The Hug and Pint Endless Summer gig season is in full swing and what better way for me to go to my first of several nights in August than to see Carla J Easton play a selection of songs from her upcoming album Sugar Honey.
Before Carla we were treated to two very different, but equally impressive sets from Kohla and Ruby Gaines (as a massive Prince fan I keep wanting to type Rosie!).
Kohla’s album Romance is due to be released soon with an album launch gig in Sneaky Petes, The Hug and Pint served as a perfect warm up for her. Alongside violinist, and lifetime friend, Louisa, she treated the early gatherers to her favourite self penned neo soul compositions (“they’re all my favourites” she joked) showing how she has developed as an artist through lockdown since her earlier EP release. Those heading for Sneaky Petes will be in for a treat with the addition of a harpist for the launch show. Don’t let that delicately soulful vocal fool you though, despite the apparent fragility and she fairly packs a punch, both emotionally and lyrically.
And talking of voices. Have you ever had that experience, the one where you’ve never heard someone sing before, then when they start to sing, you stand there slack-jawed in disbelief, wondering just where that vocal came from? That was my experience with Ruby Gaines, a singer I was unfamiliar with up until now. Ruby is very self effacing when she speaks, very funny and amiable, then she opens her mouth to sing. Wow. I was gobsmacked, her honeyed vocal seemed to come from a different time and place. 1950s smokey basement jazz bar silky smooth, with an edge to it like Billie Holiday. Stunningly good. Seek out the music of Ruby Gaines. I demand it.
What can I say about Carla that hasn’t been said before, very little I would wager, suffice to say, a Carla J Easton gig does not disappoint. Carla and her four piece band filled the snug Hug and Pint stage, whilst also filling the room with their wondrous sounds. Opening with the double whammy of Girl From Before and Wanting What I Can’t Have from Impossible Stuff, Carla and Co. set their stall out and the tone for the rest of the night. The third of three powerful female voices for the evening, Carla never ceases to astound and impress, the power and vivacity of that vocal. It’s true what they say, great things come on small packages.
Following her call to arms for all us Weirdo’s out there, Carla referenced an interview she’d just done, where she talked about her new album being uncool, before she treated us to a quartet of superb songs from said album, starting with title track Sugar Honey, a scathing attack on predatory men. It sounded pretty fucking cool to me. I’m quite happy to be tagged as uncool if that’s the case. Every Little Bit if My Heart followed alongside One Week with the bombastic Be Ok finishing the quartet of sublime new songs. Carla was on top form between songs, regaling us with tales of toxic relationships (at one point railing about an ex “he had more and more Andrew Tate like qualities” with a wry smile as she realised what she said and repeated “qualities” while smirking).
We were in for a treat with the final triumvirate of tracks, new album track Blooming 4U sandwiched between the wonderful Get Lost from Weirdo and the set closer which, for the win, was a triumphant version of Attack of the Glam Soul Cheerleaders from Homemade Lemonade. If you haven’t already done so, get your pre-orders in now for Sugar Honey, to coin a phrase from Carla “uncool is the new cool”.
Carla thanked Kohla and Ruby for joining her as part of this engaging trio of artists, and also the Hug and Pint for championing women in music. There are plenty of other superb acts coming up as part of Endless Summer, but it would be remiss of me not to at least mention another gig I’d managed to catch earlier in the day.
Glasgow is hosting the UCI World Cycling Championships with a fan/entertainment zone in George Square featuring a music stage. The first act (of many to come) I caught there was Brontes. A band who are certainly on the up and up and are really going places with each gig they play honing their sound and creating a huge soundscape in doing so. The band sounded massive on the big stage, their funk powered indie bangers filling the air in and around the Square with their sublime sounds being enjoyed by fans old and new, and of all ages, getting into their ”Groove”. Their debut single First Hand Arrogance was unleashed in style encouraging some dancing and foot tapping before ending their excellent set with He’s Not a Racist. The band have a single launch show coming in The Hug and Pint in September. Be there or be uncool. Oh wait, it’s cool to be uncool. Be there…
