I was beginning to think I was going to miss more gigs than I managed to attend this year having missed four so far for a variety of reasons, none more so than work meaning I have been sleeping in more hotel beds recently than in my own.
Judging by the rising cost of fuel, grocery shopping and household gas and electricity, I better make the most of these nights before they become a luxury I can no longer afford…
It’s not that I haven’t been at any gigs this year, I’ve managed a few – John Robb and his Membranes owning the Oran Mor stage as his thundering bass pulsed through my whole body, IDLES doing what they do with great aplomb in Barrowland and a raucous set in Stereo from the Tequila slammin’ party band Los Bitchos among them, its just that my head hasn’t really been in the game in terms of writing about stuff.
Whether you like it or not, I’m back. Fired up after being riled by old racist punks spouting their pish on Facebook, I’m more determined than ever to take back control, to coin a much over-used phrase by these online gammons, and get my work life balance back on track spending more time doing what I enjoy.
And what a gig to get back in the groove with. I mean with Last Night From Glasgow, you’re pretty much guaranteed a good night whichever of the outstanding bands on their roster are playing, but my expectations were high for this one, and somehow those expectations were blown out of the water from what I experienced.
I had long got over my disappointment at missing one of my ”22 for ’22”, Brontes, once again when the final line up oozed with such class.
The anticipation must have been high in a number of quarters as an enthusiastic bunch of us were waiting outside the venue champing at the bit before the doors had even opened.
Vulture Party
Securing my spot, I settled in for a quality nights entertainment, and it wasn’t long until my thirst for live music was quashed. The regret at missing Self Esteem a few weeks ago beginning to dissipate as Vulture Party got the party into full swing.
Despite revelling in their debut album and enjoying their recent singles in advance of album number two, this was the first time I’d managed to catch the synth driven Falkirk alt-popsters. It surely won’t be the last as their hypnotic electro sounds with thoughtful and inspiring lyrics permeated the very atmosphere of the room.
Recent singles Afterlife from late last year and the more recent Iso Disco were particular highlights for me, but a special mention has to go to Fear for My Child from their Vulture Party album, taking on a new and haunting significance in the light of the horrendous scenes from Ukraine following the brutal and unwarranted attacks by Russian forces.
Such was their appeal, when they announced their last song it felt like only moments had passed since they stepped onto the stage.
A very promising start.
Deer Leader
What can I say about Deer Leader that I haven’t already said? One of the best new bands to come out of Scotland in years, with a debut album that continues to surprise with every listen, the degrees of light and shade in the songs revealing new shapes and sounds that it feels like the first listen every time. An album I can never tire of.
Having been fortunate to witness their album launch show in the Glad Cafe last year, I was itching to see them again. Could they outshine that utterly intoxicating performance. Excuse the language, but fuck me could they ever. This was a performance of earth (and ear) shattering proportions.
From the off, the band exuded an air of assured confidence, taking to the stage one at a time, building and layering their many textured sounds. You just need to look at the array of pedals on the stage to know you are in for a sonic treat.
I’ve described their sound as a bit of a headfuck before, and I mean this in the most positive of ways. What they can do with their instruments sometimes defies belief, the notes and soundscapes they can wrestle from their instruments is like nothing I’ve heard before. Inspirationally uplifting lyrics blending with minimalistic delicate sounds one minute…. be brave…. be brave… be brave…before bursting into a climax of shredding searing guitars, the ensuing melee threatening to bring the walls of Stereo crashing down around us.
There was absolutely nothing negative to say about this performance, the searing guitars still ringing in my ears as I hear the softly spoken words of the extraordinary Kathleen MacDonald encouraging you to live in the moment.
If there was anyone in the room that wasn’t utterly enthralled and enraptured by this performance, I want a word with them. This was life affirming stuff indeed. Live in the moment. The perfect advice for a gig like this. Let yourself be taken over by the music, feel every note vibrate through your very being.
Domiciles
Can anyone follow that? Well, talking of feeling every note through your very being, Domiciles, took up the baton from Deer Leader challenging them in the battle for exquisite wall of sound guitars of ear bleeding and skin flaying proportions.
With vocals low in the mix, the focus was very much on creating an intoxicating and heady fusion of electrically charged energy.
Forget iillicit drugs, legal highs or booze, this face melting sound is more powerful than any of those. Drink in he music and feel drunk and high on life. Their debut album, This is Not a Zen Garden may be a few years old now, but the sound is as fresh and invigorating as ever. Zen like even…
How to describe the sound of this band in the live arena? Take the laidback fuzzy groove of a 1960s Velvet Underground in their prime, blend this with the brutal intensity of the early sounds of The Telescopes then add some Loop-like discordant and cacophonous trance like drone rock and you are pretty much there.
With the vocal so low in the mix it was hard to make out some of what was being said from the stage, but to be honest, it didn’t really matter, the music told the message. Intense, assured, intoxicating and above all utterly engaging, so much so it was with great disappointment that you realised the show was over when the band turned everything up to 11, placed their instruments carefully and left the stage to a screaming crescendo of riotous noise. This is a band with a bright future.
Last Night From Glasgow family
I don’t think there was a face I didn’t see smiling as I left the venue, which reminds me, as ever with a Last Night From Glasgow gig, I felt like part of a family, meeting and catching up with friends old and new, it is a social occasion as well as an opportunity to enjoy some phenomenal bands (and go home with a fine haul of records – cheers Ian)
Not experienced the LNFG love yet? Check out their website for music by all three bands and also cent charting albums by the wonderful Broken Chanter and Annie Booth.