Money Can’t Buy Music / theonewhoflew

Money Can’t Buy Music / theonewhoflew
Edinburgh Cabaret Voltaire
“You’re a NICER audience than Glasgow was." intones Chris Flew. “Er, is that a compliment?” responds Jackson Flew? Weegies in the Burgh, making their capital debut as theTWOwhoflew (kinda), the erstwhile soloist is joined by a new sidekick who lends extra backup guitars and keyboards to what was once a rather solo spot. He also adds harmonies to the mix and at times these are simply stunning, soaring up, swooping and making the involving songs with stick-in-yer-ear melodies even more glorious meaning that the forthcoming Kingston Bridge album will be something to cherish. Closing 'Take The Money and Run’ features thrumming electronics, what sounds like a fake bagpipe sound, and a protracted closing duet which raises the small but hard-core crowd to raptures.
Gordon Macintyre has taken the opposite route to his guest act. From a 4-piece band (i.e. ballboy) to a largely solo affair, this isn’t new territory for him, since he's performed many a gig alone with just acoustic guitar. Tonight it’s electric in many senses though, and he’s not completely alone - the warm glow of an Apple lights the area to his left, with iBook, MIDI interface and assorted electronic gubbins. He opens oddly with ‘I Wrote This Song in Garageband’ which sums up the evening, his new material and new pseudonym - the result of ”too many songs” - showing what a prolific songwriter he is (a new ballboy album is also in the offing, fear not). As ever it’s tales curious and mundane - one about “old blokes getting pished”, ‘Ghosts’ ponders the souls of people who due to “one drink too many, or too few” or “missed trains” never take form in the first place, and he debuts his first song ever about Edinburgh and the curious city it is including headstanding street performers frightening old women.
The single, which is being launched, ‘We Will All Asphyxiate’ sees his girlfriend Maria reciting Keppler’s Laws of Planetary Motion (in Swedish, and via the medium of a backing track) while the most attention-grabbing is ANOTHER track apparently entitled ‘Garageband’ - this time, the tale of a misplaced pair of pants, a one-night stand and a traffic accident. All pretty typical Macintyre really, showing at even if ballboy happen to take a back seat, bizarre Tales From The City will never be in short supply.