Why you should go to gigs early
Next up, it’s a couple of CD EPs I’ve recently picked up as a result of seeing some great support bands at gigs.
Anyone that doesn’t turn up early to gigs to see the support bands isn’t only doing a dis-service to the bands who put the effort in, but they are missing the opportunity to see some great bands.
The Fuck Ups – Lies
First up, it’s the Fuck-Ups from Ayrshire and their new EP Lies. I recently caught the band playing as support to Rats From a Sinking Ship in the Hug and Pint in Glasgow. One of the things that struck me about the band when I saw them live was the passion that they put into their performance.
This punk band has a social conscience. This comes across in spades on their EP. The title track is a full speed punk rock romp with some sweet bass licks to complement the in your face guitar and drums. The content of the song pretty much sums up why I am fed up with politics & the news and avoid it at all costs these days. It’s all just “Lies they sell” in order to “keep us all afraid”. The band injects even more adrenaline into the mix and they put their foot down on the accelerator increasing the speed for “State of Society”. The lyrical content does what the title suggests.
The End of Days?
The other side to the band, which I commented on when I saw them live, is their slowed down dub/reggae-tinged numbers. “Nation to Nation” is one of these and while the pace has been brought down a notch or two, the acid tongued lyrics are still there. “Are we living in the end of days”? As I write this today in the knowledge that the UK government have joined forces with Trump and the French government and commenced the bombing of Syria & we are still in a war of words with Russia, the lyrics to this song seem particularly prescient. The anger is ramped up again for final track “Council Scheme” painting a bleak picture of life on a scheme surrounded by junkies, dealers and gangs.
A great live band and their passion comes across well on this EP. Get it from the band at gigs or contact them via Facebook.
Soeur – What Separates Us
The other band I saw recently were supporting Demob Happy in Broadcast. Soeur are a Bristol based three-piece. The night of the gig was a driech and drab Sunday night. The sort of night you want to just shut the world out, sit down with a few glasses of wine and prepare yourself for the week ahead. I’m glad I ventured out though as I discovered this amazing band, oh, and Demob Happy played a blinder too.
For a three-piece the noise they made live was astounding. With glorious crunching guitars, sweet harmonies & powerful drums. Their set was a triumph. My immediate thoughts when I saw them on the night was that they had the remarkable harmonies present in the likes of bands like Belly, but with a harder/heavier edge to the music. At the end of the Demob Happy set, I sought out the band and bought their CD EP “What Separates Us”. The EP has four tracks. Put You On, Just Yet, Made & Slow Days with the vocals and guitars shared by Anya and Christina.
They are a perfect foil for each other providing honeyed harmonies and light and shade. The songs here swing between the delicate to the hard and heavy, often within one song. The energy and urgency build from delicate intricate strumming to solid heavyweight riffing. Meanwhile, James keeps things in check with some masterful drumming.
I would love to see more from this band in the future and hope they go from strength to strength. Oh, and make that long trip from Bristol to Scotland again soon.
Soeur are on Facebook. I recommend getting your hands on their EP and giving it a listen.