Music is good for the soul
Music is good for your very being, listening to some of your favourite music in a live environment does make a difference.
There is an element of unfairness here. So many creative, artistic people are struck by mental health illness yet music itself has the ability to lift the soul and raise the spirits. It certainly forms an important part in keeping my body and soul together. Granted it is not the only thing, but without it, there would be a black hole…
If Carlsberg made Friday night gigs in Glasgow…
Duncan Reid and the Big Heads would be headlining, with Airdrie late 70’s punk legends Reaction and young rock stars in the making PowderKeg…
Oh, wait…
Substitute Mainy for Carlsberg and the dream becomes a reality.
Mainy
Alex “Mainy” Main has played a blinder in his last two gigs as a live promoter (the same line up played Bannermans in Edinburgh on Saturday). An inspired, hand-picked line-up from a man who I can say I have the pleasure of knowing. Mainy is one of life’s good guys, one of those one-off people you meet in life that make a difference. A genuine warm human being. I just need to read the comments on the Facebook post he made to thank people following the gig to know I am not the only person that thinks this.
Cheers Mainy, you have made a difference to many people. Enjoy going to gigs with Kelly as a punter in the future. Take a bow.
Duncan Reid & the Big Heads
For the third year in a row, he brought Duncan Reid and his band of merry minstrels, the Big Heads to Glasgow. The whole of Glasgow should be grateful that we were once again graced with their presence. The band are so tight it defies belief. I don’t just mean tight musically, which they undoubtedly are, but tight as a unit. They are like a gang of best friends. It exudes from their every pore and is entirely infectious. I know if someone had looked at me during their set they would have thought I was some sort of congenital idiot as I’m sure I stood there with a mile wide grin for the entire length of the set.
I wasn’t joking when I said music has the ability to lift the soul. I was already in a good mood before the gig, I’d been looking forward to it all week, but watching this band raises the spirits to a different level. What is it that makes them so different to other bands? After all, I saw IDLES last month and they honestly blew me away. I think with Duncan Reid ex Boys bass player, drumming powerhouse Karen Jones, and guitarists extraordinaire the wonderful Sophie K Powers and the mighty (in both playing and stature) Nick Hughes (they deserve to be named in their own right rather than just as “The Big Heads”) the enjoyment comes from an entirely different level.
The music
Their music itself would be enough. The song themes swing between touching and humorous, socially conscious and heartfelt and personal. The power punk with pop sensibilities is so exhilarating it invigorates the spirit and intoxicates more than any alcohol could (so if Mainy is the Carlsberg, this band are the Heineken, reaching the places other bands can’t).
Big Heads favourites were all there from the opening salvo of Can’t Stop and C’est La Vie which gave way to Boys classic TCP to tracks like Baby Doll, one of my personal favourites – Thinking, Bomb’s Away, Montevideo (along with perfect backstory). There was not a weak track in the set. Add to that new songs (always a good sign) like the “beautiful” song dedicated to man of the people, MP and Walter, Prince of Softies lookalike, Jacob Rees-Mogg, the sensitively titled Motherfucker. To top it off, Boys crowd-pleasers Brickfield Nights (Nick on vocals), First Time (Sophie on vocals) , the wonderful Terminal Love and set closer Sick on You, it was a gig to remember.
The Edge (no not him)
What gives this band their edge is the connection between every single member of the band on stage. They are like a gang of best friends from school enjoying every second of being together on stage. Body and soul goes into every song and the onstage antics and interaction is natural and un-forced. They are having fun. Hence, so are we.
This may be Mainy’s magnificent swansong, but fans of the band should rejoice and buy their tickets for Scotland now as Duncan Reid and the Big Heads will be back, back, back in April. Make sure you get there early and experience this phenomenal band. After all if you get there late, you’ll only have to suffer the Exploited, and that ain’t fun.
Reaction
I could bask in the glow of Duncan Reid and the Big Heads for ever, but what makes a Mainy gig an experience is his well chosen line-up. This time with Airdrie’s very own Reaction in support. A band, along with the likes of Heavy Drapes, The Zips, The Red Eyes, Fire Exit and their ilk that reignited a passion in me a few years ago for supporting the local bands and smaller gigs. Their debut album, Accelerator was rarely off my CD player when it was released with its quality selection of inspired punk anthems like Hey Patty Hearst, Johnny Weissmuller Blues and Crystal Radio.
The band never fail to put on a good show. Even tonight when beset with technical issues – damn that bastard guitar strap, the band played a storming set including tracks from the tremendous new album Keep it Weird, Keep it Wired. The songs from the new album add another level to the already accomplished sound of the band and signal a bright future.
Unfortunately the early guitar strap issue ate into the set time (thanks to Andypaws from PowderKeg for stepping in with a loan of guitar and saving the day – and also allowing Joe and bassist Scot to “match” guitar and bass) and I never got to hear one of my favourite tracks from the new album live – Saints of Tamla Hill. All was not lost though, the band closed with live favourite I Wanna Be Your Dee Dee Ramone. Plus, I get another chance to see them in less than a month when they support The Godfathers in a tribute gig to Heavy Drapes frontman Garry Alexander Borland.
Powderkeg
Those who turned up early were treated to a storming ballsy rock n roll set with a touch of glam(our) from PowderKeg. I look forward to a lot more from this band in the future and having spoken to a few people after the gig, there were a number of PowderKeg virgins who look forward to hearing more. Guitarist Brian wasn’t short of energy regularly taking off around the venue and up the stairs at the side of the stage. He’ll have no problem keeping up his fitbit steps, nae wonder he is so skinny. Their short set drew influences from the likes of The Wildhearts (Them going off on a signature Wildhearts style riffage tangent) and Hanoi Rocks with Kerr stealing some of his spinning around moves from Slash (albeit with a different hat).
Androo plays a mean drum, Brian and Andy were cracking on guitar while Jen belted out the vocals and Christina Cassette from Run Into the Night underlining the sound with her throbbing bass, These were the last two PowderKeg gigs for 2018, watch out for them in 2019. You can catch Christina in her other incarnation as Run Into the Night with drummer Ellie May on January 4th.
The punters – take a bow
I can’t end this post without mention of the other element of a Duncan Reid & the Big Heads/Mainy promoted gig. Maybe it is the bands he chooses to promote, but there is always a strong sense of camaraderie in the crowd. I know I can go to one of these gigs on my own and be guaranteed to meet loads of fantastic folk, and Friday night was no exception. A crowd of people there to have a good time, enjoy the music and catch up with like-minded folk.
A big cheers to everyone who was there on Friday, I wish the night could have gone on longer and I got more of a chance to chat to people.
I know Mainy is partial to a hat, but he can keep his hat on while I say a massive hats off to him for all he has done and I know will continue to do to support live music in Scotland. Thanks Mainy – yer a legend.
See you down the front at Scotland Calling.
Thanks Neil. Nice piece