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Glasgow ABC, Sunday 4th March

+ King Blues and Circuits
18th March 2007 - Glasgow QMU

There may have been sleet, snow and sub-zero temperatures outside, but in the QMU it could have been mid-summer – with an evening of reggae-tinged rock and good vibes courtesy of Canada’s finest - Bedouin Soundclash, featuring support from London indie-popsters Circuits and up-and-coming Hackney folk-punk-dub sextet the King Blues.

Having begun life in 2000 playing house parties at University in their native Kingston, Ontario, Bedouin Soundclash certainly know how to entertain a crowd, generating an instant party atmosphere with their unique blend of buoyant reggae rock and dynamic junglist style beats.

Playing a set drawing predominantly from their 2004 album, Bedouin had the Glasgow crowd dancing and singing from start to finish. Equal parts boisterous and soulful, the band mesmerised the QMU audience with song after song of good-time-vibes including the raucous “Shelter” and laid back acoustic “Jeb Rand” – based on the 1974 film “Pursued” – and of course their hit single and crowd favourite, the sublime “when the Night Hears My Song” to rapturous applause.

For me the high point of the set came with the trio’s rendition of Vern Maytone’s reggae classic “Money Worries”, with the singing from the crowd threatening to drown out the sound onstage, to the obvious delight of Jay Malinowski, the act’s singer and guitarist – who exclaimed in obvious sincerity “I’m falling in love with Glasgow tonight”. Judging by the crowd’s reaction, the feeling was mutual.

> Iain Taylor

Club NME, The Arches – March 15th 2007

The wonderfully atmospheric Arches plays host to the weekly Glasgow arm of Club NME, a nationwide attempt by said music mag to merge gig going and after show clubbing, with resident DJs on hand to spin the tunes as soon as the acts have vacated the stage. It’s a nifty concept, eliminating the tedium of being turfed out at the end of a gig only to queue to get back into the same venue for the club.

Tonight’s occasion is the launch of ‘Lights Out’, the new single from power pop threesome Futuro. Before the boys can show off their wares, however, early arrivals in the audience are treated to support from nicely named mentalists The Plimptons.

It’s all about the comedy with this lot, with onstage costumes running the gamut from nun to chimney sweep, and including a male bass player who was so convincing in a dress that I only realised he was a bloke after reading his name on their website after the gig.

The ramshackle Plimptons gleefully rip the proverbial pish out of a spectrum of musical styles and clichés, with a particular penchant, it seems, for poking fun at ‘Britishness’ in its various guises. It’s all good fun but, like efforts from fellow pop jesters Goldie Lookin Chain, might not hold up to repeated listens at home without the distraction of the onstage slapstick.

The supremely polished Futuro have no time for such tomfoolery, launching into their punchy set with the minimum of fuss and chat.

Not a note is wasted, with urgent riffs, angular guitar and clipped vocals drawing obvious but complimentary comparisons with The Killers, or a less arty and arch Franz Ferdinand. The three person set up naturally lends itself to their pared down approach, the restrained lead guitar and driving bass mirroring and underpinning the vocal melody rather than running off an indulgent tangent.

Futuro describe themselves as a “truly self contained unit”, handling all of their own recording, audio and video production, promotion and design. This tight knit ethos is writ large in their live performance, where their precision, professionalism and taciturn presence leave them just the right side of anal.

The only downside is that the material loses the power to surprise fairly quickly, falling neatly into the genre of terse, sparse pop rock already mined to great effect by the likes of Bloc Party and the aforementioned Killers.

Personally speaking, however, this is preferable to and less tiresome than the enforced wackiness of scamps such as The Plimptons.

‘Lights Out’ is out now, with live dates also lined up for April at Firewater, Glasgow and Carnegie Hall, Dunfermline. Check out http://www.wearefuturo.com/ for further info on the band’s quest for world domination.

Words: Annie McLaughlin

Photos: John Summers

ABC2 - 21st February 2007

Tonight the ABC2 (one of Glasgows better small venues with a capacity of around 300) is packed out with punters waiting to catch a rare headline show from one of British Rock's
best kept secrets, Reuben. Support is provided by local(ish) boys Sucio Perro.

First to take the stage, however, is the sublime Red Light Company, whose perfect brand of
indie-pop comes across like someone has mashed up the best bits of the Killers with the
Arcade Fire. They seem rather out of place when compared with the other two acts on tonight's bill, but nevertheless they capture the attention of everyone in the room, and extract a deafening applause from the crowd by the the end of their set. Tonight's show is only their third as a band, which is unbelievable considering how many veteran bands aren't even this tight.

It may be a plea for more 'friends' but it transpires during their set that they have less than 100 people added to their myspace. It was up to 112 by the time i got round to checking it out, but I still urge you to do the same (www.myspace.com/redlightcompany).

Up next are Sucioperro, who clearly have more than a few fans in tonight. This could be due in large part to the fact that frontman Dragon collaborated on high profile side project Marmaduke Duke with Biffy Clyro's Simon Neil.

It seems as though Sucioperro can't decide if they want to be radio rock, or something more alternative. Cramming more ideas into one song than most bands do in a whole album, it just doesn't work because half the ideas are crap and it all comes across as pretentious rather than clever, jumping from something your mum could enjoy to full-on metal beatdowns at the drop of a hat. They try to put on a good live show by jumping from the drum riser and lurching forward against the barrier whilst holding their guitars high above the crowd, and give the devil horns at every available opportunity. To me, however, it all seems a bit arrogant, and whilst it works in near enough their home town, you can't help thinking that their heightened stage antics might inspire less enthusiasm elsewhere.

Reuben, on the other hand, are a band that aren't about scenes, genres, pretention or haircuts. Their riff heavy tunes are hard to pigeon hole. Jamie Lenman's gutteral roar is distinctive enough to set the band apart from their peers, and they occupy an odd position which is not quite metal, but not quite screamo, and too heavy to be straight-up rock.

The band are touring to promote their new DVD, 'What Happens in Aldershot, Stays in Aldershot', which is being filmed on tour and also in the studio whilst recording their new album. The band take to the stage wearing foam rubber helmets in homage to the cover of WHIASIA, with Lenman wearing naught but a hospital gown and boxers, the former we later learn he half-inched from a local hospital whilst being treated for an as yet un-cured bout of food poisoning. The show doesn't suffer for it though, and their live performance is just as energetic as any gig they've ever played before. The band seem to be in good spirits, and could definitely be put up for a 'Cheeriest Live Band Ever' award. They crack jokes about shitting between songs, and Lenman replaces screams with falsetto parts, thus surprising bandmates to the extent that bassist Jon can't stop laughing until the end of the song. Reuben hammer out track after track from debut Racecar is Racecar Backwards and 2004's Very Fast Very Dangerous, as well as throwing in a few new tracks for good measure.

Reuben have such energy and onstage charisma that it's impossible to have a bad time at their shows, and they're the sort of band that you could see every night for a year and still enjoy. And you get the feeling that they'd be up for it, too.

> Jono Bolton

The last time I saw these guys play live, they were filming the video for their new single ‘Wound Up’ and had the normally subdued sleazys crowd (as anyone who attends the Nice ‘n’ Sleazys open mic will know) chanting “Amps! Amps! Amps!”, whilst laughing along with front-men Al Nero and Scott Maples’ oddly geeky yet fantastic banter. Fresh back from supporting Brakes on the Scottish leg of their U.K tour, the Aberdonian quartet did not disappoint this time around.

Their set is a mix of old and new as they kick of with the sprightly paced ‘If You Want a Lover’, before playing some material from their 1st album. Soon after, they launch straight into some songs from their forthcoming set, with joyful country number ‘Beautiful’ and the 7/8 fanfare of ‘How You Did Me Wrong’ standing out as the most irresistibly addictive tracks. The thing about the Amps is, love them or hate them, their songs are so catchy that you are almost guaranteed to find yourself humming at least one tune the next day, and the show they put on is always entertaining.

Sounding like a spaghetti western gone mad, it’s hard to pin them into any particular genre, with the next few tracks sounding like a warped mixture of Country meets Frank Black. People start to dance as they loosen up, and the end of the gig really gives testament to the band’s ability to please a crowd. They round up the evening with a mashed up version of ‘Once You Know’ that periodically stops and starts, then seamlessly breaks into Cher’s ‘If I Could Turn Back Time’. Bouncy new single ‘Wound Up’ is saved for the finale, and as the band perform it they freeze on stage for a good minute or so near the end of the song - much to the confusion of a mostly drunken crowd - before picking up the riff right where they left off and finishing their set in style.

After the gig, I managed to catch up with the Amps very own Al Nero, who kindly agreed to answer some questions about the band…

The Lick: Congrats on a good show! We understand you have just returned from touring with Brakes, that must have been quite something…

Al Nero: Yeah it was great, a few rock'n'roll tales but y'know what happens on the road stays on the road right? We're all fans of Brakes music so it was good to play with a band we all enjoy. Plus we went down really well at all the gigs… which doesn't hurt.

The Lick: We were talking earlier about trying to pin Le Reno Amps into a particular genre and I heard someone describe the band as ‘Alternative Country’, would you agree with that?

Al: I guess alternative country is a strong element of our music, especially on the latest album. Scott and myself do the writing and we both listen to a lot of different stuff, but kind of meet in the middle somewhere… I guess you could say Leonard Cohen, Cat Stevens, and Johnny Cash are the classic songwriters… especially Cohen. Then there’s Beck, Cake, Violent Femmes, The Pixies, things that are maybe seen as a little left field but as long as there's a good song at the heart of it, we're up for it.

The Lick: The new single is sounding good, what’s the rest of the new album going to be like?

Al: Thank you. I guess you could say it's our stab at doing a really coherent sounding record. With the first album we we're trying to capture that lo-fi mixtape, everything but the kitchen sink sound. This time we just wanted to have a set of really strong songs and record them as well as we could. It all sounds really fresh!

The Lick: So I take it you guys will be touring the new album then?

Al: We're touring Scotland in April and the rest of the UK in May. There’s a bunch of Album launch gigs around Scotland, the closest to here being Firewater in Glasgow on Thursday 5th April. It's the Horrorshow Clubnight too so it should be really good. Then there's others including Aberdeen and Inverness. We also have a few dates at the end of April supporting Electric Soft Parade. Then come May we're doing a bunch of dates around the UK with a great band called Actress Hands… So yes, you could say we're quite busy at the mo! But looking forward to it as ever.

Lick: It certainly does seem like it’s going to be a busy few months for you, what do you reckon the future holds for Le Reno Amps?

Al: I guess we'll be plugging away at promoting this album most of the year, hopefully do a couple of festivals in the summer, and providing things all fare well we'll maybe try and get in the studio again later in the year to work on record number 3. For now though, all our energy is going into ‘So For Your Thrills...’

The Lick: Nice one, cheers for talking to us.

Al: No problem min!

Le Reno Amps new album ‘So For Your Thrills…’ is released on Monday 9th April on Pet Piranha Records.

www.lerenoamps.com

soldiering on as screams and feedback drift down the stairs. Tonight though, Popup have decided that they can compete with the guitar-shredding disharmony above our heads; and they do it spectacularly.

The scottish quartet are on their way to Texas this week, having been invited to perform at South by South West. Tonight is their "Warm up party" and dancing is the order of the evening.

The set begins at blistering pace with recent single, "Chinese Burn" and doesn't slow down until a wonderfully rendered cover version of the Dougie MacLean penned Frank Miller classic, "Caledonia". Afterwards - of course - the pace picks up again and the band close their set with first single, "Lucy, What Are You Trying To Say?".

Popup are a strange amalgamation of all that's good in Scottish music. Similar in style to the jaggy pop of Franz Ferdinand and early Delgados, their lyrical style and delivery owes a deliberate nod to the Yummy Fur's John McKeown, and the pictures that Damian Gilhooly
paints in Popup's songs are reminiscent of the brighter moments of Arab Strap.

With such an interesting blend of apparent influences it could be considered difficult to pigeon-hole the band, but that's probably a good thing and I'm sure that the girls dancing down at the front don't really care. In fact, this is one of the most striking and enjoyable things about Popup. The energy and enthusiasm the band exude from the stage is hard to ignore and is lapped up avidly by the excited fans at the front.

So... South by South West awaits. And if American music-lovers enjoy this band as much as those in the Barfly did tonight, then Popup could be coming home from the states feeling very appreciated indeed.

Popup will be back in Glasgow Barfly for the venue's 5th Birthday party on the 4th May.

> Words and Photos: Neil Milton

The Garage, Glasgow
5th March

After a lengthy and considerably soggy jaunt to the Garage I arrived just in time to meet a mass of Drive By Arguement fans gathering steadily on the lower floor. Not only was this another packed out gig for the Ayrshire based band, but a celebration and launch night for the latest single, The Sega Method.
The third date in their current UK tour was jumping with rowdy Glaswegians partial to toppling a pint or two over each other, but amidst the madness and one punch up which occured, Drive By Argument were a runaway success.
Lead singer Stewart 'Stoke' Brock was the perfect gentleman, dedicating several songs to their loyal followers whilst delivering a set of fast-paced synth based tunes built to give Panic! a run for their money.

Drive By Argument's new single The Sega Method is available for download from iTunes and the limited edition vinyl is in available in Virgin and HMV

Words: Fiona Reid

Photo: Chris Baldie

Nice ‘n’ Sleazy - February 27th 2007

It’s a brave soul who’ll sit cross legged on the floor in Sleazy’s, exposing their rear end to years of spilled beer, Glasgow pavement sludge and the odd spew stain.
It’s also somewhat disconcerting to witness, with the row of lotus legged gig goers lounging in front of the stage at tonight’s show calling to mind a toddlers group settling down for pre-afternoon nap story time.

The ‘I’m so laid back I’m horizontal’ vibe permeates the pre-gig atmosphere, chiming nicely with the little I know about tonight’s headliners, New York based purveyors of floaty, airy, keyboard indie, Au Revoir Simone.

First support act Wake the President kick off proceedings by shocking the lazy arses down the front to their feet with a ten minute long thrash metal number.

Not really.

The Glasgow four piece walk a fine line, following in the footsteps of fellow countrymen Belle and Sebastian, Arab Strap and even Del Amitri by pulling off lyrics which are both sardonic and self deprecating and melodies at once mellow and jaunty. They even manage to get away with copious jumper wearing and trousers with braces, a talent in itself.

Second up are the intriguingly named Down the Tiny Steps, self proclaimed ‘folk-rockers’ fronted by Fence Collective collaborator Jonnie Common. Jonnie delivers his lyrics in a half Scots rap, half sung monologue while the band behind him veer wildly between folk, acoustic pop, morose indie, funk and electronica. The guitarist’s Hank Marvinesque moments and Common’s witty lyrical observations prompt my mate to describe them as “The Divine Comedy meets The Shadows” which seems as good a description as any.

When Au Revoir Simone finally glide on stage, it’s a bit like that scene in Lord of the Rings where the hobbits are awestruck after seeing the elves in the forest. The three women exude an air of willowy, ethereal, arty cool which makes everyone else in the room seem a lot shorter, grubbier and, well, Scottish.

Any impression of aloofness disappears as soon as ‘the Simone’ get underway. Their dreamy, unaffected indie pop is endearingly interspersed with rambling onstage digressions about how great Glasgow is and a mini stage invasion by some (politely) eager fans.

It’s no small feat for a solely keyboard based band to sustain an atmosphere in a live setting, but the set ebbs and flows nicely, the band alternating perfectly between catchy, upbeat synth numbers and soporific, wistful tunes reminiscent of Stereolab and Air.

By the time the lights come back up, Au Revoir Simone have floated off again, leaving a gaggle of dreamy eyed hobbits to wander upstairs and back into the rainy reality of Sauchiehall Street in February. If the band’s hectic touring schedule is anything to go by though, it won’t be long before they grace us with their presence again. Au Revoir then, but not goodbye.

18th February - King Tuts

With the release of their first full-length album in over five years, Capdown have exploded back onto the UK tour scene armed with new material, a new member and a new zest for live performance. Lick Magazine sits down with singer and saxophonist Jake Simms-Fielding for a laid-back mid tour chat.

"This feels like a new start to be honest" says the surprisingly mild-mannered front man of the band's latest offering 'Wind Up Toys'. "We wanted to release a record that we knew our fans would like whilst introducing them to new aspects of the music that we're interested in. We've got a fifth member of the band now so I think the sound has changed quite a bit. We've been doing this a long time so we just wanted to experiment with the sound a bit."

Capdown started as four school friends growing up in a small town outside Milton-Keynes. They first graced our stages 6 years ago as a ska-punk outfit renowned for both their high-energy live shows and their unfaltering work ethic. Playing up to 250 shows in a year they have built up a huge fan base in the UK, Europe and Japan. So, why the five year break?

"The scene was changing a lot," explains Simms-Fielding. "We played a ridiculous amount of shows to support our first two records and wanted to take a bit of time out. A lot of people had commented a couple of years ago that the live show wasn't as aggressive or as energetic. I think that that energy is back."

First up were Surrey six-piece The JB Conspiracy, a good solid ska outfit that put in a fun, lively performance. Enjoyable, but nothing to write home about. Howard's Alias were next to grace the stage with their ear-grabbing take on reggae-rock. Opening with fan favourite 'Rabbit In Headlights' they continued through a flowing, riff-laden set. Not even a 10-minute setback with the bass amp could stop front man Matthew Reynolds striving to entertain the crowd, promptly launching into an impromptu rendition of the Postman Pat theme tune. A great set from a very professional band.

Three hours after his claim that Capdown had re-found their passion for live performance, Simms-Fielding eagerly proved it. Racing around the humble King Tut's stage, he worked the packed room like a seasoned pro. A seamless blend of old and new kept the crowd, and the band, bouncing and singing along throughout the hour-long performance and made sure no one in the venue was let down.

20th February - Nice'n'Sleazys

What do you do when you’re just another Glasgow band trying to get noticed? According to the buzz-worthy band The Ads you work really hard, make fun, catchy music, and get people talking about your live performances. The band, who consist of four artfully disheveled, earnest and laid-back musicians, have been in their current configuration for about a year. The Ads are: David “Murphy” Murphy on bass, Colin “Dave” McLaughlin on lead guitar, “Kemy” on vocals and Matt “Matty” Roberts on drums. While the nicknames are cute, the band is dead serious. And their future is bright. Named one of the Sun’s Top 7 Bands of 2007 as well as News of the World’s “Gig of the Week”, the band is in the studio twice a week and onstage upwards of three times a month.

As for mounting the formidable precipice that is becoming an “it” band, The Ads are on their way up. Along with the press accolades, the group sold out King Tut’s in January, a major milestone along any band’s journey. Next is catching a record deal. “Getting signed this year is a must, really,” Kemy says, “there’s a few [record labels] hovering around, promising.” The band is due to hit the studio and record a demo this month, a pressing which will consist of all new material. They’ll then hit the road and continue perfecting their live performances and working the fan base. They’re optimistic. “It’s an ideal time for us,” Kemy adds, and with all the hard work, the good press and the persistent buzz surrounding their live shows, it’s no wonder they feel this way. With upcoming shows at Barfly, Oran Mor and Glasgow School of Art there should be plenty of opportunities for those hovering A&R people to get down to business with The Ads. They’re not so much trying to get noticed anymore as keeping up the good notices. Just another Glasgow band? Not with this kind of year ahead of them.

Photography: John McGowan