This is the tenth year Kevin Gore and Bobby Nicholson have been entertaining Edinburgh Festival crowds as Gone Native and going from strength to strength. Although this is a show for during the festival month, both are incredibly hard working and talented musicians/ singer/songwriters and are regularly found playing around Edinburgh venues on their own and with other musicians nearly every week of the year (occasionally beyond, having taken their unique style across Europe to several countries over the years).
After playing together for so long I expected nothing less than this being an excellent show from two incredibly talented musicians and singer/songwriters. Local legends and "weel kent faces" around Edinburgh and further afield, and it was.
Individually and as a duo their set is a mix of everything: poignant, powerful, funny, intelligent, historical and with modern relevance at the same time. Fantastic original material and perfectly selected songs by others, sung in two unique solo styles with a great mix when they sing as a duo. Entertaining storytellers with engaging chat between songs as an added bonus.
As an Edinburgh festival Fringe show, the majority of the crowd were not locals and the way Kevin and Bobby talk about their songs and the origins - a perfect balance of informative and enlightening explanations for a local and non local crowd.
Downstairs in The Royal Oak is a small venue but real testament to their abilities - playing their sets fully acoustic and without mics - both voices are powerful and clear, while being able to keep things intimate and engaging.
It was a packed hour with both playing solo sets and combined sets in between and to finish. Their styles contrast and compliment each other perfectly giving depth and range to the show.
Kevin's set covered a wide range of topics in his songwriting; social justice, standing up for people's rights and Edinburgh history, (Radical Road); His grandfather and reminders of the dangers of fascism (Berlin Suicide); Frustrations of the pandemic lockdown and the relief and joy of social interactions afterwards (Sons and Daughters of Edina); and a great singalong celebration of Edinburgh itself (also a useful way of getting the city's visitors to pronounce the place properly!).
As a duo their set covered songs of Edinburgh history, weaving highland policeman, 19th century Irish immigration, loyalty and affection (Erin Go Bragh) and songs attributed to Robert Burns.
Bobby Nicholson is a master storyteller through his songs. They are funny and intelligent, highly entertaining and give a bit of an insight into his way of thinking as well as elements of his past and little snippets of life, love, boredom, politics and everything in-between. And pandas.
What he lists in "Things To Do (When There's Nothing On The Telly)" under the new government could put 500 people in jail, or make for an excellent movie; His depiction of a conspiracy theorist was hilarious; and I feel like I was at the wedding that was described in "Am no goin to ma birds wedding" And you can Google the panda song for your own amusement to decide on local politicians for yourself.
The set comes to a rousing end with both singers (and most of the audience) sharing a version of Wild Mountain Thyme that I found pretty emotional, having been in Munch with Kevin and a number of our friends (some sadly no longer with us) captivating a beerhaus, leading a group rendition of this; then a Scottish styled version of the Woody Guthrie classic This Land Is Your Land.
As if entertaining musicians wasn't enough DJ Gez spotted an audience member rapidly sketching the pair part the way through their set and from what we saw he'd captured their likenesses perfectly.
They've only a few more shows in this run at the time of writing, so go see Gone Native before it's gone for another year. Six stars out of five!
⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐⭐
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