The Old Coffee House

2001-07-07

The Old Coffee House
49 Beak Street
Soho

A bit of a quiet night – when I arrive there's just Kath, Lyndsey and her Significant Other and a floorspot (and the FS is just finishing). Kath goes on next and while she's performing several others drift in, including Simon Seligman and another chpa who introduces himself as John Fallon (who I have corresponded with via the VAC forum).

Simon does a couple of verses and then Lindsey Shields goes on, brought over specially from New Zealand. I hope she'll be playing more while she's over here. She's very good, great vocals, finely written and transparent (clear, not overwrought) lyrics. So much so that the unenlightened, undeveloped part of my brain that specialises in Id-stuff begins to worry that perhaps with Kath and Linsey I might be a bit outclassed. Luckily the more enlightened and developed part is on hand to remind me that that would be missing the point, not only of performin, but of life itself. It's not about competition, I have realised. So I win.

During Lindsey's set more people have arrived so now there is a good room-half-full (or room-half-empty if you prefer). A short break (during which I take most of the pictures above), and then I'm on.

All the usual suspects, Mr Wrong, A Hundred Horses representing the more recent songs; The Sea being the older stuff. No Iodine, which is interesting (I wonder whether I rely on that song, that I might be building its RainSong qualities up a bit). The muggy weather (and my muggy state of being) mean that my singing is a bit underpowered and I have difficulty keeping the intonation afloat (a couple of times there I send some notes out and have no idea how in tune they are or not, or even what note I am singing. That's definitely a tiredness thing).

Sensitive Boy seems to go down quite well, indeed one of the barmaids who came to collect glasses during it actually stayed until the end of the song. The fact that I choose to play three songs in a row that finish on artificial harmonics (A Hundred Horses, Sensitive Boy and Where Did It All Go Right?) irritates me a bit, if only because I don't feel entirely in control – I'm missing those little details that ought to be on top of.

A lot of fun, though. I exchange CDs with Lindsey, which is nice (my CDs may not be million-sellers, but they work quite well as currency).