there was also room for a Michael Mara cover, as well as two C Duncan songs (sung by Chris) and a couple of reels led by Laura.
Like Adam, Gill is an engaging performer and was happy to chat about not just the record but the history of the wonderful Hospitalfield harp. In the recently modernised Art Studio it was a lovely afternoon’s entertainment.
The show did emphasise how much the album is an ensemble piece so I was really curious to see how the songs would be presented with just Gill and her harp. It turned out to be breath-taking to watch Gill performing two parts at the same time to bring the songs to life.
The Cupar set was very similar but had the added element of Gill’s three year old in the front row, who it has to be said was remarkably well behaved. The vibe was a bit more informal than Mono but honestly, it was a real privilege to see such a talented musician at such close quarters and if you get the chance to see her play then don’t miss it.
Adam and Gill were joined at the Mono show by Zara Gladman a self confessed “comedian cos-playing as a musician”. Zara was joined by emotional support drummer Stew for a short set packed with witty songs. Musically there was a refreshing 50s simplicity to the instrumentation which both gave the set a real energy and ensured that nothing outstayed its welcome. The best bit for us though was the song which was entirely made up of questions from Zara’s mum and the chilling feeling of deja vu when MPK2 caught our eyes during the song!!
Adam’s ‘Littoral Zone’ is available in all good record shops and through Fika Recordings.
Gill’s ‘Together With Yourself At Sea Level’ is available through her Bandcamp.
A gallery of photos from the shows:
Manic Pop Thrills 