Performance Review

A Ghost In Every Bar Album Launch

Marlbank

Stephen Graham, 2nd September 2012
www.marlbank.tumblr.com

Ian Shaw launches A Ghost in Every Bar and gives the Vortex a bit of a mouthful

Fresh from his "sit down" comedy shows in Edinburgh Ian Shaw was on familiar ground at a venue he loves, the Vortex, and where he is constantly asked back and plays several times a year, even appearing there on New Year's Eve. At the end of his gig last night he was comfortable enough to be found behind the bar talking in relaxed form to old friends and newcomers alike who had filed in to fill up the Gillett Square club earlier.

The concert was, I don't want to use the expression but here goes anyway, a game of two halves, with the first a run of songs from Ian's fine new Fran Landesman album A Ghost in Every Bar released on Sussex indie jazz label Splashpoint. Accompanying himself on the piano mostly he was joined towards the end of the first half only vacating the stool for pianist Simon Wallace who co-wrote many of the songs by the great Landesman featured on the album.

Best known of course for standards Spring Can Really Hang You Up The Most and Ballad of the Sad Young Men, Landesman songs have a depth and a bittersweet realness few lyricists achieve, and Ian who has a strong affinity with her songs developed over many years was then joined on Ballad by Sue Richardson on flugelhorn, to add that extra touch of piquancy.

After the break, Ian turned to his Edinburgh show A Bit of a Mouthful, named he said mischievously for the jaw-breaking Llanfairpwllgwyngyllgogerychwyrndrobwllllantysiliogogogoch, as he's from Wales. Frequently hilarious the show charts topics featuring tall tales of love and sex from Shaw's point of view of, as he puts it, "a practising homosexual." Some are deliciously rude (the tale of the hapless Gareth, for instance), and a beautifully conceived list song featuring lots of Internet acronyms. Best of all was his James Taylor pastiche which was very, very funny, even managing a good old swipe at James Blunt which was well aimed. At the end Shaw topped it off expertly by segueing beautifully into Gilbert O'Sullivan's Alone Again Naturally, which was wonderfully done. A hugely enjoyable night all in all.