The girls are back in to-oownn – have they ever been away. Alanis Morissette & Beth Orton have hit the road together on a European arena tour, where Glasgow & its epic Hydro & all their Scottish fans had the privilge & pleasure of hearing them perform.
In her supporting role Beth was simply beautiful, turing with the re-release of her second and most acclaimed album, Central Reservation. Starting off with Stolen Car, she played eight more songs including my favorite Concrete Sky, & ending on Stars All Seem to Weep. Over her fundamentally folk-rock vibes, bolster’d by a double bass, she offers an ethereal voice, subdued & sublime yet so, so soft & good. The way she blends her word in communicating her messages, while letting the sounds sit on her siren melodies is Beth’s forte – an uberpoetess of the sonics of sour souls. As song-bysong she surf’d her set, I found myself being drawn deeper & deeper inside her art, her mind, & her music. She is a consummate enchantress & I cannot wait until 23rd September when Partisan Records will be releasing her new LP, including “Weather Alive.”
After Beth’s short but searing set came the queen of break-ups, herself, Alanis Morissette, who delivered her Jagged Little Pills with so much polish & affection it is if they had been written only yesterday. Around me women in tears, hearing the voice which had comforted them thro their own break-ups.
Meanwhile I was having a right old dance & just sense of womanhood in the room thro the whole not left me cleansed for the happy walk home.
Attendance was sparse as the up and coming Loup Havenith took to the stage. This three band gig was held at the Broadcast pub and venue on Glasgow’s Sauchiehall Street with the street freshly refurbished and renovation with cycle lanes and street lights.
Also performing were the Glasgow act Memes and the Spanish made The Parrots who were to headline. During his solo performance Loup in his loneliness admitted that such things are character building he smiled and left the stage.
Memes are a Glasgow act who take their name from the word meme meaning repetition and replication. They interestingly entered from the back of the space in a black and white boiler suit costume. It was just the two on bass, guitar and vocal, though they played the ruckus drum beats with pre-recordings.
They stood out, and there was a certain humbleness about them that was laid to rest as they began their set. Their sound boomed in manic and racing playing and they had enthusiasm and drive right for just that, in a more full room I think they would work very well to have a close musical encounter.
But here came the headliners The Parrots. It looked like everyone there were fans and followers as the room had filled a little. They were well versed as a punky rock n’ roll band who have for many years been recording multiple albums and putting tours under their belt.
At its roots again the music and evening was totally dedicated to heightened fun and with so few people there t felt a lot like a party among friends. Some songs were in Spanish and some were done in English. The four of them partied kicking the door in with the powerfully charged punk style anthemic super charged and benevolent show down where reaching love might matter, for fans.
He stepped from the stage to strut into the front of crowd as he also took great care of us with a well oiled range of octave’s and in a certain lurching attitude. After every song we were only too eager for the next and as I said the momentum was nonstop and without hesitance.
On the night it didn’t matter about the low crowd, perhaps giving it a special edge, because the ready musical fulfilment had reached the room around every corner with flamboyant joy to cheer up almost any crowd very much enhanced by fans of the group.
The performance only broke character when after their last song he slid to the floor in seeming exhaustion that only brought about a bigger appreciation for the evenings unfolding. If you love music or simply want a good time of an eve, The Parrots will help you do that, with their finely tuned and importantly loud, screaming act of a man in euphoria.
Yesterday, I headed along The Innocent Railway Path and onto to The Meadows Festival to catch The Smoking Jefferies, Black Wolf trap, The Victor Pope Band and Black Cat Bone. The sun was glorious as each of the bands played a blinder, from the Ska and big band sound that really entertained from The Smoking Jefferies a band of experienced musicians from Edinburgh who are making a name for themselves through hard work and determination, have caught them at Lindisfarne Festival last year and Decembers premier of Black Wolf Trap at Bannermans and countless times at Audio Soup and Eden. The smoking Jefferies really get the party started.
Sean Campbell- saxophone Elliot Cresswell-bass Lei brown- drums Bernie Fitzsimmons-guitar Fraser Thomson-guitar Robyn husband- bk singer Tam treanor-keys Geoff rowan- singer
Black Wolf Trap fronted by the amazing “Jamie Kierra” A performance artist that has earned his stripes on the live circuit in Scotland with his previous band Jamie And Shoony. Blackwolf Trap are a powerhouse of Drum And Bass, Lewis Linnington and Richey Neil combined performing the musical template for Jamie’s fizzing personality and vocal prowess. If one likes ones rock n roll deep, dirty and well funky. Blackwolf Trap will appeal. The massive congregation thoroughly enjoyed the performance. Indeed two bands that are going places. Brilliant stuff.
Next up, The Victor Pope Band a handsome band of merry men that produce a Punk As Fuck Hybrid of well-crafted songs and melodies again perfect for a Sunny Afternoon. Steven Vickers miraculous transformation into Victor Pope. His songs are packed with good humour and wit. A Victor Pope Band performance is always an event, because Steven Vickers supporting musicians are really hot and incredibly musically talented. With Graham Mackay on Bass and the musically versatile and multi talented musician Roy Jackson, with borrowed from The Smoking Jefferies, Lei brown- on drums As you can guess, I had a really good time ❤
Then on came Black Cat Bone. Deeper and dirtier Rock N Roll Blues. Have seen this band and performed as DJ Divine at Black Cat Bone gigz in the past. They are a band of experienced and talented musicians, that really appealed to everyone’s 1960’s Inner Love Child. They were brilliant as always I really got down to such fine Rock N Roll Groove ❤
Ross Craig – Forntman/ harmonica player Ewan Mackenna – Bass / Backing Vocals/ Bow Jamie Beaton – lead guitar / backing vocals Kai Wallace – Drummer
All in all perfect weather. Perfect Bands and loads and loads of friends that I havenae seen in ages. We had an after-party in Leith and I walked back over Arthurs Seat, making haste along The Innocent Railway Path To get Home to Niddrie Mill before sunset.
Then this morning,I realised that I had left my mobile at the afterparty, So this morning it was back along The Innocent railway Path and back over ancient volcano, picked my phone up. Thankyou Steve. Popped in to see Ross to arrange arrival at Eden on Wednesday. Then up through town to the Meadows to catch Supa Da And Kryptonites and Big Fat Panda. Of which i will write more of later. Because am knackered and hungry, Hungry Like A Wolf ❤
I didn’t get chance to see all of the bands that performed on Sunday Afternoon, it was totally by chance that I arrived just as Supa Da And The Kryptonites were sound checking, fucking A, I hadn’t seen these guys perform since The Castle Party in 2019. I was needing a dance and these guys really are the antidote to not dancing. Jay Supa struck a handsome presence in his skin-tight white jeans delivering funky rap with a supporting Bigband,
Rachel Duns – Tenor Sax and Jazz Flute. Josie Beth – Alto Sax and Keys Jonathan Ashwood – Drums Francesco Castello – Bass Shaun Evans – Guitar
Wendy McAuslan Vocals
It was Good Time funkiness, Jay had the Meadows Festival audience in the palm of his hand a demonstration of an expert showman and when he took his Tshirt off to introduce his new six-pack and lovely muscular toned torso and the tight white jeans, Mr Supa was channelling Freddie Mercury somewhat, total eye candy for the ladies and gentlemen of a certain persuasion. Jays vocals are always brilliant and his stagecraft huge, raising the goodtime groove on The Meadows on a Sunday Afternoon.
Big Fat Panda are becoming one of Scotland’s leading SKA acts. A band that are celebrated for the Skanking big band sound. Fronted by Big Andy, The Big Fat Panda sound is like a time tunnel to the 80,s Ska explosion bringing everyones inner Rude Boy to the fore. Everyone was up for this, dancing in The Sunshine, the highlight for Divine was a Ska rendition of Sally Cinnamon by the Stone Roses. Thanks, lads another brilliant performance.
Andrew Laidlaw Vocals. Andy Dins keys Alex Read guitar Alex Weir trumpet Mike Cashin sax Kat Brown trumpet Tam Kane Bass Merty Davidson drums
After a coffee and a natter with Louise. I was tired and hungry, so with thoughts of the walk home I headed for The Innocent Railway Path and enjoyed the lovely walk back through Duddingston to Niddrie Mill. It is such a lovely lovely walk. This is a very healing area in which to live, am settling in. ❤
Review : Mark ‘Divine’ Calvert
Supa Da And The Kryptonites. Photo by Jay Stupa. All other photos by Raymond Speedie
Glasgow’s Hug and Pint is a stone’s throw from the City Centre it’s known as a vegan restaurant upstairs and a music venue in the basement. It’s a small space that held this June gig by a rapidly rising punk band called The Gulps. They are a group formed from different countries with a singer from Spain who had a great stage persona.
First to step up were the Glaswegian band Tonto, a group who are also set to do well. They had the set up of two guitars, a bass, drum and flamboyant vocalist. It was refreshing to take in the intimate gig that exploded with volume turned up fully. Their sound had a feeling of the early nineties Manchester music scene which took me back to those special days. Engaging the crowd to dance and party with some very well written songs set to create a vibrant atmosphere.
After this strong start to the evening up stepped Mark Maclean, an act who is also circling this new scene, to play his songs of vocal and guitar, his nuance was a mixture of folk sang with a gutsy expression and rock that he made something personal of. After Tonto had hit the stage and Mark played his set he announced the coming presence of The Gulps and there was sense of something about to happen.
They came on already with a visual spectacle dressed as different characters from the music world, rockers, punks and what not. Diving straight in and engaging with their new punk thrust. They’ve caused quite a stir among critics who have hailed them as new Kings of proper punk. As they worked their way through their very sultry tones there was an obvious willingness to do nothing less but conquer through the facets of their gutsy act and tribute to punk with that effect.
Their emphatic media attention was evident making videos and composing photographs that will I hope be found in the magazines that helped stir the original punk casts now so long ago. I think the need has once again arisen for an exploration being answered by this band in particular, unafraid to announce themselves with conviction.
The room stepped up with the band which had a rarity enjoyed by all. Vocals rang with titles like ‘King of the Disco’ which was a tune to rearrange what had seemed like a tired dogma.
The night was just that, a night fit for celebration and a night that transcended stereo type. With music you’ll want to hear again also in its recorded element because this was no tirade but rather a carefully amounted and vitally young experience of nothing less than total charm.
He touched the roof which I enjoyed as it said so much about the situation of the very act of socialising itself a simple thing that brought the room even further together with the greatness of that magic touch. If you’re reading this I would like you to know that the band had already done all the upsizing needed so there is no need for me to exaggerate in any way.
They’re going to bring a new meaning to success because now’s the time to talk about them. They have released an EP called ‘In the Kings house’ and it’s a place to find the space to come alive again
Blowing straight past hesitance with music once again as the vehicle, and as an entourage to cover the glory of ripped jeans, leather jackets and the true fun at the roots of rock and roll. It was exciting to be there, a joy to remember and one of the friendliest and lively atmospheres you could have, if you think you don’t like punk I think you’ll be surprised!
Mumble Music 