GORDON MCGRUER TRIO / DAISY CASEMORE / KILLING JILL / TOM KITSON (DJ) at Home Bar!
- Summer Bennett Stein
- 3 days ago
- 3 min read
Updated: 2 days ago
On Tuesday night at Home Bar, four performers made it their home and graciously welcomed us inside – or down below, I should say. The brainchild of Edinburgh students Daisy Casemore and Sasha Mansfield, the October 21 gig was a magical offering. On descending into the basement club, I was enveloped in an orange glow around the lamps, stage and anticipating guests. The poster did not lie!
The ceiling was low but spirits were high. My eyes were drawn to the swirl-filled maroon curtains adorning the back of the stage, as the performers flurried about the space. Clearly, something was brewing.
By the time the first act, Killing Jill, began, the space was teeming with gleaming faces. This three piece band with two guitars and a drummer, serenaded us with originals full of enchanting harmonies. Formed only a couple of months ago, Killing Jill has a floating cohesion. The crowd was more than supportive, standing on steps where possible just to drink up the whole picture.
The first course clearly warmed everyone more than just emotionally. There was a migration upstairs as the flurrying continued and the table was set for the next highlight: Casemore herself.
Casemore, the force behind D to Z and this homey haven for student artists, graced the stage first with her guitar. Already mesmerised by her voice and aura, I was taken into a trance when she uncorked Charlie, her ballad about New York City that teleports you straight into the funky streets of the Big Apple. She effortlessly put us inside her storytelling; eyeing the room with a devilish grin before seducing us with her lyrical wordplay.
She sprinkled new spices throughout her set. After Charlie, she was accompanied on stage by cellist Linus Sheaffrin which further deepened and mystified her sound.
Then, she encouraged us to sit and get cozy, before unveiling the autoharp! I had never seen such an instrument but from that very moment it’s haunted my dreams (with good ghosts!). Imagine a neckless guitar with buttons for chords. Casemore’s awe of this instrument was contagious, with the crowd mesmerised as she seamlessly plucked and strummed. She even invited anyone interested to reach out later if they wanted to experiment with this enticing contraption.
Casemore melts the fourth wall that separates artist from audience. During one song – without missing a beat – she blessed someone who had sneezed as if it were part of the performance. By the end of her set, I think it’s safe to say we were all floating like a bouquet of toy balloons.
Suspended in the air, we were served the soaring folk experience of the Gordon McGruer Trio. A double bass, guitar, and drums filled our plates. The lead-singer-guitarist, McGruer, guided us on an experimental folk journey on waters propelled by velvety sensual tones and tonics.
McGruer warmed our hearts and held our hands by explaining that one song should feel just like when your dad rolls you into a post-bath towel and then spins you around like a beyblade and throws you onto the bed (to slightly paraphrase – catch their next show to hear the full description!). You know, that classic experience. Like Casemore, he invited us into his living room; most of us were sitting cross-legged on what felt like a carpet carefully crafted by the Trio’s rhythm textures and harmonies. For the grand finale, he fed us his dad’s “dark” and mystical poetry fuelled by drum and stringed winged instruments. For the fifteen-minute adaptation, the audience seated on the floor hardly shuffled. All eyes and souls were in tune with the Trio.
For dessert, DJ Tom Kitson took it away. The night transported smoothly from a folk wonderworld to a strobe lit haven, coaxing us criss-crossed legged pilgrims to get up and dance. When Kitson blasted Psycho Killer, everyone was in the zone.
Talk about a delicious Home cooked sonic feast. The artists and crafters of this event did not hold back, and I left feeling full up and purified. I’ll definitely be going back for seconds, thirds, fourths and fifths. Keep eyes and ears peeled for the next one!
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