Futuristic Retro Champions & Ace City Racers, 13th Note, 27/02/10

Futuristic Retro Champions launched their FRC EP with a packed out show at Glasgow's 13th Note on Saturday night. Such was the demand to see the band, a few people actually watched/listened from the corridor outside.

The band were supported by long-term friends Ace City Racers (formerly Juno!). This was only Ace City Racers 3rd gig, but they showed plenty of promise with songs like 'Radio Candy', City Boys, City Girls' and 'Scenester' going down well with the crowd. The band are heavily influenced by Blur (no bad thing in my book) and frontman James Barker showed that he is capable of Coxon-esque playful guitar riffs and Albarn-esque vocal hooks and delivery.

With the second support band splitting up that very day due to indifferences over the weather (makes a change from artistic differences) it allowed Futuristic Retro Champions the time to play a 45-minute set, re-instating older song 'Epic' along with brand new song 'My Magpie Eyes' and a very special cover.

The size of the crowd charged the band as they romped 'Epic' and 'Speak To Me'. 'Strawberries and Vodka Shots' is a summer anthem in the waiting, during which fans let off confetti guns, yet you could say that for all of the FRC's sugary coated pop songs. 'DIY Lovesong' was full of 'ooohhh waaahhh oooohh's', 'Lets Make Out' is a love song for the Skins generation and 'Count To Ten' is pure pop in it's simplest form.

'Kitten With A Loaded Gun' tells the tale of a teenage temptress with the uplifting chorus exclaiming 'you could take your pick from anyone, you could take your pick from more than one, you were only 16, a little teenage dream, like a kitten with a loaded gun.' While 'Jenna' was a clear fan favourite about a girl who is always last to leave the dancefloor.

'You Make My Heart' and 'Told Ya' kept the pace going before the band ended with an inspired cover version of Bananarama's 'Robert De Niro's Waiting' that brought the house down and left everyone heading into a cold night grinning like Cheshire cats with a warm glow in their hearts.