James Grant performed a standout and varied acoustic set at the Frets Acoustic concert night in the Strathaven Hotel on Friday 29th November 2019.
With a set ranging from new material, through Led Zeppelin, Love and Money to an encore duet of Starman with Douglas MacIntyre, the audience was enthralled for the entire event. James also entertained with stories from his life.
The evening opened with a performance from Amelia Lironi MacIntyre, accompanied by Douglas MacIntyre performing a number of songs from Rubber Soul. This was followed by Derek Fleming and Douglas MacIntyre performing a selection of David Bowie songs before James Grant took to the stage just after 9pm.
James first came to public attention on leaving school when he signed his first record contract with the group Friends Again. The group released several singles and a debut album, Trapped and Unwrapped, before splitting up.
James then formed Love & Money, the group with which he is most associated. Love & Money recorded five albums and toured internationally for a number of years. During this period James worked with producers like Tom Dowd (Rod Stewart / Aretha Franklin / Booker T and the MGs) and Gary Katz (Steely Dan / Laura Nyro / 10CC), and enjoyed critical and commercial success.
James Grant has released six solo albums and developed into one of the finest singer-songwriters Scotland has produced. James’ vocals and guitar playing have never sounded better, his appearance at Frets Acoustic promises an intimate setting to experience acoustic performances of songs from throughout his career. Concert highlights have included a sold-out show at the Royal Concert Hall in Glasgow, where he performed his songs with his own bespoke orchestra, the Hallelujah Strings. James has also sold out performances at Glasgow’s Celtic Connections and Kelvingrove Nights festivals, and regularly tours throughout the UK.
James Grant at Frets Acoustic promises to be a special night, a seated solo acoustic concert in the intimate and atmospheric confines of the Strathaven Hotel.
In an article in the Evening Times ahead of the gig (link on the Frets on the Media page) James said: “I’m really looking forward to Frets – it is a brilliant idea for artists and punters alike in that it breaks with the usual format. It’s in a beautiful venue too.”
The concerts feature well-known artists playing acoustic sets in a bespoke venue outwith the usual touring circuit and in an interesting twist, each artist also chooses a songwriter who has influenced them, playing a few cover songs in their set. For Lloyd, it was T-Rex; for James, it is Led Zeppelin.
James added in the article: “Lloyd is a pal of mine and it was great to see him so chilled out and clearly enjoying himself. I’ll be playing tunes from all the dark corners of my time in show business along with a few Led Zep tunes.”
He explains: “Springsteen spoke about the snare at the top of Like A Rolling Stone kicking open a door. The almost imperceptible laugh followed by THAT RIFF for Whole Lotta Love had that effect on me. The sense of mystery and mythology about Zep was a powerful thing – they were the biggest band in the world yet no one seemed to know anything about them. They didn’t even feel the need to put their name on their records.”
FRETS CREATIVE 