Turnstones And Potatomen

I can walk along the seafront here in Campbeltown and get very close to these cute, but generally quite inconspicuous little birds. They are called Turnstones.

Turning stones is basically what they do the whole day. If you get close up there is a distinct clicking sound as they use their bills to flip pebbles and stones on the seashore, in order to discover any tasty morsels hiding underneath.

In the world of Creative Name Giving “Turnstone” doesn’t win any awards.

I mention all of this because I’ll shortly be returning to play a set in a village where I played my first 2 ever gigs, at a local bar, The Crubhan. At the first of the two gigs I played a semi-finished song, which seemed to go down okay. At the second gig, 2 weeks later, someone shouted “Play that Potatoman song”.

It took me a moment to realise which song the fella meant, as I didn’t, and still don’t, have any songs containing Potato men within. But I sussed it out, and played the song.

And that song, legend has it, has been called Potatoman ever since.

The moral of this story is, um…yeah…I haven’t got a clue to be honest. Please enlighten me!