By Darren Grayer.
Colin MacIntyre’s remarkably creative mind has kept him occupied to a considerable extent over a lengthy period. Recording under the moniker of The Mull Historical Society, a reference to an organisation in his place of birth, MacIntyre has released eight studio albums and written five books. The books range from memoirs of growing up in Mull to a fictional character called Ivor Punch, a police sergeant known by the locals as ‘The Clock’, who gets tangled up in a mystery that leaves him questioning himself about everything around him.
The latest Mull Historical Society album is the second in a series written in collaboration with mainly authors from all over the world. In My Mind There’s A Photograph is the follow up to 2023’s In My Mind There’s A Room, and as with that album, Colin invited the likes of Irvine and distant relative, Louise Welsh, former Labour politician Alan Johnson, Chinese author Yiyun Li and Alexander McCall Smith to choose a photograph of great significance to them and write about it – a process he describes as himself being Elton (John) in providing the music to their Bernie (Taupin).
It’s 25 years since Loss, the first MHS was released, and remarkably, according to Colin MacIntrye, this is his first visit to Southampton. When you consider his band supported The Strokes on their seminal UK tour in 2001, it sounds even more surprising.
Tonight sees Colin finally head this way as part of his current one man show tour. The Joiners is decked out in seats, and the stage is pretty threadbare, apart from Colin’s guitar and the surrounding monitors.
First up, we are treated to an extract from his latest book, An Island Burning. It immediately paints a picture of Mull, as well as the rather grizzly mystery Sergeant Ivor Punch is tangled up in. Two burnt out cars, two bodies, and two sets of teeth on the crime scene.
“Teeth to me, are a glimpse of not life, but death. A white hardness that persists when all other soft matter has gone, admirable in a way. The real terror is the thought that sometimes in the hours ahead, my own flesh won’t exist”.
Thankfully, the mood lightens as soon as MacIntyre picks up his guitar and expresses his delight at being in Southampton on a Saturday night. Starting his set with older material, I Tried is from Loss, and The Final Arrears from its 2003 follow up, Us.
The original recordings of both songs feature strings, piano and choral backing vocals that have always played a role in the MHS sound, but hearing it stripped down brings the melodies and songwriting to the fore.
Dopamine Eyes is the first song to feature from In My mind There’s A Photograph, a piece written by Irvine Welsh, who, according to Colin, regularly sends him emails that contain very few words, much to his amusement. It’s worth saying at this point that the album has been released by the excellent Last Night From Glasgow label, whose ethical principles put artists first and allow them to release music funded by its members, or patrons. Since being founded in 2016, the label has released over 200 albums and has over 1000 members worldwide. It was named Record Label Of The Year in 2021, and Colin expresses his thanks to them for getting this record out.
MacIntyre continues to re-explore recordings from those early albums with 5 More Minutes, Animal Cannabus and the timeless glory of Watching Xanadu, a belter of a pop song which just dented the charts back in 2001, and provokes a singalong and smiles all around The Joiners.
The mood changes dramatically for Gaza On My Back, a song from IMMTAP written in collaboration with Palestinian poet, Jehan Bseiso. I f you needed a stark reminder of the atrocities that currently exist, then this is surely it, with lyrics that paint a distressing picture.
“And now in the sand, men and boys kneel, blindfolded and stripped.
The quadcopter sings, there’s patients on fire. Mothers and fathers and children detained and abused”.
Loss, the title track from that debut album is merged with a non-album track, Don’t Suffer in beautiful fashion with MacIntyre playing a keyboard on his tablet.
When he breaks from singing, Colin MacIntyre has such a great ability to make his audience share in his experiences.
At times, you feel like you’re transported to the isle of Mull, right by his side. Non more so than listening to a piece of poetry named Call Me Al, inspired by Paul Simon’s Graceland record. A tale of sitting with his grandfather on the steps of his home in Tobermory High St. with his first guitar on his lap, only to be approached by a young local character known as Big Al. Apparently, he looked like the chef from Happy Days and as he got nearer referred to Colin as Bobdylan (it’s a Hebridean trait to roll first and surname into one), much to his grandfather’s confusion. In asking for a tune, Big Al deposits a small piece of spittle that lands on Colin’s lip, and as his grandfather and Big Al chat, Colin makes a hasty retreat to rid of it, without playing anything. Big Al’s sudden death next morning comes as a terrible shock and Tobermory is never the same, but every time the town clock chimes, or The Fonz appears on tv, it acts as a reminder of this character.
The songs continue as MacIntyre brings his highly captivating performance to a close, starting with Public Service Announcer, which provides the audience with a chance to accompany him with foot tapping and clapping percussion and choral bass line.
The hauntingly beautiful Don’t Take Your Love Away From Me is dedicated to his wife, who along with his daughters, are in the audience and along for the journey out on tour. The self-titled Mull Historical Society wraps up a brilliantly entertaining hour and forty minutes, before Colin makes immediately to the merch table to have a chat with his audience.
The Joiners isn’t usually noted for intimate performances like this but hats off to all involved for making this happen, and with some future assurance that the Mull Historical Society will be out and about celebrating the 25th anniversary of Loss in full band mode, I hope it’s not too long before they are back. After all, you know what they say about buses!
- In Common is not for profit. We rely on donations from readers to keep the site running. Could you help to support us for as little as 25p a week? Please help us to carry on offering independent grass roots media. Visit: https://www.patreon.com/incommonsoton