GIG REVIEW: Blood Relatives Album Launch 26.10.2013

The blog took a little holiday recently, whilst I also took a little holiday to the States, and so this Saturday was first review gig back and it was hosted once again by the excellent Comets and Cartwheels.

Taking place at the newly (re-)opened Bar & Fly on Clyde Street was the Blood Relatives 'Deerheart' album launch. The new Barfly, in the exact spot of the old one, has had a makeover but wants to offer the same exciting nightlife as before. However there is a problem here, the newly positioned stage on the main bar level stands right in front of the bar itself meaning all punters watching to watch the bands are forced to stand around the bar, blocking off an area that everyone would want easy access to and not allowing anyone a properly full view of the show. It's disappointing for a venue that was so well renowned in its original form, and helped launch so many bands. I certainly wouldn't rush to see a band there again, though the sound was great on the night, even from the back of the room away from the stage.

Support on the night comes from Kill the Waves and Pronto Mama, who amply warm up an ever-growing crowd before the headliners take the stage just after 10pm. Blood Relatives follow the long line of bands in 2013 who have risen from the ashes of a previous band (in this case Kitty the Lion) with a new look and new sound. The refreshed band bring so much energy and likability that it makes for a wonderful atmosphere on the night. Hampered a few times by the loud club downstairs, another strike against the new Barfly, the band perform their new album almost in full for the packed out crowd, who received the album with the price of their ticket in. All in all it makes for a wonderful deal and a great night of music. Blood Relatives start as they mean to go on with bright tunes that you can dance to and that stay with you long after the gig has ended. They can only build on this early success and have a bright future ahead of them.

'Deerheart' is released on Comets and Cartwheels today. An album review will be posted shortly. 

GIG REVIEW: Fake Major, Campfires in Winter, Kevin Harper at King Tut's Summer Nights 29.07.2013

On a Monday night in Glasgow when the indie rock heroes of my teens (We Are Scientists) were also in town, I once again took a trip to King Tut's Wah Wah Hut for a dose of Summer Nights and the best in new music.

First up on the night was former Little Eskimos frontman, Kevin Harper. Harper presents a fresh take on the one man and his guitar with the addition of his laptop and some very strong vocals. Playing mostly songs from his solo album, with a few Little Eskimos tracks and one very interesting The Pixies cover, the setlist aptly shows his range and talent. Harper reminds me very much of Australia's Ben Lee, both in his vocals and his lyrics. His set is a fresh and change of pace from the Americana flooded acoustic field and he knows how to work a crowd despite not even being sure his set work. Harper is certainly someone to keep an eye on.

It was then time for Campfires in Winter to bring their Scottish rock masterclass to Tut's, and they do so with a large crowd in attendance. The band put on a very energetic show that flows from the crowd to the stage and back again, resulting in lots of noise and bouncing around on both sides. There's riffs aplenty, including from a new track never before been played live that goes down an absolute treat. Campfires are already an accomplished live outfit, going from strength to strength and shredding a lot of guitars in the process. The reception from the crowd proves that they are steadily gaining a loyal fanbase, and if the reaction to finale 'White Lights' is anything to go by then they are almost certainly going onto bigger and better things this year. The finale is loud, proud and a statement of true rock that leaves everyone in the room suitably impressed. The Campfires are one of the strongest bands on the circuit right now and deserve your attention.

Tonight's headline set comes smack bang right in the middle of the festival run for Fake Major and it represents their first full band headline where they actually had the opportunity to sound check, what a novelty. Typically then, there is a few technical issues before the set can begin but the band manage to silence the packed out Tut's with their opener of 'Cotton & Ink'. It's a joy to behold to watch a band render a crowd silent, especially on their first track of the night but that's the absolute power this band have already in their first year of existence. During the set, Richard Ferguson and David McGinty look to almost be performing as one solid unit as their mics as just the right distance apart to present the exact image of a four-armed singer-songwriter that the band describe themselves as. With years as Endor behind them and already a good block of shows as FM, this band are already accomplished live and have the sound for bigger rooms. EP tracks like 'Little Researcher' and 'Love in the Mundane' are very well received, and the band put on anything but a mundane live show joking with the crowd in-between tracks on all things from wanting to play the show for the one person who may not have heard them before (be it a guy, or a woman with a really deep voice), Jarv's colourblindness, and the fact they could easily teach midnight guest Pronto Mama their tunes as "it's only two chords". Many laughs are had by all. The new take on Endor song 'Chapel Doors' is at its best at this show and the crowd adores it, but the highlight of the night for me has to be the two as-yet unreleased Fake Major tracks including never before heard 'Seventeen' as the penultimate track. Both songs prove there is incredible life left yet in this band, they going to be going places, and I have no shame in saying they are absolutely my favourite band of the moment. The set ends on an incredible high with 'Fiction' and everyone is sorry to see them go, but it surely won't be long before they are gracing many more venues with their presence. 

After recovering from that great show I was able to stick around to see the midnight guests Pronto Mama, who brought their loud and proud indie rock show to Tut's bar and they did so with aplomb. It was a brilliant show that caught the attention of the majority in the bar and they've got a lot to get us excited about including by playing new tracks to tease us. 

All in all, this was a spectacular Monday evening with some of the best Scottish music. It was an easy decision in the end to choose this gig because I knew that it'd be one of the best shows of the year. My only disappointment of the night was that there was no Susie-sized t-shirts, but I'll get one in time.

GIG REVIEW: West End Festival all-dayer at Oran Mor 23.06.2013

Having previously only been able to live vicariously through others who'd been to the West End Festival All-Dayer in past years, the fact that this year's fell on my birthday made my first experience of it all the better. The lineup was typically brilliant and it was a day full of the best of the Scottish music. 

Starting my day off properly in The Venue, I was able to catch the end of Pronto Mama's set. Playing an original form of indie-rock, with a masterful balance of their vocals they manage to open proceedings with a strong performance. The day begins as it means to go on, going from one great performance to another, split between The Venue downstairs and The Auditorium upstairs. 

Moving to The Auditorium, I was able to see Campfires in Winter put on a masterclass in Scottish rock. One of the most consistent live bands on the scene right now, they give everyone upstairs a true show of talent with their own brand of brilliant rock. Teasing a new EP due in September, the band give us a taster of what is to come as well giving someone who'd travelled all the way from Germany a dedication on their current single, White Lights, which is a spectacular track and the highlight of the set. For one of their earlier sets, the Campfires have garnered themselves a strong audience and its clear to see why. 

Deciding to stay put upstairs proved to be an excellent decision as Adam Stafford was up next. Stafford is the King of the one man show, showcasing a sheer talent in vocals, loops and music, as a whole. And let's not forget he's got some of the best dance moves on the circuit, which are worth watching his set for alone. Less than a month away from an album launch (which will be on July 15th at The Glad Cafe), we are treated to the newest single 'Galvanise' and it's another stunning track from an artist who is at the top of his game. The album sadly will not be called the title that Stafford teased us with on Sunday (Tit-Wanks That I've Known and Loved, if you were wondering (it is called Imaginary Walls Collapse)), but this once again proved that his banter is up there with the best of them and balances out the intensity of his musical performance. If you haven't been able to catch Adam Stafford yet, I highly recommend that you do.

Making a flying visit to The Venue, it was time for Washington Irving to take the stage. Already having a strong year following the release of their album Palomides Volume I, they bring a large and warm crowd into the confines of the downstairs venue. Their live show is very strong and their indie-folk certainly appeals to masses, reminiscent of Frightened Rabbit and Admiral Fallow. The early evening performance gets the crowd bopping and suggests they can only go from strength to strength here and, with Palomides Volume II due later in the year, they've got surely even bigger things coming their way.

With that I make my final move of the day and settle in at The Auditorium for, without doubt, one of the strongest double bills you could be offered today. It is Meursault who take the first slot, and absolutely pack out the room. Having not seen them for a few years I was amazed to see how far they've come and just how strong their performance has become. It is a mind-blowing show, moving from highlight to highlight, though my own personal one is definitely 'Dull Spark', from their SAY award shortlisted album 'Something for the Weakened'. The crowd continues to show them the love and warmth they absolutely deserve and it's clear that we've just seen one of the best bands in the country put on a simply powerful performance that none of us will be forgetting any time soon. 

The band that had the task of closing out this wonderful day of Scottish music were none more than The Twilight Sad playing a stripped back set. There were a few of us who were slightly disappointed that was not going to be an amped up performance but that was quickly forgotten as the set began. The stripped back Sad are extremely powerful, in a totally different way from the electric performance, and it's enough to lead you to be taken aback slightly, just by the music alone. The set is made up of more earlier tracks than newer than I expected but is definitely a strength, as James Graham notes that he'd been told recently they had been performing as a band for ten years before the band play us a special version of Cold Days From The Birdhouse, the song he believes got them this far. It is hauntingly beautiful. James also manages to pay tribute to RM Hubbert and his recent SAY award win, in his own brilliant way ("Bastard!"), and gives a shoutout to Adam Stafford and his cover of Walking for Two Hours, showing just how inter-connected and friendly the Scottish scene is. All the bands love to support each other and this day has shown this better than most. 

I could hardly have asked for a better birthday present than the gift of all this brilliant live Scottish music from bands I adore in a suitably wonderful venue, with a lot of friendly faces in the crowd. This may have been my first West End Festival All-Dayer but it's definitely not the last. I am looking forward to next year already.