T Break
>> T Break Showcases
>> King Tuts
>> 11th - 14th May 2006
Glasgow was again host to 4 of the showcase gigs for the fantastic T Break competition which decides what lucky 12 acts get through to grace the stage at T in the Park.
LickMag.com was there for all 4 gruelling nights of stiff competition, and the wide range of musical styles once again proves that T Break and Scottish music is getting bigger and better every year.
Thursday the 11th kicked things off, and a packed King Tuts is the just the best place to see live music – and tonight is no exception. The night has a very heavy theme to it, with Civilised, Magdalena, NLD and For Your Sins aiming for the ‘metal’ section of HMV but for me Endor are the highlight of the evening. Having released their debut single Hold On this month (reviewed in the demos section), their vocals and songwriting lift them up above the rest.
Friday night’s event was by far the strongest line-up of the 4 days, kicking off with a solid performance from electronic heroes Ives. On another night they might have been better received but it’s the sort of music that isn’t best suited for a live gig unless you afford some fancy lasers and some class A drugs…
Edinburgh-based Hip Hop dudes 3 style, take the night up a notch with some fantastic beats and clever lyrics. Some mic problems and some edgy comments to the crowd don’t prevent from 3 Style going down an absolute storm, and with a fantastic sample of Jimi’s Crosstown Traffic they leave the stage triumphant. Edinburgh’s other favourite sons The Acute follow, and even if the singer’s attitude doesn’t sit well with everyone, they have some stonking riffs and the man with the sticks is simply fabulous.
OBE’s funky-ass beats may well send them through to the T tent, but they also win the prize for best haircut from the amazing bass player and the much-anticipated Yellow Bentines provide an entertaining show – even if the music lacked a little substance. Indie 4-piece Bwana Devil finish the night off in style with some well-written songs and beautiful harmonies.
Saturday provided a slight surprise with opening band Futuro. Having had such a great night previously it was a tough ask to begin proceedings, but Futuro powered their way through a fantastic set with some We Are Scientists-like rock and are definitely fighting for a place in the tent. Joy Division – No, sorry - Kings Die Kings disappoint with a ridiculously un-original set and Reograd also fail to grab the ears.
Injuns from the Isle of Skye lighten the mood with some jazz influenced, trumpet solo’s and a great live performance, whilst Tinrokit have one-or-two strong tunes with brilliantly Scottish lyrics - ‘The club is always, always heaving, with every kind of sexual deviant’ - that may well take the Edinburgh 3-piece through to T.
And so to the final evening of the T Break showcase gigs for another year, and local favourites How to Swim open up with their own Glasgow based brand of the Polyphonic Spree. A great live show and it’s just a bit disappointing that Tuts hasn’t quite filled for their lively carnival set. Exit Pilot drive the night forward with some pounding rock and/or roll, but the Liam wannabe singer lets the side down a little from an otherwise powerful set. The possibly clinically insane Some Young Pedro don’t really add anything spectacular to the evening who’s music can’t really be described in words, but never-the-less put on an entertaining show and a few heads may start to bob if you’re into that sort thing.
Singer/songwriter had the enviable task of trying to hush a lively crowd with his Jeff Buckley style vocals and acoustic wizard-ry, but did so with style. The intelligent Emo rock of Think:Fire also adds to the interesting night and along with a good front-man have some very inventive guitar work going on. Solarlise finish up the evening with a steady set but don’t really show signs of the spark needed from a kick-ass band, although they seem to be trying their best with tight tunes and matching outfits.
So, after the dust had settled, here’s my top five from the Glasgow nights (in no order).
1- Futuro - www.myspace.com/wearefuturo
2- 3 Style - www.myspace.com/3styleuk
3- Bwana Devil - www.myspace.com/bwanadevilmusic
4- The Acute - www.myspace.com/acute
5- Endor - www.myspace.com/endor
It was another fantastic T Break event, and time will only tell who gets the opportunity to play at T in the Park. Rawk on.
>> Joe Sach
www.tbreak.co.uk
