Live Review: Boo Hewerdine, Wild Strawberry, Nick Reilly, live @ King Tut's Wah Wah Hut, Glasgow, Scotland, 14th November 2005.

by anna battista

Starting in acoustic mode with quieter songs such as 'You're The Man', Nick Reilly closes his short but intense set with the energetic 'Foolish Dreaming', a song about being in a band, and 'Underneath My Skin'.

Finally free from the constrictions of having to tour Beanscene cafes with a reduced line-up, Edinburgh's Wild Strawberry prove with tonight's gig that they sound better and they really rock when all the band's members are on stage. Their set runs smoothly: it includes most of the tracks from their latest album "The Gods Are Shining", among them a sensual rendition of 'Long Time Man', the countrish 'Don't Let My Dreaming' and an irresistible version of 'Faster'.

Then it's the turn of singer/songwriter Boo Hewerdine, who is something of a real legend. Frontman of '80s pop band The Bible, producer and writer of songs performed by Eddi Reader, KD Lang, Paul Young and Eleanor Shanley among the others, Boo Hewerdine crept quietly on stage to perform some of his material on acoustic guitar. Starting with a few tracks from his superb new Ontario EP, Hewerdine played songs from all his solo albums, but also surprised us with an unscheduled duet with Eddi Reader, who was among the audience attending the gig. Reader's voice, as always clear and distinct, provided backing vocals for his songs, as he did for hers, and this special moment had the audience in raptures.

For the last part of his gig, Hewerdine played in rockish mode with a little help from Wild Strawberry who were called back on stage by Boo himself. Highlights of his show were the legendary '59 Yds', taken from his debut solo album "Ignorance", the much requested ' Graceland' and 'Sing To Me', a nostalgic lullaby that had the audience in tears. Hewerdine's gig of songs new and old was testament to a very talented performer able to write, play and produce songs that feature universally loved rhythms, melodies and lyrics.

(Photographs: Wild Strawberry; Boo Hewerdine by Anna Battista)