Guy Pratt, Underbelly, Edinburgh

Ed Caesar
Thursday 18 August 2005 10:21 BST
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The punk-moniker anecdote is a perfect microcosm of Pratt's wonderful show, an hour of stories and sublime bass-playing from a man who has stood in the wings of recent pop history. From Madonna to Michael Jackson, Ice House to Pink Floyd, Pratt has played bass with them all. And, like the shy teenager with the punk name, one senses that Pratt has been a hero by accident rather than design.

But what tales he has to tell. It's hard to pick a favourite. Is it the story of playing a festival with Crosby, Stills and Nash, only for David Crosby to spend his entire time in Pratt's caravan putting the gas hob to insalubrious use? Or laying down a bass track for a Michael Jackson song, as the star issued instructions while hiding behind the amp? Or perhaps being asked out on a date with Madonna, only for there to be no photographers to catch the glorious moment?

The refreshing aspect of this pop-anorak heaven is Pratt's modesty. "When I started out", he admits, "bands recruited a roadie and a lawyer before a bass player." Funny, then, that Pratt is now the star attraction.

To 28 August (0870 745 3083)

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