If you didn´t read the blog at The Gist then here´s another chance to read about our Sarah´s Metric
Driving through the dark wee roads between Moniaive and New Galloway, i did wonder what the heck i was doing, when i could have been cosy at home...but the Catstrand drew me out - its posh, very posh...and i wanted to check out what is happening in the Open stage world....previous open stage events that i,d been too had been held in So Below in Dumfries - great wee nights, sometimes busy sometimes quiet - always a good mix and a fun vibe thank's to Nicola's great compering.
So ~Catstrand - well, on arrival it looked like something was happening, there were more than 6 cars outside and a lot of people settled in at the tables - we (Artist and Creative Consultant Shelley Reynolds ) managed to get a safety seat at the back where i could sit down and take note of the situation. Being a poet isnt just about getting moody and writing some bitter words...oh no, we have to go to an event, and check out the audience....firstly i noticed children....having left mine alone at home, i realised i could have made them come out, very embarassing for us all!! but also that was a few of my poems ruled out - the ones with swear words...its not like being at a festy where you can pretty much get away with anything, Catstrand has this posh feeling...it would be rude to swear in here. The age group seemed reasonably loaded to the over 30's in the audience, and maybe a smattering more of the older male...i spotted a group of women, families....it would have to be perhaps a more gentle version of my set.....
First of the three halves gave us guitar/acoustic stuff...some beautiful Scottish ballads and of course Nicola....at the interval, the bar was again serving wine - the first class was FREE - repeat FREE!!! - and although the Chardonnay seemed a bit tart, the very lovely bar person replaced it with a FREE one too!! We like this a lot - and may consider staying over in future.....
Second half saw at last another poet!! David presented a good package of short love poems - and for me it was a relief to get some poetry - i can do singing and guitar playing and all that, but it,s the words for me, and David delivered some great ones....Carol came on to sing after and for me, produced a link that could have helped me preform my more 'spiritual' set....Singing beautiful Pagan harmonies Carol drifted the audience into another time.
So Sarah's Metric approaches the poshest stage in her career..(other than the main Welsh Eisteddfod stage televised in 1988!!!).it had spotlights and everything...i couldnt see a thing and it felt a bit ' comedy club ' ish - but i remembered there were children out there.and stayed in the 'posh ' mode. Catstrand had no hecklers either...i'm used to them - Dumfries and Wickerman festivals are full of them and they provide some good banter to keep everyone focused on the gig, and on me!! Catstrand did eventually produce some posh banter and i think i even got a snork ( thats a laugh and a nasal inhalation~) when i mentiond the Welsh...i never did get to the bottom of this but may do so next time!!
So the set, which had a love theme...started with three short pieces detailing leaving a marraige, running off with a lover and the lover deserting. Sigh. id love to say none of this is autobiographical but that would be a lie - obviously apart from the ones about drugs - they are fictional (!) - so i presented love theme words with my heart on my sleeve. Catstrand received them well, gentle murmurs and aw's - brilliant.
Where next? well to lighten the mood, i presented Stella's Lover - a clever little number about loving lager...again a love theme, murmurs, aw;'s and laughter...Next up, as i felt the crowd were listening - no rush for the bar - and were ready to embrace a different kind of love - Mother love. This brought more of a deeper silence. I kept going with more By The Sea - where i could have lived with my mother. The mood is getting good.
i check for time for another last one...Nicola agrees....i think , yup lets go there...lets do Free. This is a short few lines on the incident concerning Yvonne Fearney and the death of her autistic son. Its short, and yet it takes you straight to that room and the decision that she took. It was quiet, i sensed there were tears. Time to finish. I had performed.
Back to my table, i waited for the interval and went to go out and mingle with Catstrand and pick up some feed back. i was not disappointed. Connection had been made through my words. Emotions had been touched. A lady who was on holiday with her family said 'thank you for Motherlove' - how better can it get - not much.
The third half continued - singers, duets, guitarists and Carol again at the end with a tale of sailors and women -a brilliant evening with an eclectic mix of styles and performers. all for £3 and a free wine thrown in. i had managed to get a few cards out, make a few contacts and touch a few hearts. Result.
Next one is May 2nd - its a wednesday - try and get there - i might do my word art with jaffa cakes and choclate bunnies, its Beltaine, its almost the full moon, i can feel a very strong set coming on already - bring your children - i wont swear - but i might make you cry.
Driving through the dark wee roads between Moniaive and New Galloway, i did wonder what the heck i was doing, when i could have been cosy at home...but the Catstrand drew me out - its posh, very posh...and i wanted to check out what is happening in the Open stage world....previous open stage events that i,d been too had been held in So Below in Dumfries - great wee nights, sometimes busy sometimes quiet - always a good mix and a fun vibe thank's to Nicola's great compering.
So ~Catstrand - well, on arrival it looked like something was happening, there were more than 6 cars outside and a lot of people settled in at the tables - we (Artist and Creative Consultant Shelley Reynolds ) managed to get a safety seat at the back where i could sit down and take note of the situation. Being a poet isnt just about getting moody and writing some bitter words...oh no, we have to go to an event, and check out the audience....firstly i noticed children....having left mine alone at home, i realised i could have made them come out, very embarassing for us all!! but also that was a few of my poems ruled out - the ones with swear words...its not like being at a festy where you can pretty much get away with anything, Catstrand has this posh feeling...it would be rude to swear in here. The age group seemed reasonably loaded to the over 30's in the audience, and maybe a smattering more of the older male...i spotted a group of women, families....it would have to be perhaps a more gentle version of my set.....
First of the three halves gave us guitar/acoustic stuff...some beautiful Scottish ballads and of course Nicola....at the interval, the bar was again serving wine - the first class was FREE - repeat FREE!!! - and although the Chardonnay seemed a bit tart, the very lovely bar person replaced it with a FREE one too!! We like this a lot - and may consider staying over in future.....
Second half saw at last another poet!! David presented a good package of short love poems - and for me it was a relief to get some poetry - i can do singing and guitar playing and all that, but it,s the words for me, and David delivered some great ones....Carol came on to sing after and for me, produced a link that could have helped me preform my more 'spiritual' set....Singing beautiful Pagan harmonies Carol drifted the audience into another time.
So Sarah's Metric approaches the poshest stage in her career..(other than the main Welsh Eisteddfod stage televised in 1988!!!).it had spotlights and everything...i couldnt see a thing and it felt a bit ' comedy club ' ish - but i remembered there were children out there.and stayed in the 'posh ' mode. Catstrand had no hecklers either...i'm used to them - Dumfries and Wickerman festivals are full of them and they provide some good banter to keep everyone focused on the gig, and on me!! Catstrand did eventually produce some posh banter and i think i even got a snork ( thats a laugh and a nasal inhalation~) when i mentiond the Welsh...i never did get to the bottom of this but may do so next time!!
So the set, which had a love theme...started with three short pieces detailing leaving a marraige, running off with a lover and the lover deserting. Sigh. id love to say none of this is autobiographical but that would be a lie - obviously apart from the ones about drugs - they are fictional (!) - so i presented love theme words with my heart on my sleeve. Catstrand received them well, gentle murmurs and aw's - brilliant.
Where next? well to lighten the mood, i presented Stella's Lover - a clever little number about loving lager...again a love theme, murmurs, aw;'s and laughter...Next up, as i felt the crowd were listening - no rush for the bar - and were ready to embrace a different kind of love - Mother love. This brought more of a deeper silence. I kept going with more By The Sea - where i could have lived with my mother. The mood is getting good.
i check for time for another last one...Nicola agrees....i think , yup lets go there...lets do Free. This is a short few lines on the incident concerning Yvonne Fearney and the death of her autistic son. Its short, and yet it takes you straight to that room and the decision that she took. It was quiet, i sensed there were tears. Time to finish. I had performed.
Back to my table, i waited for the interval and went to go out and mingle with Catstrand and pick up some feed back. i was not disappointed. Connection had been made through my words. Emotions had been touched. A lady who was on holiday with her family said 'thank you for Motherlove' - how better can it get - not much.
The third half continued - singers, duets, guitarists and Carol again at the end with a tale of sailors and women -a brilliant evening with an eclectic mix of styles and performers. all for £3 and a free wine thrown in. i had managed to get a few cards out, make a few contacts and touch a few hearts. Result.
Next one is May 2nd - its a wednesday - try and get there - i might do my word art with jaffa cakes and choclate bunnies, its Beltaine, its almost the full moon, i can feel a very strong set coming on already - bring your children - i wont swear - but i might make you cry.
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