Acoustic open-mic reviews: Out Of The Bedroom, Edinburgh
From time to time, we do some acoustic open mic sessions and it is always nice to go to OOTB when you get an attentive audience and a review :)
2019
OOTB 703 review – Thursday 17th October 2019
Jeanice Lee and Marco: ‘Our City’ - normally
electric and noisy, this melodic rock duo played acoustically for us
this evening. Jeanice wrote this song about the fight for freedom in her
birthplace of Hong Kong. Loved this. The vocals were hypnotic and the
words deeply heartfelt and sung with intense feeling. “Our city is
standing on our feet.” A clarion call to anyone who is defiant in the
face of oppression. ‘Never Was’ - about a relationship that seemed
dramatic at the time but, on reflection, never was. This would make a
good flamenco number. Great solo work from Marco. They have noticeably
improved as musicians over the last few months, probably due to playing
several live dates across Scotland.
https://www.outofthebedroom.co.uk/ootb/out-of-the-bedroom-703-review-thursday-17th-october-2019/
OOTB 689 review ~ Thursday 4th April 2019
Jeanice Lee and Marco: ‘A Date To Die For’ – from their brand new album, this was a special acoustic arrangement for the evening. About wanting something so bad that you’d die for it. Top guitar from Marco and Jeanice was in formidable voice. ‘One The Line’ – subtle vocal and guitar playing with a sweet arrangement. I could see this being a hit single given the right circumstances, such as a melodic rock / goth revival. Intense and emotional.
https://www.outofthebedroom.co.uk/ootb/out-of-the-bedroom-689-review-thursday-4th-april-2019/
OOTB 686 review ~ Thursday 21st February 2019
Jeanice Lee & Marco Morelli: ‘Beyond Never’ – the title track from the long-awaited upcoming album being launched in May. A forceful performance from Jeanice; epic and intense. Two acoustic guitars this evening, making a change from the electric rock line up. ‘On The Line’ – a soft rock ballad sung with deep passion. Quite a niche genre these days where acts formerly playing this music sold records by the millions. Nice backing from Marco with a peach of a solo. ‘North Star’ – a modern day ‘Over The Rainbow’. Wistful, refreshing, beautifully done.
https://www.outofthebedroom.co.uk/ootb/out-of-the-bedroom-686-review-thursday-21st-february-2019/
2018
OOTB 682 review ~ Thursday 13th December 2018
Jeanice Lee: ‘Christmas In C
Minor’ – Jeanice drew on some festive classics for her powerful, gothic
Christmas song. Jeanice’s own lyrics were written after a painful break
up and Marco’s lead guitar added potency. Jeanice weaved a fascinating
update of Pogues’ ‘Fairytale of New York’ into the piece and her version
was arguably better than the original.
https://www.outofthebedroom.co.uk/ootb/out-of-the-bedroom-682-review-thursday-13th-december-2018/
OOTB 672 review ~ Thursday 28th June 2018
Jeanice Lee and Marco Morelli made a welcome return after their February feature act performance with ‘A Date To Die For’. This beautifully played acoustic guitar duet was a song of pain and melancholy, fronted by Jeanice’s searing, intense vocal. ‘North Star’ was a ballad reflecting on a year after a traumatic breakup. I confess to being slightly teary when Jeanice sung “somewhere under the North Star there is hope”. A dazzling guitar solo by Marco. ‘Restless’ was written for a collaborative songbook which was released last month in Glasgow. Searingly honest and completely unselfconscious, this was a powerful observation on us as consumers in a consumerist society wanting more and more. Brilliant stuff.
https://www.outofthebedroom.co.uk/ootb/out-of-the-bedroom-672-review-thursday-28th-june-2018/
OOTB 673 review ~ Thursday 22nd February 2018
Feature act Jeanice Lee
gave an inspirational introduction to her set this evening, with the
strong message that you’re never too late to learn and to change.
Jeanice only learned how to play guitar and write songs within the last
year and, given that information, it is amazing how consummately
professional she and the band were this evening. Marco on guitar and
Leen on bass joined Jeanice for a special acoustic set. ‘Beyond Never’
was a protest song about injustices that happen all round the world
every day. The band had a full, tight sound which was very passionate
and intense. Sample lyric: “nothing is what it seems… they won’t hear
you scream.” ‘Exit Sign’ was a well-crafted breakup song written while
travelling. Jeanice included symbolic imagery in the lyric,
incorporating things that you might encounter at an airport, and the
arrangement was sweet. ‘Dark Cellar’ was also inspired by the breakup,
with the image of a downward spiral vividly painted in the lyric and
sung with cathartic, dramatic vocal intonations. Jeanice cleverly used
an effects box which produced a backing harmony, complementing her
melody line. The next number ‘Freefall’ was on the theme of the
environment. Jeanice asked “Have we crossed the rubicon?” and the truth
is, environmentally, we probably have. While this was more upbeat, there
was also room for doubt and fear. ‘Skulls and Bones’ was written after a
seven-note songwriting challenge from Californian rockers System of a
Down. Inspired by a visit to the Church of Bones in Italy, sample lyric:
“we are skulls and bones in the end”, this was driving and impassioned
with its morbid narrative. ‘Divine Red Roses’ had a strong Flamenco feel
and was an uplifting foot-stomper. All that was missing was a dancer
with a red rose in her teeth! A dramatic and bewitching song of
heartache and probably my favourite of Jeanice’s set this evening. ‘On
the Line’ featured the line “as my tears running down my face onto the
side of my guitar” and the guitar harmonics from Marco, with Leen on
bass, underpinned the beautifully controlled vocal wonderfully well. ‘A
Date To Die For’ was written by Marco and this was the first time the
song was played in public. The theme was something you believe in
strongly enough that you would die for it. Very nice chord progressions
creating a perfect tension and a fittingly strong way to close an
excellent feature act set from Jeanice.
https://www.outofthebedroom.co.uk/ootb/out-of-the-bedroom-663-review-thursday-22nd-february-2018/
OOTB 661 review ~ Thursday 25 January 2018
Jeanice Lee, fresh from her Club Nitty Gritty
appearance, made her second OOTB appearance with her guitarist partner
Marco Morelli. ‘Divine Red Roses’ was Latin-flavoured, built
dramatically and was sung with incredible passion. The subject matter
included classic themes such as romance and death. ‘Skull and Bones’
also focused on death with the line “everything we touch turns to dust”.
Some beautiful melodic lines in the vocal which Marco’s guitar
complemented very nicely. ‘Beyond Ever’ is a fixture of Jeanice’s rock
band’s set and this continued the Gothic theme including the line “they
won’t hear you scream”. Intense, romantic music from Jeanice.
https://www.outofthebedroom.co.uk/ootb/out-of-the-bedroom-661-review-thursday-25-january-2018/