GIG REVIEW: Slow Club & French Wives at Britannia Panopticon 18.06.2012

Having already been to a gig in a disused swimming pool this year for a venue to really my attention it'd have to be a bit special and that's exactly what the Britannia Panopticon is. Situated on Glasgow's Trongate the Panopticon is the world's oldest surviving music hall and the special Lumia Live sessions gig was the first music event of its kind in the venue since it was rediscovered at the turn of millenium. This could just be the beginning of a beautiful thing.

Photo by Warren Media

The openers on the night were Glasgow's French Wives, who are slowly coming back onto the scene after having busily been writing a new album recently, and their return is greatly welcomed as they're extremely talented. Noted as fans of the Panopticon they're as stoked as all in attendance to be at the venue and their soft indie-pop sits very well in the surroundings. We are treated to one of the new tracks that the band have been working on and getting to experience it with such a quiet audience in a historic setting makes it sound even better. The future is definitely looking bright for these guys and the hit single 'Halloween' ends their short set on a wonderful note.

Photo by Warren Media

Following the local openers the night's headliners are Sheffield's Slow Club, who treat the lucky crowd in attendance to a set of old favourites and new never before heard tracks from their forthcoming album. This special acoustic set takes music back to its bare bones and shows the sheer talent of Rebecca Taylor and Charles Watson. Highlights from their forthcoming Grammy Award winning new album include tentatively titled 'Fucking Feelings' and the banter is top notch, ranging from childhood photographs to Liberace. It's an incredible show made more special by the venue and there's no doubt that this band will continue to deliver incredible music and powerful performances. 

This is a gig I won't be forgetting in a hurry, the special setting and the incredible performances made for a truly wonderful evening. And a free bar certainly only added to that.  If you get the chance to go to a Nokia Lumia Live event in your city then I wholeheartedly advise that you take it as you'll be treated to something that'll give you a whole new appreciation of music as well as historic venues.

Record Store Day 2013

Limited releases, live performances and the love of music saw the people of Glasgow come out on en masse to support Record Store Day on Saturday. 

I started early and was queueing at Monorail Music by 8am, where the line was suitably long and ever-increasing as we neared opening time. I heard from a friend as they joined the line 15 minutes or so later that the line at LoveMusic was already 150 deep and both stores would have queues throughout the day as music lovers looked to score their vinyl.

Mono kept all updated with the releases that they had sold out of via Twitter and blackboard in store, very useful for those in line or thinking of joining. I was lucky enough to pick up all three Frightened Rabbit related releases that came out on the day, whilst friends picked up Biffy Clyro, Chvrches and more. The staff at the stores deserve all the respect and praise for providing impeccable service and keeping cool heads on such a crazy day.

Having battered my wallet with the vinyl purchases in the morning I spent my afternoon in the very cozy confines of LoveMusic watching a few performances. When I arrived just after half 2 there was still a queue for buying RSD releases, as well as a packed out store watching the opening act Young Aviators. I couldn't hear or see enough to provide you a review but they were certainly popular.

Hoping to get myself in the store for a few performances I was aiming to catch afterwards meant that I got to witness the performance of Viking Galaxy. I must admit that I was completely unaware of what I was about to see and hear but was pleasantly surprised and awed by their rock 'n' roll theatre. This was definitely more a performance as opposed to a live set and the crowd was eating it up. If you're looking for keytar solos and some heavy, happy power metal then you should certainly give these guys a listen. I, for one, am glad I arrived early and the sets were running late because I didn't know I needed viking power metal in my life until that day.

Following the theatre of the Vikings was 2/5ths of bloggers favourites French Wives, who spent a good deal of set joking about how they used to be relevant. Happily they did note that they have been recording a new album and we were treated to some new tracks so we'll be seeing much more of them again soon. And they ended their set on their hit single, Halloween, which is 5 and a half minutes of perfect indie pop for everyone. I look forward to their return to the scene.

Having already played Dundee and Edinburgh on the day Fake Major packed out LoveMusic as the hype around them continues to build. Having already given their debut EP 'Have Plenty of Fun' a glowing review, I was very excited to see them live and they did not disappoint. My press pack with the EP notes how the truest form of the band is somewhere in between on record and live and I can see why as the live performance is something quite special in itself, and the music comes to life around the delicate blending of the dual vocals. We were also treated some non-EP tracks that showed great depth and excited me for their future. The band's debut EP is now available in all good record stores and I'd suggest you purchase it, as well as making sure you see them in live format to experience all they have to offer.

The cozy confines of LoveMusic got considerably cosier as Woodenbox took to the 'stage' bringing an infusion of Americana to an already warm day. With their new album available for the day only in store, the band performed a set that gave us all a tease of what to expect, which from the sounds of it will be a beautifully layered piece with melodical quirks and intricacies. An always energetic live band they got the already-rowdy crowd going and made an impact on the day.

I didn't stick around for the later performances of Three Blind Wolves, Washington Irving and Glasvegas but going by the quality of the day I don't doubt they were brilliant and that the store was ever anything but full.

Remember music fans, whilst Record Store Day is always fun and exciting and special, your local independent record store days are there on all other days too so please continue to support them throughout the year and keep the music alive.