Teenage Fanclub at the CCA

It is difficult to portray the feelings I felt last night when I heard and witnessed Teenage Fanclub play songs like Gene Clark, Sidewinder, Alcoholiday, Fear of Flying, Guiding Star, Tears, Going Places and Neil Jung live.

Many of the songs from the two sets the band performed hadn't been played live in circa 25-years, some had never been played at all. So to hear and witness them live in the intimate setting of the reopened CCA was pretty special.

The fact that the Fannies opened with the almost sacred Gene Clarke was incredible. This is a song that fans have been passionately shouting for at almost every Fanclub gig I have ever attended. People were still queueing to get in when they started. The opening instrumental sounded glorious and then Gerry Love took control and set the controls for the heart of the sun. What a start!

The guitars sounded gorgeous and the band sounded slick and oiled, but with that raw Fanclub soul, swiftly rolling into Metal Baby and Escher before Brendan O'Hare on drums took on lead vocals for a sublime Sidewinder, a bit of a highlight for me.

When you're walking I love your walk

When you're talking I love your talk

Pic by Ruthie Blaney

My favourite band flew from one into another of my favourite songs. The guitars collided to sound heavenly for Alcoholiday. And if the Creation shows have given me reason to revisit albums from my youth then Gerry Love's Fear of Flying has become a real favourite. It sounded even better live. Raymond's 120-minutes was blissfully simple and beautiful for it, listing things he doesn't know before the kiss off I just wanna see your face again, be my friend.

Guiding Star may well have been my song of the night, it tugged on heart strings I didn't know I had, I may well cry at the Barrowland Ballroom when it is played on Monday night. Commercial Alternative is the joyful sound of a young man in love sounding even better 25-years down the line and the closing instrumental of Is This Music? with Gerry, Raymond, Dave and Francis on electric guitars was utterly stunning.

Pic by Craig Harrower

One of the best things about last night was that there were two real Fanclub fans on stage in the shape of Dave and Brendan. Dave's smile was a wide as the Clyde all night as he got to play these rarely heard songs to an audience that lapped them up. Brendan was the same, full of excited nervous energy (in a good way) and displaying quick wit and good humour throughout.

There was a short break and just enough time to pop to the downstairs bar for a beer, arriving back to find the band blitzing into Speed of Light. Paul Quinn was on drums for the second set, one which for me, highlighted the development of the band. To see the band up close playing songs from Bandwagonesque and Thirteen, followed by a set from Grand Prix, Songs from Northern Britain and Howdy! really showcased their development as songwriters and artists.

Norman and Gerry's voices gelled with ease, their harmonies sounded sublime, Cul De Sac was a particular highlight. Raymond's guitar flourishes were subtle at times, at others they soared. Tears was beautiful, Take The Long Way Round was a blitz of glorious guitar pop, Dumb Dumb Dumb was spine tingling and it was a delight to hear I Don't Care live.

Going Places was just perfect and Neil Jung was another glorious collision of guitars and Norman Blake singing his heart out.

What a fantastic night, the band were in top form and it was lovely to speak with Brendan before the show and hear how excited he was about everything. And it is always a pleasure to meet and converse with fellow Fanclub fans. Roll on the Barrowlands.

Teenage Fanclub at CCA Glasgow

On Monday 22nd May I was supposedly having a day of not checking Facebook. Something (possibly addiction) made me log on. The top story on my news feed had been posted a few minutes earlier by my favourite band - they were playing a Primavera warm up show the following week at the the CCA (Centre for Contemporary Art) in Glasgow, tickets were on sale immediately.

The post only had a few likes and comments at that point, I acted quickly, logging on and buying 3 tickets at £20 each. It was only then (selfish I know) that I shared the information on my own Facebook page, on Twitter and on the Teenage Fanclub Fanclub page.

Things went a little crazy, the CCA website went down, their phonelines were engaged, they were receiving tweets and posts from people desperately trying to get tickets. Thankfully a lot of local Teenage Fanclub Fanclub members I know were successful, but others were not.

On to the show itself.

After dinner and some pre show beers my friends and I wandered into the CCA shortly after 8pm to make sure we caught most of the support band Elephant Stone. I wondered if they were Stone Roses fans. That remains unclear, but they are definitely fans of chiming guitars, grooves and psychedelia - they had one song that involved the lead vocalist swapping his guitar for a sitar and sitting cross legged and getting lost in a sensational groove with his band mates. The 4-piece had enough about them to make me want to check them out further and they generated a great response from the crowd - there was no polite applause here, genuine appreciation and curiosity with many craning to find out how they were creating their sounds and grooves.

Elephant Stone were then hot footing it across town to Mono to play their own headline show. They couldn't thank Teenage Fanclub enough for allowing them to support them on home turf and the Fanclub's generosity certainly won them some new fans. Check one of their tunes below;

On to the Fanclub themselves. They hadn't played live for around a couple of months, so this hastily arranged warm-up show had been booked to scrape off any rust ahead of forthcoming festival appearances. Based on the evidence of last night, there was no real need - they were far from rusty, not that anyone was complaining.

The CCA capacity is only 250, so it was a real thrill to see the band in such an intimate venue and an added bonus that we were right down the front to experience it.

There was no need for fancy lights or any kind of intro, this was Teenage Fanclub plugging in and playing - Blake, Love, McGinley, MacDonald and McGowan; 2 guitars, bass, drums and keys. They sounded absolutely sublime.

Start Again got things off to a flyer, but it was Gerry's Sometimes I Don't Need To Believe In Anything that was an early highlight - being so close to the stage meant that you could see, hear and feel everything and it was Francis' drumming that caught the ear and the eye, he was in simply sensational form, all over his kit and knocking seven shades of sh** out of it. Gerry was laid back, creating bass grooves and painting a picture of an autumn sunset.

Norman was his usual cheerful self, talking of his need for a haircut, jet lag and how this was the bands 76th show since November last year, prompting one die hard next to me to say 'yeah but what about the 5-year gap?' It was all good natured, but hopefully it won't be so long before the band record and tour again. Norman's voice gets better every time I hear it - angelic.

The setlist was largely the one that had been used for the majority of the aformentioned tour dates; new songs from the Here album sat easily alongside bonafide Fanclub classics. Hold On, Thin Air, Darkest Part Of The Night, a rip roaring I'm In Love and I Was Beautiful were the chosen ones from the latest LP.

There was one false start, but apart from that this was a cracking Fanclub set in a relaxed and friendly environment; Norman sang like an angel as always, Gerry was laid back cool, Raymond fired off riffs and solos for fun, it was a delight to watch Francis drum up close and Dave McGowan holds and boosts it all whether on keys or guitar.

Don't Look Back received a great reception, one of Gerry's masterpieces; but then messrs Blake, Love and McGinley have so many. From the power pop of About You, to the euphoric chorus of Ain't That Enough, to the blast of pop brilliance that is Sparky's Dream, the Fanclub ticked all the boxes and more last night.

The Concept was particularly glorious, the second section took me somewhere; the guitars chimed and combined and the bands voices sound sublime, it was glorious.

Star Sign and Everything Flows continued in that vein, the guitars sounded rich and true and even in a tightly packed venue there was room for a few of us to pogo down the front.

Teenage Fanclub are a special band, it was great to see them kick up a storm by announcing a show at short notice in such an intimate venue and a genuine pleasure to see and hear them at such close quarters. Their last show is currently scheduled for 21st July - it would be amazing if they could squeeze in another few summer shows.

Broadcast and Glasgow music venues

Back in October, a week before it opened, I was invited for a lunchtime look around PCL’s new venue – Broadcast, formerly known as The Local.

It is a cracking little venue, the upstairs bar is very cool with it’s open brick walls and a long classy looking bar. The chef formerly worked at the Crabshakk, so they are making a big play on the food front as well. The dressing room is possibly the coolest in Glasgow (not that I have been to every dressing room to compare them all), the sound system is state of the art (courtesy of one of the venues partners) and the vibe in the basement gig/club is one of warehouse cool.

In terms of size it is pretty much the same as PCL’s previous venue, the Captains Rest. That is where the similarities end though – this is a cool and modern bar with excellent facilities, a far cry from the shabby chic of the Captains Rest.

Anyway, the visit got me thinking about the incredible number of venues packed into our city centre, we are music crazy, but can they all survive?

Broadcast is the newest venue to Glasgow, the UNESCO City of Music. The city is bursting with venues of all shapes and sizes offering live music.

Have I covered them all?

Barrowlands – the legendary Barrowlands has been hosting live music and dancing for decades. I have experienced some of the best nights/gigs of my life in this venue, bouncing on the hallowed sprung dancefloor and singing along with all my heart. I would always encourage a touring band to choose the Barrowlands over the Academy any day of the week purely for the atmosphere a Barrowlands crowd can generate. There is also the small Barrowlands 2 downstairs.

McChuill’s – Just along the road from the Barras is one of my fave pubs in Glasgow and it also offers live music. There are worse places a new band could play as McChuills is a big music pub, especially keen on vintage mod sounds.

Maggie Mays – Despite being at (what some would call) the ‘wrong end of town’. Maggie Mays has built a good reputation for live bands and indeed has won awards. They have invested money in the downstairs basement to keep up with the competition and have a friendly and pro-active approach to bookings.

13^th Note – I have fond memories of the 13^th Note as it is where I put on my first gigs as a promoter with Futuristic Retro Champions. Brendan O’Hare (former drummer with Teenage Fanclub) used to be the sound engineer which was an added bonus. The great thing about the Note was that if they made a certain amount at the bar (it used to be over £200) then you got the venue for free! So if you pack it out you can make a considerable amount of money.

Mono – An under-used venue in my opinion. I love the whole vibe of Mono, proudly independent, it has a record shop, Stephen Pastel works there…I just wish it did more and invested in a backline and PA system in order for more bands to play there.

St Andrews in the Square – Gorgeous building where my wife and I had our wedding. I caught Rachel Sermanni here back in January and it tends to mainly be used for Celtic Connections, weddings and ceilidhs.

Old Fruitmarket – Cracking venue with bags of character where I once stood next to Sean Lennon after he supported Air circa 2001.

Merchant City Halls – This isn’t used very regularly for the typr of gigs I go to but I did catch Joanna Newsom playing there and it was incredible, brilliant sound and acoustics.

Classic Grand – The upstairs hall looks fantastic, it isn’t used a great deal and they do seem to be putting on lots of metal and industrial nights.

The Arches - Definitely more suited to club nights than gigs due to the fact the sound can 'escape' from one arch into another, but still a brilliant venue with a real atmosphere. The Cafe Bar is a great place to hang out.

Subclub – Doesn’t put on as many gigs as it used to. I once caught The Kills there and my mate was lucky enough to see Franz Ferdinand. A Glasgow institution.

Pivo Pivo - Despite being close to Stereo, the Old Hairdressers and The Arches, Pivo Pivo isn't deemed particularly cool. That doesn't stop them putting on gigs practically every night though. More suited to new bands rather than established.

Stereo - a great venue for bands and club nights, cheap to rent with an excellent sound system. Great bar upstairs as well. I've put on a few nights here, good capacity so real scope to make money.

Old Hairdressers - Across the lane from Stereo, the Old Hairdressers is a multi-purpose art space for shows, club nights and bands. Great vibe.

The Admiral - Good basement for club/band nights, more suited to the former if honest. Holds the cracking Melting Pot night.

Flat 0/1 - great concept - a party flat with great tunes, live music and pretty cheap booze. If only they could invest in a decent sound system (note - they may have done since I was last in). It is definitely all about the vibe in here rather than quality sound. Home of MILK and some of Glasgow's coolest students.

Bloc - a party pub since it opened that made a name for itself in music with a little help from Detour, LAID and the Blochestra sessions. Always friendly and happening with excellent independent promoters like Gerry Blythe from New Life.

Slouch - competing with Flat 0/1 and Bloc for cool new music wasn't going to be easy and although Slouch tried for a while they are now distancing themselves by going for covers, blues and the odd young band that isn't cool enough for the other two. Good pub grub.

Glasgow Royal Concert Hall - the grandest setting in Glasgow? Brilliant sound and acoustics, I always enjoy nights in here.

Sleazy’s - a Glasgow institution with its basement venue having played hosts to pretty much everyone that has ever done anything of note in the Scottish music scene and beloved of guests from across the waters. 

Broadcast - as mentioned at the start of this article, the new PCL venue to replace the Captains Rest. 

The Box - still going strong by offering free music 7-nights a week, also branching out into comedy.

The Art School - the rebranding of Capitol to The Art School has totally changed the perception of this venue, sadly I wasn't particularly impressed with it when I co-booked it for a show earlier this year. Despite selling it out 6-weeks in advance and warning the management to have enough bar staff on they didn't bother their asses. With Sleazys and Broadcast just across the road it will be interesting to see how the Art School competes on a live music front.

The Garage - servicing students for decades, I used to go clubbing there when I was a mere teenager. One year in the mid-90's i saw Radiohead touring The Bends, The Boo Radleys with Wake Up Boo and The Bluetones. It doesn't host as many gigs as it once did but it still packs an impressive punch when it does.

G2 - the smaller venue of The Garage

CCA - I love the CCA, it is still pretty under-used in terms of gigs and club nights. I did catch a fantastic performance from Gerry Love's Lightships earlier in the year. Great bars and vibe.

ABC & ABC2 - The ABC is a world class venue. The set up is just pretty perfect for a gig; large wide stage, bar at the back, wee bar at the side, easily accessible toilets (take note Academy), balcony with another bar....sound system is great too. Near enough replicated in minature form with ABC2.

Oran Mor - I do like Oran Mor. The stage is nice and high, the sound is good, it is handy for the underground and loads of other lovely bars nearby. 

Brel - One of my fave bars in Glasgow and I've seen some cracking gigs in there too, notably Remember Remember earlier this year.

SWG3 - Super cool arts venue suitable for gigs and club nights. Old skool warehouse vibe.

Jim Lambie's Poetry Club - in an old railway arch next to SWG3 this is hush, hush cool for now (still no website or Social Media). Invite only for gigs and parties. They don't even have a website. Thankfully my sisters band TeenCanteen were invited to play and it is an incredible venue, really cool.

King Tuts - My fave venue, I wonder how many gigs I have been to in here?! Highlights over the (almost 20) years of going there include; Beck (just after 'Loser' was released), The White Stripes, Arthur Lee & Love (twice), John Squire (when he opened with the instrumental of 'Resurrection') and many, many more.

The Academy - I've been to some good gigs here but the Barrowlands pisses all over it for me. The lack of toilets on the ground floor for guys is just ridiculous. That said it sounds brilliant and it has a certain charm, I guess I am a little blinded by my love for the Barrowlands and the fact The Academy has robbed the Barras of some cracking gigs.

SECC - Huge, cavernous and inpersonal...but necessary for bands of a certain standing. I have still been to some  exceptional gigs here, notably U2, Dylan in an all-standing arena, Neil Young and The Who. Also has the Armadillo next door where I once went to see Kylie and got a seat 3-rows from the front - happy days!

The Hydro/SHAG - Coming soon, looking good and will be capable of bringing some huge names and shows to Glasgow.