Acoustic Edinburgh is an Edinburgh regular which really shines during the Edinburgh Festival. If you are in any way interested in live, unplugged music then this is a great night out. Perfect for people who can’t decide on which band to see – it provides a ‘menu’ of bands and solo artists who deliver a small taste of their musical prowess. Medina provides a wonderful dark, underground cave for this intimate gathering. The small venue, low lighting, cushions, low tables and close seating to performers gives the audience a feeling that you are listening to something very special and heartfelt. It is great to see organizers encouraging the audience to respect the artist on stage and keep chat to a minimum whilst they are playing.
The ‘first course’ this week consisted of Underbelly, David Ward Maclean, and Graeme Mearns Band. The ‘second course’ was Donna Maciocia, of Amplifico fame, who delivered a whopping passionate voice in a performance that felt like witnessing a new star being born. The ‘dish of the day’ was Pauline Taylor, another soulful woman who pulled you into a dark, languid den of soul music. All were wonderful musicians in their own right and held the audience beautifully.
You don’t need to passionately like every artist that walks on stage, after all, each artist only plays for a short time. There is always something for everyone; from Snow Patrol flavoured rock ballads, to thought provoking folk to bluesy soul. It only happens once a week during the festival, so get your feet moving and make sure you get a ticket!
5/5
Yasmine Bushby
