CD Review - Bob Leslie "Fat Cat"

Twelve months on from his last offering, Fat Cat is the latest CD from Glasgow based singer songwriter Bob Leslie. As well as featuring some of Glasgow’s finest session players Bob here enjoys the support of his family, daughters Madeleine and Alice helping out with album cover art and backing vocals respectively.

The musical styles on this CD range from the ragtime feel of “One size don’t fit all” through the acoustic picking of “Suddenly the sun” to the mid tempo slide guitar driven “It wasn’t down in Texas”.

The subject matter moves from tall tales and lost love and “Kid with a gun” celebrates the life and times of Louis Armstrong. I am reminded at times of the work of US singer songwriter Bob Cheevers whose strapline “I don’t know if these stories are true but they happened to me” could well apply here. No bad thing as far as I’m concerned.

All in all a good piece of work and you can get it, and more information, from www.bobleslie.biz

Latest Gig Listings

Thurs 25 August 8 pm John Hinshelwood

Tchai Ovna, Otago Lane, Glasgow G12 8PB

0141 357 4524

Mon 5 Sep 8 pm John Hinshelwood

Glenfarg Acoustic Music Club, Glenfarg Hotel, Perthshire PH2 9NU

01337 831116

Sun 18 Sep 8 pm The City Sinners

Linwood Welfare Club, Napier Street, Linwood PA3 3AJ

01505 328851

Wed 5 Oct 8 pm John Hinshelwood

Irvine Acoustic Music Club, Vineburgh Centre, Irvine KA12 0PS

01294 551047

Thurs 6 Oct 8 pm John Hinshelwood

Falkirk Acoustic Music Club, Tolbooth Tavern, Tolbooth Street FK1 1NL

07535 097296

Fri 21 Oct 1 pm John Hinshelwood

Lemon Tree, West North Street, Aberdeen AB24 5AT

01224 337686


Thurs 3 Nov 8 pm The City Sinners

The Village, Edinburgh EH6 4DN

0131 478 7810


Sat 5 Nov 8 pm The City Sinners

Station Hotel, Stonehaven AB39 2NE

01569 740600



Please check with venues for admission prices and exact start / finish times

Bluegrass session has moved!

The bluegrass session which was started earlier this year has moved! It will now be held the second last Monday of each month at The Arlington, 130 Woodlands Road, Glasgow. Next date is Mon 23rd May.

latest gig news

• Tuesday 19 April 8 pm, John Hinshelwood and Tim Black Acoustic Music Club, Bully Inn, Quarter (near Hamilton) 01357 520528


• Friday 22 April 1 pm, John Hinshelwood The Lemon Tree, West North Street, Aberdeen. 01224 337686


• Sunday 1 May 8 pm, The City Sinners Linwood Welfare Club, Napier Street, Linwood 01505 328851


• Sunday 15 May 8 p.m John Hinshelwood and Tim Black The Royal Oak, Infirmary Street Edinburgh 0131 557 2976


• Thursday 26 May 8.30 pm, The City Sinners Caley Sample Room, Angle Park Terrace Edinburgh 0131 337 7204


• Thursday 2 June 8 pm, John Hinshelwood and Tim Black St Andrews in the Square, Glasgow 0141 563 0454 (opening for Katy Moffat)


• Sunday 5 June 4 pm John Hinshelwood and Tim Black Argyll Arms, Rothesay, Isle of Bute 01700 502643


• Sunday 19 June 8 pm John Hinshelwood and Tim Black State Bar, Holland Street, Glasgow (with Kathy Stewart) 01389 879273

Bluegrass Session

There's a new Glasgow bluegrass session running the last Tuesday of each month at the The Lismore, 206 Dumbarton Road, Glasgow, G11 6AA.

TEL: 0141-576-0102

Next session is 29th March.

All the latest news...

Hi and a happy new year from all at littleroots.

The City Sinners are pleased to announce that Kathy Stewart has now joined on a permanent basis, replacing Sandra Gellatly, who left the band in September.

Kathy is an old friend of the band, and sang on John Hinshelwood’s “holler til dawn” CD back in 2002. She is also a singer / songwriter of some distinction, with her two solo releases “Celestial Shoes” and “ Hopes, Tears and Tambourines” both gaining considerable critical acclaim.

The band are looking forward to working with Kathy, and would like to thank Sandra for her contribution to the City Sinners over the last three years, and wish her well in future projects.

Please note that the Sinners’gig at Glasgow’s Grand Ole Opry on Friday 20 May has been cancelled. This is due to rescheduling on the part of the Opry management. Future City Sinners’gigs at the Opry will be on Saturdays, and we will let you know as soon as definite dates are confirmed.

Meanwhile, we are currently putting together gig plans for 2011. In the pipeline are return visits to Glasgow for RB Morris in April and Ben and Kari Bedford as part of their respective UK tours.

John Hinshelwood has gigs confirmed for Glasgow’s Tchai Ovna on 1st March, Quarter Acoustic Music Club in Hamilton on 19 April, The Lemon Tree in Aberdeen on 22 April and The “Wee Folk Club” at the Royal Oak in Edinburgh on 15 May, plus more currently being negotiated. Looking further ahead, John has return visits to the Acoustic Music Clubs at Irvine, Glenfarg, and Falkirk confirmed for later in 2011.

A review by Bluesbunny’s Peter McGee of the Sunshine Delay / John Hinshelwood Band gig at Glasgow’s State Bar back in November is now up the littleroots website. Thanks also to our friends at the Bluesbunny website for including John and Sandra’s “Shattered Pleasures” among their top ten CDs of 2009.

As always, we will keep you informed during 2011 of forthcoming musical plans for the City Sinners, John Hinshelwood Band and other friends of littleroots.

State Bar Gig Review

Here's what the nice folks at Bluesbunny said about our recent gig.

John Hinshelwood, The Sunshine Delay live at The State Bar, Glasgow

It’s a Sunday night. Men and women all over the world are huddling in pubs. In the case of the State Bar, it’s crabbit old men playing dominoes. Not my preferred crowd, but then, the John Hinshelwood Band and the Sunshine Delay had to share the room with them. It was a close call in terms of turnout but the music got the words anyway.
Recently reconvened, the Sunshine Delay exist as one of the finest alt-country acts to emerge from Edinburgh. That probably doesn’t seem a great compliment but you’ll need to see them to accept my words. Whether hammering out cover versions or doing their own songs, this act - led by David and Paula McKee (husband and wife, since you ask) - took the basics of country western music and added a saccharine twist. Moreover, they did so with the involuntary addition of dominoes as percussion. Credit is also due to Brendan O’Brien, who impressed on the shoebox. Must be the most uncomfortable instrument of them all.
Next was the redoubtable John Hinshelwood, complete with band. Never one to let a crown down, Hinshelwood tore through a set of largely original material which more than made up for his complete lack of patter between songs. Seemingly starved of the chance to deliver a tune from the Gram Parsons songbook, John was nonetheless in good form. However, the treat of the night came from Tim Black, whose jazz-indebted solo effort correctly garnered both applause and acclaim. Watch out for John Hinshelwood, whatever company he may be in.A brief “rammy” involving both bands would then take place. “Rammy” is this instance being a shorter version of a hootenanny. In the end, it was a delightful version of “Your Cheatin’ Heart” that ensured that the old boys were going home happy.In short, more Sunday nights should be like this. Good music, good booze, and the dominoes crowd are entirely reasonable if you just agree with them while keeping a sensible distance. Goodnight.

Reviewer: Peter McGee
Review Date: 21 November 2010

The Sunshine Delay