James Grant brought his guitar, his humour and his incredible array of songs to the highland capital this month.
This Scottish singer songwriter’s career has been long and varied; from Friends Again to Love and Money to his solo career; from Castlemilk to New York and countless places in between. As his nonagenarian father puts it, without a hint of irony “He’s been at this gemme since he was fifteen – never had a proper job.” Just as well for us, or we wouldn’t have the extensive back catalogue of sublime poetry and perfectly crafted music that he brings to Hootenanny’s in Inverness.
With searingly bright and beautiful songs from his solo albums alongside well-beloved Love and Money tracks there is something for everyone; whether you have experienced heartbreak and identify with ‘Winter’ or are feeling “super mellow” to ‘The Shape of Things to Come’. You may even be a foot fetishist tapping your toes to ‘Jaqueline’s Shoes’. “Whatever floats your boat… “as Grant himself succinctly puts it.
“I wrote this song in my bedroom in Castlemilk. It turned out to be prophetic.”
A highlight for many was “Up Escalator”, the ode to societal notions of success. “I wrote this song in my bedroom in Castlemilk. It turned out to be prophetic.” says Grant
“I only recently started playing this acoustically” he explains. And for good reason. The original is an eighties juggernaut; a big, brash rock giant that was given life by a band in the midst of eighties excesses.
To play it acoustically requires a new arrangement both musically and philosophically, reflecting the irony of overconsumption in today’s climate of austerity. Grant meets the challenge to translate the song into an acoustic version while maintaining its power. It is streamlined, pared back and really, really works.
Many of his songs have had incredible new arrangements for his recordings with the Prague Philharmonic Orchestra, and more recently The Hallelujah Strings. The Strings are a “bespoke 14-piece orchestra”, bringing a lushly layered new sound to vintage songs. Following the outstanding success of the sell-out Celtic Connections shows a new date has been set for the Glasgow City Halls 23rd September. This promises to be an unforgettable experience.
Back in Inverness, the acoustic set is uncharacteristically upbeat; the crowd taking his dark humour and running with it. They don’t hold back – heckling, singing, clamouring for their favourite song and generally having epic fun.
James Grant has a poet’s ability to crystallise the chaos of human emotion into bright, sharp, insightful lyrics. He may also be the greatest living songwriter in Scotland, but he will squirm, swear and generally self -deprecate if you suggest it. It seems you can take the boy out of Castlemilk, and you know how the saying goes, but boy, do those roots run deep.
See Jamesgrantsongbook.com for further dates.
Image: © Malcolm McCurrach | New Wave Images UK