Music review: Box Club at Redrooms

Oct 31 2008 by Alison Anderson, Perthshire Advertiser Friday

ANOTHER Monday; another evening of excellent entertainment.

For the sixth in the varied programme of The Monday Night Thing events, seven young, talented musicians perched, precariously at times, on the small Redrooms stage to prove that four accordions – “not the coolest of instruments” (their words!) – could produce an evening of red-hot and very enjoyable traditional music.

The four accordionists which front Box Club are Gary Innes, John Somerville, Mairearad Green and Angus Lyon, with a driving rhythm section of Duncan Lyall on bass, drummer Martin O’Neill and very able stand-in guitarist, Jen.

Their set combined breath-taking collaborative pieces, 40 fingers sometimes moving faster than the eye could follow, with tunes which showcased the work of each accordionist, plus a fair splattering of engaging patter.

Their repertoire of self-penned tunes, many featured on Box Club’s debut album, by the four young accordionists on stage gave way to a superb final set of tunes composed by accordion players who had influenced and inspired Box Club – Sandy Brechin, Blair Douglas, Donald Shaw and Phil Cunningham.

Great stuff, although throughout much of this gig the shine on the Box Club sound was slightly tarnished by the prominence of the drums. No offence to Martin O’Neill, but it would have been preferable if he had been playing on the other side of the wall, in the Redrooms kitchen.

THIS Monday the Monday Night Thing focuses on comedy delivered by Fringe favourite Dan Antopolski, who returns from a four-year sabbatical. He is joined by fellow Festival success story Isy Suttie and her blend of silly songs and quirky characters, stand-up routines and anecdotes, and compered by Bruce Fummey. It has an 8pm start and tickets are £12 (£10 concessions) from the box offices at Perth Theatre and Perth Concert Hall, telephone 0845 612 6320, and online at www.horsecross.co.uk.