Bikini Body/Water Machine/Jock Fox/Sacred Noise – First Footing – live in The Hug and Pint

This gig was brought to you by 432 presents. And COWBELLS!

In my world you can never have too many cowbells so this gig felt like cowbell utopia.

All joking aside, the abundance of cowbells that ran throughout most of the bands sets tonight was only a small contributing part of what made this the perfect gig to start my music year off with a bang.

Tonight was the perfect tonic for the January blues. Despite being known as Mr Christmas in some quarters, I didn’t really “feel” Christmas last year, so there wasn’t the usual post Christmas comedown, just a general feeling of malaise and relief that the shitshow of 2022 is now in the past. Also, a combination of train strikes and that January skint feeling meant driving to the gig so was I flying solo under an enforced dry January…while it would have been nice to have a pint or two, at the end of the day, the music was all I needed.

What this night proved once again (as if I didn’t know) is that live music is like an essential element for life itself, as important as oxygen, as necessary as the blood pumping around your body. What is life without music?

The venue first and foremost. One of my favourites. The Hug and Pint is aptly named, it always feels like a friendly and welcoming hug when you enter, and the venue downstairs is an intimate setting ensuring you feel part of the occasion no matter where you are. I just missed out the pint part this time…

Then of course, there was the stellar line up.

Sacred Noise

It seemed fitting that the band I saw live most often in 2022 was the first band I saw live in 2023. If you’ve followed the blog, you’ll have heard me banging on about Sacred Noise relentlessly. And with good reason. I’m not backward in telling anyone who will listen how much I fucking love this band. In fact I’ll tell people even if they aren’t listening. The band were hard wired to stun with their performance. Every time I see them, they’re see me to add something to their sound. A little bit harder, a little bit heavier, a little bit edgier. This set was no exception. From the off, Anna’s guitar seared it’s way into your psyche, Sam was as laidback as ever as he played some heavy bass, Kirstin’s performance, especially during the now infamous Baby Doll more theatrical and Robbie’s manic drumming almost having the kick drum escape from them during their set close such was his furious playing. 2023 will see the release of more of the bands recorded music to add to Taste in Men and one of my songs of 2022, Part of Me. The year is already shaping up nicely.

Jock Fox

Jock Fox was a new name for me. And one which I need to explore further. This EDM performer had me transfixed from the moment the first electronic beats from his laptop boomed from the amps. Being a gentleman of a certain vintage, while listening to the set, the reference points Jock played to in my head points were a combination of Suicide, Nitzer Ebb and Cabaret Voltaire, with a bit of Joy Division thrown in for good measure. Through his performance, yelps and screams, dance moves, engaging stare and use of two mics introducing an element of reverb, Jock also purveyed a certain sense of underlying menace, channelling a spirit similar to that of the late, great Dale Barclay. The wonderful surprise package of the night for me.

Water Machine

Next up it was the turn of the inimitable and undefinable Water Machine to entertain. And by god did they entertain. The band has certainly been making waves in the Glasgow music scene in the last year, their live reputation causing great anticipation and stomach churning excitement for anyone (I.e me) who hadn’t yet been fortunate to catch a live performance from the effervescent quartet. Tonight Hando, Jimmy, Flore and Goda were on fire. I don’t think the broad grin left my face for the entirety of their highly engaging and humorously captivating set. When I asked the band in my interview on the eve of the gig what I could expect from their gig, the emphasis in their responses was that they want to make gigs a fun event. And that they did, in bucketloads. With the four dressed loosely in their farm theme for the night -Jimmy and Flore farmhands, Hando a cow and Goda a snake – Weird farm right? – exactly the fucking point. You get exactly what you don’t expect from Water Machine. Already the band have a fervent following with shouts for Pat (a song about Flore’s dog) being batted off by Hando. The band getting everyone singing along to the likes Waiting for Goda, the set rock n rolling between laidback, Pastels/slacker stylings to full on hardcore punk energy, all the while with Flore’s thumping bass keeping a solid rhythm alongside Goda’s glorious cowbell heavy drumming style, all bolstered with Hando’s violin (Flowers was dazzling). 2023 is Water Machine’s year for the taking. Roll on the 21st of January when I’m going to catch them all over again supporting The Cool Greenhouse.

Bikini Body

Unlike Jock Fox, I knew of the music of Bikini Body and of their reputation for electrically charged arresting live performances. From the off, the boundless spirit and animated vitality was on show. Vicky like a furious ball of pent up defiance exploding in front of us as she threw everything into her performance from the get go, channelling the vim and vigour of Ari Up and Poly Styrene. She, and the band with their full force, funked up, punk infused, attitude fuelled songs had the audience eating out the palms of their hands. Every song performed from So Posh to Georgie Weaver and Chivas Dunhills Coke to Late Bloomer evoking an exuberantly joyous reaction, the crowd singing lyrics back with unerring enthusiastic zeal, with Daily Mail whipping up a frenzied fervour and Vicky escalating this to a heightened state of pogoing and body slamming with her foray into the pit for the last couple of songs including their latest release Young Dad. You can be sure that this will just be the first of many trips to see Bikini Body.

The rest of January’s gigs have a lot to live up to!

All photographs courtesy of BlackMagicPlastic – Instagram