Tenement Trail
This is the first time I had attended this festival. To be fair, this post doesn’t do the Tenement Trail justice. I had a lot on the day of the trail so was unable to take full advantage of the entire day’s events. Featuring as it does, 60 bands across 10 venues in Glasgow. What I did see was enough to know that the Trail is a worthy, special event. One that I’m likely to frequent in the future.
Tijuana Bibles
Having picked up my wristband earlier in the day and finishing off what I needed to do, I headed to the Garage early evening. The first band playing their half hour slot on the main stage was Tijuana Bibles. A band that have been recommended to me in the past. I have to guiltily admit, I hadn’t properly investigated them before now. It may have been the first time I’ve seen them live but certainly not the last.
Frontman Tony Costello prowled and growled as the band owned the Garage stage. There was a certain menace in the band’s gothic tinged post punk sound with Costello screaming “I’m a Pariah” fiercely at the audience. The bleak lighting during several songs matched the deranged commotion of the music with the crowd lapping it up. The band left the stage thanking us for listening to the hits of the future, a statement I would gladly see come true.
A great start to an evening which more that made the price of the ticket a sublime bargain. And what I saw was only scratching the surface of what was available.
The Blinders
I will admit the main reason for me being there was to see Doncaster’s finest band. Well, technically due to a historical oversight over 900 years ago, they could be described as one of Scotland’s finest bands. Look it up…
This show for The Blinders follows hot on the heels of the release of their debut album. An album set to appear in many a music writers end of year lists, mine included.
The band didn’t disappoint in the live arena. The threesome took to the stage following an announcement, in broad Doncastrian if that is even a thing, of their statement of intent. Their manifesto if you like.
Welcome to Columbia.
What followed was an adrenaline rush of a half hour show. Johnny Dream and Co ripping through their set with a passionate relish and holding nothing back. (Johnny Dream being lead guitarist/vocalist Thomas Haywood’s on-stage war-painted alter-ego. Backed up by bass player Charlie McGough and drummer Matthew Neale.)
The 8-song set expectedly drawn from the debut album Columbia, kicked off at 100 mph with Gotta Get Through. The band not letting up until the closing brace of Et Tu and Brutus. The repeated screaming outro of “They’re Going to Build a Berlin Wall” building to a crescendo.
Johnny Dream knows how to get the crowd going with much writhing about the stage. Unperturbed, Matthew pounded away on his kit and Charlie played a mean bass.
Much to the acclaim of the gathered crowd, Johnny dedicated The Hate Song to Amazing Snakeheads/And Yet it Moves frontman Dale Barclay. Barclay having tragically succumbed the previous week to a brain tumour at far too young an age.
Storming set
With the rest of the set including L’Etat Cest Moi, the tremendous I Can’t Breathe Blues and Where No Man Comes. Also the thinly veiled swipe at “Great Again” USA and dystopian view of the future in Brave New World. Much crowd surfing ensued from the enthusiastic Blinders faithful encouraging the bold frontman to make an audacious trip into the melee.
Probably the quickest half hour of the whole evening. Certainly cementing my view of The Blinders being one of the UKs best new bands.
SWAY
In other highlights of the event I retired to the Attic bar in the same venue to witness a packed to capacity heaving sweaty mass hanging onto, and singing back, every word of a bouncing indie-rock set from the magnificent SWAY. Also a crowd pleasing set of tracks from indie stalwarts The Cribs.
The Cribs
The Jarman brothers never disappoint. Tonight was no exception with a set of their distinct low-fi classics. A highlight filled set including Men’s Needs, Mirror Kissers from the Edwyn Collins produced New Fellas. Dendrophobia from newest album 24/7 Rockstar shit and set closer Pink Snow. The band were humble in their appreciation of the reception they got from a packed to capacity Garage. Making comment on the festival being about giving a stage to new Glasgow bands while they were an old Glasgow band. Slightly tongue in cheek, but totally hitting the nail on the head. The comment giving me a guilty feeling for not having made the most of the event.
During the evening I had the opportunity to shoot the breeze with several Tenement Trailers. This included a young bloke in a Stranglers t-shirt who made me feel old having told me “my Dad got me into them.”
Anyway, point being, they had all been at several venues throughout the day. From King Tuts to Broadcast and the rest. Every one of them raved about how good the day had been and the number of bands they’d managed to squeeze in. It was refreshing for me to see the bands I saw playing to packed rooms of fervent young punters. And to hear the enthusiasm exuding from everyone I spoke to about this festival, the future for live music seems to be secure.
Maybe next year I’ll do it more justice.