GIG REVIEW: Vigo Thieves at Broadcast 22/05/2013

Once again Broadcast played home to a launch night. On this cool Wednesday evening, a specially invited audience of family, friends and music types was there to witness Vigo Thieves  in an intimate showcase for the new 'Believe' single.

The proceedings were opened by The Calm Fiasco, whose rock pop punk got the crowd going early. Putting together a few medleys of covers and their own tracks, it's a short but sweet set. Their new song 'Sugar' is the highlight of the set, and shows they've got a chance to go bigger and better.

But this is night is all about Vigo Thieves and everyone knows it. From the get-go, they are welcomed loudly and with massive sing-alongs. They prove to be an accomplished live outfit, and put on quite the show. We are also treated to the special inclusion of a live saxophone on two songs, including on Ghosts, and this makes for a definite highlight. The single we're all there to celebrate 'Believe' is a big tune and goes down just as wonderfully as the rest of their set. The band have Broadcast literally bouncing for the majority of their show, and having brought two Canadian friends with me I definitely enjoyed being able to show them what a true Scottish get down at a gig is like. The crowd, not satisfied with the main set, use all their energy and power to bring the band back onto stage for a well deserved  and unplanned encore, and then make a point of stealing the show right at the end. 

This was Vigo Thieves' night though, and no matter how rowdy and excited the crowd were, it was the band who shone in the end, as it should be. Broadcast has been home to some brilliant launches this year, and this was definitely one of them.

GIG REVIEW: Cherri Fosphate EP Launch at Broadcast, Glasgow 11.05.2013

The cosy confines of Broadcast was home to yet another EP launch this weekend as Cherri Fosphate celebrated the release of 'Burning Youth'. And what a celebration it was.

The night was opened by This Silent Forest, who were a last minute fill-in for VsVs due to their demise. TSF's power indie could easily have filled Broadcast three times over, if not more. The band's performance is huge, with infectious guitar riffs and lyrical genius. In fact, the room would have been forgiven for believing they watching were a headliner. I certainly thought I was. With the release of their debut album due this Autumn, it is sure to be a big year for these guys and if Saturday's performance is anything to go by then they are going to make their mark in a huge way. 

Already on a uphill battle following that performance, The Monty Hall Problem took the stage next. A much younger band than TSF, it's clear there's still a lot to learn for them. I caught myself a few times when watching their set saying to myself that I'd heard a lot of their riffs before and my immediate reaction was to think of the scene in Treme where Annie T performs her first song to Steve Earle's Harley and he tells her how it is, "You changed the progressions...at least you're stealing big." And that, my friends, is why the world is full of players. The band only have 5 songs to play, and this bodes well because one would hope they can find their own sound early on, rather than building on riffs out of other people's playbooks that they have already. 

With the room now fully packed out, it was time for our headliners, Cherri Fosphate to take the stage. Their live reputation proceeds them and they do not disappoint. Their songs take on a whole new life in the live setting, big riffs become even bigger and more infectious than on record. As they are celebrating the release of their 'Burning Youth' EP, all 4 songs on the EP make an outing and 'Wool' is a definite live highlight. We are also treated to an as-yet unnamed new song that bodes incredibly well for their future beyond this EP, it has the elements of all their previous efforts but shows definite advancement too and the crowd is thoroughly impressed. Their set comes to an end all too soon but the crowd is not done with them yet, chanting and cheering to bring them back for a well-deserved encore. The band tell us they don't think they are big enough encores yet but the reaction on Saturday night proved otherwise, and even though they spent more time in rehearsal talking about whether they'd get an encore rather than rehearsing 'Heart Without Strings' that they'd play for us, it still goes down brilliantly and ends the night on a high. This band are definitely going places.

There are lots of options in Glasgow on a Saturday night but I'm glad that this was mine. A brilliant celebration for an equally brilliant EP.

GIG REVIEW - Where We Lay Our Heads single launch, Brave Young Red & Shambles Miller at Broadcast 02/04/2013

The dark yet cosy confines of Broadcast was host to another launch night on Tuesday evening when the stage was graced by Where We Lay Our Heads to release new single 'Keanu Leaves' in style. 

The bar was set in the banter, and music, stakes as the night opened with Shambles Miller, who quickly got the crowd on side with his witty remarks and folk-pop tunes. It's hard to dislike a guy who carries only one t-shirt to sell at his gigs and has song entitled 'Chris Brown is a cunt (and Mike has some issues)'. Even when he messed up during his single 'Confessions', he saved it and the crowd went along with him. Few Glasgow acts can offer such witty reparte along with their live show and, for this reason, I'll certainly be attending more Shambles shows in the future.

Taking up the task of following Shambles and warming up the crowd for the headliners were Ayr's Brave Young Red. Fresh off their own EP release within the last month the majority of their setlist is made up of songs from 'Roots', the highlight of the set being when they slow things down for 'Footprints', which made this blogger thankful that they were sans an acoustic guitar for the set allowing them to dip into this track. The banter may not quite have reached Shambles' levels but there is certainly promise in this band, and I'd be fine if the acoustic guitar missed a few more gigs if we got performances like that of 'Footprints'.

The room has filled up and the crowd are settled in as our headliners take the stage just before half ten. Playing a balanced set of new and old, Where We Lay Our Heads bring in spring (finally!) with their folk-pop infused songs and keep Broadcast bopping through the full set. New single and the reason we were all there, 'Keanu Leaves' anchors the set and is the definitie highlight, whilst the new tracks played prove that there is much more to come from this band.  They may not be as good at the talking thing in between songs as their support acts but they can certainly claim to be an accomplished live act whose talent and promise is going to take them places.

REVIEW: Keanu Leaves - Where We Lay Our Heads

Glasgow's Where We Lay Our Heads return with a new single this week. 

'Keanu Leaves' is a rousing folk-rock tune that will have your toe-tapping for its entire four minute and forty seven second running time. 

The track is beautifully layered, with a perfect balance of sounds making it one of the better produced songs to be released this year. 

The single showcases all this band have to offer and leaves you wanting more so we can only hope that they've got more coming soon.

The band launch the single at Broadcast in Glasgow this Tuesday (2nd April), with support from Shambles Miller and Brave Young Red for a mere £5, and advance tickets get a free download of the single. Details can be found at the Facebook event.

'Keanu Leaves' will be released 1st April through Common Records.