Written by Ross Grant @ FEAST
The 5 piece powerpop outfit Be Like Pablo headline The Electric Circus tonight. Hailing from the idiosyncratic town of Forres up north, they have gained steady traction since formation. Notable past gigs include Belladrum, Rockness and the Ironworks respectively. Together they take elements from keyboard pop and surf music to create a rather individual style, and I was looking forward to experiencing it first hand.
They’re a colourful bunch, each sporting an impressive piece of gear. I found myself curiously glancing at the Moog Sub Phatty during the set up, which turns out to be the main character in their signature sound. Be Like Pablo waltz on stage very animated and excited to play. While the venue wasn’t packed, a little encouragement from Ewen the lead vocalist had the crowd ease up to front and centre, creating a cosy atmosphere.
Being familiar with only their 2013 LP ‘The New Adventures’, I was pleasantly surprised to see them open with two brand new songs. Both were well received but it was the following song that loosened everyone up. ‘The Post-It Song’ immediately puts a smile on your face thanks to it’s straight to the point opening, and what can only be described as ‘happy’ sounding synths. It all gives off a very Japanese vibe, in the sense that they would probably go mad for this music over there.
The set flowed on effortlessly with the gem that is ‘Julianne’, easily one of the catchiest songs I’ve heard. Folk who didn’t know the lyrics were singing along by the time the second chorus rolled around. The highlight for me was a new song they dropped towards the end innocently titled ‘Do You Wanna Go Surfing?’. Judging by how the band members were bouncing about the stage, It seemed they had the most fun with that song too.
To close the 45 minute set they went with the very Weezer-esque ‘Without the Pain’. Take away the guest vocals on this track and it would probably sound a lot different. That’s why I was genuinely excited when Kuda himself mysteriously appeared from behind the crowd to perform. Although Kuda’s vocals did get lost slightly behind the ringing guitar, it was a great touch to conclude the show.
On a dour evening in Edinburgh I was in need of warming up. Be Like Pablo cooked us up a treat mixing rock, pop and cheese all in the same pan. Very tasty.
www.belikepablo.com
www.facebook.com/belikepablo
Review of Be Like Pablo @ The Electric Circus 15/10/2015
Review of The Bohicas w/ Return To The Sun + Whitehill Grove @ Electric Circus (7/10/2015)
Written by Liam Dickson @ FEAST
I wish more bands would take themselves as not-so-seriously as The Bohicas – the passion for performing within a genre you love conveys far more to the listener than squeezing yourself into the earnest-shaped hole you think the public expect. Their second gig in Edinburgh (and coincidentally their second at Electric Circus) was a boisterous let-your-hair-down cure for the midweek blues!
First up tonight, Return To The Sun deliver a top notch set, their more Scots-rock oriented sound standing not in opposition to the bluesy-indie rock of The Bohicas but rather in complementary contrast, a display of the energy of both the north and the south under one roof. The Edinburgh group are doing the rounds in support of their upcoming EP ‘ElevenFiftySeven’ (cool title!) due for release in December; quite a while away but better to have the punters over-hyped and foaming at the mouth rather than under-hyped and indifferent. Turning on a distortion pedal seems like the easiest task in the world but very few really get it right – these guys did, and their heavier sections are glorious! More epic than Rome and tighter than the Tory party budget, they turned in a performance to be proud of. You could listen to the shrrredding lead guitar until your ears bled and the drummer thumped a mean tub with some flourishes and fills that make you say “woa-hoah, where did that come from?!”. There wasn’t much variety in style/sound between songs but that is a moot point; whilst some bands try to adopt a different façade for each of their tunes, others explore all the possibilities within one style that works for them and Return To The Sun have a hell of a lot more room to move within their groove before we get even remotely fed up of it.
Whilst reeeally not wanting to be unduly harsh towards the next band, you can’t help but wonder how Whitehill Grove blagged the main support slot tonight. The pop-punkish three piece turned in a set that, whilst undoubtedly under-rehearsed, still appeared to convey the joy and energy of three lads imitating their idols. Nothing wrong with the performance per se, it just felt like they needed a few extra months of honing their song writing craft and getting it ‘there’ in terms of tightness as a band before they start making some waves. Well, I did think that – right up until they started taking the mick a bit too much. The bassist would sarcastically clap his hands or give an annoyingly arrogant thumbs-up towards the singer anytime a bum note was played; the singer would cast unmissable daggers towards the bassist in response to every piece of improvised banter with the crowd; and the drummer kept looking towards the other two for his queue despite, you know, being the timekeeper. Unless you’re the Gallagher’s this level of obvious tension on stage is just not fun to watch; a bad case of ‘well I didn’t mess up’ syndrome. The thing is though, the singer/guitarist had a good sense of melody and he could really sing – at points his voice had a fantastic raspy quality to it! He’ll do well for himself if he keeps at it and if the band as a whole stops mucking around – there was a fair crowd in Electric Circus tonight and they fluffed up a good opportunity to blag their selves some new fanboys and girls. Sorry guys, I can’t lie! 
But enough of that, on to the main attraction – The Bohicas! Essex lads only in birth right, they saunter on stage to some choice soul funk and hit the ground running with ‘Upside Down’, guitarist Dom John with his leather vest and wide-brimmed hat making him look the lovechild of Pete Doherty and Jimi Hendrix and lead singer/guitarist Dominic justifiably confident in himself but not arrogantly so; you see the inherent gratitude when he makes not-uncomfortable eye contact with most in the crowd. The mammoth 12-song set (mammoth for this scale of gig anyway) is unrelenting; even the ‘slower’ ones aren’t even that slow, only describable as such in comparison to the rabid indie energy of tracks such as ‘XXX’ and ‘Crush Me’. A wise decision to never let the pace drop – the crowd just keep getting more and more and more into it as we witness the evolution from head-nodding to body-swaying until every punter on the floor is dancing, and I mean REALLY dancing, excluding those who deem themselves ‘too cool to dance’ who act like I can’t see their feet tapping along in spite of their composed face. The guitar tone is brilliant, both guitarists taking equal prominence in terms of alternating rhythm/lead duties with some mad, mad solos – it’s not ground breaking but they never claimed to be! “We’ve got one more song to play for you” they say… “SWARM! SWAAARM!” the audience scream! They save the best for last, the anticipation within the crowd finally released in a manic performance featuring a riff that seems so simple on paper but is without a doubt their most effective by far. Even after 12 songs the crowd could easily have lapped up more and the faithful quite-a-few scrabble for a copy of the set list (sorry guys, I got there first!). I leave to catch my bus as soon as the performance finishes, and within the two minutes it took me to grab my coat and leave the venue I get outside and see lead singer Dominic ‘swarmed’ by a big handful of fans, pestering for a selfie and singing his praises. I shout over, “You guys were awesome!”, but he’s too preoccupied to notice – fair play to him, that performance warranted some adoration!
Check out Return To The Sun on Facebook for updates on their upcoming ‘ElevenFiftySeven’ EP:
https://www.facebook.com/returntothesun?fref=ts
Check out Whitehill Grove on Facebook: https://www.facebook.com/whitehillgrove?fref=ts
Head over to The Bohicas website for tour dates, tunes and more:
http://www.thebohicas.com/
Review of The Winter Tradition w/ Silver Coast & Mt. Doubt @ Electric Circus 2/10/2015
Written by Liam Dickson @ FEAST
Walking into Electric Circus the first thing I am struck by is the stage; a bank of various floodlights and strobes that look fit for an Academy sized venue swallow up half the stage and suggest a band with a musical ambition that massively outweighs the venue they feature in. Rightly enough, The Winter Tradition have been playing some notable larger scale gigs in support of their new album ‘Lumi’ (such as the Belladrum Festival in August) and this is not a case of a band with heads bigger than their fan base, but rather a band outgrowing their old haunts who couldn’t resist playing an intimate hometown show.
First up tonight are Inverness alt rock 4-piece Silver Coast performing their first gig in the capital – nobody would blame them for thinking perhaps this was an ill-fated venture as they walk on stage to a dishearteningly empty room though you’d think they hadn’t noticed. Opening with a sparse sound heavy with reverb and confident vocal delivery before hitting us with a glorious wall of sound, all distorted guitars and crashing drums, you feel they deserve a far better crowd than this. But patience is a virtue, and as the Edinburgh gig-goers finally make their way towards Market Street the venue is packed by the time their set draws to an end. “Come forward, come forward, we don’t bite… much!” jokes frontman Aaron Murray – you get the sense they are a down to earth bunch of lads with a good sense of humour. Current single ‘Wake Up’ from their new EP produced by no other than The Winter Tradition’s guitarist Mark Morrow (who has seemingly produced for every band in the Edinburgh independent scene worth their salt) is performed perfectly, the jangly lead guitar filling our ears with echo and bends that tug at your heartstrings – the vocals are consistently on point even when venturing into falsetto and offering some truly impressive screams. They pull off the loud/quiet dynamics to wonderful effect proving they know when to give it their all and, more importantly, when to hold back.
Up next is 21 year old Leo Bargery – better known as Mt. Doubt – delivering a set of folky ambience infused with a punkish edge. Gruff vocals and unconventional synths pull the band back from the brink of generic folksiness and with a variety in structure keep each song in the set sonically diverse with no musical ideas getting recycled. A couple of songs into the set Mt. Doubt having properly greased up their musical hinges start getting right into it; singer Bargery jitters and jerks at his most impassioned moments seemingly just within the boundaries of self-control. At their best points the band build and build into a cascade of noise briefly toying with chaos before snapping back into seriously delicate bridges topped with vocals more fragile than you could expect given the sheer energy you just witnessed. A female backing vocalist joins the band for the latter half of the set though could hardly be considered ‘backing’ as she mimics the lead vocal line with just as much prominence creating a more complete and well-rounded sound. The heaviness of Mt. Doubt lies in the energy of delivery rather than reliance on pedals and overdrive, the drums being the rawest sounding of all the components. The keyboard player is the unsung hero in this ensemble offering a brevity and diversity that keeps the set really interesting – each song is unique!
The crowd are well and truly pumped for headliners The Winter Tradition, the venue now packed to the brim. The crowd are anticipating a truly special performance from the established Edinburgh group; nobody brings a stage set up like this unless they intend to bring out the big guns. The house lights fade, the band emerge from the darkness to swelling metallic ambience and without any warning or audible count-in launch straight into their set – more than a few distracted punters jump out their skin! Straight to business, The Winter Tradition are note perfect being more than experienced in performing to such crowds; this band have fully realized their sound and are well and truly running away with it. Second song of the set ‘Call’ provides the best example of a selective and seamless use of backing tracks to fill in the gaps when a group of guys with only two arms apiece can’t replicate the grand musical landscape concocted in their rather smart heads. The distorted vocals of singer-come-bassist Ewan Simpson combined with the statuesque silhouette he casts is enough to give you goose bumps and guitarist Mark Morrow knows exactly what he’s aiming for and hits the target. The levels throughout the set are really well balanced and fill your ears, every bit of screeching feedback only enhancing the electric atmosphere in the room. Each song segues smoothly into the next indicating a curated and properly rehearsed set, and the last song of the night is met by massive applause and one particularly ecstatic fan holding his Winter Tradition t-shirt high in the air with pride. The music really connotes wide open spaces as large and epic as their sound, like Ben Nevis in a thunderstorm condensed into a sonic punch in the face. Massive respect for the Winter Tradition for turning in an epic hometown show before heading into pastures greener and far, far bigger!
Tweet us your photos if you were there at @circusedinburgh on Friday! pic.twitter.com/wx8dKH2twS
— The Winter Tradition (@thewintertrad) October 4, 2015
Check out Silver Coast on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/silvercoastmusic?fref=ts
Check out Mt. Doubt on Facebook:
https://www.facebook.com/MtDoubt?fref=ts
Order the new album ‘Lumi’ on The Winter Tradition website:
http://www.thewintertradition.com/The_Winter_Tradition.html
Review of Tame Impala @ Barrowlands, Glasgow, 8/9/2015
Written by Liam Dickson / Photograph © Izzy Claase 2015, Feast.
The Barrowland Ballroom has played host to many a band passing through on their ascent to rock royalty – Arcade Fire, Oasis, Muse, Foo Fighters, even U2 – and once again this legendary Glasgow venue will become a landmark moment in the rise of another, this time Australian outfit Tame Impala, freshly reinvented and on arguably their best form to date.
As the house lights dim and the screams ring around the converted ballroom we see a solitary green light appear on the back screen presumably being controlled somewhere off stage. As thunderous bass noise bubbles up through the PA the light slowly begins to spin in a circle, turning and widening and picking up pace until a neon vortex and chest-shaking bass rumble converge in an assault on the senses. Suitably hyped, frontman Kevin Parker and his backing band (he writes and records the music himself, the name Tame Impala just a moniker for his work) emerge from the shadows to rapturous applause and warm up the crowd and themselves with a phat, trippy little jam.
They don’t let the pace drop and fire straight into ‘Let It Happen’, the seven-minute opener from new album ‘Currents’ – many in the crowd are wondering how or even if the band can replicate the editing trickery used on the track to give the mid-section instrumental it’s glitchy electro quality, and they only go and nail it!
Tame leant heavily on new material to fill up their set list with no complaints from the audience (their newest album is getting five star reviews left right and centre). With limited space on the set list for older tracks, Parker shows a keen awareness of his own music with the choice picks he decided to include – ‘Why Won’t They Talk To Me’, ‘Apocalypse Dreams’ and ‘Mind Mischief’ go down a storm from breakthrough second album ‘Lonerism’, and now-an-oldie ‘It Is Not Meant To Be’ was a welcome surprise when nobody was really expecting to hear much from the debut.
The set reached fever pitch about midway through; the foot-stomping glam monster hit ‘Elephant’ that put Parker on the musical map for many causes a near riot before seguing into new cut ‘The Less I Know The Better’, it’s almost Madonna-esque sickly sweet vocals and unbelieeevably funky guitar riff sees a thousand shoulders jostling for space as they do what main man Kevin had realised he’d never seen his fans do before – dance, unashamedly!
This was the thinking behind the change in direction heralded by the release of third full-length LP ‘Currents’ – as Parker improves both in musical ability and in personal confidence he sheds any anxious reservations and escapes the diminutive label of ‘stoner rock’ or ‘psychedelic revival’. Not everyone picked up on the slow decline of the previous generation of bands – the ‘noughties bands’ – that were heralded as the new guard of guitar music; acts like Franz Ferdinand, Razorlight and Kaiser Chiefs have slipped from festival headliner status to relative obscurity, while figureheads Arctic Monkeys and Kasabian have soldiered on upwards whilst morphing into exaggerated caricature versions of their former self. But the noughties are long gone now and a new wave needs to fill the void.
Tame Impala are without a doubt one of the most professional sounding and well-rehearsed bands doing the rounds nowadays. Not content with merely reciting material for a paying audience, each and every song in the set was beefed up, tripped out, extended or otherwise mixed about to some degree to keep the audience on their toes (no pun intended) and to avoid performances from becoming stale – they’ll no doubt be touring this album for a long time and if there’s one thing a band hates, it’s playing the same thing over and over again.
The sound, atmosphere and bright psychedelic visuals came together beautifully, swishing synths echoing round the high rounded ceiling of the Barrowlands. We saw Parker come out of his shell (or at least poke his head out) as he substitutes his guitar for adorable little dance moves on occasion and hilariously throws bottled water over the rabid crowd like a camp fountain – “I feel like I’m saving your lives or something!” Tame Impala have moved tracks and hit a musical goldmine with this new direction, and if he’s done it once he could more than easily do it again. This band will keep changing and subverting expectations and for this they will inevitably rise above the rest. All hail the next great band!
Mac DeMarco @ 02 ABC, Glasgow – 7/9/2015
Written by Liam Dickson / Photographs © Jordan Thomson, 2015, Feast.
McBriare Samuel Lanyon DeMarco, or ‘Mac’ DeMarco to you or I, is experiencing a rocket in popularity – his gig at the O2 ABC in Glasgow, 7/9/2015, was a sell-out show with more fans stood outside desperately trying to blag a spare ticket. As his name spreads like wildfire through small sects of the music consuming public the adoration held for him by such listeners is only solidifying, apparent in the small army of copycats wearing full length dungarees, flannel shirts, trucker caps or all of the above (not quite a counter-fashion movement, but it’s not a stretch of the imagination).
Waiting for the doors of the O2 ABC to open, the excitement is tangible… Someone causes a flurry of strained necks when they claim to see Aussie psyche-vendors Tame Impala sauntering down Sauchiehall Street – another anxious bystander claims to have spied Mac and his band chowing down in the window of the Thai restaurant over the road and, right enough, backing guitarist Andrew Charles White runs out from the restaurant then round the back of the venue as a fan chases after for a selfie and maybe a cheeky free ticket! One dungaree donning girl gets turned away by the bouncers before collapsing to the floor in silent tears – passers-by look up at the sign reading ‘Mac DeMarco @ 7pm’ then walk on bemused by such a strong display of emotion for a name they’ve never even heard of. The Mac Army have taken the goofy Canadian so strongly to heart – a recent ill-informed Tweet from Londoners Fat White Family threatening to ‘join Isis’ if Mac continues to make music only caused his fans to stand even stauncher on the side of the nice guys as people grow ever weary of the same old dime-a-dozen mouthpieces that tend to front bands (there’s a reason Liam Gallagher has seemingly vanished from the face of modern music!)
Up the stairs and through the double doors the mini-Macs wait patient but fidgety amongst a small ocean of reasonably priced merch shirts with funny biro doodles on the front and tour dates on the back, tonight’s listing mysteriously not present. The support act was… interesting! A German artist called Dinner stands solo on stage with nothing but a mic, a backing tape and some kind of rag to work with (which he drapes over his head as he violently lurches from side to side like he’s got a stomach ache). Half new romantic, half industrial techno – really – Dinner does get cheers from the audience that contradict the confused, wide-eyed faces looking around as if saying “You’re seeing this too, right?!” … a questionable choice until you consider the tongue-in-cheek, whimsical humour as synonymous with Mac as his twangy guitar picking.
We saw this light heartedness first hand when Mac breaks a string one bouncer of a song into the set, before nonchalantly informing the crowd “Yeah, I need to change a string, but I’ll leave you in the capable hands of my band”, sitting cross-legged on the floor as they launched into an impromptu cover of Red Hot Chilli Peppers “Under The Bridge” – some in the crowd thought it was a muck about until the chorus came in and got a rather decent singalong.
Mac DeMarco can offer to his fans what no other musician can – himself! His music and his character are one and the same, and equally loveable. Restless feet, straight-faced banter, a couple of hit-and-miss attempts at crowd surfing and screaming vocal tics genuinely had people in stitches. “Everyone give a big hand to our sound guy… you know, we only ever talk from this far away. We’ve never actually met face to face”.
There is no lull in his set, every song bringing a venue wide pogo, boogie or arms round the shoulder shout-along. “Okay, let’s keep it moving. We know you like to rock, Glasgow, so that’s what we’re gonna do!” Most if not all songs from his new LP ‘Another One’ get an airing, met with as much enthusiasm as his back catalogue despite being little over a month old. The ode to his favourite brand of ciggies ‘Viceroy’ looks set to be the anthem for a new generation – “Oh baby I’ll smoke you ‘til I’m dying!” we sing, ironically, until our lungs hurt.
As the set draws to a close you believe Mac is the kind of guy who wants his fans to just give each other a big hug and get along with one another – before he comes back onstage to screeching feedback then launching into a breakneck cover of Metallica’s ‘Enter Sandman’ and starting a mega-mosh – I jump in then get hit square in the eyes by a flying pint of cider. Mac’s critics may poke holes in the similarity in sound between his tunes but here he proves he can nail any style he wants when the mood takes him. Everyone in the place is left panting for breath and soaked through with sweat, the crowd and the band having given it all they could. The gig was truly unique – the intimate tunes weirdly juxtaposed with the carnage ensuing in the mid-sized venue – and considering his last visit to Glasgow occurred two years ago at Nice ’n’ Sleazy who knows where he’ll be playing in another two if he keeps his foot on the pedal.
Control Social Club @ Sneaky Pete’s – 2nd September 2015; ft. The Rockalls, Sweaty Palms, Polarnecks & Facial Slurs
THE ROCKALLS
So, having been to Sneaky Pete’s to review a particular band, I’ve never walked out of a venue so chuffed.
I had the pleasure of getting to see a lineup of up-and-coming Punk bands from Scotland (one of which had their first ever live gig: who’d have thought, they were brilliant!) – with this, I’m more than happy to state every single band playing had something good to share.
I would personally describe Sneaky Pete’s in itself to be a low-key, grungy environment to be in – not everyone’s cup of tea, or for those who enjoy a silver suppository – but this completely fit the style we were about to witness.
Having listened to their music on their Bandcamp page, I found myself wobbling and bobbing around as you do when you like a song you hear. Unless it’s just me when I’m doped up with caffeine. That aside, I found myself thinking, “Hold up. I’m seeing this live,” leaving me with two sudden conclusions. One being, “I need to leave some so I can get a nice surprise when I arrive” (which is why I refuse to check the setlist before gigs, I love surprises!), and “I NEED to see what they can do with a crowd.”
And this desire was fulfilled in great fashion, but I’ll come on to this shortly. I must add that Sweaty Palms have to be credited for their ability not only to play, but for setting the scene for the appearance of THE ROCKALLS, and thus should be given key mention.
People were moshing, a bottle was smashed and there was even enough room for people to crowdsurf, including their adrenalised guitarist. What could possibly top this?
“Could a vocalist ‘a-few-beers-later’ engage with a crowd to such a degree?” Was the general idea of the question asked by a pal beside me, as we stood by, wide-eyed and watched a mass of people down in front, give way to the machine that was about to cause mayhem.
Dom, their singer and said machine, had a quick chat with me outside after and did ask me not to mention the level of intoxication he was under, so we won’t go any further on that note. Sorry Dom! When asked about influences, he simply replied “Name any Punk band,” and given their categorisation as Garage Punk, this was certainly made obvious during their performance.
Dom even managed to nail every note, and leaped off-stage a number of times to engage with his audience and they went ballistic in turn; this is the type of energy that one might expect from this style of music, and they completely surpassed requirement. Cables were taught, and mic stands were everywhere. One was at a point where I thought it was going to catapult, so the inner sound tech in me jumped out in order to rectify this, hopefully saving someone’s head from being knocked off. After a pat on the back from one guy for my efforts, I was instantaneously thrown back into the pit for more fun and laughter.
With regards to their setlist, they played a variety of their own songs, particularly a few of their older ones which for me had a harder edge and showed the band for their true colours. (‘That’s really heavy, man.’) This also included songs from their most recent EP mentioned above, which is linked below with my sincerest recommendation. Please check it out, and you can buy it for just THREE POUNDS! Yes, three!!! Or a little more if you’re feeling generous, they deserve it.
And the gig was to be rounded off in the most down-to-earth and ridiculous way. We see Dom sitting on the floor in front of the stage, without a care, and addressed us all with the question: “I’m feeling pretty tired, man. What about you?” And we replied appropriately.
Exhaustion mutually acknowledged, this was followed by a final performance of the EP’s title track, “Wolfman”. I had the utmost pleasure of dancing to this (or ‘dancing’) with everybody; along with speaking to the boys afterwards, during which I was told that they are playing Sneaky’s again very soon.
Like Punk; the abundance of sweat, and overall brilliantly executed entertainment topped with good patter? THE ROCKALLS are the band for you, and so is the EP below.
https://therockalls.bandcamp.com/track/wolfman
They can also be found in their natural habitat of Glasgow, and on these other pages:
http://garagepunk.com/profile/therockalls
https://www.facebook.com/therockalls
You’ll hear more from me in my review of Solitude, stay in the loop for that one!
Rusty @ FEAST
Control Social Club @ Sneaky Pete’s – 2nd September 2015; ft. The Rockalls, Sweaty Palms, Polarnecks & Facial Slurs
Review of Polarnecks by Liam James Dickson
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Playing as part of new band night brand Control Social Club (concocted to hopefully inject a little energy into the stagnating Edinburgh alternative rock scene), is the Glasgow three-piece Polarnecks, a group of lads with the desire to make some noise and the ability to pull it off. CSC promoter Adam invited FEAST along to review the bands featured in his new gig night – and thank God he did, because that was one hell of a night! 
I was impressed by their back catalogue, available on their BandCamp page; forward thinking grungy-ness with a melodic bent and a scuzzy guitar tone refreshing from the clean-crisp sound of their indie counterparts, as well as some hauntingly angular acoustic tracks. I’m genuinely surprised by the revelation that all these recordings were homemade yet sounding as professional as any of their peers, if not more so. They cite the 80’s alt rock scenes of DC and Seattle as the main influence on their sound; Lukas has a particular fondness for The Cribs; but their good humour and general optimism shine through the heaviness to make an entirely new beast.
I met up with the guys in the early evening after their soundcheck for a quick chat, just to get a flavour of the faces behind the music. Polarnecks – consisting of Lukas (Guitar & Vocals), Callum (Bass) and Innes (Drums) – formed as school friends under a slightly different line-up and have been playing for around two years, with bassist Callum recently joining the gang. Far from pulling teeth, the guys were as pleasant and talkative as I’d imagined they would be – singer Lukas seemed a bit more withdrawn, though understandably so; the double threat of fronting a band in an unfamiliar setting would be a daunting task for anyone. It’s also how I know they really mean it when they excitedly talk to me about the opportunity the new Control Social Club night presents to spark a new wave of interest in rock, both in the city and the around the country in general.
“I’m not sure what it’s like through here in Edinburgh,” drummer Innes explains to me, “but there’s far too many promoters doing the pay-to-play thing, taking advantage of young bands just wanting to get a gig.” He sings the praise of Adam, the man behind Control Social Club, claiming we need people to take a more focused and curated approach to putting on concerts featuring likeminded bands with a shared appeal. I agree! 
Appearing after surf-punks Facial Slurs, the guys deliver a storming set to a packed Sneaky Pete’s that foreshadows a rather wild night. Their songs were obviously written with the stage in mind – the guitar is crunchy beyond belief, the bass player is loving every minute and the drummer… staggering! The heaviest instrumental sections are where the band can’t help getting caught up in the moment, jumping around and hammering as hard as they can without sacrificing the quality of their performance. The high point for me was halfway through the set when they fire into track ‘Awake’, featured on the Gold Mold Records Spring Sampler 2015 mixtape (that’s right, cassettes are back!) I knew this song well already having watched the amateur-made, professional looking music video several times – its Birdman style camerawork and ambiguous imagery make for great results – and anticipated this song would go down well. Rightly enough, every head in the place is furiously nodding along and the audience are obviously digging it. The upbeat chords are counterbalanced by humbling lyrics that connote an anxious young man ready to take on the terrifying world; “I feel worried, I feel paranoid” goes the chorus of many future sing-alongs. The pace is unrelenting right up until the last song of the set, a swaggering 3/4 monster that impressed everyone; I hear someone near say “That was sick!”
The lads came off stage sweating but chuffed; they well and truly hyped the place up for the bands proceeding them, Sweaty Palms and headliners the Rockalls. The crowd and bands got unruly alike; crowd surfing, mosh pits, stage invasions, gear strewn about the place and one smashed bottle of Buckfast (Glasgow bands, aye!) It was a spectacle alright, but it all distracted from the music of the last two bands who, in my opinion, were just not as consistent as Polarnecks. We saw two bands in their prime causing mayhem, and we saw one burgeoning band with a far punchier sound telling of unknown potential. For Lukas and company the only way is up, so catch them at this level while you still can!
Follow the link to see the event page for their next gig, supporting Kryten’s EP Launch for Gold Mold Records at Flat 0/1, Glasgow on the 25th September: https://www.facebook.com/events/650469028420825/
Stay tuned for the next Control Social Club event: https://www.facebook.com/controlsocialclub?fref=nf
Polarnecks gig dates, photos and info: http://www.facebook.com/polarnecks
Listen here: http://polarnecks.bandcamp.com
Check out the video for ‘Awake’ now:
T in The Park 2014 review – Bye Bye Balado…
Feast headed up to T in the Paaaaaaaaarrrrrrrrrk, on the Sunday for what was to be the last bow out as Balado bathed in scorching sunshine.
As Feast got, to T, the sun and copious volumes of alcohol hadn’t seemed to wane of the festival’s faithful punters and it was clear that everyone was going to send Balado off in style, and there was a definite air of poignancy as the ‘end of an era’ sunk in, on the final day of the weekend.
An early start Tijuana Bibles are the perfect antidote to start the party. The Glasgow cheeky chappies, deliver a sleazy snarling set full of immediate guitar stomps weaved with bass rhythms, and bounding energy.
Dundee’s Scary People gave an impressive early set full of brooding pop punk, with ‘I don’t see the lights’ is all infectious riffs and pounding bass lines. A definite one to watch on the Scottish scene.
Catfish & The Bottlemen played to a packed out tent and are going guns blazing just now, having watched them play tiny sets at Haddowfest, years ago, the band have blossomed in stature and risen the old fashioned way. The Welsh rockers received rapturous applause from the crowd with tracks such as ‘Kathleen’ and ‘Homesick’ met with massive sing-alongs. Whilst the band are not particularly original, they deliver set of proper rock sing-alongs sung with such intensity and conviction, that Van and co instantly win everyone in the tent.
Tame Impala played to a quiet tent, as the whole of the festival appeared to be at the main stage. The band delivered slabs of Aussie soaked psychedelic which the crowd lapped up. Highlights included the soaring pop ‘Feels like We Only Go Backwards’, ‘Be above it’ which builds into a raving monster, and ‘Elephant’ which sent the crowd mental.
Chvrches were roped in to cover London Grammar’s set and the trio are becoming firm festival favourites with their brand of accessible electro-pop, which entices everyone to dance, and are still on their way to becoming Scotland’s new electro-pop exports.
Meanwhile, on the main stage Paul Weller and then Jake Bugg looked like they wanted to be anywhere else. Whilst, Weller brought out the hits, his performance was muted and nothing like previous sets over the years. Whilst Jake Bugg sang his heart out, he just looked like he wanted the set to hurry up.
Radio One headliners Disclosure’s crowd grew and grew throughout their set as punters became increasingly bored of Alex Turner and co.’s preening and unoriginal headline set.
Disclosure have had a simply outstanding year, as the boys have grown exponentially as their popularity and influence soars. They deliver a sleek set of deep house pop. Guy Lawrence drums precisely throughout the set and Howard sends the giddy crowd into fevered dancing as soon as ‘F for You’ drops. ‘When a Fire Starts to Burn’ sounds colossal. Whilst ‘White Noise’ sends the punters into heaving, jumping sing-along.
The Lawrence brothers delivered a storming, and as the crowd demanded ‘one more tune’ the boys ushered Sam Smith on stage for a rousing climatic version of ‘Latch’ as the sun set and fireworks drew the curtain on the Scottish behemoth and two decades of Balado, with the crowd saying ‘Bye Bye Balado’. There is much talk of a new improved T in the Park, a boutique festival, and a brand new site at Strathallan. Will it have that unmistakeable T feel, will it drew the same punters, does it want to? Who knows, but let’s lift a Tennent’s to the next chapter. Balado is been a blast!
Posted by Stacy
Becky & The Lunar Orchestra – E.P. Review
I first heard about Becky and the Lunar Orchestra from Thisis Feast’s media bezzies, Edinburgh Undersound, who are very enthusiastic fans.
There are a really wide range of styles demonstrated in this strong E.P and with six members Becky and the Lunar Orchestra has the ability to produce a range of tracks that go to some really nice sounding places. For me, Questioning and Madrigal stand out as the best tracks. I have been listening to Questioning on loop for a fair wee while, with shades of Otis Redding, and Lianne La Havas mixed with Amy Winehouse, this is a lovely track with beautiful vocals that sound familiar but are original enough to have their own distinct and rather pleasant sound. Tune!
Madrigal is the other stand out track which again has really strong personality and sound. This is a pretty moody track but Becky Sikasa’s vocals lend it a really sweet feel, this is a very different sound to Questioning and its shows the band are versatile writers and performers because its another great tune.
Plastic Toys and Cabaret don’t come across on record as much as they could, and these two tracks they don’t quite reach the same level of production with superficial inconsistencies with the final mix that could be ironed out quite easily, making the record more cohesive. Live and I am sure gigs with Becky and the Lunar Orchestra could have moments in them where the hairs on the back of your neck would stand on end, because they have got some songs that have the beginning of something that could be really, really good. The are away in July on a German tour but look out for them playing in Scotland soon and go and see them if you can.
Edinburgh Hogmanay Review
Feast started the night over at the main stage enclosure with Edinburgh’s own The 10:04’s opening the proceedings.
The band only played a 20 minute set, but they made sure they left a lasting impression on the huge crowd.
Having seen the boys play in practically ever venue across the city, they showed that they have the tunes and the swagger to make the leap into the big time league.
The formidable frontmen of Steven Bolton and Danny Scrimshaw looked confident, as they exchanged vocal duties
The brooding ‘Lights Out’ and ‘Throes’ sound taught, delicate and romantic, yet full of harmony,sung with boys Scottish brogue, it’s a fantastic contemporary direction.
They played a set laden with newer tracks, it was a great showcase to highlight the fantastic new music, currently being produced in Edinburgh.
Whilst I wished the 04s had ended their set, how they normally do, with the gloriously noisy ‘About Tonight’, as it would’ve kicked off the night with a bang, but that’s just preference.
Next up we meandered through the masses for Chvrches.
The next big Scottish export for sure, having enthralling audiences across the pond and their tracks being played absolutely everywhere.
Chvrches cross-over success has been astounding and looks certain to continue with mainstream dominance in 2014.
Devoid of any, high tech lighting, or imagery, the trio, let their music let the crowd know exactly what they were about. The trio made up of Iain Cook and Martin Doherty mixing familiar yet bittersweet electro soundscapes behind Lauren Mayberry sugar-sweet vocals, effortlessly cajoling those in front of them to dance.
Mayberry’s haunting vocals soared across the still night air as the synth pop soundscape of We Sink and the aura of The Mother We Share further set
The gem of their set proved to be the shimmering Under the Tide, with Doherty taking the mic – the vocal exchange between him and Mayberry creating a pumping electro but brilliantly understated track. A fantastic set from Scotland’s next massive band.
Django Django are the new party band!
The new festival headline band du jour!
End of story. The atmosphere before the boys jumped on stage, was electric.
These boys have upped the game, before,they were eclectic, enthralling and exciting, now they are the finished article, strutting about the Waverly stage they had the crowd dancing as they juggled instruments and synths as their arsenal of tracks stormed the stage.
The mathematical future disco kings warp a plethora of influences from 70s prog, afrobeat percussion, and pounding synths into a a full on pounding, euphoric, electric party.
Crowd favourites ‘Hail Bop and ‘Default’ had the crowd bouncing into a fevered mess before the bells and fireworks.
A completely fitting night, to one of the country’s exciting band, here’s hoping Django Django are playing the festivals.
With such a strong Scottish line up (we’re claiming Django Django as half of the band are Scottish) of exciting music, its a great platform to show off the Scottish music scene.
Posted by Stacy