It’s a Friday night, and I’m back in my old stomping ground of the lovely city of Durham to see Calum Baird play at The People’s Bookshop – the first gig in their ‘new digs’. If you’re wondering “where have I heard that name before?”, then it’s because we have often featured his music in reviews and our yearly musical advent calendar – safe to say we’re fans!

As always, I arrive ‘fashionably’ early (and by that I mean about an hour before doors), but thankfully the lovely staff see me sat outside and let me come in early. When I walk in, I know this is my kind of place, and why Calum is playing here. If you’ve listened to Calum’s music before, then you know many of his songs are about politics and the state of the world – something The People’s Bookshop is very clearly also passionate about. This is the kind of place where everyone instantly feels safe and welcomed, an excellent start! I take a seat on one of the chairs set out, chat with other people, and wait for the gig to begin.

Calum arrives, and starts to set up, all whilst chatting to the audience (a multi-tasking feat I can only dream of). His set will be in two halves, something I am a fan of – musicians need breaks too! He explains that he will be doing mostly original songs, and a couple of covers (I know he doesn’t mean ‘Wonderwall’ or ‘Mr Brightside). He starts off his first set strong with ‘Una Semana en La Habana’, followed by ‘Some Call This Normal’, ‘Modern Man’, ‘My Anti-Fascist Song’, ‘Sundays in Berlin’, and ‘City For Sale’. If I’m allowed to have a favourite it would be ‘Sundays in Berlin’, maybe that’s just the German in me.

After a short break (which I spend outside talking to other people about the state of the world), we come back in for part two. He starts off strong with the covers he mentioned – ‘Viva La Quinta Brigada’, ‘El Derecho de Vivir en Paz’, and ‘A Man’s A Man’. What impresses me is his ability to flawlessly sing in Spanish with such passion. He finishes the second set with ‘It’s 4am’, ‘The Ever Willing Soldier’, and ‘Beauty in the Worst of Times’.

Not only is Calum a fantastic singer and songwriter – he is also an amazing storyteller. Every song he sang had a story behind it, which he told with passion and zeal. This isn’t just your ‘I wrote this song when my cat came and kissed me’ inspiration, this is ‘my friend who records all my songs who goes to Cuba for several months each year to help out with the crops and this is based on the stories he tells me about his time there, and the politics of the country’. Intertwined with his friend’s stories, are also of his own, such as the aforementioned favorite, ‘Sundays in Berlin’.

If you want to see Calum live (trust me you do), then keep an eye out on his socials. A little birdy (not Hamish, he’s not a gossip) tells us that Calum may well be announcing some more shows soon!

CALUM BAIRD SOCIAL LINKS
Facebook / Instagram / YouTube / X