About Artist
Ghostboy returns to OOTB after an absence. He looks different, perhaps it’s the confident open posture, but he definitely looks the business. Falling Down is a powerful number; I have been noticing guitarists recently who have a very dynamic style of strumming– it immediately makes obvious what a drummer would do and simultaneously doesn’t need one for the same reason. It really drives the song along and oozes confidence. The next song is about a lazy git who doesn’t want to be a wage slave, yeah well I don’t want to be a tax slave, but it’s a fine song with a strong riff. Heaven’s Too High rounds off the set. I recognised all the songs tonight but somehow they seem much better than I had remembered. The bold presentation worked less well for the last number which could have done with a more contemplative approach to suit the lyrics, but overall his performance has dramatically improved. Ghostboy: “What You Gonna Do?” A bit of a poptastic wake up call after the mild magic of Emily. GB does infectious power pop with a fine wee hook line “You never used your head”. What can I say, that’s the truest thing in the world, heads are just not getting used all the time, everywhere. Ghost Boy Ghost Boy started with a number called Heaven's Too High, about a love who has died; fine song-writing. His voice has a nice top-end and this was the definitely the most emotional performance of the night. His second song had the bass line doubling the voice under an ostinato pattern on the upper strings- a nice texture that is quite unique. There are some performers who are the finished article and some who are just beginning. Ghost Boy seems to be at the stage where he definitely has something but it is not quite perfected. One to watch for the future as his performance improves to match his considerable writing ability. ghostboy : (compere Big Jim): despite suffering a bout of apathy earlier on, was on top form with Falling Down, and Wageslave, the latter fast becoming one of his staples. Good change of name for that one, ghostboy : ghostboy seemed to be in a heavily serious mood. I feel small was a stark song about the lowest of times and posed the highest question Can I go to Heaven? As someone said in their last postcard from the other side, I'm doing fine in Heaven but its hell of a warm here. Fallen Down is another solitary sounding song allowing a great deal of angst and fear or isolation to spill out, well better out than in. Gary closes his set with the heartfelt What are you gonna do now? Another broken relationship, digging in the long knife and twisting it just a bit. There is high degree of straightforward regret and recrimination in Gary's material that is makes for difficult listening but the honesty is refreshing. ghostboy : 'I Feel Small' is a song about praying for freedom. Gary 's got a great voice and this song really brings out its colour. It's a song searching for answers to the big questions. Gary's next song, ' A Man with Tears on his Eyes musically floats along and again we're struck by his voice that crack through with great heart felt lyrics 'What are You Gonna do' is a song of regret yet upbeat in it's musical approach, with some great up tempo strumming. ghostboy : Gary seemed quite nervous and gave us three songs sung from three different notebooks, obviously a prolific writer. Falling Down Again" was, I think, another song about being chucked or possibly about being drunk as it featured the line "do you remember anything at all?" His second reminded me of The Who in places and, like many I've seen at OOTB over the last couple of years, I was thinking how good this song would sound if played by a full band. Gary's closer, "The Man with Tears In His Eyes" was a song he'd just finished writing and it sounded not too bad for being so hot off the presses... ghostboy : Gary Ghostboys opening shots came in the form of Too Many People. His lovely Ovation guitar sounded crisp and bright. I'm really quite jealous. I got a lovely sense of The Charlatans peeping over his shoulder as he wrote this song, but I'm not sure of Tim Burgess opinion on asking Where you going with that gun?. But then, hes indie-tastic and so is probably immune to bullets anyway. Both his first and second numbers were new, untested songs a feat that takes a great deal of courage, but is always greeted with warmth and giddiness by the friendly (soon to be migrating) Waverley crowd. The world then took a distinctly biblical turn, as we were reliably told that Hell has frozen over, the Angels won the war. Good-o. What with the Devil being laid to rest and all, one would expect quite a Skippy, happy song. But no. Minor chords rang through, calling to break down the walls. Its like someone had been eating a melon. And then sadly caught the colic. Returning to familiar ground for the third song, he rather caught us all off-guard by letting loose a surprisingly sprightly, upbeat number. The strumming patterns were squished and stretched, and then left to spring back like a rubber band. 
