By Kenny McMurtrie
November 13, 2012
Knowing a band in name only before seeing them live is not a situation I often find myself in but that was the case tonight. A steady rise in popularity over the last twelve months and at least one Jools Holland show appearance in that time summed up all the information I had on them when the chance opportunity to see them arose.
By Kenny McMurtrie
November 12, 2012
I’ve no recollection of what occupied the Broadcast site previously but as newer live venues in Glasgow go its basement space is a good sized & welcome addition. For those of us getting on in years it bears a close resemblance to Edinburgh’s The Venue, replete with centrally placed girder for the more adventurous stage diver to monkey crawl along. For a psych/krautrock show there was also a distinct lack of long-haired blokes, albeit age & balding rather than fashion accounted for a fair proportion of that. Such are the thoughts that occupy you whilst waiting to be entertained.
By Kenny McMurtrie
October 25, 2012
Never has it been so safe to travel to Glasgow from Edinburgh for a gig, it would seem. Gone are the exciting days of potentially missing the last train home if you stayed on to demand an encore, as you’re lucky if gigs go on past ten o’clock now. All rather un-rock‘n’roll, but the heady mix of rampant capitalism and council curfews, at least in the larger venues, looks to be neutering the experience. Who cares though? Last night was too cold to be shuffling about the town if you were too late to get to Queen Street Station and those that have never had to rush off early won’t miss what they’ve not known. Still, it doesn’t half make gigs less of an event. … Continue Reading
By Robert Freeman
September 24, 2012
Permanently becaptacled James Yorkston writes interesting and strange songs that weave the personal with the anecdotal, oral tradition*, and so-called ‘tall tales.’ Yorkston is a product of his environment, fashioning beautiful pop music out of the landscape of the sea, the mist and the tides. As a live act he succeeds in balancing the sombre and personal with an irreverence and humour that is truly endearing. … Continue Reading
September 25, 2012
Here’s a few pictures from Frightened Rabbit’s recent hometown show in Selkirk. Support on the night came from Glasgow’s Olympic Swimmers. Frightened Rabbit’s State Hospital EP is out now via Atlantic Records. All photos by Julia Stryj—more of Julia’s work can be found here.
By Matthew Jones
September 20, 2012
It is something of a cliché to say that great musicians sound unimaginably greater live. Stevie Wonder and Geno Washington are some personal proofs of this general rule. When I first heard The Third Degree’s northern-soul take on Duffy’s ‘Mercy’, I wanted to see them live immediately. Although I did not expect this virtually unknown band to top the big names, as an originally one-off collective that impressed enough to become part of Tri-Sound’s mission to “bring back ‘real’ music,” I eagerly awaited seeing them live. But my wish finally having been granted by their Acid Jazz (the band’s new label) EP launch, I am sad to discover that great musicians can also be much smaller in person. … Continue Reading
By Nick Levine
September 20, 2012
The plush, and notably seated surroundings of the Hackney Empire, the location for this evening’s performance, indicate that Jens Lekman has broken out of the indie pop realm and has become part of the wider singer songwriter establishment. For the occasion Lekman is flanked by a four piece band consisting of a bassist, piano player and violinist. All are decked out in matching Persil white sneakers, with Lekman going for the ultra geeky combo of suit and baseball cap.
Here’s a few photos from Calexico’s recent show at London’s HMV Forum. The band’s latest album, Algiers, is out now via City Slang. All photos by Richie Soans (@RichSoansPhotos). … Continue Reading
By Russell Warfield
September 12, 2012
Earlier this year, during the should-be triumphant week of the release of his long awaited (and frankly stunning) Cancer 4 Cure LP, El-P sadly had to cancel a string of European shows, owing to the sudden loss of a loved one. Just a few months later, and El-P is back in the UK, honouring the gigs he missed – and, not that I’d want to claim any sort of serious insight into Meline’s state of mind, it really did feel like El-P was riding a cathartic high during his set tonight. Wide eyed and giddy throughout, with a restless sense of physical energy, Meline explodes across the stage, displaying a sincerely genuine sense of thankfulness towards the audience and, more bluntly, seeming that he was having a fucking brilliant time. No drugs, he confirms, a little alcohol, he concedes, but he was clearly riding the most exhilarating wave of ecstatic release, even becoming so intoxicated off his own atmosphere to completely ignore the British smoking ban. … Continue Reading
By Russell Warfield
September 6, 2012
People debate the merits of Grimes’ live show – as with so many artists plying a similar craft – completely independently of her actually playing a single note on stage. Creating music she once misguidedly (read: irritatingly) described as being ‘post-internet’, built from loops, drum machines, and vocal filters, plenty of people are swift to deride Grimes’ live performances as being ‘just pressing buttons’, or ‘karaoke’ simply in principle, let alone once faced with the reality of what some attendees took to be a string of amateurish and disappointingly short sets over the past year. Whether or not these accusations have actually touched a nerve, Grimes comes armed with more than her sequencers tonight – using a pulverising light show, confetti, balloons and even a set-long pole dance routine to enhance the sense of occasion of a set which could all too easily fall victim to criticisms of being little more than the-record-but-louder. … Continue Reading
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