The Charlatans at Queens Park Glasgow

I wasn't intending to write a blog on last nights Charlatans show in a Big Tent at Queens Park. After so many years, what is there left to say? April was the 30th anniversary of me seeing the band for the first time. I don't know how many times I must have seen them over the years. Maybe 40 times? At least once a year probably, sometimes more. 

There would be years where I'd probably catch them 4 times. Glasgow (twice), Edinburgh and at good old T in the Park where they appeared more years than they didn't.

The Charlatans lifted me last night and so I find myself suitably inspired to write a review over breakfast.

What inspired me?

Well the setting was pretty cool. A big old tent (possibly the old King Tuts T in the Park tent dusted down from being stored somewhere) on the far side of Queens Park. The Waterboys had used it on Friday night and Mogwai on Saturday. Could this be a new weekend fixture in the Scottish music calendar? 

However, it was the band that lifted and inspired me. Coming on stage at 8.45pm sharp to a huge ovation, Tim, Mark, Martin, Tony and Pete played a superb set that really took the crowd on a trip.

They really mixed it up, opening with the beautiful and shimmering Then, before a blast of power pop in the shape of Can't Get Out Of Bed, then the dreamy So Oh, followed by a euphoric Crashin' In. Four very different songs stretching from 1990 to 2014.

Photo by Tim Burgess

Toothache was a real dirty groove while North Country Boy really got the crowd going, everyone was singing with their hands in the air, punching the sky for the hook. Tim kept it going with Just When You're Thinkin' Things Over, which was one of my songs of the night.

Introducing My Beautiful Friend, Tim said sometimes we play it, sometime we don't, sometimes we play it, sometimes we don't. It was a little comedown after the high of the previous two songs, but again, it showed a different side to the band.

We were back on a high as the intro to One To Another kicked in and the tent erupted. Then we were into the blissed out psychedelic groove of Opportunity from debut album Some Friendly. Martin Blunt on bass was outstanding.

Tim's view for One To Another

Images and old video footage flashed up on the big screen behind the band. I hope they are uploaded to YouTube. There was particularly cool footage of a young Charlatans going for it in an old loft/warehouse with Tim in stripey T-shirt with that incredible haircut he had at the time.

Weirdo was another huge song that got people dancing, Soul Saver was a very welcome surprise, Blackened Blue Eyes was powerful and pure - we all need a shoulder to cry on once in a while. 

Come Home Baby has such an uplifting chorus and then it was The Only One I Know with an extended intro to allow Tim to take it all in. My friend and I put on an indie night in May and I played this, the dancefloor went crazy and the tent went nuts last night. The chorus is euphoric yet also beautifully melancholic and I appreciate it more with every passing year.

Everyone has been burned before

Everybody knows the pain

Very mature words for a young Tim Burgess to be writing back then. Timeless. A song that keeps on giving.

Tim's view for The Only One I Know

I had been expecting/hoping for How High in the encore, so my only slight disappointment in the night/setlist was that we had You're So Pretty to kick it off. Perhaps Love Is They Key from the Wonderland album would been better for the occasion.

But hey, we all knew where this was going ... we were all going to Sproston Green and we were all aboard. The long intro that builds and builds into a glorious groove and then BOOM

This one knows, she comes and goes

And when she goes, she goes

We were near the front, but now we were right in the mix, bouncing around in delight. What a song, what a band. I hope they come back to Glasgow again before too long.

And I'm still hoping for a Kelvingrove Bandstand date (or two). Maybe next year?

Tim's view for Sproston Green

Endless Arcade

Teenage Fanclub's 10th studio album (12th if you count The King and Words Of Wisdom and Hope) was originally scheduled to be released in Autumn 2020. The band decided to push it back to Spring 2021 and I think that will prove to be a wise decision, the timing feels perfect.

Written and recorded pre COVID, Endless Arcade mirrors many of the emotions we've all been through over the last year; emotions have run high, there has been separation, hearts have been broken, friendships mean even more, we've needed advice, support and we've all wanted someone to tell us there is hope of brighter days. 

As I write over coffee, with sun streaming through the window to the sounds of the album playing for the umpteenth time, I'd say the Endless Arcade is fantastic on first listen, but it reveals greater depths the more you play it; the lyrics, the voices, the playing, Euros' keyboards low in the mix at times but adding so much (you'll hear and appreciate them more with every listen), Dave's bass grooves, Francis' considerate and always brilliant drumming, Raymond's exceptional guitar playing and the gorgeous harmonies.

I've had tears in my eyes at times, I've got lost in it at others, I've smiled, and now, more than ever, I'm so grateful that this special band have been in my life for so long. This may be Teenage Fanclub's most direct and personal album. 

Lets go through it song by song.

I've been losing sight of what it means to be

And all this time I've been holding on, to our memory 

Norman Blake sounds wistful on the reflective Home that opens Endless Arcade. Blake's heartache is clearly portrayed by his lyrics, the tone in his voice and the feeling is beautifully echo'd by his friend and bandmate Raymond McGinley on electric guitar. 

As Blake sings I just don't know when I'll open that door again for the final time, McGinley takes over and takes off, leading the band for four further minutes. It's a glorious melancholic jam to end a beautiful song, I can't wait to hear this live. Home is 7 minutes and 4 seconds of Teenage Fanclub at their very best.

Heartache, heartbreak, love, reflection and friendship are at the heart of Endless Arcade. Norman pours his heart out and Raymond seems to wrap his arms around him in return. 

Home video

Don't be afraid of this life, don't be afraid of this endless arcade that is life is McGinley's advice on the title track. The rhythm guitars crash and there is a keyboard/synth solo that comes in unexpectedly to lift things leading to McGinley going into a melodic flow towards the conclusion.

Warm Embrace is 2-minutes long and the melody, beat and structure reminded me instantly of Norman's work with Euros in their side project Jonny. Warm Embrace is an outpouring of frustration with Norman openly declaring exactly where he is mentally and emotionally;

I've been lost and lonely, and I've been thinking of you only

Your love can save me, from the darkness that unfolds me

A pale imitation of the life I knew, I'm all forlorn for the loss of you

Now I don't know what I'm going to do

When I first heard Everything Is Falling Apart I immediately thought the opposite. The first song released after the departure of Gerry Love sounded like a band with the bit between their teeth to me. Relax, find love, hold on to the hand of a friend is Raymond's advice as the band settle into a groove, there are delicious bass runs from Dave, an outstanding solo from McGinley, Norman really drives the rhythm guitar and Francis is in sensational form on drums. I love the outro, it sounds like it could have been extended and the band could have taken the song off somewhere else. 

Falling Apart? Coming together more like - of course I miss Gerry, but this album is real proof that there is a lot of life left in the band, indeed, it already sounds like they are planning the follow up. Let's hope they break the 5-year routine between albums that they have got into.

Video from Leith Theatre

Teenage Fanclub by Donald Milne

The Sun Won't Shine On Me begins with chiming guitars and although there are only 2 verses over two minutes 40 seconds, another excellent instrumental section and then a repeated refrain, we learn so much. It is the sound of a broken heart and it brings a tear to my eye. This is a beautiful song, those chiming guitars soundtrack tears. Raymond's guitar is perfect, Norman and Euros harmonies tug on heart strings - emotional.

I have lost any sense of belonging, I am drifting like ice on the sea

With a troubled mind, I am in decline

And the sun won't shine on me

We had a love I thought was forever, but it travelled 180 degrees

With a troubled mind, I am in decline

And the sun won't shine on me

Did I say things are emotional? Well I probably won't be the only person to get tears in my eyes after listening to Raymond's Come With Me. It's one of his very best and coming on the back of Norman's The Sun Won't Shine On Me it really hits home.

All of this time you've got in front of you, all of this time you've got in front of you is how the song starts, Raymond delivering a vocal with warmth, compassion and consideration, backed by gorgeous harmonies.

Come with me, together we'll ride to infinity

Come with me, together we'll hide from reality

This is going to melt hearts. Straight up (for me) with Raymond's greatest songs, the feeling that the band capture here is really special. There is an ache to Raymond's voice, an empathy, an understanding, care. The way he sings lines that repeatedly begin with time is just tugs on my heart strings. Come With Me is a very beautiful and emotional song.

Time to heal and be with you

Wiping the tears away, electric guitars burst in and McGinley talks of sleepless nights dreaming about life, then living inside dreams, while coaxing brilliant sounds and riffs. 

Raymond has a knack in his songwriting of finding a refrain/groove and just running with it. The outro melody and lyrics are dreamy and poetic.

What we did and we didn't do

A memory isn't always true

I just don't know what it's coming to

We've lived a dream but we never knew

I'm More Inclined was the second single lifted from the album and the band included in their live shows dating back to the summer of 2019 (if not before). It's classic Fanclub, Blake sounding optimistic in the face of heartbreak. This life is complicated is how he begins the song and despite singing of being blue, feeling isolated, the writing being on the wall and more, Norman is still more inclined to put his faith in his love. The harmonies are exquisite, Euros' keys lift the chorus and Raymond's guitar solo has a little zip to it.

I'm More Inclined video

When I heard Back In The Day for the first time I immediately said 'oh!' aloud as it engulfed me like a warm blanket. It's just gorgeous! And catchy! I find myself walking around humming the melody. Norman Blake's voice is one that I fell for 30-years ago. I'm still falling! I still marvel at it, the way he sounds so good on his own or harmonising with others, how he delivers more soul and emotion with every passing year, how it all seems so effortless.  Norman reflects on how happy he was, in comparison to where he is, over a flowing melody and lovely backing vocals; 

I'm downbeat in a daze, a sad malaise has taken hold of my heart 

I can't seem to find, the peace of mind, I knew back in the day

With each new passing day, I see that old world fading away

I just can't seem to find, the peace of mind I knew back in the day

Picture by Donald Milne

So many of Raymond's songs start with a confession. I've mentioned this in previous blogs, but listen back through his songs and check how many start with 'I .... '

The Future is lovingly melancholic. There is warm, dreamy feel to the song, beautiful harmonies and a mellow instrumental. McGinley's voice aches, sounding world weary and experienced, stating I know I waste time, don't know what I'm doing while later on he offers the advice;

slow down, take time, to know what' worth knowing 

walk out the front door and see what's new

Norman's final offering is the melodic heart on sleeve Living With You, with Blake singing of needing a minor miracle in the chorus and the heart-aching line I'll love you 'til I cease to be. Raymond delivers another excellent solo over a super tight rhythm section, the keyboards are excellent throughout. Other lyrics (maybe I'm reading too much into them) suggest the song could have been written while the band were touring in Australia. 

The world is upside down, I'm lost, don't know what to do

With you so far away from me

Endless Arcade concludes with McGinley's super mellow Silent Song, Euros' keyboards sit beautifully behind Raymond's guitar, the band gel to create something super dreamy, as close to a lullaby as Teenage Fanclub might ever get, albeit one with a slightly psychedelic tinge to the lyrics and feel. The melody is beautifully slow and Raymond's voice aches in all the right ways.

See what I want to say through my eyes

Hear what I feel inside

See the soul behind the disguise

Feel what is real

Endless Arcade is out now. I managed to order a dinked edition from Monorail who have CD's and the indies only green vinyl available to order HERE

Tim Burgess is hosting a #timstwitterlisteningparty on Thursday 6th May at 9pm.

Endless Arcade - tracklisting

1. Home (Blake)

2. Endless Arcade (McGinley)

3. Warm Embrace (Blake)

4. Everything Is Falling Apart (McGinley)

5. The Sun Won't Shine On Me (Blake)

6. Come With Me (McGinley)

7. In Our Dreams (McGinley)

8. I'm More Inclined (Blake)

9. Back in the Day (Blake)

10. The Future (McGinley)

11. Living with You (Blake)

12. Silent Song (McGinley)

Two Sunsets

 I usually start the new year with a blog focusing on things I'm looking forward to in the year ahead; gigs, festivals, albums, the development of younger bands I've fallen for ...

Who knows what is going to happen this year, lets just hope it is a lot brighter and positive than 2020. It has to be ... right?

I was delighted when Tim Burgess and The Pastels announced a #timstwitterlisteningparty for Two Sunsets, the 2009 album made in collaboration with Tenniscoats. It's just so chilled, beautiful and dreamy. Just what I need right now to switch off from the news and these crazy and worrying times we live in.

So for my first blog I thought I would tweet along and use some tweets from the band. If you missed the listening party then I hope you might find the album through this blog, it's a beauty and it might just help you in the months ahead.

All the photos were tweeted by Katrina from The Pastels. 

Tokyo Glasgow creates a warm ambient atmosphere to welcome listeners into the world of The Pastels & Tenniscoats

The title track is sung beautifully in Japanese, everything sounds so pure, possibly/probably improvised, all the more gorgeous and special for it. The last ninety seconds or so are just blissful, described by Katrina as the kind of song you could jam forever.

Stephen - Two Sunsets was a song that Tenniscoats brought to the first session. We recorded it with our friend @balcooke and in a way it established this really naturalistic way of working. Most of it is just us playing together in a room at La Chunky (a small studio in Glasgow).

Song For A Friend has a gorgeous feel to it, a duet between Saya and Stephen, there is so much love and care in this song.

In November 2019 I wrote a blog on 10 of my favourite songs by The Pastels and Vivid Youth features. Gloriously mellow and gorgeous, just so beautiful, sublime and in the moment. Katrina's voice is so gentle and pure. 

Yomigaeru has a playful Japanese vocal melody over lush backing vocals, described by Stephen as like a magical Japanese 1960's film.

Modesty Piece is a short 90-second instrumental with a hummed vocal melody, all kinds of dreamy gorgeousness

About You is a Jesus & Mary Chain song from their classic Darklands album. This is a stunning cover, so beautiful, true to the original but different - if that makes sense!

Stephen - it's sometimes hard to make a cover of a song you love so much but I think we managed to take it somewhere else while keeping the essence. The words are heartbreaking. Jim told us he was into it which meant a lot.

There's something warm about the rain

Boats is a gloriously lazy melodic song, sung by Katrina, Hikoki is another brilliant example of Tenniscoats and The Pastels seemingly conjuring melodies from thin air.

Katrina on Sodane - Maybe the most pop song on the record, handclaps and Ueno's exuberant riff, so good. I think I wanted to do the descending ba ba ba all the way through but luckily Saya put her foot down.

Stephen - I love Sodane. Ueno had such a great pop hook for it but Saya thought it should be used very sparingly :)

Mou Mou Rainbow lasts almost 7-minutes and within 20-seconds we're lured into a gentle wave of melody that lovingly washes over the listener.

Stephen - Mou Mou Rainbow was one of the first songs we heard by Tenniscoats. We asked them if we could re-record it for Two Sunsets. Nice slow psychedelic vibe.

This beautiful album closes with Start Slowly So We Sound Like A Loch, a beautiful title for a beautiful poetic dreamy song.

Katrina - Overheard this phrase at a project ability film launch at the GFT and saved it in my heart.

If you enjoy this blog and check the album out, you can also buy a copy from Monorail and Stephen might even sign it for you. BUY HERE

The Soft Bulletin

On Wednesday night, 8th April, I poured myself a large glass of red wine and went to bed with my headphones on to listen to The Flaming Lips The Soft Bulletin which was a feature album for Tim Burgess twitter listening party that night.

The Soft Bulletin is an album I've owned and loved for a long time. Yet it must have been years since I listened to it from start to finish.

Revisiting, the album blew me away, it had been a while, too long. The Soft Bulletin is an album with absolutely no barriers, no guard up, beautifully emotional and 100% pure.

Flowing superbly, lyrics took on greater meaning given the times we are living in. It was emotional. Tears filled my eyes on a few occasions.

The euphoric opener The Race For The Prize talks of scientists racing for the good of all man-kind, reminding us that they're just humans, with wives and children

Songs are sung from the bottom of Wayne Coyne's heart, emotion floods out, this is 100% real, 100% surreal at times, but the lyrics hit the mark all the time. Even when Wayne is singing about bugs, it seems to mean something in a super catchy psychedelic pop kind of way.

Coyne's vocals are strained, soulful and pure. The arrangements, production and imagination in the songs is utterly sublime.

Love is the greatest thing a heart can know

But the hole that it leaves in its absence can make you feel low

The sound they made was love

Suddenly everything has changed

Life without death is just impossible

Waitin' For A Superman is probably my favourite Flaming Lips song; emotion, imagery, melody ... it's a psychedelic power ballad that moves me to tears.

Is it getting heavy

Well I thought it was already as heavy

As can be

The Flaming Lips are life affirming; on record and live. I really hope that they will return to Glasgow once we get through all this. Their August 2017 show at the Barrowland was just insane - an utter celebration that had Wayne riding through the crowd on a unicorn at one point!

Until they do, find some time, grab your headphones, get your CD, record or get ready to stream and go and lose yourself in the world of The Flaming Lips. It's a real magical, mystery tour.

Tims Twitter Listening Parties

Tim Burgess from The Charlatans has long been a hero of mine. In my teens it was cause he looked super cool, fronting one of my favourite bands who consistently released brilliant albums and singles to soundtrack my life.

In my 40's it's because Tim is super cool in a new more mature way; still fronting one of my favourite bands who still release brilliant albums and singles ... but now he does so much more! Author of 3 books, solo artist and collaborator, record label co-owner, champion of music and an absolute legend on Twitter, even more so now.

Tim's energy and positivity inspire me. He is always up to something, and then looking for something else. His restless nature, friendly personality and fire in his belly mean that he is a guy who makes things happen.

In these worrying and testing times, positivity is required more than ever. Escapism helps as well.

So Tim has introduced #timstwitterlisteningparty In short this means everyone presses play, or puts the needle on a pre-chosen album at a specific time on a specific date. Tim, plus artists and associates related to the album tweet about the songs, stories about recording, memories of tours ....

This is nothing new to Tim. He has been holding Twitter listening parties for The Charlatans for a number of years.

What is new, is that he has used his extensive network of friends to bring listening parties with The Chemical Brothers, Oasis, Flaming Lips, Twilight Sad, Super Furry Animals, Beth Orton, Orange Juice, Pulp, New Order, Doves, The Beta Band, BMX Bandits and a whole heap more.

Norman Blake has been encouraged to come back on to Twitter for a Bandwagonesque listening party for Teenage Fanclub!

Since they started I've grooved about my kitchen with beers or lay in bed with my headphones on, enjoying listening to an album from start to finish and learning a little about it along the way. I've mainly been doing this live - when the party is happening - but I've also listened to others a day or two after.

You can find a full list of confirmed albums and participants at https://timstwitterlisteningparty.com/

And follow Tim on Twitter for all the updates.

Thanks to Tim for giving such a positive focus to music at a time when artists can't get out and play and fans are missing that interaction.

This week has all kinds of goodies, but I'll make sure I am listening live for The Flaming Lips Soft Bulletin, Orange Juice You Can't Hide Your Love Forever and then a glorious Saturday with The Beta Band Three EP's and  The Charlatans Between 10th and 11th and then Sunday with Pulp's Different Class and New Order Power, Corruption and Lies.

Phew!