LOTS OF DANCIN’ etc.

I spent a few days last week working on and fine-tuning in advance a set of approx 60 minutes for the first ever Simply Thrilled night last Saturday.

Best laid plans and all that!!

I shoved this up on Facebook about 45 minutes after I’d done my bit:-

Three and a bit hours in…and it’s been a triumph but in a way that we never expected.

The indie side of Scottish music has been put to side for the most part and we’ve played loads of chart hits that’s had loads of folk dancing.

Folk are having great fun…..

All of us involved in this venture aren’t ashamed to say that we are occasionally snobbish about music.  But….and this is where it counts most, each of us know that having a great time at a club night is what it is all about. This was how I felt when I woke up on Sunday and shared my thoughts on Facebook:-

The morning after.

Still coming to terms with the fact so many folk came along to the first Simply Thrilled night and had such a great time dancing, laughing, hugging and singing along.

Followed Rule #1 of the DJ bible…..play what it is your audience is wanting!!! The first 90 minutes of the night were as indie and obscure(ish) as we liked, and then once I played “Don’t Talk To Me About Love’ by Altered Images, the place went nuts in a really great and friendly and happy way.

I got by through binning my planned set list – some were shuffled around in order while others were dropped.  It was also decided to introduce two new songs, suggested by Robert, including one by The Orchids which hasn’t even been released yet!!

In short, I tried my best give the paying public exactly what they wanted which was made easier by the fact that the vast majority of the paying public were aged 35-50 and lived in or around Glasgow…..

Set List – Simply Thrilled Launch 28.07.2018

Friend of the Night – Mogwai
Dark Matter – Siobhan Wilson
Cockcrow – Aiden Moffat & RM Hubbard
A Friend Like You – Aberfeldy
Twisted and Bent – Trashcan Sinatras
Long In The Tooth – Pictish Trail
Milk – Garbage
Aye Today – Delgados
Scotland – The Wedding Present
Heard About Love – The Big Gun
Imperial – Butcher Boy
It Can’t Be Love Unless It Hurts – Tracyanne & Danny
No Longer Young Enough – Just Joans
If He Loved You He’d Listen – Hardy Boys
Safety Net – Shop Assistants
Plastic Bags From Tesco – Wilderness Children
Let’s Fall In Love and Run Away From Here – Ballboy
Geraldine – Glasvegas
Into The Valley – The Skids
Happy When It Rains – Jesus & Mary Chain
Iceblink Luck -Cocteau Twins
I Only Wanna Be With You – The Tourists
Nobody There – Veronica Falls
Candyskin – Fire Engines
Foxheads – Close Lobsters
I Never Learn – The Orchids
Don’t Talk To Me About Love – Altered Images
Breaking Point – Bourgie Bourgie
Rip It Up – Orange Juice
Since Yesterday – Strawberry Switchblade
Be Less Rude – Frightened Rabbit
Oblivious – Aztec Camera
18 Carat Love Affair – Associates
I Travel – Simple Minds
Everything (I Ever Wanted) – Fruits of Passion
Labour of Love – Hue & Cry
Fast Girls and Factory Boys – Port Sulphur
Mary’s Prayer – Danny Wilson
Sunkissed – Friends Again
The Honeythief – Hipsway
You’ve Got The Power – Win
Ain’t That Enough – Teenage Fanclub
Movin’ On Up -Primal Scream
I want to fall in love – BMX Bandits
Robert De Niro’s Waiting – Futuristic Retro Champions
Testify – Hi-fi Sean
Blueboy – Orange Juice
Sorry For Laughing – Josef K
Take Me Out – Franz Ferdinand
Only Happy When It Rains – Garbage
Obscurity Knocks – Trashcan Sinatras
The Rattler – Goodbye Mr Mackenzie
Lloyd, I’m Ready To Be Heartbroken – Camera Obscura
Rattlesnakes – Lloyd Cole & The Commotions
I’m A Cuckoo – Belle & Sebastian
Don’t You Forget About Me – Simple Minds
Right Here – The Go-Betweens
Check My Heart – The Pastels
Smalltown Boy – Bronski Beat
Once In A Lifetime – Talking Heads
Somewhere In My Heart – Aztec Camera
Party Fears Two – Associates
Kiss This Thing Goodbye – Del Amitri
Country Girl – Primal Scream
Sweet Dreams -Eurythmics
I’m Free – Soup Dragons
Millions – TeenCanteen
Sparky’s Dream – Teenage Fanclub
Happy Birthday – Altered Images
The Boy With The Arab Strap – Belle & Sebastian
Walk Out To Winter – Aztec Camera
Living In Colour – Frightened Rabbit
Promised You A Miracle – Simple Minds
Dead Connection – Pictish Trail
Loaded – Primal Scream
The Mother We Share – Chvrches
Mr Blue Sky – Delgados
Pitch The Baby – Cocteau Twins
Sound and Vision – Franz Ferdinand
National Express – The Divine Comedy
Super Trouper – Camera Obscura
Keep Yourself Warm – Frightened Rabbit
Everything Flows – Teenage Fanclub

That’s five hours worth…but such was the energy and enthusiasm on show that the time flew in.

There’s been an incredibly positive reaction from folk who were there with loads of nice words and images posted in places. It’s given all of us a huge lift and made us very determined to make the next occasion even better, and we are hopeful of doing something in October. It’s very much Robert and Hugh who are the driving force and they will again work really hard to pull it altogether, while Carlo and Ash will work their creative magic on the design side of things.

Me? I’ll just turn up, throw out a few tunes and hope there’s as great a response as there was last night. One person has said that Simply Thrilled took them back to the days of Level 8 and the QM (two student haunts of mine in the early 80s) and if that’s the case, then it really was, from my part, job done.

Thought I’d share with you the very first set that I planned out…10/18 survived on the night and Robert played another of them later on.

mp3 : Various Artists – Simply Thrilled One

Track Listing

Candyskin – Fire Engines
Let’s Make Some Plans – Close Lobsters
Sunkissed – Friends Again
Mary’s Prayer – Danny Wilson
His Latest Flame – The Motorcycle Boy
Be Less Rude – Frightened Rabbit
Oblivious – Aztec Camera
Breaking Point – Bourgie Bourgie
I Travel – Simple Minds
I Could Give You All That You Don’t want – Twilight Sad
Top of the Pops – Rezillos
Rip It Up – Orange Juice
God Knows Its True – Teenage Fanclub
Since Yesterday – Strawberry Switchblade
18 Carat Love Affair – Associates
Hayfever – Trash Can Sinatras
Speed-Date – Arab Strap
Sorry For Laughing – Josef K

I hope you enjoy listening….and maybe even have a wee dance round your living room/office/garden in tribute to our wee night.

Feel free to visit https://www.facebook.com/groups/399089003891387/ to see some photos etc.

JC