Last month’s Limbo was a total sell-out and the biggest date so far this year, as Edinburgh’s Withered Hand played his first Edinburgh gig of the year, before embarking on an extensive European tour. Fence Collective star Pictish Trail sadly cancelled at the last-minute due to a sudden case of tonsilitis but, very happily for Limbo, Neil Meursault (already playing as part of Withered Hand) agreed to stand in and played a solo acoustic set, with Chris Bryant from Meursault (also now playing as part of Withered Hand) joining him for two songs. Further support was supplied by Newcastle’s folkster John Egdell and Edinburgh’s inimitable chip-tune aural terrorist Les Enfant Bastard. It was a great night.
Les Enfant Bastard is on first, demonstrating why Nintendo’s iconic hand-held computer game is the new Fender Stratocaster and chip-tune music is the new rock n roll, wowing the crowd with sounds from not one but TWO Game Boys (he’s currently got about fourteen in his collection), *simultaneously*, and engaging them with his modest stage presence and hilarious chat about the mental trials involved with attempting to play more than two at a time. Playing this set out quite rarely, Les Enfant Bastard is still something of a cult act on Edinburgh’s live music scene but his musical style is original enough for him to be touring the world over and his act of an equally high calibre. If there’s any justice at all, Les Enfant Bastard will be playing Japan in 2012 and you’ll be telling your friends how you saw him first at Limbo.
John Egdell follows and begins his set by telling the (now almost completely packed) room how much he likes his chip tunes and how brilliant he thinks Les Enfant Bastard’s set was. What a gent. He then plays a short set of acoustic guitar and vox, straight up and with no effects to be heard anywhere. It’s an immediately stark contrast to the music Limbo has just heard but goes down just as well with the crowd, the highlight Egdell’s version of Bananarama’s Love In The First Degree which instantly calls to mind Jose Gonzalez covering Kylie Minogue and is another triumph of Stock, Aitken and Waterman (sporting a cardigan and much longer hair!). Excellent stuff.
Meursault front-man Neil Pennycook takes the stage with a quip, announcing himself as Pictish Trail and getting some proper mileage out of this joke throughout his set. Limbo couldn’t really have asked for a better act to replace Pictish Trail’s solo performance and it’s particularly fortuitous as Limbo had also been unable to pin Meursault down for a full return to the club before summer. So, Pictish Trail’s loss is Limbo’s gain. It’s a treat also, because, stripped back to just acoustic guitar and voice, Neil’s songs are really given the space to shine in their own right. Which they do. And Limbo gets a sneak preview of some of the new material due out on second album All Creatures Will Make Merry in June, courtesy of local label Song, By Toad. Since this Limbo appearance, Meursault’s Neil and Chris have actually left a room full of music industry aficionados slack-jawed at another impromptu gig as an electronic duo (all laptop, fx and vox) at Electric Circus for Born To Be Wide’s Wide Days finale and gone on two days later to play a completely sold-out album launch party at Cabaret Voltaire alongside the other four members of the band, so, from this vantage point in mid-April, the bonus Limbo date in March looks like the start of a very busy and exciting summer indeed for the band. All the best to them on what’s sure to be a very intense leg of touring around half of Western Europe and we look forward to their appearance on the ‘Limbo stage’ at Knockengorroch next month.
Withered Hand arrive on stage just after ten pm having swelled significantly from the band who made their Limbo debut in February 2009. Tonight’s line-up includes Benni Hemm Hemm on bass and Chris Bryant (Meursault) on harmonium, as well as regular Withered Hands Neil Pennycook (Meursault) on backing vox, guitar and banjo, Hannah Shepherd on cello, Alun Thomas on drums and Dan Willson on lead vox and guitar. And, with such a swelling fan-base and so much goodwill behind them right now (they’re now on to their second pressing of debut album Good News), who could fault them for pushing the live show to the next level? So, Limbo is treated to a much richer sound but one which still hasn’t lost the rawness of the early Withered Hand shows that made everyone fall in love with Dan Willson and his funny, little Religious Songs in the first place. That said, there’s a more shambolic edge to this evening’s performance than is usual (it’s very much part of Dan’s charm), with the lead singer looking up to the back of the room at one point to enquire, ‘Hang on, aren’t you recording this, though?!’ – the reply prompting a groan, Dan’s head in his hands. It’s just one of a series of highly comical moments that (always) define the Withered Hand show and, alongside Willson’s flair for penning such original, sardonic and yet truly heartfelt lyrics, makes him one of the most enjoyable acts in Scotland right now. Best of luck to Withered Hand on their extensive European tour and we look forward to our next encounter next month, with Withered Hand joining Meursault, Found and Over The Wall on the Limbo stage at the Knockengorroch World Ceilidh down in Dumfries & Galloway.
More pics over on Flickr by Arezoo Robinson.
