Ten Objects launch party

Last Thursday, 21st November, saw the launch party for Ten Objects in the Voodoo Rooms Speakeasy in Edinburgh.

Before the gig

To say I was nervous in the runup to it would be an understatement. A recurring vision was of playing to my wife and the band members and no-one else. The Facebook event I set up picked up quite a lot of ‘Interested’ but not that many ‘Going’. But as the date got nearer, the advance tickets I was selling on this site, which included a copy of the album, began to shift and I gradually started looking forward to the event.

This is sound!

The first good omen was that when I turned up for the sound check, the venue’s sound engineer Alice already had most of the equipment already set up. This is not always the case in my experience.

Ten Objects Sound Check — Sound checking ‘Don’t Ask Me’ with Jim Bryce on keyboard and Sarah Whiteside on cello. Credit: James Whyte

People started arriving as we finished the sound check, and I was amazed to see my old friends Chas and Susie who had come up from Yorkshire for the gig. At that time I started to feel good about it.

Seven of Ten Objects

I started prompt at 8 with the Ten Objects set, doing seven of the album’s songs, and joined by some of the musicians who’d played on the album.

Makes Sense To Me (solo)
Too Many Nights From the Sea (with Tricia Thom singing, James Whyte on keyboard)
Anniversary (same lineup)
Everybody Has A Story (with Alan Dawson on harmonica and James Whyte on keyboard)
Lump Sum (with Alan, and Suzy Cargill on percussion)
Don’t Ask Me (with Jim Bryce on keyboard and Sarah Whiteside on cello)
Story of a Love in Ten Objects (same lineup plus Suzy on percussion)

Norman Lamont and band performing Lump Sum — Lump Sum. Credit: Malcolm McLean

Norman Lamont with band — Ten Objects song. Credit: Malcolm McLean

Sarah Whiteside playing cello — Sarah on cello. Credit: Fiona Thom

A friendly and appreciative audience (with me in the mirror!). Credit: Malcolm McLean

Alan Dawson jazzes it

Alan started his set by saying that since we were mostly folkies (?) he’d play some jazz. His skillful and accessible set was the perfect followup to the melancholy of the Objects songs.

Ms Fi Burns it up

We then had a set from Ms Fi and the Lost Head Band, my favourite Edinburgh singer-songwriter. (“I’m not even my favourite Edinburgh singer-songwriter.” said Fi)

Ms Fi and the Lost Head Band. Credit: James Whyte

Fiona Thom — Ms Fi in action. Credit: Malcolm McLean

Heaven Sends us home

We closed with an upbeat set from the Heaven Sent, including Ballad of Bob Dylan, the first posters being sold that night and finishing with a raucous Come Together.

Norman Lamont and the Heaven Sent. Credit: Ali Graham Barclay

My thanks for a successful evening go to the staff at the Voodoo Rooms, Marianne Doig who looked after tickets and merch, Lynsey who sold her posters, the musicians and the warm, welcoming audience.