Come Rain Or Come Shine

Yesterday, at the Kelvingrove Bandstand, the strong sense of community that Last Night From Glasgow (LNFG) has generated in a little over 2-years of existence was highlighted, amplified and displayed on its largest scale yet.

Collaborations, partnerships and friendships with artists (musical and visual), venues, other labels, label members and fellow music fans has been at the heart of the LNFG from the off, helping to create special and memorable atmospheres. To see that transfer from venues like the Old Hairdressers, the Hug and Pint and Stereo to the Bandstand made me feel quite emotional at times.

With the support of Glasgow Life, Last Night From Glasgow reached out to fellow DIY labels Scottish Fiction, Olive Grove, LP Records and Foxstar Records to curate and deliver 8-hours of music in a truly stunning environment. In keeping with the sense of community and social responsibility, there was a collection and raffle in aid of SAMH.

As the name of the event suggested, this was happening come rain or shine. Other than a tiny couple of spitting showers, the event was dry and at times the sun even popped its hat on.

With 2 young kids we didn't arrive until after lunchtime, getting in just after 2pm to meet friends and in time to see Cloth, a recent signing to LNFG who have stirred quite a bit of interest through their debut single Demo Love, a dreamy, almost shoe gaze-y (lazy blogging!) slice of gorgeousness. I was keen to hear and see more. The three piece of two guitars and drums (and a little bit of programming?) were playing only their 3rd show and watching from the back I was impressed with their dreamy sound and immediately wiped out my shoe gaze-y take on the band - there was also a kind of The XX vibe to them. The chilled grooves and sounds that they created were beautifully backed by the incredible greenery offered by Kelvingrove Park behind the Bandstand. I really like them and look forward to seeing them again.

Cloth - pic by Scots Whay Hae

Codist created a glorious racket. At times they rocked out, at times their was a popper edge to their guitars, at times reminding me (in a good way) of a lot of the bands I listened to as a teenager. With an album coming out on LP Records this is another band I'd like to see again.

I'd caught my sister Carla J Easton playing in a flat the night before (see previous blog) and now she took to the stage with her 5-piece band, opening with the psychedelic pop of Bird In The Sky from her Homemade Lemonade album released under her Ette alias. Recent singles Lights In The Dark and Wanting What I Can't Have went down well, while Milk and Honey was a joyous romp. Carla's debut album under her own name will be out on Olive Grove Records in September/October. Her band were superb, Calum Muir on drums was on fire, the sparkling guitar riffs generated by Rory from Ava Love (Bwani Junction) were perfect for the event and the sun shining through, Gus on synths and backing vocals looked impeccably cool and Paul Kelly on bass generated great grooves.

Carla J Easton and her band - pic by Scots Whay Hae 

Mt Doubt are a young band that I have only seen at one of the Girl Effect charity shows my sister has put on, so this was the first time i had seen them performing their own material. I was mightily impressed. Their album released via Scottish Fiction won them many friends and fans and it was easy to see why. Leo Bargery and Annie Booth almost co-front the band, they look fantastic and gel with ease, their voices can vary - deep, rich, soulful, pure and true. And they create a brilliant sound - definitely ones to watch.

Medicine Men strode on to the stage with a purpose, they hadn't been shy in voicing via social media about how excited they were by the prospect of playing the bandstand. Opener Show What You're Made Of surged and soared, sounding made for an environment like this. They played a blistering set with Ceiling To Floor probably being my real highlight of the day. Psychedelic guitar pop with an urgent and soulful vocal by Ian Mackinnon. Set closer Out Of The Light is electronic guitar bliss, a Chemical Primal Scream Brothers beauty with a great groove. The band were in tip top form and I look forward to hearing what they come out with next. The one new song they played sounded very promising and they even threw in a Flock of Seagulls cover!

Medicine Men - pic by Scots Whay Hae

An emotional Ian Smith from Last Night From Glasgow took to the stage to introduce Warren McIntyre and the Starry Skies, thanking all the bands, labels, volunteers, Glasgow Life and everyone for coming.

It was great to catch up with Ian, the driving force behind the label. We looked out at the crowd and laughed and marvelled at the scale of the event, thinking back to our first meeting with 4 friends to form the label. It's come a long way in that time and that is largely thanks to Ian's exceptional drive with the incredible support of his wife Julia who was celebrating her birthday. It was notable that they received thanks and recognition from everyone - richly deserved.

Warren and his band played a beautiful set, opening with a song called Be Kind that seemed to encapsulate everything that Warren stands for - an extremely lovely (and handsome), positive and kind person. 

The Starry Skies are extremely talented musicians, even though they were short of two of the regular members of the band, they all gelled with ease and the songs flowed effortlessly. Closing song Let Love Come Back To You was a highlight of the day, a great guitar pop song with the kind of hooks and chorus that implants itself in your head for the rest of the day ... and the next day! Warren and the Starry Skies will be releasing a new album in October.

A great day of music in a stunning setting.

Photo by Scots Whay Have

Electric Fields

A number of things meant that I couldn't make it to Electric Fields this weekend. It was the first year in as along as I can remember that I haven't attended a summer music festival!

Reports from fellow music fans and from bands/artists I know that attended the festival have been very favourable and it is pleasing to see Electric Fields developing and improving year on year.

I look forward to getting back into the festival saddle in 2018.

Previous guest blogger Gordon Reid was there and was happy to report back.

Electric Fields by Gordon Reid

Scotland has a fine tradition of music festivals. TITP in its heyday ,  Connect , Rockness and Wickerman have all come and sadly gone. Belladrum is now the grand old lady starting in 2004 , TRNSMT the new kid on the block in its debut year and Electric Fields the young upstart growing , changing and adapting to its place in the calendar. We were there for the opening year 2014 and decided on another weekend visit to see how things had moved on. 

**other festivals are available**

Set in the grounds of the picturesque Drumlanrig Castle near Thornhill it has grown from a single day 2 stage small affair into a 2 day, 5000 capacity small/medium festival and it has done so without losing any of its original charm. Large well spaced car parking area with a camping site that has been well set out (could do with more lights on the walkways after dark) and an arena large enough to have areas to chill out in (something TRNSMT really lacked) while still being compact enough that everything was easy to find and get to and from quickly.

Food and drink was priced as expected and while I found the choice of vegetarian food a little limited I found a pizza stall so I was quite content with my lot. Varied drink available including what looked to be a specialist ale bar, they also had dark fruit cider so the wife was delighted. I got the feeling that that growth of Electric Fields is connected to Wickerman calling it a day as we met a lot of familiar faces from Dundrennan in the crowd. There were plenty of young kids present over the weekend and there seemed to be a few things for them to do as it can be hard to keep their attention with just the music. It’s always great to see kids at these things as they will be the future for music in general and festivals in particular. I honestly couldn’t find a real fault in the set up and organisation of the event and that might be a first for me, of course the fact that the sun shone all weekend might have helped!

pic from Electric Fields Facebook

So having arrived,  got our tent set up , air mattress blown up and bed sorted we wandered up to the arena and the music. First band we wanted to see were Nieves and we trooped into the tent just before starting time at 3. They had really changed their sound and look since last time we had caught them. Much heavier and less laid back than we remembered them. I made my way to the front of the stage to check it out. Yeah the new look and sound wasn't that surprising as they had switched time slots with SAVAGE MANSION,  a Glasgow 4 piece. One of the band had a superb pair of sideburns and the tunes were pretty decent. They are playing The Old Hairdressers on Oct 7^th if you are around. This threw our carefully planned schedule off track and we had to go get food and missed the band we went to see but it won’t be the last time we catch Nieves.

One well fired cheese and tomato pizza later we were back in the tent to see THE CALM FIASCO, another Glasgow 4 piece and one that we have seen quite a bit of. They looked a little nervous as the tent was quite empty but they had no need to be as the place began filling up quickly once they got going. Highlights were lead singer Del Morin paying tribute to Dizzee Rascal by covering Fix Up Look Sharp strutting about the stage rapping to the amusement of the other band members. They brought their set to a close with Just Don’t Care Any More and left the now full tent shouting for more. Enthusiastic and clearly enjoying something that they are doing well they have a gig coming up at The Art School on November 18^th and tickets are going fast. I'd encourage folk to give them a try as you won’t be disappointed.

We took our first trip to the main stage after this to see PETER HOOK and the light. There was something strange about seeing and hearing Hookie as a lead singer doing New Order / Joy Division stuff and although I enjoyed the sing along it just didn’t feel right. I know that they have issues with each other and have said never again but I hope one day that Bernie and Peter manage to bury the hatchet or at least put up with each other long enough to be on stage together again.

Pic from Electric Fields Facebook

The temperature dropped to bloody freezing about this time and we got ourselves a warm drink and headed back down to the tent where we discovered our brand new air mattress had a puncture and we would be spending the night sleeping on the ground. Heidi did her best to cheer me up by informing me that at least the ground was soft. She’s lucky that she is pretty. At 30 I would have just got on with it but at 50 I’m getting too old for this shit.

A cold night and hard ground made a trip to Dumfries for a new air mattress an absolute necessity so after making breakfast we made the 45 minute round trip. Once again I managed to get stage times mixed up so that we only just made it back in time for MEDICINE MEN and we were glad that we did as they were in my top two acts of the weekend. A heaving tent bounced along with every song and they almost blew it all away when finishing the set with Out Of The Light. Stop reading this and go find it on YouTube,  I’ll wait. The sea of smiling faces was fantastic to watch , people high fiving strangers as they sang the chorus at the top of their voices. Medicine Men are certainly going places and they are picking up speed on the journey.

Next up for us were THE BEAT and once again it was a chance for all us older folk to sing our hearts out to songs from our childhood ( I used to laugh at my parents for this ).  I’ve missed the Scooter tent from Wickerman so it was nice to have a little bit of ska in there.

We then had the “London bus” effect as 3 bands we wanted to see all overlapped. We had to leave before the end of The Beat to make sure we got into the tent for CRASH CLUB. We got lucky as it was rammed with bodies , it felt as if everyone at the festival was in that tent and they were treated to a superb set from the best Scottish Electro-Rock band out there. The ground was shaking and reminded me of younger days long since gone in the slam tent at T. The music screamed in your face as they lifted the crowd up , let them dangle on the edge and then threw it all back in the mix as they took off again. For me they were the star spot of the weekend and if you haven’t seen them yet then try to do so , you won’t regret it.

We missed the last 10 minutes as we needed to eat and wanted to catch FATHERSON. The boys from Kilmarnock headlined the first ever Electric Fields and have gone from strength to strength since then. They looked delighted to be back and it feels like they have been touring constantly on the continent.

We stayed at the main stage for GLASS ANIMALS. Heard a lot about them but I couldn’t see what the hype was all about however Heidi thought they were amazing. She knows her stuff so we will give them another try next time they are north of the border. I had the same with JESUS AND MARY CHAIN , I was really looking forward to them but it just felt flat to me. In both of the bands defence I was cold and tired so it was probably the mood I was in and the way I was feeling. I didn’t stay for DIZZEE but Heidi did and said he had the crowd eating out of his hand. Everyone bouncing about and it was a cool way to bring the weekend to an end.

Electric Fields has definitely found its place on the festival circuit but now comes the hard part. Does it stick or twist? Is it the right size or will they try and get more bodies through the gates? I’d like to see it stay roughly the same for now but that’s not my call. I hope they make the right one......

Pic from Electric Fields Facebook

Into The Light - Medicine Men

The pulsating and hypnotic synth of A La Llum opens Into The Light, the debut album by Medicine Men in captivating fashion. Backwards guitar, percussion....in just over 70-seconds we are introduced to the melting pot of sounds that Medicine Men can create.

It is a beautiful opener, maybe too short, but you won't be cursing that for too long as it leads straight into the stomper that is Show What You're Made Of. One of the oldest songs on the LP, it leaps off the vinyl with an urgency, flow and style that will hook you on first listen.

Ian Mackinnon's vocals ring true and his band mate Michael McGeoch's keys and synths sound sublime. The two permanent members of Medicine Men clearly have a chemistry - pardon the pun.

Funky bass leads us into Golden Packets and a story of a night out, it becomes increasingly psychedelic and is a live highlight.

On to the showstopper. At least for me. Eggshells is a belter, a beauty, 6 and a half minutes of heartfelt and soulful vocals and lyrics, beautiful playing, building slowly but surely, unrushed, flowing and leading to a little break before building again and allowing Ian and his band to just go for it. The last 2 minutes just turn it up another notch.....and then another before it slows and allows you to catch your breath back. A real favourite of mine.

Medicine Men mix it up on the album and Bruised Peach has an almost industrial experimental edge to it when it comes in. That edge is something that Medicine Men definitely possess live and they've done well to transfer that to vinyl. Where does that edge come from? Well Ian McKinnon definitely has something about him and his plea to fall in love again, fall in love again is unlikely to fall on deaf ears.

Realise Forget is another little beauty, it has a great feel to it, another story about a night out that went a little wrong and running down Sauchiehall Street. This song builds to another psychedelic flow.

When Medicine Men play live they hit all the right notes and Ceiling To Floor was a cracker when they played Stereo back in March. I love what they do with this song, the beat kicks in, there is some real fuzzy bass going on, that urgency to Mackinnon's voice that propels the band along and a beautiful flow that keeps going.

Why are you crying?

Cause it's you that keeps me flying

I wanna see you smiling

In the rain

Talking of the sound and direction of the album, lead singer Ian Mackinnon said; 'We're really big on good grooves with as little drum fills as possible so as not to interrupt. I guess that comes from a love of disco and dance music in general. We got more experimental as the album went on. Tame Impala were definitely an influence, as were LCD Soundsystem. LCD in particular were the first band that made me realise you could make dance music as a conventional band and perform it live too.'

The Balcony is a heartbreaker, written about Ian's Dad who sadly passed away coming on 2-years ago, from the church style organ in the intro through to the outpouring of grief. The guitar solo is beautiful.

I'll be at your side it's not permission to cry

It's just a journey that I would not have liked to make

Did I say Eggshells was a showstopper? Well Out Of The Light is a showstopper and a showtopper. I was blown away when I first heard this, coming on like the Chemicals on a night out with Primal Scream circa XTRMNTR. It has that Mani-esque baseline going on, synths lead the way, Mackinnon sounds like he is in his element. The Star Guitar style breakdown is euphoric.

Out of the light

You give me something just to keep me alive

Keep on dreaming, keep on dreaming

In many ways the opening and closing tracks of this album left me wondering where Medicine Men will go next, I was so impressed with them. Will they go on a more synth/electronic path? But then you have the likes of Show What You're Made Of, Eggshells and Ceiling To The Floor.

I don't know what path they will take but it is one that I would love to go down with them.

The album is available to stream on Spotify, to download via iTunes and available to order on vinyl via Last Night From Glasgow.

Last Night From Glasgow 1st birthday

Last night in Glasgow, Last Night From Glasgow Records celebrated our first birthday bash at Stereo in the heart of the city, with performances from BooHooHoo, Medicine Men, Emme Woods and Sister John. The evening was compered by Stephen Solo, we had quality tunes from label DJ Phil Redfearn and creative director Brian Sweeney was on hand to capture the event on film. Label members shared the sense of celebration and everything came together to create an incredibly positive atmosphere. We had done it; 12-months in the bag, a treasure trove of releases and bundles to look forward to.

Was it really only on 22nd February 2016 when the 6 co-founders all met together for the first time?Was it really only March 2016 when we launched?

So much had happened in that time. And now, here we were....

The upstairs bar in Stereo was already busy when I arrived just before 6pm and it was fantastic to see a queue of people snaking down the Stereo stairs for doors opening at 7.30pm.

Picture by Brian Sweeney

Sister John were signed to the label towards the end of 2016, before we had even seen them play live. I had personally only seen them at the LNFG Xmas bash when they played cover versions. Their demos had really heightened my sense of anticipation and their live set was a joy. Swapping instruments with ease and delivering stunning 3-part harmonies. Amanda McKeown has a voice that can swoop and soar, one that can send shivers down your spine and one that can warm your heart. Come and check them out at the Old Hairdressers on Sunday 23rd April.

Picture by Brian Sweeney

Emme Woods has been with the label almost from the start, watching her develop has been a joy. A conversation with guitarist Jamie Logie revealed that Morgan (Emme) has songs pouring out of her and plans for a mini-album have changed to a full album. I think of catching Emme for the first time at our launch party last June, she had barely picked up an electric guitar before. Now her cheekier grin is even cheekier, she has a swing and swagger when she plays, her voice has grown stronger, her songs are richer, playful, soulful, imaginative and confident. Emme has 2 big showcase shows coming up in the near future at Wide Days in Edinburgh and the Great Escape in June. Watch this bird soar. Her set last night was a delight, the confidence to throw in You Really Got A Hold On Me spoke volumes and recent digital single I've Been Running was even better live, the key change to the chorus with stabbing horns was uplifting and delightful.

Picture by Brian Sweeney

Next up were Medicine Men, led by the charismatic Ian McKinnon. Opening with Show What You're Made Of set the tone for the rest of a ferociously energetic set. Sleeping With The Light On had a real groove, Bruised Peach was delivered with fire with McKinnon hammering home the fall in love again, fall in love again refrain, while Eggshells was simply stunning, a beautifully written song with a strong melody and one that just builds and builds. Set closer Out Of The Light was a triumph blending Chemical Brothers with Primal Scream, it was great to look around the room and see heads nodding approvingly. Medicine Men's debut album is officially out in May, but look out for something on Record Store Day.

Picture by Brian Sweeney

It was Boo Hoo Hoo who headlined, bringing their infectious electro art pop to Stereo and getting people dancing like it was 1989. They are armed with more hooks than Rocky, they have fun on stage and off and their album is going to rammed with glorious pop music. The bass on Mould Me almost demands a dance,  Fire was sensational and Dreams Tonight was a euphoric delight, the bit where the synth kicks in to lift the song even higher is incredible. At the end they got one of their energetic friends to come down by the stage and dance along and it just lifted the feel good atmosphere even higher.

There was just time for Stephen Solo to come on at the end to play what has become the labels anthem - Crying Because. This tender beauty was sung with heart and soul, you could have heard a pin drop and the closing refrain Love Is Everything is one that we proudly have emblazoned on the sleeve of our new LNFG t-shirts, designed by 8-year old Levon Smith.

Pic by Brendan Waters

Crash Club at Everything Shakes

Crash Club may well be the best live band in Scotland right now. I was genuinely blown away by their performance on Friday night at The Admiral at the inaugural Everything Shakes night.

Raw, powerful and fluid Primal Scream style basslines underpin (and at times lead) all kinds of electronic goodness, live beats and psychedelic guitar - at times like My Bloody Valentine. It is a powerful combination that is made all the better by the fact that Crash Club just don't let up. They have honed and toned their live set to perfection - just over 30-minutes flowing from one song to another with no let up, like a DJ set or mix album.

Ian MacKinnon strolled on stage to join the band for a couple of songs including the outstanding Recondition. MacKinnon's vocals just lifted the set even higher, producing real moments of euphoria and adding extra menace to the Kilwinning's outfits set.

Neal McHarg on bass is almost like a front man, playing bass with a mission, wearing a 'Glasgow As F**k' t-shirt and firing off riffs that demanded people move. His brother Aran never strayed far from his amp, creating all kinds of beautiful guitar sound, while the leader of the band Sammy bounded behind a bank of synths and screens, live drums keeping it real.

Crash Club play Belladrum this coming weekend. Seek them out and keep an eye on their Facebook page for upcoming gig announcements.

2014 review by Crash Club

One of Neal McHarg's favourite albums of 2014 from one of his favourite bands

I first met Neal McHarg when Nevada Base ventured out to Ayrshire to play with Neal's band Crash Club. I admired the way he played the bass, there was real attitude. We got talking, discovered we shared similar taste in music  and have talked on and off ever since and when I got tickets to Primal Scream's secret show at the Poetry Club last year, Neal was one person I knew that would truly appreciate a ticket.

Neal's passion for music is clearly evident to anyone who has ever met him. He has a thirst for new music and a desire to delve back into musical history to discover all kinds of stuff.

Crash Club have really kicked on in 2014 and 2015 is shaping up to be a big year for them. They play King Tut's on New Year's Eve with Medicine Men and Tijuana Bibles.

I caught up with Neal to find out what he had been listening to through 2014. I'm sure you'll agree that it is a superbly eclectic mix. I hope Neal dj's sometime!

1. What singles/songs that have been released in 2014 have stood out for you?

the war on drugs -  red eyes
I remember hearing about them for a while and never really getting excited then I heard the new album and being blown away, this is the stand out for me.

Todd terje - Delorean Dynamite
thanks to a night out with Nevada base’s calum muir I discovered this track, the drive of the track just caught me straight away, yet parts of it sound so chilled, amazing mixture.

Medicine Men – Show What You're Made Of
Can’t get enough of this, tho big Ian defo gets enough of me telling him how much I love it ha. Brilliant groove and it just gets big as it goes on. Live wise its just unreal. 

Medicine Men

Tijuana bibles – Crucifixion
Dirty sleazy rock and roll at its finest, fat fuzzy bass line to tony’s husky vocal this is how rock n roll should sound.

Vigo Thieves – This Love
Remember hearing this for the first time on my way to Ayrshire and just feeling uplifted and having to listen to it over and over again, ridiculously catchy. 

   

2. What albums released in 2014 have you enjoyed?

black angels – clear lake forest
they really can’t do anything wrong in my eyes, yet another great explain of why their one of my favourite bands ever.

klaxons – love frequency
was really surprised by this, I wasn’t really a fan of the new rave stuff they done and we I listen to this for the time, I was amazed at how early 90’s influenced it was. Right up my street.

the war on drugs – lost in the dream
as I said earlier, the album is just outstanding.

deathcats -  all hail deathcats
got to love james and the boys, one of the hardest working bands in Glasgow and this album is great fuzz rock, Saturday night golden retriever is my personal stand out.
jagwar ma – the time and space machine dub sessions
Jagwar ma are right now my favourite band in the world, the album last year was unbelievable, and tho these sessions appeared on line last year, the vinyl only came out this year, and its so different track remixes yet still brilliant.



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

the bee gees – first 
they get a bad rep for cause of the whole disco stuff, but people forget how good the bee gees actually are! First is a 60’s classic.
john kongos – he’s gonna step on you again
all thanks to the happy Monday doing a cover of this with step on.  Love both but hadn’t really listened to the original for a long time.

supergrass – in it for the money
I miss supergrass loads, and with gaz releasing his next solo album, I went back and listened to my favourite supergrass album

Relaxed Muscle -  a heavy nite with…
my mate G loves Jarvis cocker during this part of his love, and when it was first out I wasn’t really listening to much of this period, but found my way back to it at the start of this year.

Nirvana- Bleach another album you kinda forget about just because what was to follow  blew your mind. brilliant all the same.

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

Seeing nine inch nails at primavera sounds was one hell of an experience so that is definitely a highlight, along with jagwar ma at the art school for stag and dagger.
but being asked to open for the klaxons and to finish of the year playing with 2 bands I love and have worked with in medicine men and Tijuana bibles will be up there as well. 

5. What are you plans for 2015?

We’re going to put out a vinyl with yoko pwno next year which will be brilliant to do, keep the momentum going for this year and step it up another level with the live show, introduce some visuals and stuff along with the lights, and target doing some festival shows this year.