Del Amitri at the Barrowland Ballroom

The Glasgow Barrowland Ballroom on a Saturday night is like a Cup Final of a gig. There is a heightened sense of excitement and expectation levels are high. The crowd are like an extra man, 90-minutes can fly by in the blink of an eye.

Last night Del Amitri returned to the hallowed ballroom, scene of many triumphant nights in the past, and they immediately gave the impression that they wanted to be playing this incredible venue just as much as their fans wanted to see them there. This was a cup final they had longed to play since regrouping to play some shows in 2014.

They kicked things off with a beautiful Be My Downfall. Justin Currie was in fine voice from the off, the band gelled with ease, the smiles on their faces made it clear how happy they were to be back at the Barrowland. There was an instant connection with the fans, a clear chemistry between the band and it didn't let up.

Del Amitri played with a confidence and swagger, a band full of belief; in their songs, in their playing and with their loyal fans. It was great to see and  they swiftly followed by playing Roll To Me.

The band dug into their back catalogue to play a string of gems; the flowing poetry of Nothing Ever Happens was breathtaking with the chorus sung heartily by a crowd in equally fine voice. Kiss This Thing Goodbye was a joyous romp, When We Were Young sounded and looked like a band having real fun.

Driving With The Brakes On tugged on the heartstrings, the band were tight as Currie bared his soul on this stunning song with the brilliant double kiss off at the end of the chorus;

it's hard to say you love someone

it's hard to say you don't

Always The Last To Know had a real kick to it, a new song was delivered with pace and energy and offers hope to fans that the band are back for good, or at least for a while. They can do things on their terms now.

The band literally bounced off each other at times on stage, especially on the faster songs like Stone Cold Sober, but they also huddled together to deliver their glorious tender ballads, and they don't really come any more glorious than Spit In The Rain. The crowd gave this gem a special ovation.

The Del's finished a memorable performance with Move Away Jimmy Blue, fans had their hands in the air or around loved ones as they sang along. Some of the super fans will be back for round 2 tonight - lucky them.

Move away Jimmy Blue

Before your small, small town turns around

And swallows you

Check Justin Currie's Facebook page for his own fine musings on their current tour.

Wickerman Festival 2014 review

The Wickerman burned and so did a fair few people in the crowd as the 2014 Wickerman Festival experienced a Heatwave on the Friday before the almost traditional short shower on Saturday evening.

I headed down on Thursday for the first time. Good weather and a weekend with mates and music seemed like the perfect recipe - it was. It seemed like loads of others had the same idea and Wickerman veterans I spoke to noted that the campsite was at least 100% busier on a Thursday than previous years.

Thursday isn't an 'official' day at Wickerman; but you can start camping then and the Greenman Inn (the bar) is open for business. We arrived and set up camp quickly so we could get in for Them Beatles who had packed out the tent. They looked sharp in black suits, white shirts and skinny black ties, belting out classic hit after hit and ending with a euphoric Twist and Shout. I wish they had played for longer. After that it was a local bands playing covers followed by a DJ until the small hours.

Elliott, Martyn and me

Scorching sunshine turned our tent into a sauna by 7am, so Elliott and I got up and headed to the Down 'n' Dirty showers and thankfully the queue wasn't that long. The facilities there were excellent and Wickerman has to be commended for their regular cleaning of toilets throughout the festival. Martyn had been out partying until around 6am! However the sunshine and the promise of a slap up breakfast got him through the day.

A walk round the site and the obligatory picture in front of the Wickerman (Highland dancing) led us to the Secret beer garden and some ice cold mojito's and a sugar boost set us up for the day.

Like many others, we plonked ourselves down in front of the main stage to enjoy the glorious sunshine. The Hosts were impressive guitar driven pop rock whilst Skinny Lister brought punk folk to the festival and got people dancing down the front. Their double bass player had a brilliant 'this machine kills dub step' message painted on and their female singer was impressively energetic, swigging from a big jug of cider.

Skinny Lister

Cider with ice was the order of the day for us! We had a nice cold drink and watched some of the Mountain Bike stunt team performing stunts beside the Solus Tent.

We caught the last 3-songs from Atom Tree in the Solus Tent - their blissful electronica was warmly received - as was the chance to shelter from the sunshine. Reports on site said that water consumption was up 100% already compared to the whole weekend in 2013.

Machines In Heaven were then on next door in the GoNorth tent. They were as tight as always and their beats drew in a crowd from the sunshine outside.

Atom Tree

After that I experienced one of my highlights of the festival. We wandered down towards the main stage but the music coming from the SoChill stage/beer garden drew us in - it was Chic's Thinking Of You. The DJ was fantastic, spinning soulful disco, song after song. People were dancing in the sun and the DJ responded to us, keeping us dancing and then coming out from behind the decks to stand and sing a long with his arms spread wide and a huge smile on his face. I discovered the DJ in question is a northern soul/disco fan called Mark Linton. I'll be looking out for him playing in Glasgow as he was brilliant.

DJ Mark Linton

We had to leave though as we certainly didn't want to miss Martha Reeves and the Vandellas on the main stage. We met up with Craig and Jennifer just in time, they were late in as Jennifer had to work in the morning. As the festival basked in temperatures of 31 degrees there was only one song with which Martha could start - Heatwave set the tone for a short and sharp set (Martha's band took longer than anyone else to line check. It is a pleasure to be in the company of artists like this - you just don't know how much longer they will be around. Martha's voice was high at times, deep and soulful at others. Nowhere To Run was delightful and Dancing In The Streets a dream, especially with Martha causing much laughter as she said 'call the popo, I ain't finished yet', as organisers tried to halt her set as she was over-running. 

Martha Reeves and the Vandellas playing Heatwave in a heatwave

Quite an act to follow? Not for Alabama 3 who produced the performance of the day for me - just perfect. Their mix of gospel, country, rock'n'roll and electro produced a party vibe that suited the festival and the weather perfectly. Their backing singer was euphoric, the band were on fire, the rhythm section was just outstanding.

Alabama 3

The sun was beginning to set as Shed 7 took to the stage and launched into their hits from the 90's. Britpop fans rejoiced as songs like Getting Better, She Left Me On Friday, Disco Down and a superb Chasing Rainbows were played with a real passion. I think the band were quite taken aback by the reaction from the crowd. They have always had a strong fan base in Scotland and it was clearly on display down the front.

 Shed 7

I was really torn between giving Dizzee Rascal a chance to impress and heading up to see Young Fathers in the Solus Tent. I did a bit of both. Dizzee Rascal's 100 mph garage/grime/rap just isn't my cup of tea at all, although a lot of youngsters loved it.

Young Fathers had the lights turned low in the Solus Tent, creating a real mysterious vibe. Unfortunately I only caught their last 3 songs. I wish I had caught more as their power, passion, delivery and on stage presence was nothing short of mesmerising. The closing I Heard was truly exceptional. 

A long day in the sunshine caused us to grab some food and a chat before heading to the tent where we could still hear the sounds of Dizzee Rascal belting out his hits and then the pound of the dance tent until the early morning. 

It had been quite a day - my plans of spending a good amount of time wandering round the tents went out the window thanks to the glorious sunshine. However that is what being at a festival like Wickerman is all about - don't make too many plans, just go with the flow.

 Friday at Wickerman was scorching

Saturday

Sunday was cooler. I think even the most hardened sun worshippers were quite happy. We had a lazy morning outside the tent talking to a lovely couple from Edinburgh who were there with their 17-month old son Roco. I am definitely thinking of taking my daughter next summer when she will be 4.

We opted for mojitos to start the day again. That all important sugar boost!

Elliott and I had caught The Tea Street Band at King Tut's when they supported Jimi Goodwin, so we went down to the main stage to catch their set. They played well and have a real clubby element to their guitar tunes.

The guy in the red jacket must have had a good Friday!

We pretty much stayed by the Main Stage again other than a few wanders. The weather was still reasonably good at this point and there were a number of bands I wanted to see.

Model Aeroplanes were one of those and they didn't disappoint. It is about 9-months since I last caught them and the progress in that time is very evident. Confident in taking to the big stage, the 4-piece played a great set of 3-minute pop songs with influences from the likes of Vampire Weekend. There is a real buzz about this band in the Scottish music scene and they lived up to it and enhanced it. Well worth checking out if you haven't already.

Model Aeroplanes

Big Country went down well with the crowd. Big guitar tunes with a Celtic edge to them drew the masses from the campsites.

The 2014 version of Big Country

The Zombies were brilliant. Musically they were pretty untouchable, extending songs into brilliant funky jams, playing a delicious cover of the Motown classic What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted?, a beautiful version of Time Of The Season and closing with a crowd pleasing romp through She's Not There. I really enjoyed their set and hope to see them if they come back to Glasgow.

The Zombies

We nipped back to the tents to get jackets as the rain clouds were coming in and there was some light rain for a few hours. Nothing heavy though and it must have been one of the few times at a festival where some people were actually pleased that things were cooling down.

When we returned I had the pleasure of interviewing Del Amitri front man Justin Currie for the brilliant lads at Tenement TV. I play seven-a-side football with Justin and he kindly agreed to come in for an interview. I'll post a link when it is ready.

My sister Carla's band TeenCanteen were booked to play the GoNorth tent, so there was time to hang out with them in the VIP area before heading up the hill to to the tent and await their show. I managed to peek into the Solus Tent to watch a bit of the Amazing Snakeheads from behind the stage. The tent was rammed for them.

TeenCanteen played very well, probably the best I have seen them. The 4 girls were in excellent form, coming directly from the Indie Tracks Festival where they had played the day before. Their harmonies were exquisite and their sunshine indie pop went down well, drawing in a good crowd. You're Still Mine got a great reception whilst the closing Motown beat of Coming Up Roses and the sing song chorus ended their set with the crowd wanting more.

There was only time for a quick well done cuddle with my sister and the band as we headed back down to the main stage for Del Amitri. They kicked off in style with Always The Last To Know and Kiss This Thing Goodbye. The band were sensational when I caught them back in January at Celtic Connections and they were even better at Wickerman. Spit In The Rain was utterly gorgeous, as was Tell Her This while Move Away Jimmy Blue was one of my songs of the festival,  as was Nothing Ever Happens which caused us all to hug and sing-a-long. A real festival moment.

The Ramones-esque Drunk In A Band caused Craig and I to bounce around like loonies. Craig was celebrating his 30th birthday in great style. There was also a wedding underneath the Wickerman at one point!

Del Amitri hadn't quite finished though and romped through a surprise cover of Motorhead's Ace Of Spades, sharing the vocals among them.

Celebrating Craig's birthday in style with Del Amitri

And that was almost that. We were partied out but had time to grab a drink and head up to watch the burning of the Wickerman and the fireworks.

What a weekend; Wickerman seems to get better every year and more and more people I know are checking it out. The festival site is spacious, the atmosphere is friendly (and family friendly) and the selection of bands is eclectic and brilliant; from 60's legends through to the best bands breaking through from Scotland and beyond.

I'm just off the phone to my friend Martyn who experienced his first Wickerman at the weekend and despite being a little fragile today his first question was - are we doing it again next year?

YES!

Wickerman Festival 2014 - a preview

I have become increasingly fond of the Wickerman Festival since Lynn and I first attended back in 2009. We've been back pretty much every year since other than when Lynn was expecting. The location, eclectic line-up, friendly atmosphere and the fact that it is just so different make it very appealing.

Personal highlights from my visits have included the pure pop of the Human League, Candi Staton in blazing sunshine, singing myself hoarse to Teenage Fanclub and The Charlatans, one of the best festival sets ever by Nile Rodgers and Chic, Miaoux Miaoux playing a rave in a caravan, Vigo Thieves packing the Solus Tent and generally having a great time just wandering around discovering all kinds of music.

The Wickerman goes up in flames back in 2009

As it is 2014, here are 14 acts or things to do for your consideration;

1. Del Amitri
I have the joy of playing 7-a-side football with Justin Currie, lead singer of the Del's. He is a pretty good player should you be wondering! Justin is also really looking forward to playing Wickerman with the reformed Del's and having witnessed their hometown comeback show at the Hydro back in January, I am positive that they will smash it with all the hits and more.

2. Dizzee Rascal
Bonkers?! I have to admit that the Friday headliner took me by surprise, but then the Wickerman Festival has a habit of coming up with the unexpected - they know how to get a crowd pleasing act in.

Massive pop songs like Dance Wiv Me, Bonkers and Holiday alongside Dizzee's enthusiasm and energy should get the Wickerman crowd bouncing and partying.

3. Martha Reeves and the Vandellas
Heatwave, Dancing In The Streets, Nowhere To Run and Heatwave are just 4 good reasons to go and see Martha. I have had the pleasure of seeing her on a few occasions (including getting up to dance on stage with her at Oran Mor a couple of years ago - look out for her getting some of the crowd up for a certain song with Dancing in the title!) and Martha's voice is sensational. Full of power, emotion and soul. Could steal the whole festival.

4. Alabama 3
One of the hardest working live acts around with a reputation of being one of the best. I caught them years ago supporting Primal Scream and I'm looking forward to seeing them again. Their mixture of country, gospel, electronic, rock and blues is bound to win them a few new fans. Their best known song is Woke Up This Morning which was the theme tune for The Sopranos.

5. The Zombies
Time of the Season is a sensational song. I already have a vision of watching it with a nice cold cider in my hand in glorious afternoon sunshine. Fingers crossed!

The Zombies 1968 album Odessey and Oracle is heralded as a classic, as is their 1964 single She's Not There. I am personally really looking forward to their set.

6. Solus Tent
I always spend a good amount of time in the Solus Tent and have got to know the curator Chay. Chay has great taste in music and ensures quality and an eclectic array of music is on offer throughout the weekend.

Chay is ahead of the game on many occasions and may just have surpassed himself as this year the Solus Tent has Young Fathers (winners of the Scottish Album of the Year), Neon Waltz (young guitar band from Wick signed to the management team behind Oasis) and the highly rated Amazing Snakeheads (who released their debut album on Domino) who are building a reputation for their high energy live sets.

If you are feeling fragile then keep an eye on schedules for when the Cairn String Quartet are playing. They may well feature some guest vocalists.

I hope to check out Atom Tree and Tuff Love amongst others.

7. goNorth Tent
Sitting next door to the Solus Tent, these two tents offer the best in unsigned and DIY bands, alongside up and coming acts that have a deal. Check out sunshine pop from TeenCanteen, the eclectic and electric Roman Nose, punk rock pop from United Fruit and loads more.

8. Grass sledging
There are all kinds of activities on offer at Wickerman, with plenty for kids to do. We certainly intend to take our kids in a couple of years time, but you'll see kids from a very young age upwards. Grass sledging is something I tried at Wickerman a few years ago and may well do it again this year.

9. Scooter Tent
I love the Scooter Tent at the Wickerman Festival, it is full of characters who are exceptionally passionate about music. There are certainly people who go to Wickerman and spend their weekend in the Scooter Tent or just outside in the sunshine.

I certainly recommend checking out Berry Tweed and the Chasers for some top mod action and depending on timings I also fancy The Counterfeit Clash.

10. The Silent Disco
I always end up in here after the main act finishes on the Friday night. Great fun as two DJ's play off against each other and the crowd click between tracks 1 or 2 on their headphones. You'll be listening to Basement Jaxx at one point and then half the crowd will go mental as the second DJ drops a classic on the other track and you switch over.

11. Acoustic Village
Very popular with families (and those with a hangover!) for some nice chilled out music. Roddy Woomble (who played the Main Stage back in 2009 with Idlewild) is among the bigger names playing.

12. Walk around and find something....like the Jimmy Carr bar!
The Wickerman site is perfect for just wandering around. Go and sit by the Wickerman and chill out, stumble across a funky bar set in a small wood in the middle of the site, take a stroll around the stalls, mountain bike and check out every stage there is at some point of the weekend. Oh and get your picture and a drink at the Jimmy Carr bar!

My better half at last summers Wickerman

13. The Thursday night 
Despite a number of visits to Wickerman, I've never been down for the opening on the Thursday night. A handful of small stages are open and this year Them Beatles are set to get the party started. My friends Lorna and Colin have been down a few times on the Thursday and assure me it is great fun as it is so chilled before the main event. This year I am planning to go down on the Thursday - can I handle 3-days and nights in my old age.

14. The burning of the Wickerman
The focal point of the festival, everything stops and everyone gathers for the burning of the Wickerman and fireworks. I love the fact that this happens, everyone gets caught up in the one moment. It isn't quite the climax though as the party continues and in 2014 it will be Utah Saints taking to the main stage to keep everyone dancing.

That is just 14 things to look out for - there is much, much more including the indie disco brilliance of Shed 7, rising stars Model Aeroplanes, the legendary Big Country, a dance tent until 4am and the ever popular reggae tent that stays open until 5am for those still standing!

Del Amitri at The Hydro, Celtic Connections

The boys were back in town last night, their home town. Del Amitri turned in a sensational performance at the Hydro in Glasgow as part of Celtic Connections. It was a tight performance that showed off impeccable harmonies, first class musicianship, an amazing run of songs and a front man with a stunning voice.

It really was a show that made a mockery of the fact that they hadn't played together for umpteen years.

The Del's kicked off in style with a sensational double punch; 'The Last To Know' swiftly followed by 'Kiss This Thing Goodbye' (my own personal favourite Del's song).

The packed crowd lapped it up. I was quite taken aback, had they used up two of their best songs too soon?

Not a chance, 'The Ones That You Love Lead You Nowhere' was all driving and duelling guitars, the band gelling, the sound was outstanding throughout.

The band were not hanging around, firing off 3-minute guitar pop/rock gems for fun. Justin Currie bounded from one side of the stage to the other during the instrumentals and joked between songs about the size of the guest list, generously thanking a good friend who had bought 7 tickets and letting them know they shouldn't have.

'Not Where It's At' was beautiful, it is always a pleasure to see a band in top form and this was certainly one of those occasions; sharing mics, smiling, exchanging knowing glances.

I don't have my finger on the pulse of my generation

I just got my hand on my heart, I know no better location

After a ferocious 'Hammering Heart' the band decided to slow things down and show off the acoustic side of the band, inviting a friend on stage to play violin on a few songs. The close harmonies during this acoustic section were gloriously warm on a January night in Glasgow.

'This Side Of The Morning' was exquisite and drew a fantastic response from an audience who were recognising and relishing a brilliant show. 'Sleep Instead of Teardrops' and 'Be My Downfall' were beautiful, Currie's voice was strong, true and soulful.

Currie's love songs were greeted like long lost friends by the crowd. 'Tell Her This' was a highlight.

Tell her what was wrong

I sometimes think too much

But say nothing at all

'Nothing Ever Happens' was Dylan-esque in style and delivery, the crowd sang heartily, especially with the hook.

And we'll all be lonely tonight and lonely tomorrow

'Roll To Me', 'Driving With The Brakes On' and a stunning 'Spit In The Rain' (with Justin saying it is the favourite song of every Glasgow Taxi driver) continued a blinding run of songs. The bond between band and audience strengthening all the time.

A ferocious Ramones-esque 'Being Drunk In A Band' rounded things off before the inevitable encore.

We got a further 4-songs; 'In The Meantime', 'Here And Now', the disco funk of 'Just Before You Leave' and a blissful 'Move Away Jimmy Blue' sent the audience home in a good mood.

It was a glorious show, surely the reunion will continue with festivals and further show….