East vs West
>> Glasgow Barrowlands
>> 19th October 2005
It’s The Edinburgers versus The Weegies, The Snobs v The Neds, The Yas meet The Chavs. Stereotypes aside, Carling’s East meets West showdown is a battle of the bands like no other and tonight the ‘Westside’ are getting in about it. Of course, there are the standard sweaty teenagers, snoggers in the corner and girls being comforted by embarrassed pals as they spew up that ‘final vodka coke’. Don’t be fooled though, tonight is serious. Tonight is more than just a chance to get laid or prance about on stage for half an hour. Tonight is a real opportunity to impress and for the lucky few, a chance to kick-start their journey to stardom. Some dubious middle aged people linger around the edges of the crowd meticulously analysing the moves of each and every band. Most likely to be proud parents, there is always the chance that EMI have dropped in to check out what Scotland’s got to offer in the form of new talent.
With slight trepidation Send For Walter enter stage left. Being first up on a night like this is never easy and it isn’t until late in their set that the three guys and a gal from Ayr get into their stride. Nervously they stumble through their opening tracks and only some Sons and Daughters-esq harmonies save the early moments from being instantly forgettable. It may be nerves, however you get the feeling there is something missing from their sound. At their best they are a gritty Supergrass with nods towards Jefferson Airplane, but the feeling lingers that they really need an extra guitar or some more imaginative synth parts to fill out and innovate their sound. Coming to the end of their slot, the band noticeably relaxes and impresses with the thumping ‘Running Out’, an angry cross of Small Faces quirkiness and Kings of Leon confidence. Final track, ‘Only When It’s Dark’ is just as promising however still there is an immaturity to Send For Walter that taints an otherwise tuneful and melodic show.
Immediately it is abundantly clear that Kobai are a little different. To a monkey-like chant of ‘Kobai’ the six Glasgow boys jump head first into their aptly named opener ‘Serotonin’. A Kasabian meets The Music classic, within seconds Kobai establish themselves as the band of the moment. Style and self-assurance pours from the hairy, model types and it’s hard not to cynically suggest they are the work of the record industry production line. Cynicism firmly out the window, second track ‘Shattered’ gives no breathing space as they tear through an edgy and brash guitar fuelled romp akin to Funeral for a Friend (minus the yelping drummer). Alacritous drumming, psychedelic synths and pounding bass lines continue to blow the onlookers collective mind as Kobai plough through two more tracks that would easily revitalise The Cooper Temple Clause fading career. Electro madness follows as long haired duo Chris Jarvie and Ross Hinton bear down on the synthesizer. ‘170’ is a track so fresh and innovative it’s a real surprise Soulwax didn’t write it first. A welcome break for the knackered performers comes in the form of ‘Undone’, a slow almost 80’s sounding electronic amble where petite vocalist, Ross Hinton is left in the limelight to carry the hallucinogenic, spacey mess. It’s the combination of musical simplicity and complex masterful synths that makes Kobai’s electro-dance rock so appealing. And it couldn’t be more showcased than in their closing track ‘Uber Techno’ which spews innovation and originality all over the now sweaty and slightly bedazzled crowd. Slightly stunned, we all return to reality where unsigned bands just simply aren’t this bloody good. Kobai are sure to be playing in a small shady pub near you soon, catch them before the record labels do.
What’s worse than trotting on first is being billed after a band like Kobai, whose power and energy is sure to intimidate any established act never mind an unsigned one. Forgotten Sunday however aren’t fazed and start their set with just as much vigour and passion as their predecessors. Touting an emo fuelled, punked up sound, Forgotten Sunday pile through a couple of heavily US influenced tunes akin to Taking Back Sunday or Rival Schools. New track ‘Sign of The Times’ is fairly bog standard lacking in inspiration and diversity. Not much better is ‘Remember Me’ which starts promisingly with a haunting picked guitar riff, only to predictably descend into a bit of a distorted dirge. It’s not that Forgotten Sunday are a bad outfit. In fact, their technically sound, have plenty of catchy expressive melodies and great quiet/loud dynamics, they’re just on the wrong side of the Atlantic and a few years too late. They’d find far more success and critical acclaim in Dallas than Drumchapel. It’s music for the middle class, confused, angsty teenagers who believe the world is against them and music is their only salvation. It’s music a lot of us struggle to relate to and in many ways there’s nothing hugely wrong with it. It’s just so inoffensive and so basic, it verges on being ironically ‘forgotten’.
From their set up it may be forgiven for anticipating a Coral tribute band when faced with Nothing Yet, the last act of tonight. Thank god they’re not. Brimming with over confidence that touches on arrogance they crash into their opener only to be stopped short by the lack of bass. Bass plugged in, they produce a fairly unfocused noise of spiralling electrics, funky bass and incoherent vocals. It’s a shaky start however Nothing Yet show some promising early signs. As their set progresses, they become tighter and the keys are a welcome addition providing Muse-like riffs at times. Psychedelic, acoustic driven ‘Here we are again’ is the highlight perfectly illustrating the bands ability to integrate quiet/loud dynamics and still manage to produce a listenable melody. Still there is the feeling however that Nothing Yet are attempting to cram too much into each song producing a pleasant enough noise but one that lacks direction and focus.
It’s Kobai who are The Lick’s winners tonight but really, what do we know? At the time of press, the victors had yet to be announced however from here they will progress to the regional then grand finals where £1000 of studio time is up for grabs. Whoever’s victorious, we should all get our arses in gear and support Glasgow’s hopefuls. I mean we can’t let those east side poshos win now can we. Westside.
Godfrey McFall
>> 19th October 2005
It’s The Edinburgers versus The Weegies, The Snobs v The Neds, The Yas meet The Chavs. Stereotypes aside, Carling’s East meets West showdown is a battle of the bands like no other and tonight the ‘Westside’ are getting in about it. Of course, there are the standard sweaty teenagers, snoggers in the corner and girls being comforted by embarrassed pals as they spew up that ‘final vodka coke’. Don’t be fooled though, tonight is serious. Tonight is more than just a chance to get laid or prance about on stage for half an hour. Tonight is a real opportunity to impress and for the lucky few, a chance to kick-start their journey to stardom. Some dubious middle aged people linger around the edges of the crowd meticulously analysing the moves of each and every band. Most likely to be proud parents, there is always the chance that EMI have dropped in to check out what Scotland’s got to offer in the form of new talent.
With slight trepidation Send For Walter enter stage left. Being first up on a night like this is never easy and it isn’t until late in their set that the three guys and a gal from Ayr get into their stride. Nervously they stumble through their opening tracks and only some Sons and Daughters-esq harmonies save the early moments from being instantly forgettable. It may be nerves, however you get the feeling there is something missing from their sound. At their best they are a gritty Supergrass with nods towards Jefferson Airplane, but the feeling lingers that they really need an extra guitar or some more imaginative synth parts to fill out and innovate their sound. Coming to the end of their slot, the band noticeably relaxes and impresses with the thumping ‘Running Out’, an angry cross of Small Faces quirkiness and Kings of Leon confidence. Final track, ‘Only When It’s Dark’ is just as promising however still there is an immaturity to Send For Walter that taints an otherwise tuneful and melodic show.
Immediately it is abundantly clear that Kobai are a little different. To a monkey-like chant of ‘Kobai’ the six Glasgow boys jump head first into their aptly named opener ‘Serotonin’. A Kasabian meets The Music classic, within seconds Kobai establish themselves as the band of the moment. Style and self-assurance pours from the hairy, model types and it’s hard not to cynically suggest they are the work of the record industry production line. Cynicism firmly out the window, second track ‘Shattered’ gives no breathing space as they tear through an edgy and brash guitar fuelled romp akin to Funeral for a Friend (minus the yelping drummer). Alacritous drumming, psychedelic synths and pounding bass lines continue to blow the onlookers collective mind as Kobai plough through two more tracks that would easily revitalise The Cooper Temple Clause fading career. Electro madness follows as long haired duo Chris Jarvie and Ross Hinton bear down on the synthesizer. ‘170’ is a track so fresh and innovative it’s a real surprise Soulwax didn’t write it first. A welcome break for the knackered performers comes in the form of ‘Undone’, a slow almost 80’s sounding electronic amble where petite vocalist, Ross Hinton is left in the limelight to carry the hallucinogenic, spacey mess. It’s the combination of musical simplicity and complex masterful synths that makes Kobai’s electro-dance rock so appealing. And it couldn’t be more showcased than in their closing track ‘Uber Techno’ which spews innovation and originality all over the now sweaty and slightly bedazzled crowd. Slightly stunned, we all return to reality where unsigned bands just simply aren’t this bloody good. Kobai are sure to be playing in a small shady pub near you soon, catch them before the record labels do.
What’s worse than trotting on first is being billed after a band like Kobai, whose power and energy is sure to intimidate any established act never mind an unsigned one. Forgotten Sunday however aren’t fazed and start their set with just as much vigour and passion as their predecessors. Touting an emo fuelled, punked up sound, Forgotten Sunday pile through a couple of heavily US influenced tunes akin to Taking Back Sunday or Rival Schools. New track ‘Sign of The Times’ is fairly bog standard lacking in inspiration and diversity. Not much better is ‘Remember Me’ which starts promisingly with a haunting picked guitar riff, only to predictably descend into a bit of a distorted dirge. It’s not that Forgotten Sunday are a bad outfit. In fact, their technically sound, have plenty of catchy expressive melodies and great quiet/loud dynamics, they’re just on the wrong side of the Atlantic and a few years too late. They’d find far more success and critical acclaim in Dallas than Drumchapel. It’s music for the middle class, confused, angsty teenagers who believe the world is against them and music is their only salvation. It’s music a lot of us struggle to relate to and in many ways there’s nothing hugely wrong with it. It’s just so inoffensive and so basic, it verges on being ironically ‘forgotten’.
From their set up it may be forgiven for anticipating a Coral tribute band when faced with Nothing Yet, the last act of tonight. Thank god they’re not. Brimming with over confidence that touches on arrogance they crash into their opener only to be stopped short by the lack of bass. Bass plugged in, they produce a fairly unfocused noise of spiralling electrics, funky bass and incoherent vocals. It’s a shaky start however Nothing Yet show some promising early signs. As their set progresses, they become tighter and the keys are a welcome addition providing Muse-like riffs at times. Psychedelic, acoustic driven ‘Here we are again’ is the highlight perfectly illustrating the bands ability to integrate quiet/loud dynamics and still manage to produce a listenable melody. Still there is the feeling however that Nothing Yet are attempting to cram too much into each song producing a pleasant enough noise but one that lacks direction and focus.
It’s Kobai who are The Lick’s winners tonight but really, what do we know? At the time of press, the victors had yet to be announced however from here they will progress to the regional then grand finals where £1000 of studio time is up for grabs. Whoever’s victorious, we should all get our arses in gear and support Glasgow’s hopefuls. I mean we can’t let those east side poshos win now can we. Westside.
Godfrey McFall
