A flurry of horns and then we’re straight into a chunky
groove from the Swampfog rhythm section, with Jed Potts on guitar, kicking off a
medley of early Meters material. One of
an interlinked ensemble of Edinburgh bands serving up a variety of R’n’B based
recipes, Swampfog are well equipped to deliver a menu of The Meters’ N’Awlins
funk – and tonight they’ve recruited some guests to add some extra heat to the
jambalaya.
As the opening medley progresses, with jazzy horn
arrangements from sax man Tom
Pickles and great syncopation from Jamie Graham
on drums and Craig McFadyen on bass, it’s clear that tonight all concerned are
in for a treat. There’s nice interplay all
round, plus some very NOLA chant-along passages, and a tasty trumpet solo from
Charles Dearness. By the time they get
to the shuffling ‘Cabbage Alley’, with a trombone solo from Paddy Darley,
there’s some wee fella dancing away on his own in the corner – but he certainly
won’t be dancing alone all night.
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| Potts and Pickles serve up a tasty gumbo |
An imaginative clapalong directed by Potts, and a trombone
solo from Ross Lothian preface ‘Chicken Strut’, on which Potts conjures up a
horn-like guitar tone for a juicy solo. Pickles’ sax solo could do with a touch
more volume – but the horn riff is terrific.
On ‘Ease Back’ they – well, ease back.
It’s a mellow slow one, with more spot-on syncopation, and another
grabber of a trumpet solo before it dwindles down to nothing. Then BAM – they explode into ‘Ride Your
Pony’, the groove embellished with a smattering of witty little musical asides.
The first of a series of guests appear in the form of New
Orleans’ trumpet player Kevin Louis and local singer Nicole Smits, doing a
slinky trio reading of ‘I’m Gone’ with Potts.
Smits sticks around for ‘Liar’ when the band returns, with Potts showing
off some funky riffing. It’s a prelude
to some serious guitar wrangling to close their first set, on the jagged ‘Just
Kissed My Baby’ – a wonderfully HUH invoking funkerama – and then on Dr John’s
‘Quitters Don’t Win’.
After the break Potts and the rhythm section set off on the
laid back shuffle of ‘Here Comes
The Meter Man’ until the horns re-enter,
heralding a groovy sax solo from Potts, and then it’s time for another
guest. Local boy Angus Munro appears to
sing on the excellent ‘Talkin’ ‘Bout New Orleans’, and along with a
soul-freakish voice he has a grinning, energetic style that immediately
triggers an outbreak of audience dancing.
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| Steve Glenn doesn't play a tuba |
With the temperature raised, N’Awlins players James Martin
on sax and Danny Abel on guitar join the fray for ‘It Ain’t No Use’, Martin
also contributing the vocal. Abel shows
off a biting tone, and a fluid, soulful style, while Martin contributes a
wailing solo that resolves into a lovely riff from the horn section.
The stage begins to fill up as Kevin Louis returns,
accompanied by Aron Lambert who delivers some all action drumming while Potts
and Abel get into some quick-fire guitar duelling on the well danceable
‘Stretch Your Rubber Band’. And then
it’s time for the entry of . . . Steve ‘Tuba Steve’ Glenn on – no, not tuba,
but sousaphone of all things. Ever seen
a drum and sousaphone showcase? Well
Glenn and Lambert give it a cracking go on the stonking ‘Fire On The Bayou’.
Angus Munro returns for the finale of ‘People Say’, and though
it may be a slice of social commentary tonight it’s quite simply party time, as
Munro leads the dancing in front of the band.
Eventually they bring down the curtain and depart the stage, and for a
minute it seems that calls for an encore are going to be frustrated – until
they catch us on the hop with the horns re-entering from the back of the
Piccolo Spiegeltent.
It’s the cue for a joyous cacophony, a riot of a conclusion
in which all concerned show their chops as they manage to hold it together while
chucking the rules out the window.
Tonight was billed as Swampfog Play The Meters, but high fives all round
for a night of funk, fun and frolics, as the Big Easy came to Auld Reekie.
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