Well, we’re back! Apologies for the recent silence – matters beyond etc…

Surgery 191 was another doozy! 19 Acts and standing room only by twenty past nine! In no particular order, the purely subjective picks of the night were:

My personal fave of the evening was Chris with Eric Idle’s Philosophers Song. With the news of Syd Barrett’s demise, Mick and Colm gave us psuitably psychedelic tributes to pop’s most reclusive recluse. Steven, Denny and Sarah were over again from Bradford, and despite the late hour and advanced state of inebriation, Denny treated us to a heartfelt Cocaine Blues. Laurie Pooley sings folk like a man at least three times his tender age, and had us all singing along to Poison Beer, the first song he ever learnt at his fathers knee. Paul Weatherhead gave us a preview of a track from his forthcoming ep Exile on Market Street – the track was My Girl’s a Teenage Vampire and continues Paul’s love affair with B movies, 60’s pop and the parochial concerns of the upper Calder Valley. With Tom missing in Berlin, the Amazing Ed Brother was solo, and gratuitously strummed on our heartstrings with One in a Million, a fish supper romance which had us all sniffing and dabbing our eyes. For the first time, I think, We had a cover from Nic Chapman, with a lovely version of Oasis’ Half a World Away. George Kidd was hysterical with his choirboy voice and Woody Guthrie guitar on Hit Me Baby One More Time. Dack and Aleck with their vintage steel guitars sounded great, as did Big Joe Nathan on his. And James Bragg was in his usual fine voice to finish the evening off.

All in all, a super night – see y’all next week for Surgery 192!

Josh

19 acts performed at OMS 191: Laurie Pooley, Dack and Aleck, Josh Phillips, Steven, Denny, Steve and Dan, The Amazing Ed Brother, Fiona, Paul Weatherhead, Mick, Colm, John Grimshaw, George Kidd, Big Joe Nathan, James Bragg, Joe, Chris, Neil, and Nic Chapman.

Craig, Sarah and Rob Armstrong all stepped in to provide accompaniment on drums and fiddles at various points throughout the evening.