October, 2008

Art School tickets available from the Vic bar and GU SRC, they are selling very fast, expect a huge line down Hill Street to get in, arrive early!!

Captains Rest: Featuring Glasgow’s finest The French Wives and Paper Planes plus Stricken City from London.

King Tuts: Isosceles + Popup + Louise Against The Elements

and for the hangover, The Parsonage celebrate the songs of Hank Williams on Saturday afternoon at Glasgow University Union entry is £6 and the clincher, there will home baking and tea served!!

What could be a more apt pre-cursor to an evening with New York’s Vampire Weekend than an aperitif of Academic Pop from the same stable.

The Syracuse six-piece Ra Ra Riot were warmly received as they delivered a 30 minute offering mostly from their recently released album Rhumb Line. Songs such as Ghost Under Rocks, see Vampire Weekend’s support effortlessly fuse strings and guitars, with the tempered fervour of Cameron Wisch’s booming drums, to produce a heady audio. On Can You Tell the cello and violin, masterfully handled by the band’s female duo, serve as an uplifting accompaniment to the energetic vocal of singer Wesley Miles.

Amid the cramped surroundings Wesley bounded effortlessly between his mic stand and the compact keyboard to the left of the stage, imploring those who had enjoyed the offering to investigate the album which was available downstairs. The band’s virtuoso performance will surely have the same catapulting effect that Vampire Weekend’s support of The Shins, at the same venue last year, afforded them.

Following a 20 minute intermission come equipment readying, Ezra and co swept onto the stage. The sparrow like front man skipped into the light cloaked in checked garb and a scarf that was destined to depart as the temperature inside the venue rose. The singles which have carried the band thus far were sung by the sell out crowd with rapturous delight. One (more commonly know under the moniker: Blake’s Got a New Face) vied with Oxford Comma for the mantle of mass participation. Ezra’s references to the quaint idiosyncrasies of Glasgow -namely the circular subway and weather - were gratefully received and he swiftly won the crowd with praise of his captive audience. A 50 minute set was followed by an encore which included a cover of Fleetwood Mac’s Everywhere with Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa bringing the night’s festivities to a close with well earned applause.

Words: Bob Hanlon
Pics: Christopher Watson

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The Bronx gave an energetic, upbeat and lively performance as they played Glasgow’s ABC 2 on the final night  of their short three date U.K tour last night. The intimate evening served as a little taster for the forthcoming release of their 3rd self-titled album, available digitally on November 11th through Wichita Recordings.

Recorded with Dave Schiffman (Mars Volta, System of A Down, Rage Against the Machine) in the group’s studio ‘The Big Game Lodge’ in California, the record is simple, sloppy, out of tune and out of time. But that’s exactly what it should be and packs a punch with a running time of 33min and 45 seconds. The bands longest playing LP up till this point in time.

Crowd-surfing appeared to be the norm as band members and the audience rocked away to the sounds of the Los Angles group. A mosh pit was soon formed with encouragement from the lead vocalist Matt Caughthran. Legs and arms flailing the Glasgow crowd soon got lost in the noise. The band were full of energy and head banging to the max. What surprised me most was the mix of people of all ages. It was also good to see the level of interaction between the band and the audience, Matt spend almost as much time in the crowd as he did onstage! The Bronx will surely be back for a full UK tour in the new year, hopefully next time at the far superior venue upstairs!!

Words: Rachel Maccuish
Pics: Euan Anderson

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Last night the Òran Mór was filled with the “cool kids” and lots of sugared up 16 year olds to see “Does It Offend You, Yeah?“, on the first night of their short UK tour.

These guys know how to get a crowd going, the audience don’t just know every word, they know every synth line. A sea of hands and camera phones frantically bounce in time with the music. The band themselves are hyper, there’s a lot of climbing the monitors and jumping about the stage. They add something that is missing from a lot of electro music - live onstage excitement, bringing the energy of a rock show to the genre, think Pendulum and the current slew of nu-raave bands, Foals, Late of the Pier etc

Highlights? Single “Let’s Make Out” was surreal, seeing a room full of people yelp “Let’s Make Out!” to each other (and they say romance is dead!). They end on a high with their now, live favourite cover of Devo’s “Whip It” and “We Are Rockstars” which quite rightly, gets everyone dancing like idiots!

Possibly the worst band name I think I’ve heard though!!

Words: Julia Gay
Pic: Christopher Watson

Californian’s Port O’Brien stopped by King Tuts last night to play songs from their wonderful new album All We Could Do Was Sing, released recently on Cityslang and reviewed by the NME and Pitchfork.

Acoustic opener ‘Dont Take My Advice’ sung by 21 year old drummer Joshua Barnhart shows the depth of a band who’ve been lauded by everyone from Johnny Marr to M Ward. Singer Van Pierszalowski was overheard outside the venue uttering “hey they got out the name right!”, Port O Brien might have played with some of the US’s best new artists…Bon Iver, The Dodos, Fleet Foxes and Bodies of Water, but are still relatively unknown in the UK. While female vocalist Cambria Goodwin breaks several hearts during ‘In Vino Veritas’, Van charms the crowd saying he melts for the Scottish brogue. ‘Stuck on a Boat’ a song with the line “I’m sick of the weather up here, it goes on and on my dear” prompts the band to ask “hey where can we buy rain boots” they’ve obviously realised it rains a lot in Glasgow!

For ‘Close the Lid’, pots and pans are dished out for the audience to bang and clatter, such is the excitement, that two dudes take turns placing the pots on their heads and hitting each other!!

This show was their 12th in as many days, “What should we do tomorrow, we got a day off in Glasgow!?” Optimo someone shouts, Van replies “we’ll go to the Barrows!”

Maybe they will. The full set list is below,

Don’t Take My Advice
Tree Bones
Sour Milk Salt Water
Bird Flies By
In Vino Veritas
Fisherman’s Son
Rooftop Song
Close The Lid
Stuck on a Boat
I Woke Up Today

Support came from Beerjacket and Glasgow band to watch We Were Promised Jetpacks who are taking a break from gigs to head into the studio to record their debut album. They will be back to play the ABC Hogmanay bash and a headline show at Tuts looking increasingly likely for early next year.

Pics: Christopher Watson

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Frank Turner has come a long way, from playing to about 20 people with his old band, Million Dead, to being stopped by fans outside the quaint West End venue atop Byres Road for a photo opportunity. Frank makes an effort not just to chat, but to remember faces as well. Perhaps this is the reason he has such a dedicated fan base. Or, it could just be the fact that he writes damn good songs.

As he hopped on the stage at Oran Mor armed with his acoustic guitar, he has clearly matured but has lost none of the punk attitude! His songs inspired many a singalong during the night, with his lyrics are so easy to relate to, you can tell that everyone in the crowd means every word too.

Highlights of the night include older songs such as “The Ballad of Me and my Friends”, “The Real Damage” and new single “God Save The Queen”, a song about a close friend of Frank’s who died last year. All the proceeds from the song go to the Breast Cancer Campaign.

Pics/Words: Julia Gay

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Mogwai were back last night, for a show at Edinburgh’s Corn Exchange. The gig marked their first show since drummer Martin Bulloch was taken to hospital in NYC and was the opening night of their European tour.

The night got off to a rocky start with the Edinburgh venue experiencing electrical problems, the resulting delay meant neither Fuck Buttons nor Errors got to sound check. Errors got 3 songs while the amazing Fuck Buttons, frustratingly got a mere half an hour. For non Celtic fans this was the biggest disappointment of the night, Fuck Buttons album Street Horrrsing got 8.6 on Pitchfork and you can download Bright Tomorrow for free here. Hurry back Fuck Buttons, we look forward to a full set next time!!

The delay did at least mean Mogwai were able to watch the Champions League game with Man United. A Celtic scarf adorned the drum kit and as the band took to the stage they despairingly announced “Just in case you were wondering Celtic got humped 3-0“!

Fortunately Mogwai were on form to make up for anything outwith their control. The band obviously had a lot of family and friends in attendance, including former Snow Patrol bassist Mark McClelland. Idlewild man, Gareth Russell was also spotted moonlighting behind the scenes.  The full set list is below:

The Precipice
Friend Of The Night
Stanley Kubrick
I’m Jim Morrison, I’m Dead
Christmas Steps
Scotland’s Shame
Hunted By A Freak
I Love You, I’m Going to Blow Up Your School
Thank You Space Expert
Batcat

New Paths To Helicon Pt I
We’re No Here

Support round the UK comes from Fuck Buttons and Errors. The Twilight Sad swap places with Errors for the European leg. Get down early if your going to any of the upcoming shows!!

Pics: Tomas Hermoso

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Bloc Party played to a crowd of no more than 250 sweaty Glaswegians last night at the city’s tiny Barfly venue. Having sold out in 3 minutes, this highly anticipated set was possibly the Londoners smallest gig of the year, promising to be a special night for anyone lucky enough to get tickets.

Filmed as part of MTV 2’s Gonzo tour, the evening was hosted by Zane Lowe who along with the Magistrates had the crowd all worked up even before Bloc Party hit the stage.

With a small show and new album ‘Intimacy’ just released, you’d expect a raft of new songs, but tonight was packed  with highlights from all three albums. Following opener Halo, Kele Okereke joked  “Everyone enjoying their Sunday? was great weather today!” of course, it had rained all day, but tonight no one cared about the weather! The band looked refreshed and embraced the small room, highlights included Hunting for Witches, Banquet, The Prayer, the full set list is in the pictures below.

Following very well received new single Talons, bassist Gordon Moakes, fresh from maternity leave was curious to find out if anyone had seen the Snooker Grand Prix, coincidently on across town, at the 10000 capacity SECC, scene of their most recent show in the city.

After a short break Mercury sent the crowd wild as Kele dived head first from the stage and performed suspended in a sweaty sea of hands! Closer Helicopter delighted and even had the burly security smiling!!

To top an awesome night, Zane Lowe span some tunes till the early hours in the cosy upstairs venue, thank you Gonzo…cant wait for next year!

Bloc Party take a short break before heading off to play some arena shows in South America and Australia, they come back to Glasgow for two nights at the Carling Academy in January, tickets are here!

Exclusive highlights of the whole Gonzo tour will air in an ‘ON Tour Special’ Friday the 14th of November on MTV TWO! There are also selected highlights on the Gonzo site, including one exclusive track every day this week from Kaiser Chiefs London ULU show last Sunday.

Pics: Tomas Hermoso

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In the last few years Subpop have been responsible for bringing us slow burning artists like CSS, Band Of Horses and Fleet Foxes, all have sneaked up from nowhere, biting the arse out of year end polls and becoming cherished favourites . Next out of the stable comes Blitzen Trapper, from Portland, Oregon. Thier new album Furr is another similar tasting slice of pie from the Subpop fridge.

As the sextet make there way onstage at the legendary King Tut’s venue, the scene is complete and opener Furr transforms the room into a little corner of America, this gig is the road trip I’ve always wanted, open top, boot full of beer, and songs by the fire every night with those dearest.

Matching their modern electro keyboard sounds with their more traditional roots in country and folk, evident in the acoustic guitar and harmonica, the atmosphere at times felt like Neil Young playing a barn dance. This feeling was only increased by a sly Dolly Parton cover, midway through the set!

Singer Eric recently confessed his favourite track on Furr is Black River Killer, a dark guilt ridden tale of a girl’s sinister murder, after hearing it tonight I have to agree.

As the band took a quick break, a tray of Sambuca’s was passed round those on stage, these dudes know how to enjoy themselves, if the warm reception from Tut’s is anything to go by you’ll be hearing a lot more from this lot!

Pics: Eszter Biró
Words: Euan Millard

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With a line stretching down the street outside Edinburgh’s Cabaret Voltaire, the over sixty coach tour, bum bag brigade would be forgiven for thinking another ghost tour was setting off.

Lykki Li is definitely setting off, she’s just played a bunch of US dates and heads back there in a few weeks for a coast to coast. Last night’s sold out show was the penultimate date of her 9 day jaunt round the UK, tickets were going for ‘name your price outside’, although I did overhear a rather gorgeous lady selling an extra ticket for face value!!

The show starts with “Dance Dance Dance”, a standout track Li recently busked in the streets of LA with Bon Iver! After single I’m Good, I’m Gone she announces “I’m a new artist and have like 5 songs so here’s a cover” before charmingly breaking into Vampire Weekend’s “Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa”!!

She is new but has more than five songs, a whole album worth, it’s called Youth Novels and was produced by a Bjorn of Peter and John fame! Lykki prances round the stage laden with bling, her style and humour are most endearing, but this is just a side show to her hits, one after the other……the crowd cant contain their excitement at what feels like a very intimite show. Rapidly her songs are taking her into the the land of daytime radio play, she has afterall received over 1 million hits on youtube.

“Tonight” is the emotional highlight of the evening, and the fifty minute set was closed with some banter, “you deserve to leave here happy” before breaking into A Tribe Called Quest’s Can I Kick it, the kids down the front look slightly bewildered…this was an over fourteen show after all.

Miss Li is back in Scotland at the Arches in Glasgow on 25th of November, tickets on sale now!

You can download “Tonight” here

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Popup invited Akira and Ross Clark down to the Captain’s Rest the other night to help launch their new album, A Time And A Place.

Akira steamed his way through an acoustic set that incorporated lyrical density veering on just this side of awkward. With their complicated composition and idiosyncratic delivery, his songs are…interesting - but he could still be looking for his true voice.

Ross Clark’s voice contains a tremulous vulnerability that matches lyrics often focused on heartbreak, but it can still pack a punch when he gets to the - frequently thunderous - heart of the matter. He treated us to lyrics lifted, wholesale, from the theme to The Fresh Prince of Bel Air, the, frankly, edible, current single, Silver Sword, and new material that won’t disappoint aficionados of this always entertaining troubadour.

After a tour of the US playing “back gardens, barbecues, hoe-downs and bars,” the already accomplished Popup deserve to be playing bigger gigs. In this bijou venue, however, we got to experience a band on the brink of big things in all their sweaty flesh and glory. Live, an audience really get to sample the addictive, chunky hooks, instrumental duckin’ ‘n’ divin’ and beautiful boy/girl harmonies that make them so much better than many inexplicably successful, current chart acts.

Lucy What You Trying To Say? proved a uniting sing-along, while Pull The Fuse bought the crowd to a pinnacle of energetic enthusiasm. Lyricist and lead vocalist, Damian Gilhooly, hushed the few inebriated loudmouths amongst us for the self-descriptive Pure, which proves Popup do subtle and affecting just as well as jagged, grab-you-by-the-bollocks pop-rock. It was a mellow moment in an explosive set.

Words: Helen Waddell
Pictures: Mark Amery-Behr

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When Franz Ferdinand held their 2007 office Christmas party in the Captains Rest, playing a secret little show, the bar was for sale and the ship had some rough seas ahead. Then along came PCL who took the keys back in February. With shows every night, awesome pizza, authentic old men(Still Game) mixing with hipsters at the bar, lesbian teas and rumors of scones on the way, this place is buzzing!

Last night it was LA band Bodies of Water’s turn to hit the tiny downstairs venue. The show was their first ever in Scotland as part of their debut UK tour.

Guitarist and singer David has Scottish roots, and was delighted to be back in the fatherland. The velvet curtain and fairy lights over the drum kit, make for a cosy space and it doesn’t get much more intimate than this, not until singer Meredith walks on stage with a figure hugging catsuit!! Bodies of Water make gospel music for indie kids, somewhere between Arcade Fire and Bright Eyes. Sons and Daughters obviously approve with Scott and Adele down the front, Meredith is obviously very excited to see them, they played together in Canada recently. Maybe that’s where they heard about the famous Glasgow neds “we’ve been on Youtube watching videos of neds, we want to meet some neds, we will get some cheese and lure then into a cage” maybe in LA, but in Glasgow, you’ll need a bottle of Buckfast!!

The band are as tight as the catsuit and waste no time in ripping into Gold, Tan, Peach, And Grey, a song NME recently said, “morphs from medieval choral chant to thundering Animals-esque psychedelic blues” single Under The Pines Water sees Meredith somehow hang onto the keyboard as she gyrates and jumps around like an air sock rippled by the wind.

Water Here is a toe tapping epic and gets the ship sailing, with explosive harmonies, super fast drumming, more than enough to give the audience whiplash in the morning.

“This show exceeded our expectations and we had high expectation” singer Meredith gracefully thanked the audience, the feeling’s mutual. Bodies of Water’s second album A Certain Feeling is out now!

Pictures: Sara Jane Mackenzie

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