While most of Europe continues to bask in the biggest heatwave since the summer of ‘76. Tonight in Glasgow it was wet and miserable. There was some sunshine on the horizon though with a trip to see one of Scotlands premier bands live.
This should have been the second time I’d seen them this week. Lets just say, due to a senior moment, I forgot I was supposed to be out on Sunday night at a gig. Hopefully the first and last of these moments…
Anyway, as a result you could be damn sure I wasn’t going to miss tonight’s gig. Having been off all day and eaten too much at the world buffet earlier in the day, it was tempting to fall asleep on the sofa rather than venture out into the pissing rain/ However, as the saying goes, plenty of opportunity to sleep when you’re dead.
You wouldn’t have known the weather had changed outside as the heat in Oran Mor was intense. I needn’t have worried about eating too much earlier in the day. I think I potentially sweat off 2 stone over the course of the evening.
Heirloom
During a social media exchange earlier in the day, I had been encouraged to catch support band Heirloom from Ayrshire. Unfortunately, I only caught the last 30 seconds of the band. I don’t know if he was on a cut but I bumped into the same person at the merchandise desk where he persuaded me to buy the bands album. I have admit I have yet to download it, but I will and I’ll let you know what I think.
The Main Attraction
So to the main attraction. A band I have followed since the beginning. A band I have seen live more than any other. A band who, after the first time I saw them, I thought deserved to be massive. The clever song-writing and Frank’s way with words, the intricate instrumentation and playing, the honeyed melodies and harmonies – it was sheer perfection. What was not to love. I remember thinking the lead singer had something unique about him too, even if he seemed a bit unhinged in some early gigs. Wrapping the microphone lead around his neck and lying on the floor during the singing of a cover of Motorhead’s Ace of Spades in one King Tuts gig. He may even have kicked over the drum kit?
The Trashcan Sinatras.
An old friend and I had many drunken conversations after seeing them play in different venues over the years. Club sized gigs, on the second stage at T in the Park, in a big marquee on Glasgow Green – we were going to give up work and manage them. We planned world domination. Our dream never came to fruition, but they are still one of the best bands on the planet. Always in my top 5 with The Clash, The Smiths, The Jesus and Mary Chain and one of a selection of other bands that that rotate in and out of the list from time to time…
Having missed the gig earlier in the week with Del Amitri and also missing the last time they played Glasgow, my anticipation was high for this gig.
Got Carried Away…
As the band, in its original line up, took to the stage they launched into……several minutes of guitar tuning! Fortunately the fervent and biased audience saw the funny side and spent the interim trading banter with the band along with being treated to an impromptu dance from keyboard player Stevie Mulhearn. The additional tuning time was worth it as we were treated to a twenty song set from across the bands entire back catalogue.
Opening with a trio from 2004’s uplifting Weightlifting – Got Carried Away, All the Dark Horses and the camping on Arran influenced Freetime, the audience soon forgot the tuning palaver and “got carried away” with the music.
The magnificent tunes continued with How Can I Apply? from A Happy Pocket pre-ceded a well received and early appearance for the bands classic and lyrically poetic debut single Obscurity Knocks. This song always seemed ironic to my friend and I in our drunken conversations – “they should be massive” was our cry.
Hello, I’m Harry
Hello, I’m Harry sang Frank as, unlike in a nature-related experience, Hayfever made a welcome appearance before one of my personal favourites Trashcans tracks, Thrupenny Tears.
It truly was a set of tracks drawn from across their entire catalogue as the Cake track was followed by Wild Pendulums’s Autumn. Then Best Days on Earth, the latter song written based on experiences of a family wedding in the very venue they were playing in.
Bloodrush
Having not seen the band live for a while, I kept having those “oh my god I love this” moments. I had exactly that reaction on hearing the opening bars of Bloodrush and The Genius I Was. Judging by the rapturous response from the gathered sell-out crowd, everyone was in agreement. Checking out Frank’s knowing grin and the smiles from John Douglas, in ubiquitous stripy t-shirt (like myself and I must say many of the gathered throng) the band appeared to be enjoying themselves just as much as us.
Back to Cake again for the touching January’s Little Joke before another singalong to Send for Henny from arguably the bands best album I’ve Seen Everything. The album has been recently voted 2nd best album by a Scottish artist in a Herald poll. I may be partisan, but I’d have all their albums in the top 20…
I heard the anticipated shout outs for tracks like Drunken Chorus and Best Mans Fall. While I’d also like to have heard them and several more tracks, (Including I’m Immortal which I had on my funeral mix tape I made in my early 20’s. I thought it was funny – was I the only person who did this?), they had their setlist (and a curfew) to get through.
Bang up to date again with Wild Pendulum’s Ain’t That Something before returning to their classic initial brace of albums for a home run of Easy Read, Only Tongue Can Tell (the song that first gave them the proverbial kick up the arse to get their music heard) a sublime I’ve Seen Everything and the formidable Earlies.
Encore
John indicated this was the end of the set, but they’d be able to fit in another track if they just stayed onstage. Foregoing the usual disappearing and taking the applause to return. A few expected quips about tuning guitars but of course we were more than happy with this compromise.
The closing salvo comprised of the one track played from the bands In the Music album – People, followed by closing track a transcendent Weightlifting.
A solid 90 minute set with not one duff track played. I’d have been happy for them to continue for another half hour but I’m not going to complain after being treated to such a set. I’m not sure my t-shirt could have held on for much longer and I may have started dripping if they had continued.
It was pleasant to emerge into the cooler damp air. The strains of the Trashcan’s exquisite music still swirling around my head. Lifting my spirit and longing for them to come back and play again soon.
