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The Scuffers and Dropkick live at Fury Murrys, Glasgow - 10 November 2007

Well, as that Nancy Sinatra girl once said - these boots are made for walking. It is Saturday night after all so this Bluesbunny Girl put on her best boots and set off into Glasgow as my dear friends the Scuffers are launching their first CD "The Life I've Had" at Fury Murrys. I certainly would not want to miss that!

There are quite a lot of people here tonight and I recognise such luminaries as that Al Wright from Scheme Records, that lovely boy Crawford Smith, Pat Monaghan and also many nice people that I used to work with. I was quite pleased that I had trained my escort for the night to fetch the drinks but he returned confused and perturbed as there was no Guinness and had to resort to what he refers to as "that woman's drink", lager. Real men drink Guinness as I know only too well. My drink safely in hand, I turn my attention to the Scuffer's support band Dropkick who are now on stage. I always feel that they sound really young and sweet and tonight does not change my opinion. However, they appear to have made an effort to look rough, tough and rock 'n' roll tonight. Roy Taylor looks like a bit of a wild man and leads the band through a few songs. The rest of the band look like they would be more at home in a nice white shirt and a 100% wool blazer. My escort thinks they sound like a cross between the Beach Boys and the Beautiful South. Being from Edinburgh, perhaps they could become the Beautiful East.
Scuffers CD cover

Now the moment that I have been waiting for as the Scuffers take the stage. I notice that they have drafted in Alastair Taylor from Dropkick in to play that pedal steel thing so they must mean business. By the by, but has anyone else noticed that the Scuffers' lead singer Gavin Wallace gets taller and more handsome when he goes on stage. How does he do that? Dochan MacMillan looks - for once - very presentable and has had his hair cut too. John Murphy looks like, well, a drummer but a clean one. Bass player Ian Fraser looks very smart (as always!) and newcomer and fiddle player Sara Cull has come dressed for the party.

Darlings, the Scuffers are on form tonight. Starting with a leisurely "The Life I've Had" (the title track from their new album), they get a warm welcome from the crowd. There is something warm and comforting about the Scuffers' music that attracts a wide audience - I think they call it a demographic in marketing terms - and I notice a large number of striped shirts and duffel coats dancing away. Now, there were without doubt people inside such apparel but I am sure that they would not like to be identified. "Trouble on Your Mind" gets a noisy reception and you have to admire that Gavin Wallace. He makes me (and everyone else) feel welcome just like you were in his house. Oh, did I mention that he is so handsome! Even better, he does a solo number of a song not on the album called "Here's to the Days" and dedicates it especially to me. If I wasn't spoken for then I think that I would surely have fallen in love with him at that point. My favourite song is "Those Lovesick Blues" and we get treated to an adorable version tonight. I feel so close to the Scuffers tonight that I could just run up and give them all a cuddle. A big part of the Scuffers' appeal is that they are rather down to earth. They play songs that anyone and everyone can relate to and are not afraid of getting sentimental. I felt a tear well up in my beautiful blue eyes (everybody tells me that they are beautiful!) when Gavin croons through "The Last Dance" before showing some of that black humour that I love so much by ending on what he refers to as "… a song about shagging" called "Holler". I am so pleased to have been here tonight and I hope that they sell loads of their new album. To end this review, I will only add a common - in more ways than one - phrase t

http://crookedrain.org.uk/?p=130

$outhpaw, The Scuffers and Jericho Hill. Nice and Sleazy, Glasgow 10th January

By Duke Dali on January 16th, 2009

On a miserable wet night a good-sized crowd braved the elements to
see the first Glasgow appearance from Perth band $outhpaw following
the departure of their frontman Gavin Munro. Before we could see how
the band filled this gaping hole however two other bands had the
stage.

Jericho Hill were billed as a Johnny Cash tribute band. Head for the
hills (or the bar) one might have thought as visions of dire versions
of Ring of Fire and Jackson loomed large in the imagination. No fear
however as this tight crew (debuting here tonight) ripped through a
solid set of Cash covers (and one by Hank Williams) with fire in
their belly. Concentrating on the Sun years the band (containing
members of Glasgow alt country rockers God Fearing atheists) had the
crowd up on their feet as they barnstormed towards a ferocious
version of Cocaine Blues to end their short set. Despite some
occasional flat vocals and an over the top barker’s accent in
between songs frontman Bill Wright drew attention with an intensity
that at times was reminiscent of a young Lux Interior.

The Scuffers played next with a four-piece line up which limited
their usual honky tonk style. A fairly low-key set only caught fire
with “The Life I’ve Had” and towards the end with
Gavin Wallace soloing on “Rock Me Mama (Like a Wagon Wheel) and
then the country waltz of “Last Dance.” Despite some fine
guitar sounds one missed the pedal steel, fiddle and dobro that
adorns their album.

$outhpaw crashed into their set with “St. Peter’s Waltz”
from their album “Buffalo Mansions”. Immediately one got
the impression that they meant business with Owen Nicholson’s
steel guitar sending shivers up the spine. Despite occasional sound
problems which bedevilled their set Donny McElliott proved more than
able to fill up the front role. “Esmerelda Red,” “Stop
the Time” (dedicated to Gavin ) and a rousing cover of Las
Vegas were hi octane performances with Owen in particular playing a
blinder. Sounding tighter and rockier as a four piece they proved
that they remain one of the foremost Scots bands working in the alt
country vein. A rousing version of Highway to Hell as an encore was
the topping on the cake.

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The Scuffers, Emma Curran and Davie Boyle live at The Liquid Ship, Glasgow

Fuelled by burgers, beer and coffee, there seemed only one logical course of action - make your way to the Liquid Ship for the Free Candy Sessions Christmas Special featuring The Scuffers, Emma Curran and Davie Boyle.
davie boyle

It being that time of the year, Davie Boyle adapted to circumstance and set about a good few Christmas classics and made them his own. Showing his normal poise and confidence, he neatly avoided the schmaltz of the season and delivered a well received set.

Emma Curran likewise delivered a confident performance. Although she biased her choice of songs in favour of her own material, she still found time for a bit of the Christmas spirit with a tasteful accapella version of "Silent Night". Music to drink red wine by unless I am very much mistaken.

The Scuffers also did Christmas. Only they went for a couple for their own specially written songs instead and "Calico Skies" quickly established a baseline for them. Squeezing in songs from their album such as "The Last Dance" filled out their set and reminded me once more of the sentimentality that underpins their music and there's nothing wrong with a bit of sentimentality at this time of year. Or at any other time for that matter.

As another year ends, the perennial question occupies the mind of this simple Bluesbunny. Is their still time for chicken pakora? Oh yes there is! Oh no there's not! OK, cheap pantomime joke but what else did you expect?