The Poor Songwriter Tour#5

Ah ha!

I remembered why I'm doing this last night at http://glenfargfolkclub.com/

They apologised for the size of the audience - we thought there was a good crowd (at least in the context of this trip).

The people at Glenfarg are properly nice people, make you feel welcome and valued and know about songs, ideas set to music and singing. I played well, Andee played well, and together we had our best night of the tour so far. (Of course, the fact that we hadn't had to drive loads of mile to get to the gig and were relaxed and rested helped. I must think more about that aspect of planning tours in future. But the financial imperative does push you towards accepting what is available.)

One thing worth saying about the club is the way in which it typifies something that I think is particularly Scottish: it is run co-operatively. Several people play a part in organising it and you can feel the group ethic at work in the way it all comes together on the night, It's warming to the heart.

Andee's playing gets better and better and I was particularly pleased with Rope Ladder and The Compass - pieces that require several factors (my playing and singing and a listening, sympathetic audience) to come together for them to work well.

And Stan Ginter, gentle banjo-playing stalwart of Glenfarg, has gone completist on Simon Hopper CDs. Good on you, Stan. And we love your playing.

And I got a large single malt at the gig's end. :)

(Then home to watch Andee Murray win his first Grand Slam event at Flushing Meadows - fitting that we were in Scotland at the time.)

Now a day off...