Glasgow seems to recognise how dark, wet, cold and miserable January is, so the city does its very best to put on music events to keep spirits up. Celtic Connections attracts artists and music fans from across the globe. Closer to home, King Tuts Wah Wah Hut promotes the best new bands around as part of their New Year Revolution series of shows through January.
On Friday (9th) night I headed in to see Fatale, a young five piece, still in single figures for gigs and yet to release a single. As mentioned in an earlier blog this month, I think Fatale are the most exciting young band in Scotland at present. They look great, have fantastic taste in (and enthusiasm for) music and out of their 11-song set, taking into account the 2 cover versions, 5 or 6 of their own 9 songs sound like they could be clear and obvious singles.
This was the best I've seen Fatale. They played with confidence, introduced new songs to their set and looked like they were having even more fun on stage than the audience, who were jumping and pogo-ing around. There was even a brilliant display of crowd surfing during the band's final song!
Lead singer Ben Robertson somehow managed to keep his hat on for the first few songs, before eventually taking it off due to the heat in the room. Robertson is a natural front man, his energy is infectious. He has his arm round his guitarists at times, while at others he is down at the barrier and in with the crowd. Good vibes.
.jpeg)
Good vibes all round. From the warm guitar opening of September onwards, Fatale blitzed King Tuts. A cover of The Vaselines Molly's Lips third song really got the place going.
Head's Gone could be one of the aforementioned singles. While Jesus Christ almost certainly will be. A teasing intro with Big Star-esque guitar sounds leads to the band flying through the verse to the chorus.
Jesus Christ knocked on my door, just let me sleep 10-minutes more
Coming out with songs of praise, righteousness lost in the haze
Another Sunrise is another one that connects, the defiant statement hook of I'm going out tonight will probably be blasting out of radios and speakers within a couple of years and be sung wholeheartedly by teenagers across the country (and beyond).
Fatale were in full flow. The duel guitars of Euan and Chris (sporting a Shonen Knife t-shirt) were deliciously fuzzy, bassist Oscar locked in the groove, while James (vintage AC Milan shirts swapped for a Maradona T) on drums drove things forward.
By The Tide is another guitar pop gem. Fatale seem to have a natural feel for a good song structure. They know when to build a bridge, when to rip through a verse, when to hammer home a chorus or hook.
New song Wired (To The Feeling) felt effortless. The band seem to be writing brilliant new songs ona regular basis. They could already start recording and releasing a steady stream of singles. But they (probably rightly) are letting things build. After all, as mentioned previously, they have still played less than 10 gigs. You can check a couple of demos on their soundcloud though.
I'm wired to the feeling
When I'm by your side
Electricity is flowing
Everything's just right
With every tear you don't cry
With every tear you don't cry
Fatale closed with the two songs they recorded as demos 8-months ago. Their cover of Femme Fatale by The Velvets has become a sing-song, the call and response chorus and then the hook see the way she walks, hear the way she talks is sung with love on stage and in the crowd.
Then it was the glorious Moves You, like a long lost Fanclub song from between A Catholic Education and Bandwagonesque. Full of zip and zest, but with a sublime breakdown and harmonies, before a furious romp through the chorus, cracking instrumental with a brilliant guitar solo and another run through the first verse and chorus for good measure.
Fatale head out on the road in February for dates with The Cords. Keep an eye on their Instagram page.
26/02 - Cafe Drummond, Aberdeen
27/02 - Beat Generator, Dundee
29/02 - Upstairs, Inverness
.jpeg)
