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Charm issue 21, March 1999 by John McIver From where I am lying in the packed upstairs room of The Fenton I can just see some graffiti scrawled on the wall behind him. Just peeking out of his right shoulder is the charming: "Monkey Butts Presents". Part-way through his second song, one of the curtains falls down, revealing a window wet with trickling sweat. A lady on the front row giggles quietly and I want to join in but fear I might spoil the mood. My foot is leant up against the stage and as his foot taps out a rhythm on the floor, I feel the vibrations travel up my foot, like I could touch his heartbeat. Bert Jansch sings songs about girls and horses and old times and new times and the blues and falling in love. I don't actually know most of the material because I've only previously known this virtually unknown legend of folk from the 1960s through his inspiration to others, e.g Paul Simon (he starts with the Jackson C Frank song The Blues Run the Game which Simon and Garfunkel also covered), Donovan, Nick Drake etc. The day after this gig I have another listen to the demos Nick Drake recorded at his mum's house in Tamworth-in-Arden. The Jansch influence can be very strongly felt. After playing for a while, eyes-closed, black shock of hair shaking, his voice rich from living, Jansch mumbles some bizarre jokes about fish 'n chips and showing your age. Every song comes with an introduction, from the instrumental Black Mountain Side, a more modern tune about snipers in Bosnia called In The Shadows to another Jackson C Frank number, The Carnival. It is deeply personal, every cover was taught by a friend, the lights are up so you can actually see the guy. As you focus on him, the rest of the room melts away and it's like having this humble legend in your living room, singing songs about running away and coming back, his love of Edinburgh, all the things that matter, to you and you alone.
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