Idlewild, The Warehouse Aberdeen. 6/11/2009
November 10, 2009
Idlewild are one of my favourite bands and in my opinion one of the best bands to come out of Scotland in the past ten years. Seeing them in my home town in what could be described as an intimate gig (I have seen them at T in the Park and at the Music Hall and in terms of size Mosh- sorry The Warehouse is tiny) was a prospect that I was thoroughly looking forward too.
First up was Glasgow based folk band Sparrow and the Workshop who were probably as surprised as I was at the amount of people that had made their way down early to catch the only support band of the night. Sparrow as I will abbreviate them as are a three piece, fronted by the lovely Jill O’Sullivan who reminds me of a shy Janis Joplin. O’Sullivan has a haunting vocal that compliments the Sparrows’ distinctive playing style and somehow manages to fit in with the manic drumming that also includes, quite bizarrely, a percussive device of hitting a sheet of metal that acts as a symbol in the middle of the drum kit. Mad Skillz indeed.
Sparrow and the Workshop are pleasant; a soft, gentle start to the night that no one can really complain about and no one does as the end of their set is met with applause by the ever thronging Warehouse crowd.
www.myspace.com/sparrowandtheworkshop
I make my way to the bar and order a pint. I get a tenner out cause I know what Moshulu was like for prices in the past. However, with pints only £2 because of the new Scottish Licensing Laws putting a 72 hours freeze on drinks prices and the fact that The Warehouse couldn’t get off with charging £3.50 for a Carlsberg at their club night following the gig, I depart happy with my purchase and go to find a suitable spot for watching my heroes in action.
Idlewild bound on to the stage and set the tone for the evening, opening with Too Long Awake from their Warning/Promises E.P. What first hits me is that tonight, for once, the sound in The Warehouse is spot on. Roddy’s vocals are so crystal clear that it feels like he is singing straight to me and the mix of the guitars, bass and drums are perfect. City Hall, Readers and Writers and Post Electric, taken from new album Post Electric Blues are favourites, not just with me but with the ever willing crowd as Idlewild rattle through a set containing songs spanning from all five of their albums. Crowd favourites American English, In Remote Part and You Held The World In Your Arms are met with rapturous applause as Idlewild show just how dynamic they are with a set full of light and shade. Finishing the night where it all began with the punktastic Captain and Last Night I Missed All The Fireworks from their very first E.P, Idlewild tonight show just why they are one of Scotland’s finest bands and that despite numerous label changes and bassist departures, there still is a place for them in today’s music scene.
Aberdeen will always have time for Idlewild and with new album Post Electric Blues adding twelve new songs to the band’s ever increasing repertoire of tunes, it is very hard to see how people will stop loving this band in the years to come.
Idlewild, tonight we doth our caps to you.
SET LIST
Too Long Awake
Younger Than America
City Hall
Listen To What You Got
Idea Track
Mistake Pageant
I’m Happy To Be Here Tonight
Readers & Writers
In Competition For The Worst Time
(The Night Will Bring You) Back To Life
I’m A Message
Dreams Of Nothing
American English
A Modern Way Of Letting Go
In Remote Part
Roseability
————
You Held The World In Your Arms
Post Electric
Live In A Hiding Place
Captain
Last Night I Missed All The Fireworks
Definitely do not boycott this band…..
October 28, 2009
Clothes. Check. Hair cut. Check. Tunes. Check.
Boycotts are a four piece, indie-pop band from Edinburgh. Fronted by the charismatic and delightfully named Stina Twee, the relatively young group are almost unnaturally well formed, with a distinctive, frantic indie sound that’s surely only a spit shine away from being chart ready. Debut E.P, ”Start A Boycott”, is full of energy and lively pop guitars with Twee’s vocals providing the perfect backdrop for some of the most exciting modern day love songs to come out of Scotland for a long time.
Jocasta Sleeps…
September 29, 2009
Jocasta Sleeps have carved out a bit of a reputation for themselves on the Glasgow gig circuit and have recently been welcomed into the singles club with open arms. Nah, they haven’t just split up from their long term girlfriends; I am of course talking about their brilliant debut single, “Crayfish Cocktail”, that first brought Jocasta Sleeps’ prominent sounds to my ears. Released earlier this year, “Crayfish Cocktail”, sees the band’s spikey guitars blended with sweeping vocals to produce one of the tracks of the year. Think a bit of Biffy, with some Death Cab and a splash of Jimmy Eat World just for good measure. Go on, give it a listen. I dare ya…
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Cast Of The Capital…
September 15, 2009
Aberdeen band, Cast Of The Capital have had quite a year. From playing Rockness and Belladrum, to being Steve Lamacq’s (Fucking STEVE LAMACQ’S!!) band of the week on the old wireless, COTC have made huge waves for a band that have only recently came to the attention of people in Aberdeen, let alone to people further afield in this fine nation. September has seen the next big step in the bright future of this band, with the release of brilliant debut E.P, “Rotten Kids and Haversacks” which has firmly cemented the band as one to watch in 2010. With tours with Trapped in Kansas and Luke Leighfield to occur in the coming months, Cast Of The Capital are going places and are without a shadow of a doubt a welcome addition to the Aberdeen music scene.
www.myspace.com/castofthecapital
E.P, “Rotten Kids and Haversacks”, available now from One Up Records in Aberdeen and from Itunes in November.
Note: E.P animation produced by the talented Craig Shand and Jonny Lewery.
Only Revolutions…
September 14, 2009
Scot’s rockers, Biffy Clyro have announced that their next studio album, released on November 9, will be titled ‘Only Revolutions’. The band’s fifth studio album will be preceded by a single, “The Captain”, which will be released on October 26th. The album, recorded in L.A with producer G-G-G-G-G-Garth Richardson is said to be Biffy’s heaviest yet, and is also set to feature their experimentation in synthesiszers for the very first time. Previous single, “The Golden Rule”, will also feature on the album. Biffy Clyro tour throughout Britain in November.
Artwork to Biffy's new album, "Only Revolutions".
Follow That Star…
September 11, 2009
LightGuides (formerly WeHungYourLeader) are a three piece pop band from Glasgow. Taking influences from bands such as Death Cab For Cutie, Mogwai and Four Year Strong, LightGuides blend intertwining guitars, with thrashing drums and melodic vocals that has resulted in them becoming one of the finest and freshest new talents to hit the Scottish band scene this year. 2009 has seen the release of their debut E.P which first alerted me to their two stand out tracks, “Traditionalists Take A Seat”, and “Swizzlestick”. With University studies now complete and with a focus stronger ever, expect big things from this band in 2010.
Catch LightGuides at a venue near you soon;
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King Tuts – headline show w/ I see shapes, trapped in kansas, the little yellow ukeleles | Glasgow | ||
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Twa Twams w/ The Void | Perth | ||
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ABC2 for lions.chase.tigers mini-album launch | Glasgow | ||
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The Mill at Oran Mor | Glasgow | ||
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Moshulu | Aberdeen | ||
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The Greenside | Glenrothes | ||
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Tunnels w/ Luke Leighfield | Aberdeen | ||
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Cabaret Voltaire w/ Luke Leighfield | Edinburgh |
The Xcerts’ new video for, “Nightschool”.
September 10, 2009
Aberdonian favourites, “The Xcerts”, have made great waves this year with the release of their debut album, “In the Cold Wind We Smile”, through Xtra Mile (Reuben, Million Dead, Frank Turner) and King Tuts Recordings (The Dykeenies, Twin Atlantic). Now located in Brighton, the, “distorted pop”, band are finishing 2009 in style with the release of latest single, “Nightschool”. With the video filmed in Aberdeen itself, The Xcerts refuse to forget their roots no matter how far and wide they travel. And with tours accompanying Funeral For A Friend and Idlewild scheduled to happen before the end of this year, The Xcerts have well and truely made 2009 their own.
For more information visit, www.myspace.com/thexcerts
Bronto Skylift
September 10, 2009
I first saw this band at Belladrum Music Festival this Summer and was immediately taken a back by the raw energy of their live performance. With a live show consisting of one guitarist and one drummer almost battling for supremacy, Bronto Skylift are definately one of the loudest bands Scotland has produced in recent years. Currently armed with a brand new E.P, “The bearded fish and the jackalope”, Bronto are heading out on tour, taking in Norway, Scotland and a support slot with Twin Atlantic to name but a few.
To find out more info on Bronto and to listen to them for yourself, check them at http://www.myspace.com/brontoskylift
Noisemongers Bronto Skylift.
Twin Atlantic
September 10, 2009
This is a band that I have been getting very excited about for quite a while now. Twin Atlantic are an alternative rock band based in Glasgow. After constantly touring for two years, opening for bands such as Biffy Clyro, The Smashing Pumpkins and Lostprophets, their time has finally come in the shape of debut mini album, “Vivarium”, which is due out on the 14th of September on Red Bull Records. The band are also due to start their own headline tour of Britain this Friday (11th) in Inverness. New Single, “You’re Turning Into John Wayne”, has been released digitally this week. Get it on Itunes now.
For a full gig listings and more info on the band visit their myspace page here-
Damian Schwartz
May 1, 2009
My interview with Spanish DJ Damian Schwartz for Snafu Magazine. I was there on a six week journalism placement in February and thoroughly enjoyed it. The magazine itself is an extension of the popular club/music venue in Aberdeen. If you haven’t heard of Snafu or the magazine, you can find out more information at www.clubsnafu.com To read my article and others by myself visit www.snafumagazine.com
