I first heard of Stephen Kellogg at around lunchtime on the day of the gig. A friend of mine wanted a night out and looked to see who was playing in town on a cool September Wednesday night. So this being Glasgow there were several choices and, having done some quick research on Stephen's music, we decided to pop along and listen to him.
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Sam Bradley |
On the night he played electrified acoustic guitar and seemed to be full of excitable, nervous energy which translated itself into humorous anecdotes between songs. This was typified when he introduced a song called Little Sister which he wrote with his mum about his cousin! He also advised us that he had just returned from a lengthy stint in Canada and the States where he has been plying his trade. Furthermore he then informed us that he had an encyclopaedic knowledge of Glasgow due to having played here a few times previously. I say Glasgow, but as it transpired he knew the adjacent 500 yards like the back of his hand but was totally lost beyond the Noodle Bar, the Garage and Broadcast!
What I liked about Sam from the outset was his voice. It is mellow, interesting, infectious and capable of being raucous or gravelly as required. His guitar playing was unfussy, simple, uncomplicated and effective. His lyrics are good too and much of what he sang had a joviality to it which suited the mood he was creating with his snappy links between songs.
A stand out song on first listening was Hippy For A Night which showcased his humour as well as his guitar playing and during its introduction he explained that it was based on "festivals and shit" at which point there was a cough from the audience and Sam then apologised and said "Sorry Sir, festivals and stuff"! At one point he also said he felt like he was expected to perform some magic tricks given the white clothed table at his side!
Then after about 40 mins Sam took his leave and I was feeling that our choice of gig was turning out to be inspired! If you like the sound of Sam Bradley then check out his EP Zuni which includes a great song called Passport.
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Stephen Kellogg |
First impressions were of an embryonic Springsteen, in looks at least and he had that infectious smile, backed up with gleaming white teeth! This kid could go far on looks alone, however, he writes great lyrics set to catchy tunes to boot.
We were treated to the solo début album opener Lost And Found five songs in and by now Stephen had been joined by long time friend and former Sixers band member Sam "Steamer" Getz on pedal steel and electric guitars. Sam's introduction really helped to round out the songs. As those of you who read my blog regularly will know, whilst I really like the stripped down simplicity of solo acoustic guitar, I find it a limiting format for the artist to express the full depth of their musical style and so it was good to have the two pals on stage to play off each other.
We were treated to the solo début album opener Lost And Found five songs in and by now Stephen had been joined by long time friend and former Sixers band member Sam "Steamer" Getz on pedal steel and electric guitars. Sam's introduction really helped to round out the songs. As those of you who read my blog regularly will know, whilst I really like the stripped down simplicity of solo acoustic guitar, I find it a limiting format for the artist to express the full depth of their musical style and so it was good to have the two pals on stage to play off each other.
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Sam Getz |
The 37 year old Mr Kellogg, from Northampton Massachusetts, was naturally full of 'vim and vigour' and he bounced about the small stage as he worked his way through his set and the equally youthful Mr Getz at 30 years of age kept time immaculately, swapping guitars and pedal steel regularly. The music they made and their timing was obviously made possible from their years on the road together.
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Stephen & Sam |
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Sam & Stephen |
There were also a couple of funny moments which went some way to define the difference between the two sides of 'the pond' between Scotland and the USA. The first came when someone in the audience encouraged Stephen to 'goan yersel'. This clearly flummoxed him as he turned to Sam to see if he had understood. At this point someone else from the audience advised Stephen that "It was a good thing" but he was clearly none the wiser! The second was during a song about drinking when he asked what a notable local drink was and after Lanlique and Buckfast were offered up, Stephen settled on Tennants, and so our humble pint was glorified in a song!
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Stephen's solo section |
The word that sprung to mind was 'serendipity' meaning a happy accident or pleasant surprise. This show was turning out to be both in shed loads!
Sam then returned for a few more numbers before the lads finally left the stage to rapturous applause from an animated an enthusiastic audience.
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Stephen & Sam 'on the floor' |
Fortunately, there was the minimum of fuss over the 'obligatory' encore (although much deserved in this case!) and the guys came back on stage to sing three numbers, the middle of which See You Later, See You Soon they sang from the floor of the venue with guitars 'unplugged' and this reinforced the intimate feel of the show.
So to recap: a great night out, three very talented men, some wonderfully thought provoking lyrics, a few pleasant drinks, good company and excellent music. Not bad for an impromptu Wednesday night out!
Set List:
Satisfied ManShady Esperanto and the Young Hearts
Forgive you, Forgive Me
4th of July
Lost and Found
The Brain is a Beautiful Thing
Milwaukee
Start the Day Early
In Front of the World/Die on the Road/Ghost
On the Road Again - with Sam Bradley
Tweet Sheet/Dickens
Good Red Wine
Gravity
The Bear
Thanksgiving
Encore
Good Old Days
See You Later, See You Soon - from the floor
Men and Women
Check out the other photos I took on the night here.....
Great review! Lovely photos, too.
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