Susanna MacDonald organised another Acoustic Idols poll this year for the Edinburgh songwriter scene and the response from audiences and performers was impressive. As Peter Rowan mentioned onstage, over 90 nominations for favourite songs.
The night didn’t get going till 10.30 and many of us with jobs got grumbly as it wore on till after 1. I didn’t get shortlisted but was cheered out of my self-pity by learning that I was ‘bubbling under’ in the categories of Best Group and Best CD. That’s a good bit of bubbling.
We had performances from the contenders for best solo act, best group and best song. The evening was kicked off by William Douglas and, for me, nothing topped him – creative, witty, accomplished. Best Group came down to the Houdini Box and Flowers for Algernon, neither of us acoustic (normally) and neither of us with our full lineup – the Flowers missing singer Jim Igoe, who’s recovering from an operation, and the Box playing as an acoustic trio – Lynsey, Sam and me – which I thought worked well. Well enough for us to win a little toy xylophone! The atmosphere was friendly and supportive throughout and made me glad to be a member of this little creative community. (But next year I want a prize!)
Hi Norman, I totally agree with what you said about William Douglas, nothing really topped him. I think he’s underrated, he has a beguilingly simple style of songwriting, but he really does know what he’s doing. I was singing “When you’re in love” all day today, it starts off as a pleasant love somg, then the lyrics slowly twist round to being something darker. Brilliant.
I thought that Box was better on the night, I particularly enjoyed your bass playing; a benefit of having only three performers was that I could hear everyone’s playing!