Vigo Thieves at the Art School

November is a crazy month for gigs in Glasgow and also for nights out.  Sadly I couldn't make Vigo Thieves at the Art School on Saturday night. Thankfully my friend Gordon (a previous guest blogger) was there and more than happy to write another guest review for me.

Gordon

photo by drummer Alan Jukes - brother Stevie in top form

November has always been my favourite month for gigs mainly because plenty of bands tour at this time as they are looking to promote new albums for the Christmas market. It often brings problems because there aren`t enough days in the month and there will be inevitable clashes between bands that I want to see and this year proved no different. 

We had already bought tickets for a Samm Henshaw show on Nov 8th and Prides / Fatherson on Saturday night just gone. These plans were booted into the air as soon as Vigo Thieves announced they would be touring in November. Both of our previous gigs clashed with Vigo gigs, one at Sneaky Pete`s in Edinburgh and the other at The Art School in Glasgow so we gave the Samm Henshaw tickets to a relative and booked an overnight stay in the capital to see the lads play through there. 

At that gig I managed to wangle access all areas passes for the Glasgow gig as I wanted to put a new camera to the test and we then had to change other plans about. We had intended going to the ABC first to catch Fatherson and then heading up the hill to The Art School but in the end we just decided to sell our tickets at the door in Sauchiehall St. We ended up making two young ladies very happy as the Prides gig was sold out and we sold them the tickets at face value instead of them being ripped off by the usual touts that hang outside most venues in Glasgow.

We met up with my cousin and his wife for a beer in the bar downstairs before heading up into the venue to catch the support acts. It took a while for the crowd to come in and many of them will have missed the debut gig of BAD MANNEQUINS. Ross Hamilton , Craig Douglas ( Sonny Marvello ) and Jamie McGrory certainly made those who caught them sit up and pay attention, for a first gig together they absolutely creamed it and sounded superb. 

I missed NIEVES as I was backstage talking to a few people but my cousin spoke highly of them . They have a headline gig at King Tuts coming up on Friday 18th December that we`ll be getting tickets for .

The floor was starting to fill up by now and I made a snap decision to go and put my camera away backstage. I`ve never been one for standing still at gigs and I had a feeling it was going to get rowdy as the boys hadn`t played live in Glasgow for a while. The lights dimmed and The Killers All These Things That I`ve Done was cranked up with the crowd stamping their feet and roaring out the I`ve got soul refrain as the Vigos` took to the stage . With everyone pushing to the front, Stevie Jukes took the mic and thanked the crowd for coming out .

It`s been a while , Glasgow , let`s get fucking loud.

They blasted straight in with BELIEVE and the crowd joined in with such force that Stevie was forced to signal that he wanted his mic turned up. Coupled with Gino Phipps bouncing around like Zebedee on speed, it was obviously going to be one of those nights. Mixing old favourites like STEAL YOUR HEART and GHOSTS with new material THE ONE, new single FREE and the absolutely spectacular KING the band were on fire with Stevie encouraging everyone to sing along as Chris Gorman played the piano solo intro to HEARTBEATS.

You know the words, let`s hear it  he shouted and the whole venue sang them back to him .

As they clambered towards a noisy finish with THIS LOVE, Stevie decided to dive head first into the crowd and got bumped around on top of people for 30 seconds before they manage to direct him back towards the stage.

They finished with the soaring sound of the full version of HEARTBEATS and the mosh pit that had developed in front of the stage was soon joined by the lead singer diving in again. He had warned that he`d enjoyed the first one so he was going to do it again and he was true to his word. As the gig drew to an end it had been an hour of unadulterated joy and noise that saw everyone smiling and covered in sweat , just the way these things are supposed to be.

Vigo Thieves have been quieter this year in comparison to the last few but there is an album on the way and the new stuff they are producing seems to be much more polished. The live shows continue to grow and they continue to catch the eye and ears of music goers up and down the length of the country. As they say themselves

ONE DAY , ONE DAY I`LL BE KING

Sooner rather than later would be just fine .

The Insomniac Project

In And Out (of My Head) is the debut single by new Scottish band The Insomniac Project and it deserves your attention - remarkably fresh and polished, upbeat and flowing superbly with euphoric male and female vocals.

The band themselves describe it as disco infused electronic pop - and I can't argue with that description and I probably can't top it either!

There is a sense of urgency to the verses that is taken further when the female vocals kick in, but then when you listen to the song a few times in a row it kind of feels like there are 3 or 4 different choruses - it is just constant; flowing superbly, building all the time and keeping things going with cowbell and little twists and turns - bringing in guitar, adding more synths. A brilliant debut.

The Insomniac Project play only their fourth show (and first real official show) at Nice n Sleazys on Friday 4th September, so if you want to get into a band with huge potential from the off then you could do a lot worse than The Insomniac Project.

If In And Out (of My Head) is the shape of things to come then I am in for the ride. It is available on i-Tunes and all the regular places on 31st August. Get a note in your diary.

15 things to look forward to in Scottish Music in 2015

There is always loads to look forward to in the Scottish music scene - new material and shows from established Scottish acts, new acts breaking through and all kinds of bands and artists dropping by to play shows and festivals....oh and what is pretty much officially 'the best audience in the world.'

1. Teenage Fanclub - new album and extensive touring
As this blog is named after their debut single I'll start with news that the new Teenage Fanclub album will be dropping in time for summer with Norman Blake adding that they are planning 'extensive touring'. Their summer show in 2014 at the Kelvingrove Bandstand was utterly magical and I hope they grace some outdoor stages in 2015. A Barrowland show would be nice too!

2. Belle and Sebastian - new album and the Hydro
Belle and Sebastian's new album Girls In Peacetime Want To Dance (their ninth) is due out later this month (look out for a review on a future blog) and they have a huge show planned for the Hydro in May - complete with the Scottish Festival Orchestra.

3. White at the Poetry Club
I heard about White via the series of guest end of year review blogs I ran at the end of 2014. Gordon from Vigo Thieves turned me on to their song Living Fiction. The funky disco like guitars and Talking Heads style vocals got me interested immediately.

I then heard through the grapevine that labels have been flying up to watch them rehearse in Glasgow.  Expect their gigs at the Poetry Club to feature a few scouts up to check them out. They could be the hottest shows in town since Chvrches played their debut show at the Art School.

Sadly, the shows sold out instantly. Give me a shout if you hear of a ticket going!

4. King Tut's Wah Wah Hut turns 25
King Tut's has already announced a series of shows to celebrate them turning 25 - The Cribs and The Courteneers both play in February and are the biggest to date. Look out for some more shows through the year once other acts finalise their touring schedules.

Any spare dates around Noel Gallagher playing the Hydro?....

5. T in the Park moves to a new site
The move has been well publicised and I expect loads of details to be announced next month - but T in the Park is moving from Balado to Strathallan Castle, also in Perthshire and a mere 1 hour away from both Glasgow and Edinburgh. I expect they will want to make a real statement, so I'm anticipating some big names when the line up is announced.

6. The SAY Award
The SAY Award has been a very welcome addition to the Scottish music scene, creating exposure, debate and reward. It would appear to be a very open playing field and a winner could come from heavyweights like Mogwai or from someone like Fatherson or Beerjacket. Young Fathers could well come back to the double after winning in 2014. Twin Atlantic and The Twilight Sad should certainly make the long list.

7. Kelvingrove Bandstand shows?
What a fantastic venue. If we get another glorious (well most of the time) summer then I really hope their are some shows booked in for the Bandstand. Nothing has been announced to date though.

8. Huge stadium shows
The Foo Fighters and AC/DC are bringing their mighty riffs to Scotland this summer. I wouldn't bet against some more massive shows being arranged for stadiums or Bellahouston Park which has hosted shows by the likes of The Killers and Kings Of Leon over the last couple of summers.

9. 15 unsigned/DIY bands to look out for
Vigo Thieves and Fatherson have been on the verge of breaking through for a while, gaining excellent reviews and exposure and headlining huge shows of their own at the ABC in Glasgow. Will a label come in and give them that leg boost to the next level?

Vigo Thieves certainly have the anthems that deserve a shot at the big time. Fatherson's devoted fan base is reminding a lot of people of the love Biffy Clyro inspired as they were going up and their album has given them a real platform to build upon. La Fontaines are not really my own personal cup of tea (although I think the drummer is funny and cool) but they have also headlined the ABC and are doing well, with a new single due in April.

side stage view from Vigo Thieves at the ABC

Model Aeroplanes are a group of teenagers from Dundee who are going from strength to strength; getting seen in all the right places, playing festivals and earning great support slots. With a trip to SXSW sorted for March, who knows what will happen.

Other acts that seem to be getting good reviews just now include Jim Valentine, Neon Waltz (who have signed with the Oasis management team)and I am personally very fond of the electronic soundscapes of Atom Tree and the pure pop of TeenCanteen, both of whom will at the very least be releasing singles or EP's in 2015.

TeenCanteen - melodies, hooks and harmonies to die for

Kloe is a young 18-year old who released a single via Neon Gold in December - the same label/blog that propelled Chvrches to the ears of many. So look out for her moving forwards very quickly. She is working with Lewis from PRIDES and the lovely Chris from Fatherson.

Flash Talk released their incredible debut album Sparks To Fire on Christmas Day. I can't recommend it highly enough and will be blogging about it in the near future.

Monogram, to my knowledge, is one guy, creating epic guitar pop/rock from the Borders. His song Romance (below)has been picked up by radio and if he has more tunes like this up his sleeve then he should gather some label interest.

Velveteen Saints are a band I've been following for a while and they have picked up excellent supports from The Charlatans and The View. If they pick up some momentum through self releases or little labels like Dead Beet Records, then they could go places.

Crash Club are a band gathering momentum and if they release an album in 2015 then they could really move forwards. Beautifully produced with excellent live shows and guest vocalists, this is also music ready to soundtrack TV and commercials.

Machines In Heaven are on the DIY label Hot Gem alongside Atom Tree. A well received album, EP, live shows and festival appearances mean they head into 2015 in red hot form and full of confidence.

Lastly, United Fruit are a band building towards the release of their latest album. Radio play has been well received (including daytime Radio 1) and word on the street is that the album is full of their raw energy with a pop edge. The songs released to radio certainly point towards bands like Foo Fighters.

United Fruit

10. Prides
Signed to Island Records, (they originally signed as Midnight Lion and then underwent a radical transformation into a pop band) Prides had a productive 2014 and are surely now at the stage where they just need the right song to allow them to break through and then follow that up with an album. Regardless - they seem in it for the long haul and are in demand for production and co-writing. Look out for them on the new Aqualung album this year which they have a co-write on.

11. Legends
I love a show by a seasoned veteran with an extensive back catalogue to call upon. McCartney, Neil Young, The Who, Candi Staton, Martha Reeves, Dylan, Brian Wilson....I've seen loads over the years.

I already have tickets for Van Morrison and Gladys Knight this year. Both play the Royal Concert Hall this year - tickets are not cheap so I'm pretty thankful to my brother for treating me for my birthday and Christmas!

I was fortunate to catch Bobby Womack last January, only a few months before he sadly passed away. If there are any legends coming to town then act fast - you never know how long they will be around for.

Gladys Knight - back in the day

12. Electric Fields
Electric Fields is a new festival on the Scottish music calendar. It features the best in up and coming bands, is set in the grounds of a castle and the ticket price is exceptional. Sold? If not, check this promo video from the festivals first year in 2014.

13. Chvrches second album
The hype surrounding Chvrches debut album was pretty insane. The band ignored it, confident with their music and craft and carried on as normal, touring around the world through 2013 and 2014, making new friends and fans along the way.

They have somehow found the time to get the bones of a second album in place and rumours are that it will be out in 2015. The debut was full of depth - bitter sweet lyrics entwined with pop melodies, synths and beats with real thought. I look forward to the follow up.

14. Dr Cosmos Tape Lab
Two friends mentioned this band and their self released debut Ever Evolving Lounge to me within a week. Two friends who have excellent taste in music. Word of mouth is a great way to discover music and their lysergic pop album was full of Beatles-y melodies and hooks with a bit of home made Beta Band thrown in for good measure at times.

Their second album Beyond The Silver Sea will be released on Sugarbush Records in March.

They are a breath of fresh air, they couldn't care less about what is cool and who they should be sending their music to. This duo simply want to create good music and get it out there - and they do that superbly.

15. A surprise
There is a lot going on that I am aware of, but one of the things I look forward to most is being surprised - or at least I hope I am. Stumbling into a bar to discover a great local band/artist, getting to a gig early to find a brilliant young support band, tuning into Vic Galloway and hearing a stunning tune from an emerging Scottish act, walking into a tent at a festival and discovering a new favourite band or reading about something in a blog that I like the sound of.

Miaoux Miaoux - who will hopefully be releasing new material in 2015

Blog Sound Of 2015 - Lapsley

Blogs are becoming increasingly important in breaking artists, a prime Scottish example being Chvrches who exploded as a result of their debut single Lies being released  through the blog/label Neon Gold. 

The Blog Sound of Poll is organised by the Breaking More Waves blog -  set up as an experiment to see if music bloggers would choose different emerging acts to those on the ubiquitous BBC Sound of Poll. However as bloggers vote around the same time as those voting for the BBC poll vote there is no way of knowing if they will choose the same artists or different ones. This year 3 of the 15 acts on the BBC list were also on the Blog Sound list. (Låpsley, Shura and Soak).  Previous winners are Banks, Marika Hackman, Haim and Friends.

The 15 most voted for acts which formed the full Blog Sound of 2015 longlist announced in early December 2014 were: All We Are, Black Honey, Chloe Black, Coasts, Deers, Fickle Friends, Flyte, Halfrican, Honne, Låpsley, Prides, Shura, Soak, Sophie Jamieson, Tei Shi

And the winner is.....Liverpool's Holly Lapsley Fletcher has been named the winner of the Blog Sound of 2015, a poll of 62 UK based music bloggers. Each blogger was asked to vote for their 3 favourite emerging artists.

Låpsley was the clear winner of the poll with double the number of points than any other act on the 15 strong long list.

The producer and songwriter became an instant hit with music bloggers when she uploaded her song Station to Soundcloud towards the end of 2013. She subsequently signed to XL records in 2014 and releases her debut EP for the label on January 5th.

Låpsley is a worthy winner; gorgeous, heartbreaking vocals over minimal beats and electro. She has already released some DIY singles and EP's and i have spent the last week listening to them - they are beautiful. I look forward to seeing how she progresses under the brilliant XL Recordings.

Check the stunning Painter (Valentine) for starters;

The blogs that voted for the Blog Sound of 2015:

17 Seconds, A New Band A Day, A Pocket Full Of Seeds, A World Of Music And Madness, Across The Kitchen Table, Alphabet Bands, Beat Surrender, Beat2aChord, Both Bars On, Brapscallions, Bratfaced LDN, Breaking More Waves, Brighton Music Blog, Daisy Digital, Dots And Dashes, Drunken Werewolf, Echoes and Dust, Electronic Rumors, Even The Stars, Everything Flows, Getintothis, God Is In The TV, Hearty Vibes, Hitsville UK, I Love Pie, Just Music That I Like, Kemptation, Like 1999, Lipstick Disco, Little Indie Blogs, Love Music : Love Life, Music Broke My Bones, Music Liberation, Music Like Dirt, My Day By Day Music, Never Enough Notes, Not Many Experts, Notes For A Road Sign, One Album A Week, Popped Music, Queen Beetch, Rave Child, Scientists Of Sound, Some Of It Is True, Song By Toad, Sounds Good To Me Too, Sound Of Now Music, Spectral Nights, Sweeping The Nation, The Blue Walrus, The Devil Has The Best Tuna, The Electricity Club, The Evening's Empire, The Mad Mackerel, The Metaphorical Boat, The Paper Penguins, This Must Be Pop, Thoughts On Music, Three Beams, Too Many Blogs, The VPME, What If I Had A Music Blog.

You can hear Låpsley's music here : https://soundcloud.com/hollylapsleyfletcher

2014 review by Fatherson

Fatherson have had an incredible 2014, releasing their debut album I Am An Island to critical acclaim, touring Europe and playing some huge shows in Scotland including the King Tut's tent at T in the Park. Check some footage at the end of this blog - it is truly remarkable to watch the audience going nuts and singing along as passionately as the band. The crowd is a size that many signed artists would kill for.

Fatherson seem to be going from strength to strength with word of mouth helping the band to gain new fans with each passing month.

I caught up with Ross Leighton, the singer and songwriter behind Fatherson, to find out what music has caught his ears through 2014.

1. What singles/songs that have been released in 2014 have stood out for you?
Feel - Bombay Bicycle Club
Messiah - Prides
Iron Sky - Paolo Nutini
Last January - The Twilight Sad

2. What albums released in 2014 have you enjoyed?
My favourite albums of 2014 currently would be :

Bombay Bicycle Club - So Long, See You Tomorrow
Lonely the Brave - The Days War
We Were Promised Jetpacks - Unravelling
The Xcerts - There Is Only You
Phox - Phox

But I would also say the 'Niche Market' by Pronto Mama is the best EP of the year by far.

 3. What old music/bands have you discovered/gone back to in 2014?

Every month of so I go back and listen to 'Grace' by Jeff Buckley and 'Channel Orange' by Frank Ocean.

However my biggest return to an old band is always going to be my favourite band; Thisfamiliarsmile. I think i've re-bought their debut album 'Ribbons, regards and the more machine' like four times now and I love it more every time I listen to it.

4. What has been the musical highlight of 2014 for you?

My musical highlight for 2014 would have to be touring Europe with WWPJ, they took us to so many cool places and we just played our hearts out and loved every minute of it.

However, T in the Park this year we got to play the King Tuts Wah Wah Tent and had an unbelievable show that was the on the red button for a few weeks. I don't think I'll ever forget that day.

5. What are you plans for 2015?

Currently (writing in November) the only plan is to perform at SXSW 2015, which seems like a crazy thing to say, but it's true and I can't wait!

F A T H E R S O NWebsite: www.fathersonband.co.uk 
Like: facebook.com/fathersonband 
Follow: @fathersonband