It isn’t very often that Mandi comes with me to local gigs, not so much because of the music but because she doesn’t like the fact that I have a tendency to get too involved with everyone there and end up ignoring her. Tonight was different though, as we are both massive fans of Josh Kemp and she wanted to go and see him, even though it is a ‘school night’ and Mandi gets up rather early for work. The gig was Under The Tree, a regular acoustic night that takes place at Bodega, and Josh was headlining.

We arrived a little bit late and missed a couple of acts, Jamie Moon was just starting as we arrived, someone I have played a few times but can’t recall seeing him live before although I must have done. I said a few hellos when we walked through the doors, but I took Mandi and sat with her at a good vantage point near the stage.

As a live music venue, Bodega can be a little bit strange. The upstairs is a dedicated venue that is equipped to deal with bands, and as such (and the fact that you have to pay to get upstairs) it attracts people who actually want to see live music. Downstairs is a public bar space and as a result plays host to those lowest of the low people, the talkers. Bodega seems to attract a large cross section of people; the people who sat at the table next to ours certainly didn’t look like they were there to witness some live music, something they proved by talking all the fucking way through. Thankfully they soon left, presumably for somewhere else more suited to their needs.

The low hum of chatter hangs over the tables, replacing the cigarette smoke that used to gather there.

It is very unusual for a Nottingham musician to escape my attention, but tonight I saw for the first time a singer whose name I had never even seen anywhere before tonight. Yasmin Issaka took to the stage armed with just a guitar and rolled through a seductive set of soul tinged wonderment which I managed to focus on, zoning myself out of the million conversations that were taking place around us. Determined to find out more, as soon as I was home I typed her name into Google and found myself at her Reverbnation profile, where I proceeded to download a couple of her tracks, one of which will definitely find itself being played on my American radio show this weekend.

It’s always nice to see Josh Kemp performing, with his upbeat compositions and loveable lad stage presence, he has never to my knowledge put on a below par show. Although this set was shorter than usual, he turned the crowd round to his side immediately. I would have liked to have seen his cover of ‘Sweet Child of Mine’ of course, but he delivered the goods nevertheless and ended on the always popular ‘Hangover Song’. It was over far too quickly, and we were home before we knew it.

The Nottingham music scene can be annoying, self-indulgent, and a little bit up its arse. On the other hand it can fill you with pride. I have my playlist to organise for this weekend’s American show, doing it after a gig always makes my head burst with possibility.

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