Hosted by The Chaser’s Dominic Knight, the main draw of the evening, cult Scottish writer Irvine Welsh ( Trainspotting, The Acid House, Filth, and Porno ), served up some literary morsels touring his latest collection of short stories Reheated Cabbage.

Having walked past earlier in the eve I noticed quite a few people not of the usual OAF-ilk eagerly awaiting entry. The set-up for the evening – a diminutive 15mins of reading an excerpt from said book followed by 15 mins of Q&A based on audience submitted questions, followed by book signings in the gallery. The stocky Mr. Welsh takes the stage looking vaguely like a mild mannered bald garden gnome, but with a slight glint of his inner literary scalpel, should one want to dare cross him. I’m sure he could exact some swift punishment both verbally and physically.

The audience was a mixed bunch, some eagerly hanging off every word. I’d forgotten how much of a cult icon Irvine has become and quite rightly, re-invigorating 90’s literature with his expletive-ridden, raw and seedy perception on society and situations gone wrong. Delivering his prose, Welsh’s Edinburgh accent churns through the text in a lyrical manner that seems so right, making the words come alive peppering the dialogue with expletives, never have so many F and C-bombs sounded so poetic and appropriate.

Following on, the Q&A revealed a little more insight into his work promptly followed by the book signing in the gallery which drew a huge queue extending up the stairs and into the main room.

The crowd mainly started to fizzle out once Irvine had finished which was a real shame as they would have been treated to the vastly underrated Jack Ladder perform a beguiling set sans drummer relying on backing track beats. Having seen Ladder perform a few times, his dark meanderings and awkward size delivering raw bellowing honest alternative song writing is a refreshing alternative to the mainstream scene out there.

The comparisons with Nick Cave are obvious though part of the draw for me is his collaboration with Kirin J. Callinan, (ex-Mercy Arms) adeptly crafting sonic soundscapes as the second guitarist in the band. Strange and affected Callinan displays a masterful control of his art utilising a variety of pedals, loops and feedback and feel for music. Together, visually they make an interesting duo. Callinan’s unique guitar style and mannerisms are engrossing to watch, complemented by Ladder’s Herman Munster height equally captivating.

All in all a great showcase of great talent. Hopefully we can expect more of these events from cult authors…. hmm… Chuck Palahniuk anyone?

Check out the photos from the night