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The Hydro, Glasgow
Next up on my musical journey through 2013 was a great 'double bill' at the recently opened Hydro in Glasgow's Finnieston area. I am not sure if this is a 'feature' of this venue but my first visit was to see the Proclaimers and their support was Roddy Hart & the Lonesome Fire and Glasvegas. Now supporting Vampire Weekend we have Noah and the Whale, who have four albums to their name already, so not a shabby support, eh!
One of the problems with this idea of having a 'named' support act is that many folk still only want to see the headlining band (despite current ticket prices!) and so as we took our seats at about 19:25 the place was only about 30% full. However, it was still a pretty good crowd as the venue holds 13,000 when 'packed to the rafters' so there were maybe about 2,000 folk there to enjoy NATW. One of the songs played over the in-house sound system prior to the band taking to the stage was Richard Strauss' Also Sprach Zarathustra / 2001 Space Odyssey opening theme which seemed very fitting for this futuristic venue!
The current incarnation of this English band from Twickenham, London consists of Charlie Fink (vocals/guitar), Tom Hobden (violin/keyboards), Matt Owens (bass guitar), Fred Abbott (guitar/keyboards), and Michael Petulla (drums). Having formed in 2006 the band have evolved along the way and the loss of several former members including their erstwhile backing singer, one Laura Marling in 2008, hasn't effected them. On the night, and perhaps due to the space taken up by Vampire Weekend's equipment on stage, NATW seemed rather dwarfed, corralled together as they were in the middle! However, that didn't affect their performance which was solid and assured even if they did seem somewhat in awe of the fact that they were supporting "the best New York band of the day" as Charlie said at one point just before launching into a great version of Lou Reed's Satellite Of Love.
One thing I found rather odd was seeing people taking to their seats with hot dogs and pizza boxes. I know that this is a common sight in other countries around the world but here in Glasgow a pint of lager was all we used to need to sustain us through a gig! Modern venue, modern habits! Meanwhile up on stage Noah and the Whale were working their way through some of their back catalogue which included some fine versions of Waiting For My Time To Come, L.I.F.E.G.O.E.S.O.N, 2 Atoms In A Molecule, Rocks And Daggers, Love Of An Orchestra and 5 Years Time. During this set Charlie's singing was strong and resonant whilst he swapped between acoustic and electric guitars and Fred Abbott variously played keyboards and electric guitar to great effect. In addition, Tom's violin playing was a real asset and I particularly liked his work on Love Of An Orchestra and 5 Years Time and all the while Matt and Michael provide a great solid foundation on drum and bass. The sound from where we were sitting was very good considering the size of the hall, however, due to the number of vacant seats I did feel slightly out of it, like a passer by looking in a window at a party going on inside! However, that didn't spoil my enjoyment of Noah and the Whale's performance which ended on a high note with some wonderful guitar and violin interplay on 5 Years Time which built to a memorable crescendo that put me in mind of the way Dawes work up some of their songs. Their 45 minute set was well received and the band set us up nicely for Vampire Weekend. Cheers lads.
During the break we had some interesting songs on the sound system including A Horse With No Name by America from way back in 1972. 41 years is no time at all in the world of music, or so it seems!
By 20:45 the hall was as full as it was going to be. We were told on our way in that the show was not a sell out which surprised and disappointed me as these two bands are up there with some of the best I have seen this year. No accounting for taste! However, by the time Vampire Weekend appeared at 20:50 I would guess that there were some 7-8,000 of us champing at the bit to see one of New York's current best bands. And so with a flourish and a major instant set change (ornately capped half doric columns, a baroque 'mirror' and 'Grecian urns' dropped from the heavens) Vampire Weekend ploughed into Diane Young the fourth song from their third album and a rollickin' number to kick start the set.
These four young lads started out with this band in 2006 and they are Ezra Koenig (lead singer / guitar), Rostam Batmanglij (guitar / keyboards / backing vocals), Chris Thomas (drums / percussion) and Chris Baio (bass / backing vocals). Their sound has been variously described as indie rock / Soweto rock / baroque pop and afrobeat, but however you define it, it is a thrilling sound and a pretty unique fusion of American rock and African rhythms. The guitar sounds are particularly set towards the guitar playing style of many bands I heard growing up in Dar-es-salaam in East Africa (which wonderfully gets a name check in Step!)
Talking of lyrics, Vampire Weekend's tend to be on the obscure side as the first verse of Step indicates:
Every time I see you in the world, you always step to my girl
Back back way back I used to front like Angkor Wat
Mechanicsburg Anchorage and Dar es Salaam
While home in New York was champagne and disco
Tapes from L.A. slash San Francisco
But actually Oakland and not Alameda
Your girl was in Berkeley with her Communist reader
Mine was entombed within boombox and walkman
I was a hoarder but girl that was back then.
There was an unexpected 'hick-up' as the band set off into Step, their sixth song of the night, when after about a minute Ezra stopped the band and explained that there had been a "false start" he then proceeded to correct the problem. During the short hiatus a small but enthusiastic group of fans in front of the stage started singing a line from the Glasvegas song Go Square Go (which seeing as they were on stage the last time I was in the Hydro seemed oddly appropriate!) the line went:
"Here we, here we, here we f**ing go (repeat!)" and the band realised that they were back in Glasgow again!
Ezra Koenig sang the lyrics with a great powerful delivery throughout although the words were sometimes difficult to make out but that didn't detract from the show as the voice is often another instrument in the mix! I particularly enjoyed his singing on Obvious Bicycle just before the encore. Rostam Batmanglij (who seemed to have donned a Saltire t shirt below his over shirt) played some wonderful keyboard especially on the Hammond organ on Unbelievers, there was some fine tinkling of the ivories on Horchata, superb soaring notes on Step and some outstanding organ on Boston (Ladies of Cambridge). Chris Thomas also added some pulsating, pounding drumming on the likes of Horchata and Diane Young and Chris Baio kept a tight reign on the bass lines with some notable work on the introduction to and throughout Campus. Oh, and neat dancing Chris, neat!
These guys have formed a cohesive, tight unit over their seven years together and clearly enjoy playing their uncommon blend of modern music. It was certainly a joy to watch and listen to. I say "watch" because the band had put a good deal of consideration into their stage set and light show. There was always a fascinating visual part to their songs, each one underpinned in some different way by the use of these extra elements. Indeed during Giving Up The Gun the light show took on psychedelic proportions and the overall effect was stunning. One minor quibble however, from where I was sitting (the first tier up off the floor in front of the 'posh boxes'!) the lights often shone straight into our eyes over the heads of the throbbing masses standing on the venue floor.
So after a thrilling, throbbing, thunderous, thoroughly enjoyable fifty five minutes the band left the stage. The usual stomping, clapping, whoopin' an a hollerin' stretched out for several minutes before the lads returned to play their encore, which incidentally, has been the same three songs for most of the current tour!
During Hannah Hunt Rostam switched from keyboards to guitar and then he swapped back again for One (Blake's Got A New Face) during which he played some playful ditties reminiscent of the old hit Popcorn made popular in 1972 by Hot Butter! At this point Ezra thanked us for coming out to see them, he also said that he has always liked his visits to our city. The band have particularly fond memories of playing in Nice n' Sleazy way back before they had released their eponymous album in 2008! Happy memories indeed.
Then Vampire Weekend launched into the final song of the night, the fabulous, roller coaster that is Walcott with its tantalising, tinkling piano notes and pumping, pounding drum beats. This has long been a favourite of mine and so it was a pleasure to hear it played live and it acted as a wonderful finale to a great gig. The audience went 'tonto', sang along, singing and dancing themselves into a greasy spot!
As the lights went up and we started to shuffle out of the Hydro with great music resonating around our brains we were assailed by the in-house sound system one last time. This time encouraging us to "start spreading the news" as New York New York played us out. A very appropriate choice indeed!
Cheers lads (that goes for Noah and the Whale too), a wonderful night out and haste ye back.
SET LIST:
Diane Young
White Sky
Cape Cod Kwassa Kwassa
Unbelievers
Holiday
False start!
Step
Horchata
Everlasting Arms
Cousins
California English
A-Punk
Boston (Ladies of Cambridge)
Ya Hey
Campus
Oxford Comma
Giving Up The Gun
Obvious Bicycle
Encore 22:00
Hannah Hunt
One (Blake's Got A New Face)
Walcott
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Saturday 16 November 2013
Vampire Weekend @ The Hydro, Glasgow. Friday 15 November, 2013
Thursday 14 November 2013
Pokey LaFarge @ The Classic Grand, Glasgow. Wednesday 6th November, 2013
The first time I saw Pokey LaFarge and the South City Three (plus 2) was at the end of August in North Dorset at the End Of The Road festival. This time Pokey reciprocated and trailed his caravan up to Glasgow to the Classic Grand, no less!
The venue is actually not as 'swanky' as the name suggests, however, it does have an illustrious past. The building was originally constructed around 1860 as a 5-storey commercial warehouse. It was then converted into a cinema (designed by William B Whitie) and opened as the Grand Central in 1915, seating 750. The venue was closed in 1966, reopened in 1973 and went through two more incarnations as a cinema before finally closing in 1992. It was recently reinvented as the Classic Grand nightclub showcasing a variety of both local and well-known acts. On the night there were 3 other bands performing in the venue below where Pokey Lafarge was plying his trade and the floor under our feet rumbled with the vibrations being emitted by "the Spawn of Satan" as Pokey jokingly referred to the other acts!
Pokey LaFarge, the South City Three, TJ Muller and Chloe Feoranzo all bounded onto the small stage with its Art Deco arched backdrop at about 21:00 to a rousing reception.
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Pokey Lafarge |
Chloe Feoranzo (clarinet, saxophone) was decked out in a 1950's style vibrant red dress with full skirt. TJ Muller (cornet, trombone) and Joey Glynn (upright bass) looked like extras from The Great Gatsby or The Sting. Ryan Koenig (wash board, snare drum, harmonica) looked like the coolest cowboy in town, Adam Hoskins (lead guitar) looked casual and it seemed as if he had donned a 'see you Jimmy' hat just for us and Pokey (guitar) looked suave, debonair, sophisticated and down right snappy!
So over the next hour and twenty minutes the band served up some seventeen scintillating, sassy, sexy, swing-a-sing-a-long sounds which had us boppin' an a hoppin' in thrilled enjoyment. Pokey entreated us at the outset to have fun and leave our cares behind. In addition, he said at one point "We are here to have a good time. If you are low, we aim to get you high. If you are high, we aim to get you higher"! And true to his word, he and the band did just that.
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Adam Hoskins |
The music that the band perform is a wonderful trip down memory lane for some and an interesting introduction to a bygone era for others. The music incorporates early jazz, roots, hot swing, and ragtime blues and it evokes images of riverboat chic and energetic bluegrass served up with pep and verve. It may be rooted in the past, but Pokey and the band add a modern twist and the whole deal sounds snappy, up-to-date, here and now and timeless. The energy zapped around the stage and each member of the band played their part in keeping things zipping along at a thrilling pace. Even the slower numbers, What The Rain Will Bring, Let's Get Lost & Kentucky Mae for example, kept things moving along nicely. At one point Chloe Feoranzo and TJ Muller left the stage to allow Pokey and the South City Three to play a couple of songs on their own. Off stage the two of them performed some snazzy dance routines and seemed to be really enjoying themselves. It was all in keeping with the ethos of the gig: we are here to have fun so you have fun too!
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Ryan Koenig |
Ryan Koenig played some fabulous mouth organ solos and I particularly enjoyed his work during Sweet Potato Blues. He also had a wonderful metronomic thing going on during his washboard solos which he ended with robotic automaton flourishes! Adam Hoskins and Pokey blended extremely well and the two guitars traded great solos throughout the night. The highlight for me was Adam's fine solo work on Central Time just before the encore. At the back Joey Glynn kept the beat pounding along with real zest and he also showed his his finger picking prowess when Pokey asked him to pep things up a bit! The 'wind section' was also a joy to listen to as both TJ & Chloe duetted on a number of tracks and soloed on several others, always adding a rich, rewarding layer to the overall sound. The clarinet solo on Big Bill Broonzy's Going Back To Arkansas was fabulous, another memorable addition to a great night.
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Joey Glynn |
After a short break Pokey returned to the stage to a well earned and rapturous applause from the increasingly enthusiastic audience and played an unscripted encore (almost unheard of these days - unscripted I mean!). He began with Josephine from his self released 2006 album Marmalade which he played solo. The band then rejoined him and the finished off the night with two more songs in their tight and exceptionally well honed, inimitable style. We lapped it up and craved more, however, as Pokey had advised during the show, he wants as many folk to be able to enjoy his music and so there was 14 lower age limit for the show and as such there was a 23:00 'curfew'. However, the sights and sounds we had borne witness to were resonating long after the show was over and we all headed home in a state of heightened enjoyment.
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TJ Muller |
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Chloe Feoranzo |
PS. Good to see the merchandise being 'home grown' i.e. the T Shirts were made in the USA. Well done!
Set List
Feels So Good
Okie Boogie - Jack Guthrie
Bowlegged
What The Rain Will Bring
Pack It Up
Two-faced Tom
Hard Times Come and Go
Day After day
Kentucky Mae
Drinkin' Whiskey Tonight
Close The Door
Sweet Potato Blues
Let's Get Lost
So Long Honeybee, Goodbye
Riverboat Shuffle - Hoagy Carmichael
Going Back To Arkansas - Big Bill Broonzy great clarinet solo
Central Time
10:20 - Encore
Josephine
La La Blues
Garbage Man Blues
Tuesday 5 November 2013
Bear's Den & The Mariner's Children @ King Tut's Wah Wah Hut, Glasgow.Sunday 3rd November, 2013
King Tut's Wah Wah Hut opened its doors under the ownership of DF Concerts in February 1990 and was named after a New York club of the 80's which promoted live music, performing arts and comedy. The Glasgow version was set up to provide a platform for unsigned/up-and-coming bands to play live every night of the week and, as the stairs to the gig hall lay testimony, a veritable who's who of major bands have passed through the place over its 23 years. Amongst other accolades, the place has been called one of the best live music venues in the UK, and most certainly the best in Glasgow. It has won 'Licensed Music Pub Of The Year' (Scottish Licensed Trade News in Nov 2001) and it was awarded BBC Radio 1's UK Best Live Music Venue award three years in a row. Not bad for a wee basement venue with a 300 capacity!
Bear's Den and the support act The Mariner's Children arrived at King Tut's on a crisp, clear, clean and cold November night. They are set to play several more UK gigs before heading to Germany & the Netherlands as part of their current tour and it was great that they had added Tut's to the list of venues. So I went to see them along with an enthusiastic crowd of some 150 other folk and I found myself wondering just where we were all meant to stand if it was full. I guess it would just have been a bit more 'intimate' from the audience's point of view!
So now it was the turn of two more acts to make the step up the ladder of success, starting with The Mariner's Children.......
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The Mariner's Children |
The gig started at about 20:45 when the support band, a five piece on the night, assembled on stage and Benedict Rubinstein (looking uncannily like Daniel Radcliffe's brother!) launched them into their first song. I say 'five piece', however, as the article in the Guardian back on 23 Sept 2010 helpfully explained, they are in fact a seven piece collective (Emma Kraemer - violin & Daniel Matthews - guitar, piano, accordion, glockenspiel, vocals were absent).
So Becca Mears (cello), Benedict Rubinstein (vocals, guitar, banjo, mandolin, autoharp), Felix Weldon (drums), Emma Gatrill (accordion, banjo, vocals), and Marcus Hamblett (double bass, vocals) performed some fascinatingly intricate and interesting songs and I was immediately captivated by their sound. In parts it references Mumford & Sons, Admiral Fallow and Arcade Fire, however, the band (who hail from Norfolk/London/Brighton) also have a love of Pentangle, Iron & Wine and Bert Jansch. Overall, their sound is an alt folk one and their lyrics are bedded in the folk traditions of love and death! As Benedict says on their website about the song Sycamore, it “came from a period when I’d gone to a lot of funerals in a very short space of time. I was thinking about death a lot but I was also in quite a good place in my life and very much in love......The track is about death, but it’s definitely a love song”!
I was particularly taken with the song structures and the tight harmonies to which various band members contributed at different stages. The songs are not based on the accepted norm of verse/chorus/verse but more on a thoughtful development of sound. Some build up to a full band sound from a quiet start (witness the aforementioned Sycamore) and others start out with loud thumping drums, descend into vocal duets and then build again to an aural assault as in It Carved Your Name Into The Ground. In addition, and there is more than a passing resemblance with Admiral Fallow here, various band members are multi instrumentalists! At one point Emma swapped banjo for accordion then bass guitar and Marcus swapped bass for banjo. This added an interesting musical dynamic to the overall sound and, along with Benedict's acoustic lead and Becca's cello, it allowed the band to vary the musical style and tempo to great effect.
At the end of their set I bought a copy of the current EP Sycamore and I look forward to more from this interesting collective, who include members of Peggy Sue, Laura Marling, Sons of Noel and Adrian, Alessi’s Ark, and Eyes & No Eyes! In the meantime, check out The Mariner's Children on the link below singing It Carved Your Name Into The Ground.....
It Carved Your Name Into The Ground
Next up the staircase was Bear's Den. As those of you reading this with local knowledge will testify, we have an area of the city (on the north west fringes) called Bearsden (pronounced exactly the same way) however, that is where the similarity ends!
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Bear's Den |
This incarnation of Bear's Den are three young lads from London. Andrew Davie (acoustic and electric guitars), Kev Jones (drums, bass, keyboards) & Joey Haynes (electric guitar, banjo). According to their Facebook page other artists they like include Barry Manilow, Youth Lagoon and Florence Foster Jenkins and they formed on 12 March 2012. When asked how best to describe their music in an interview with the music blog AMBY in June 2013, the band said "Storytelling songs which aim to inhabit a sonic landscape somewhere between CSN&Y and Youth Lagoon". So there you have it!
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Andrew Davie |
Andrew Davie (known as Davie) thanked us all for coming and seemed rather nervous but delighted to be playing in Glasgow. His 'banter' between songs was limited but perhaps this was because he wanted the music to do the talking. So first up we had Agape the title from their 5 track EP released earlier this year and from the picked banjo intro, played by Joey Haynes, via the tub thumping drumming by Kevin Jones, it was clear that we were in for a great night. The song has a great rolling rhythm and a good number of those present sang along keeping Davie company as he eased into the set.
The inter play between Davie and Joey on various guitars and banjo was an integral part of the bands sound and this was evident on the slower Don't Let The Sun Steal You Away which includes the interesting line
Don't let your mind speak louder than your heart.
A great sentiment indeed and the three part harmonies were a joy to hear.
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Kevin Jones |
Kevin Jones played some fine, if not a little unconventional, drumming, I don't think I saw a traditional drum stick all night! His style is more pounding and 'beating' out rhythms using large round headed, cloth covered drum sticks. This was when he wasn't playing a bass guitar or keyboards whilst simultaneously drumming with his right hand!
Along the way we also heard songs from the Pompeii EP, only available at gigs, and the recently released 6 track EP Without/Within off which came perhaps my favourite song on the night - Sophie. The song started with languid, lolling notes traded between Davey's acoustic guitar and Joey's electrified banjo and it was underpinned by a subtle drum and bass section provided by Kev. The lyrics are particularly sad and enigmatic and includes the lines:
You would hide yourself in a shroud as your hair started falling out
When you took off your dressing gown Sophie
And your mother was dressed in black with a lock of your hair in her hand
And I knew there was no turning back Sophie
And I can't forgive myself, no I can't forgive myself......
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Joey Haynes |
Davey stated that "many of our songs are slow and depressing", a contender for the 'no shit, Sherlock' award! However, they are also wonderful aural soundscapes which evoke many emotions with some fine lyrics sung with heartfelt sincerity.
To lift the mood the band then played two of their more up beat numbers, starting with Writing On The Wall during which Kev played fine pounding drum & bass then acoustic guitar and left handed keyboards! The song ended on a great sonic 'work out' between Davey's acoustic guitar and Joey's electrified banjo. Then next up was Sahara (Part 1 & 2) and the introduction played by Joey reminded me of the 'sometimes' band The Friends Of Dean Martinez. He elicited similar ethereal sounds from the high notes of his electric guitar that they sometimes create. As the song simmered along coming to the boil with a frenzied crescendo the audience danced and Bear's Den rocked the Hut to a shimmering finale.
The guys then left the stage to rapturous applause, returning shortly afterwards to perform an acoustic version of Bad Blood which saw the trio of beardies gathered in a small group off to the side of the stage. Davey and Kev played acoustic guitars and Joey played banjo whilst the three part harmonies were very much to the fore. It was an impressive end to an exhilarating show.
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Bear's Den |
Thanks to all who contributed to a great night and going by the animated, exuberant reaction from the crowd we had all enjoyed a memorable evening in King Tut's Wah Wah Hut. Cheers.
22:00
Agape
The Waters
Don't Let The Sun Steal You Away
Pompeii
Mother
Sophie
Isaac
Writing On The Wall
Sahara (Part 1 & 2)
Hard Life
Encore 22:45
Bad Blood - (acoustic version)
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