The Pains of Being Pure at Heart

The sheer number of live shows, cost of tickets and the expense of a night out, plus, undoubtedly - old age, mean that I am a lot more particular about the shows I buy tickets for these days.

That said, I still do pretty well and probably average 2-3/month. Not bad going for a 49-year old!

When 432 Presents announced The Pains of Being Pure at Heart would be playing Stereo in Glasgow to celebrate the 15th anniversary of their eponymous debut album, I knew I'd be buying a ticket as soon as they went on sale.

Hailing from New York City, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart seemed to arrive fully formed, a fuzzy dream of youthful longing, distortion, blurred melodies and all kinds of indie cool. They had a (non-album) single in 2008 called Kurt Cobain's Cardigan. This was a band who proudly wore their influences, JAMC, MBV and Ride, on their (cardigan) sleeves.

I can't remember exactly, but I'm pretty sure it was Monorail that turned me on to the band and I bought this album on CD. I wish I'd bought it on vinyl!

Revisiting the record feels both deeply nostalgic and effortlessly fresh—like rediscovering an old mixtape filled with fuzzed-out guitars, aching melodies, and the whispered promise of escape.

From the moment Contender kicks in with its shimmering guitars and Kip Berman’s soft, yearning vocals, you’re transported to a world of wide-eyed romance, heartache, and the unshakeable feeling that music might just save your life ... or at least help you escape for a while.

At just 34 minutes, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart is a rush of indie-pop perfection. Come Saturday and Young Adult Friction are urgent and euphoric, driven by walls of guitar and shimmering synths. The breakdown in the latter leading to the boy/girl sung don't check me out mantra that ends the song is magical.

With melodies soaked in reverb and drum beats straight from early Pastels records This Love Is Fucking Right is absolutely glorious. 

Stay Alive is an absolute heartbreaker, like The Sundays jamming with JAMC. Sometimes the quietest moments hit the hardest. 

don't you try to shoot up the sky

tonight we'll stay alive

Dreamy teenage lyrics are almost hidden under the guitars at times. There are harmonies and hooks beneath the scuzzed up guitars of Everything With You.

Tell me it's true

I'm with you

And the stars are crashing through

A Teenager in Love rides in on a riff reminiscent of Bowie's Modern Love as if covered by Orange Juice. Hey Paul turns the fuzz and scuzz on the guitars to max and Gentle Sons tugs on heart strings to close the album.

Now you stand in the rain saying

Nothing has changed at all

Listening back for the first time in years, The Pains of Being Pure at Heart still feels vital. Pardon the pun, but there is a purity to the album and the music. Fragile, melancholic, euphoric and that beautiful raw energy.

Urgent. Fuzzy. Melodic. Perfect. I got properly lost for 34-minutes. This album is a reminder of younger days, simpler times, when music felt like everything. Sometimes, it still does.

The Pains of Being Pure at Heart play Stereo in Glasgow on Saturday 15th November. TICKETS HERE

Oasis and dynamic pricing

" I detest surge pricing. It means hardly anyone ever pays the actual advertised ticket price. 

It's a legitimised scam and bands who agree to it are complicit." R

UPDATE - 06/09

In the early evening of Wednesday 4th September. 4+ days since the dynamic pricing row erupted, Oasis released the following statement;

"It needs to be made clear that Oasis leave decisions on ticketing and pricing entirely to their promoters and management." The band added they had "at no time had any awareness that dynamic pricing was going to be used" in the sale of tickets for the initial dates.

NOTE - No condemnation of dynamic pricing. No statement to say they disagree with dynamic pricing. And absolutely no apology.

Poor show.

Anyway, here is the original blog - 03/09

Tickets for the Oasis 2025 reunion shows went online last weekend. Those with a pre-sale code (myself included) got access on Friday night at 7pm. I logged onto the Ticketmaster app minutes beforehand and was shocked to find that I was immediately at number 56 in the queue just after 7. I'd checked out after buying 3 tickets by 7.04pm. Sorted, nice one, mad for it. God that was easy, I was singing the praises of Ticketmaster for being so smooth and high tech.

Saturday morning was when the real clamour for tickets started. This was like Knebworth x 10. I wonder how many people actually (virtually) queued for tickets? Everyone seemed to be after them.

The Gallagher brothers reunite

Photos by Simon Emmett

Back in 1996 you could either attempt to phone and book tickets, or you could go and queue outside a ticket shop. A reported 2.5 million people tried to get tickets. Oasis could have sold 20 nights, never mind a double header. I'd hazard a guess that more than 2.5 million people were online trying for tickets.

I'm a member of a number of Oasis online groups, including an amazing collectors group, full of passionate fans from around the world that spend small fortunes on Oasis memorabilia. I love seeing some of the unique items people have procured over the years. My own collection of records, tickets, magazines, wrist bands etc just comes from buying them at the time. I wish I had bought extra copies!

The online groups were full of posts about people being 10,000+ in the queue and then this seemed to jump considerably to 200,000+. I couldn't believe I got so lucky the previous night!

People were still getting tickets, it was just taking an age in the online queuing system.

Oasis and Ticketmaster were regularly posting across social channels that tickets can only be resold at face value via Ticketmaster and Twickets. 

By now, you probably know what happened. 

Due to demand, and despite Oasis and Ticketmaster promoting prices in advance, dynamic pricing kicked in, resulting in a completely justified explosion of anger. £150 standing tickets were suddenly closer to £400. Those waiting to buy 4 tickets at a total of £600 (plus booking fee), were now faced with a total price of £1,600 plus fees!!!!

Imagine finding that out after being in an online queue for 5 or 6 hours! People had minutes to decide whether to go ahead and buy them anyway, or whether to ditch it, after waiting all that time .... 

Ticketmaster (and Oasis) completely fucked up on communication and customer care. Not that either will care given the millions that each earned over the weekend. 

Ticketmaster have been getting it in the neck, but in actual fact it is the promoters and the band that decide whether or not dynamic pricing should apply to their shows. 

Oasis - the band of the people! What a joke.

Why were ticket prices not capped? £150 is more than enough for a stadium show. And lets be honest, Oasis are not about the show, they are all about the songs. They don't need a huge catwalk or super dazzling lightshow. 

In comparison; Paul Heaton is doing an arena tour where ticket prices are capped at £35. While Robert Smith from The Cure ensures that dynamic pricing does not apply to any shows his band is playing.

"It's a greedy scam. All artists have the choice not to participate - 

if not artists participated, it would cease to exist." Robert Smith, The Cure

Crowded House found out that dynamic pricing had been applied to some of their shows and kicked up enough fuss to ensure that their fans were reimbursed the difference between 'normal prices' and the 'dynamic price'. 

I would love Noel to come out and apologise and say that Oasis were working with Ticketmaster and the promoters to refund the difference. I doubt it will happen though.

So ... this whole debacle is on Oasis and the promoters; SJM and Live Nation, which owns Ticketmaster, MCD and DF (the promoters of the Murrayfield shows). 

Fans are uniting in their fury. I love it! We might see change, instead of being ripped off by corporate greed.

Here are a few articles that have already been written;

BBC - by Ian Youngs - Has ticket row taken the shine off Oasis reunion?

BBC - by Ian Youngs - Hundreds lodge complaints over Oasis ticket prices

The Guardian - Failure to warn Oasis fans of dynamic pricing may be consumer law breach

Louder Than War - dynamic pricing needs sorting out

MP's are even getting involved, with many experiencing the issue personally as they joined the scramble for tickets. 

Oasis is still the band of the people .... and the people are making their feelings known.

This whole episode has been an absolute mess. Ticketmaster and Oasis have come out of this looking like they couldn't care less about fans thanks to;

• MIS-COMMUNICATION (AKA double standards) - Ticketmaster and Oasis heavily posted and tweeted that tickets could only be resold at face value. Meanwhile, due to the fact that millions and millions of people were in a virtual queue for tickets, they put the prices up way beyond face value! If you didn't laugh, you'd cry. Many people did. 
• LACK OF CUSTOMER CARE - This resulted in people who has been queuing online for hours, finally getting through to buy standing tickets at £150 per ticket, only to find that thanks to dynamic pricing, they were £400 each. So a couple looking to spend £300 on 2 tickets, were now looking at £800 for 2 tickets. Not surprisingly, some people (wisely in my opinion) decided to switch off and forget it. This complete lack of customer care from Ticketmaster and Oasis is deplorable.

As for the promoters;

• PROMOTERS - It must be nice being a promoter for a show like this. After all, you don't really need to invest much in the way of promotion! These gigs sold themselves. While there will be a high cost in putting these shows on, the profit the promoters will be making is gigantic.
  

Which brings me on to Oasis;

• BAND OF THE PEOPLE - Oasis know their fanbase better than almost any band. They were among the first to get people to sign up to mailing lists and they have hammered merch, limited and exclusive releases to death. The support the Gallagher brothers receive is phenomenal, bordering on religious for some die hards. So why take the piss? Why take £150 tickets and sell them for £400?! Despite Noel's expensive (£20 million allegedly) divorce, they don't really need the money. So why agree to dynamic pricing? It really does leave a sour taste in the mouth.

"It's a greedy scam. All artists have the choice not to participate - 

if not artists participated, it would cease to exist." Robert Smith, The Cure

Oasis - the reunion

The only way to keep them together?

And so ... it's on.

Oasis are back and their reunion will make a lot of people extremely happy, some very rich, some fans very poor (tickets won't be cheap - prices are notably not being announced in advance of tickets going on sale!) and it will no doubt piss off a few people as well. 

I have mixed feelings about it. I always thought that Noel would adopt the approach of Paul Weller, his friend and idol, who has passed up numerous offers to reform The Jam.

However, an Oasis reunion is on a completely different scale. In fact, it may well be off the charts. Early indications are that Noel and Liam will each make 50 million in 2025. Noel, as songwriter, will likely make even more from the increase in streaming, radio plays and album sales.

I'll have a look for tickets, but I'm not excited by paying loads of money to stand miles away from them in a stadium or field. Will there be VIP golden circle options?! How much will they be? Will they play warm up shows? 

Truth be told, I found the 8am announcement this morning a little cold. I hope that Liam and Noel will come together for a press conference in advance of tickets going on sale, or issue a full press release with details about how their reunion has come about. The photo (below) to accompany tour dates being announced looked photo-shopped. It turns out that the brothers were in the same room for a shoot. Hopefully they smiled at some point!

The contrast between the Roses press conference to announce their reunion and the accompanying Penny Smith photos of them hugging and laughing is stark. I was also super excited about the Roses reunion, but that was due to the fact that I never caught them live. I kind of did Oasis and got the t-shirt; the small shows, breakthrough shows and Knebworth. 

So, while I'm pleased that Liam and Noel are getting together again, I'm not excited ... yet. I suspect that will change when I see them together, laughing, joking, vibing off each other.  

Why are people excited by an Oasis reunion? It's the question that TV channels, radio shows and countless social media accounts have been asking.

Well, here are 6 immediate reasons;

• Passion and Personality

Liam and Noel kicked down doors that were (and are) very much barricaded to working class kids from a council estate. They had a label (Creation) who believed in them and encouraged them to be true to themselves and their roots. Indeed, Alan McGee wanted their debut single to be Bring It On Down rather than Supersonic. He loved the Pistols punk vibe and the lyrics;

You're the outcast

You're the underclass

But you don't care

Because you're living fast

The Gallagher brothers were up for it, in more ways than one. They gigged relentlessly, took all the drugs they could get their hands on, did all the media going and kept on partying.

Their interviews were hilarious. They spoke like normal people! They'd slag off other bands, talk about girls they fancied, big themselves up, talk about their love of The Beatles, Adidas trainers, Clarks desert boots and their Mam. They wore 'normal' clothes, which Noel beautifully reflects on in the Supersonic documentary when they arrive at Knebworth virtually wearing the same clothes they had on when they started the band. They regularly shopped at M&S!

Oasis were a different world to 'indie' bands or grunge. They were real, authentic, very funny and soulful. 

• Escapism

The world is a pretty f**ked up place at the moment. Losing yourself in music and songs is arguably even more important than ever. Oasis songs, especially the early ones, were all about dreams and escapism. It's why they have stood the test of time. 

Live Forever - Cause I just wanna fly

Fade Away - Fantasy was real, now I know much about the way I feel

Rock n Roll Star - In my mind my dreams are real

Slide Away - We'll find a way, of chasing the sun

Sad Song - Cause it's all just the same at the end of the day

Noel could write something off the cuff that became vital and anthemic, whether the dreamy lyrics of above, or something like stand up beside the fireplace, take that look from off your face line from Don't Look Back In Anger, something his Mum used to say to him. That line is immediately followed by the beautiful;

You ain't ever gonna burn my heart out

As Noel said in an early interview; "It's about the man in the street. When the milkman is whistling your tune, you know you've done it."

We didn't really know what a Wonderwall was, or what it meant to be walking down the hall, faster than a cannonball, or what a champagne supernova was. It didn't matter. When Liam sang, we knew, we connected.

• Those songs, that voice

You can wait for a lifetime, to spend your days in the sunssshhhiiiiiinnnnneeee

In his recent interview with John Robb, Noel memorably describes his own voice as being like a half pint of Guinness on a Tuesday afternoon. While Liam's is like 10 shots of Tequila on a Friday night!

Liam Gallagher's voice was remarkable. Oasis played 288 gigs across 1994, 1995 and 1996 and Liam's voice just got stronger and stronger, despite his appetite for drugs and alcohol. 

When Liam sings lines like; I only wanna see the light that shines behind your eyes it's spine tingling. He looked incredible and he sounded even better. Like no-one before or since. 

Liam did become a bit of a caricature of himself, in appearance and voice. In later years his voice seemed shot, but he has worked hard on his lifestyle to get it back, he sounded great on the DM30 tour.

Of course, 30-years on, it is different, but Liam singing Noel's songs is very much the main reason that people are excited by the reunion.

• The brothers gonna work it out

I'd love Oasis to walk on stage to The Chemical Brothers Leave Home with the refrain the brothers gonna work it out blasting from the speakers. 

Oasis fans worldwide are thrilled that the two Gallagher brothers are speaking to each other again. Never mind the fact that we will undoubtedly have hilarious press conferences and interviews, they will be rehearsing, there might be small and intimate warm up shows (they won't immediately go and play a stadium ... will they?!) and the concerts. 

They will also be delighted for their Mum Peggy. Noel and Liam have always spoken so fondly of their Mum, from their very first interviews. It must have been heartbreaking for her not to see them getting on.

Blood's thicker than mud, it's a family affair 

• The tension

Noel and Liam's relationship has a lot of tension in it! Even the new photos show that! Are they happy about this?! For all that these shows have been booked and tickets are going on sale, the fact is - the relationship will be tested between now and next summer! They will be in the same room A LOT and they are bound to have arguments at times. That's just Liam's nature, he can't help himself. How will Noel react? How will Liam react to Noel's reaction?! Will they make it to next summer? Will it all implode?

But ... that's all part of the charm and attraction.  When it comes to the Gallagher brothers, and Liam in particular, you just don't know what is going to happen!

But with tens of millions of pounds at stake, I'm sure the shows will go ahead by hook or by crook!

• The first time - a new generation

Lets not forget that for many, this will be their first choice to see Oasis. Many will have seen the brother doing their thing, but not together.

Many people of my age (and older) have introduced younger people to Oasis. Liam's shows attract scores of teenagers pining for Oasis songs. DM30 gave them a a healthy taste, now for the main course!

Mars to Liverpool

At the end of my blog on Liam and John's debut single I proclaimed that I'd be there, scrambling for a ticket, if they announced a Barrowland show. This was despite the fact that Just Another Rainbow didn't really do it for me.

Thankfully, Mars to Liverpool, their swift follow up, has had me cranking up my speakers and walking about the house with a bit of a Manc swagger while singing the huge double chorus.

Here comes that feeling

Here it comes again

I'm waiting for this storm

To run out of rain

Squire is firing off all kinds of riffs throughout the song; bluesy, little bits of The Byrds I'll Feel A Whole Lot Better, or is it The Beatles Here Comes The Sun? Either way, John Squire playing around with a D chord has always caused my heart to leap, dating back to Sally Cinnamon and Mersey Paradise.

Liam sounds fantastic. This must easily be his most upbeat song (and best?) since leaving Oasis. The opening line makes me smile, its tailor made for Gallagher.  

Jesus Christ, about last night

I can only apologise

The opening line of the second verse tips nod to Liam's beloved Beatles Dear Prudence;

The sun is up, the skies are blue

And I know how close we came

This voyage of sef-discovery

Has my sails in flames

There is another Beatles-y riff leading to the chorus which bursts in like a ray of warm sunshine and the closing line is particularly apt given the stormy weather we've had this week.

I'm waiting for this storm

To run out of rain

Mars to Liverpool is fun guitar pop. Squire and Gallagher were once in bands that wanted to change the world and shake it up. Now, after blazing trails for others, they can enjoy themselves and on this song you can clearly hear that Liam is on top form. Squire has never been the most prolific of songwriters, but I hope this collaboration isn't a one off. 

Liam and John have confirmed that their debut album will come out on 1st March and they then embark on a tour of small (by their standards) venues. They will be the hottest ticket in town and the Barrowland will be absolutely bouncing. Good luck if, like me, you're going to try and get  ticket.

Dream setlist by The Charlatans

The news that The Charlatans were returning to the Barrowland Ballroom in Glasgow on Saturday 25th November had me checking my work calendar to see if I could be poised and ready for presale tickets going live at 10am on Wednesday 7th June.

I've been on The Charlatans mailing list for many a year and ... I didn't get a presale link. From Twitter, it seems like I wasn't the only one. But thankfully my friend Robbie got me, my wife and my brother a ticket, so we're all sorted!

The Charlatans have added a second night and still have space in their tour diary for a third ... TICKETS

Tim Burgess and co have a long history with the Barrowland. I honestly couldn't tell you how many times I have seen them there over the years. A few! The atmosphere is always electric, like a cup final. 

Memories include an opening blast of I Never Want An Easy Life and Can't Get Out Of Bed in 1994/95 with someone crowdsurfing to Oasis I Am The Walrus before the band had even come on stage. 

The atmosphere was electric that night, like a cup final. Indeed, it always is when The Charlatans play The Barrowland. There is a beautiful bond, a powerful connection. The band, venue and audience become one and it is very, very special.

To be honest, I'm pretty gutted when they play the Academy!

Check this sensational live Radio 1 audio bootleg from December 1997. The band are in sensational form!

The Charlatans, Glasgow Barrowland, December 1997 bootleg

Another time my brother Ross and I went out the night before he turned 21. The band came on stage and played the beautiful long intro to Forever, then Tim can on stage with his hands in the air and the place just erupted. 

And then when The Charlatans played Some Friendly in full the whole venue became a massive indie club dancefloor when the band played The Only One I Know. But then, that particular song always generates that reaction, but maybe the famous sprung dancefloor at the Barrowland helps people dance harder and jump even higher.

Many of you reading this blog will have experienced the Barrowland roar. A special ovation reserved for special songs. An ovation that goes on and on, feet stomping, hands clapping, loud roars. The Charlatans have a few special songs in their arsenal and I can't wait to hear them and the roar of appreciation afterwards. I have tingles down my spine just thinking about it. I bet the band does too!

Will they have a new album out? Or will they just smash through a greatest hits and favourites set?

Either way, I'll be happy! The news about their show led me to try and create my dream Charlatans setlist. 

It could change from time to time, but for a Saturday night at the Barrowland ... this would take the roof off the place!

You can check it on my playlist here - Dream setlist - The Charlatans or search it on Spotify.

Forever

Tremelo Song

Can't Get Out Of Bed

Crashin' In

Tellin' Stories

Impossible

A Man Needs To Be Told

Oh! Vanity

Blackened Blue Eyes

Then

Weirdo

Try Again Today

The Blind Stagger

Just Lookin'

Just When You're Thinkin' Things Over

North Country Boy

The Only One I Know

One To Another

Come Home Baby

ENCORE

Happen To Die

Let The Good Times Be Never Ending

Sproston Green

Starboard Hazes - EP2 and gig

Save the date! 

Plans are underway to rehearse, record and release the second Starboard Hazes EP within the first few months of 2023.

Is it just me or does 2023 still sound very futuristic? Time flies and time has become a little weirder since March 2020 when the world stopped for a while as the COVID pandemic took a hold.

However, I am reliably informed that 2023 is indeed just around the corner!

So, to kick things into gear, I've booked the good old 13th Note for the next Starboard Hazes show. Hopefully our second EP will be ready by then. The plan is to catch up to rehearse in January, then record the EP, a few more rehearsals and then play again.

3-songs are definitely ear marked for the EP;

1. Yeah!
2. Sunshine
3. So In Love With You (Beta Band Blues)

With a potential 4th song called Hung Up (not the Madonna song!) if we have time in the studio. Probably just an acoustic version - rough n raw ... and quick!

Sunshine was one of the very first songs I wrote as a teenager using the D & G chords. It was great to jam it with the band back in October. Jamie's pounding drums, Andy (picking up James guitar) going for Velvets-y sounds on guitar and James (taking on Andy's bass) came up with a great groove.

Yeah! is another old song, very Teenage Fanclub! It's the same 4 chord rhythm groove from start to finish, giving James freedom to do his thing on lead guitar.  Personally, this is one of my favourites to play with the band.

Beta Band Blues is an old idea that always stayed with me. With the capo on 5 I found two chords that worked really well together and I thought they sounded like the Beta Band. The lyrics are pretty simple and I never managed to write more than a verse, so the song is just the same verse/chorus repeated 3 times. I always liked the song/idea though and it was one of the first songs James and I played when we got together. He came up with a brilliant guitar line in between the verses.

When we took the song to Andy and Jamie, they also loved James guitar line and wondered if we could really expand the song into far out Beta Band territory. So when we have jammed, we finish the song and the beats really kick in, allowing James to go all Nile Rodgers on guitar and Andy to underpin everything with a bass groove. When we played live, Ronan from La Chunky joined in on trombone for the second section so we hope he'll play on the recording. And we might add melodica, synth and cowbell - really go for it and have fun.

If we can get the instrumentals down in one day, Andy and I will go back in and record vocals one evening. That worked last time, although I wonder if we might need another evening for Beta Band Blues. But then, Yeah! and Sunshine should be really quick and easy to record, leaving us with a chunk of time for Beta Band Blues. We'll go with the flow!

Our first gig and party was a brilliant night, it was sooooooooooo good to see lots of people enjoying live music and then dancing the night away. I'm delighted to say that Phil Redfearn will be back on DJ duties at 13th Note. We'll see what delights he can pull out the bag to get us dancing again!

It's not BYOB this time, but we've kept the ticket price as low as possible and hope you can join us for some fun. And that's what Starboard Hazes is all about - fun. Fun in rehearsals, in the studio and when we play live.

Tickets, priced at £7, are on sale from Event Brite HERE

It would be amazing to see you there.

Thanks

Murray

Circus Moving On

 

Poster Paints - Simon & Carla by Craig McIntosh

You say I need to walk before I float

But I'm already flying every day

Poster Paints continue to build momentum towards their eponymous debut with the release of the spellbinding Circus Moving On as a single. 

This song does float and glide beautifully through the verses, it's mellow, tender, dreamy

Then ... at 48 seconds ... the slow burning star becomes a shooting star lighting up the night sky at pace. A double chorus is delivered with strings

You say I need to walk before I float

But I'm already flying every day

I didn't know that I would be the joke

That got you crying when you say my name

When you say my name

You got under my skin,  in my hair, on my lips

Under finger nails, on my hips

And in my dreams

You got under my skin,  in my hair, on my lips

Under finger nails, on my hips

Everything slows to leave space for the next couple of lines

Between my teeth, under sheets

In my dreams

And then ... we explode back into the chorus again. The strings sound even more cinematic, it might as well be your own heart strings that are in the song. 

Here is what Carla had to say; "We worked remotely with Andrew Jin Chung based in Canada for the beautiful string arrangements that really made the findal recording soar. The initial idea was based around Mellotron sounds after a discussion about how much Simon and I both loved the song All My Happiness Is Gone by Purple Mountains. Subconciously that was perhaps a jumping off point for the lyrics and combining a classic sad/happy juxtaposition between words and sounds. It's not the Poster Paints sound you might be expecting but it's one of our favourites on the album and is a joy to play live."

Poster Paints have just announced a show at The Glad Cafe in Glasgow to celebrate the release of their eponymous debut album. Come and hear this song live ... bring your heart strings.

CIRCUS MOVING ON (LYRIC VIDEO)

TICKETS HERE

PRE_ORDER ALBUM HERE (MONORAIL EXLUSIVE)

Doune The Rabbit Hole preview

Scotland has no shortage of outdoor gigs/festivals on offer this summer. TRNSMT, Big Top shows in Edinburgh, Primal Scream in Queens Park, Belladrum, Party At The Palace, Summer Night at Kelvingrove Bandstand, Edinburgh Castle shows, Edinburgh Bandstand shows, Harry Styles at Ibrox, multiple Hampden shows ...

You'd think promoters were trying to make up for lost time or something!

And so are music fans! Most of these shows are selling out, the cost of living crisis is banished to one side as people scrimp & save, or stick thing on credit cards to get out with friends to experience the joys & escapsim of live music.

The festival/outdoor show that is exciting me the most is Doune The Rabbit Hole ...

Teenage Fanclub, Belle & Sebastian, Orbital and Camera Obscura at the one festival, less than an hour from Glasgow?!

Sure fire festival hits like Boney M, The Bluebells and 10CC.

Then you have legends like Patti Smith, breaking bands like Yard Act, the hugely respected Sleaford Mods and a huge range of Scottish acts like Stanley Odd, Poster Paints, Honeyblood, Girobabies, Free Love, BiS, Happy Tears and many, many more...

It's time, and long overdue, for my first trip Doune The Rabbit Hole.

Add in the fact that it's regularly highlighted as being incredibly family friendly ... I'm going with the kids! My wife is away on a hen do!

My sister Carla has played before and has urged me to go. So now is the time! 

Without putting too much thought into it, I've selected my top 10 acts I hope to see this weekend. But there are many more! And I tend to find that just wandering around creates the best festival memories - stumbling across a DJ playing one of your favourite songs, or a band/singer you've never heard of who blows you away.

1) Yard Act - they've released one of my albums of 2022 and I missed them at their sold out Mono show earlier in the year. VIDEO _ 100% Endurance

2) Poster Paints - fresh from releasing the gorgeous summer single Falling Hard and a 6Music session with Marc Riley. VIDEO - Falling Hard

3) Craig Charles Funk & Soul - always good fun, Charles generates an infectious energy from the stage and plays brilliant soul music.

4) Happy Tears & BiS - I like what I've heard from this band and hope to make their set and then stick around for BiS. VIDEO - Euro Disco

5) Sambayabamba - That said, there could be a clash with the superb Sambayabamba on the main stage - they always get people going. All ages will love this band. VIDEO 

6) Camera Obscura - A very special and underrated band, a new album could be in the pipeline, their comeback shows at Saint Lukes were spine tinglingly good. VIDEO - French Navy

7) Belle & Sebastian - Another very special band from Scotland. Fun, soulful and with an exceptional catalogue to draw upon. Could you get up on stage with them to dance to The Boy With The Arab Strap?! You might be lucky! I do hope to catch some of Orbital too! VIDEO _ The Boy With The Arab Strap

8) The Bluebells - Riding high on the success of the reissue of their seminal Sisters album, The Bluebells guitar pop is perfect for a summers day. And Young At Heart will be a festival anthem. VIDEO - Young At Heart

9) Sacred Paws - A very energetic live band. I think it was November 2019 when I last caught them.  How time flies! The kind of band that, if you stumble across them, could be your favourite band from the weekend. VIDEO _ Everyday

10) Teenage Fanclub - It kind of goes without saying, but closing the weekend with my favourite band playing in the evening sunshine (everything crossed!) would be perfect. VIDEO _ What You Do To Me

Losing My Edge

Trust Me #33 

20-years ago a band called LCD Soundsystem burst on to the scene with their debut single Losing My Edge, released on leader James Murphy's label DFA Records.

Last month Murphy announced a series of 20th anniversary residencies and parties for his band, including a run of nights at the Brixton Academy in London.

So for this month's Trust Me blog I thought i would revisit that astonishing single. It really was a breath of fresh air. I caught them live at The Barrowland back in 2004 (I think) supporting Too Many DJ's and the way they all huddled around a bank of synths and created a party atmosphere blew me away. The following year my wife (then girlfriend) and I went to Benicassim and they came on stage at 2 in the morning and whipped up a frenzy. I've caught them a couple of times at the Barrowland since then. It's a bit of a home from home for them. I was hoping (still am) that they might sneak in a wee Glasgow residency for their 20th anniversary ...

But back to Losing My Edge.

Everything about this song is cool, clever and funny. Murphy's spoken word, the vast variety of synth sounds, the beats and the way it somehow all hangs together and sounds brilliant.

Over 8-minutes Murphy tells a tale of paranoia - is he losing his edge? 

Murphy highlights what his paranoia is based on - hip young kids from France, London, Tokyo, Berlin and Brooklyn coming through in the music scene, but he then balances that by repeatedly coming back to reflect how hip he was/is. 

I was there in 1968

I was there at the first Can show in Cologne

Is Murphy losing his edge? How can he be? He was there at the first Suicide practices in a loft in New York City, working on the organ sounds. He was the first guy to play Daft Punk to the rock kids at CBGB's and everyone thought he was crazy.

The squelchy synth bass is slightly distorted, sounding super cool as Murphy yells I was there! 

Murphy goes on, trying to convince himself as well as those listening. He's never been wrong, he heard everything first, he was in the DJ booth at Paradise with Larry Levan.

Yet then there are better-looking people with better ideas and more talent. Paranoia that we all face as we get older! 

Murphy reflects on these youngsters - they have incredible compilations, all the great Beach Boys songs and Modern Lovers tracks. Rare vinyl on import or white label. 

As the song develops, through Murphy's inspired rant, the music builds in tandem, that squelchy distorted bass continues though, underpinning everything.

I heard that you and your band have sold your guitars and bought turntables

I hear that you and your band have sold your turntables and bought guitars

Murphy asks, have you seen my records? Then listing a number of bands and artists ending with The Sonics, The Sonics, The Sonics, The Sonics before the song veers off into a glorious hook you don't know what you really want that is repeated time and time again.

Official video / Full length version / Live at Madison Square Garden

Search for Everything Flows Trust Me playlist on Spotify. Search for Everything Flows Trust Me or CLICK HERE 

Previous Trust Me blogs

1. Something On Your Mind by Karen Dalton

1A. Crimson and Clover by Tommy James and the Shondells

2. I Am, I Said  by Neil Diamond

3. Where's The Playground Susie?   by Glen Campbell

4. If You Could Read My Mind by Gordon Lighfoot

5. Gimme Some Truth by John Lennon

6. Gone With The Wind Is My Love by Rita and the Tiaras

7. In The Year 2525 by Zager and Evans

8. The Music Box by Ruth Copeland

9. The Ship Song by Nick Cave

10. Sometimes by James

11. I Walk The Earth by King Biscuit Time

12. Didn't Know What I Was In For by Better Oblivion Community Centre

13. When My Boy Walks Down The Street by The Magnetic Fields

14. The Man Don't Give A F**k by Super Furry Animals

15. All Flowers In Time Bend Towards The Sun by Jeff Buckley and Liz Fraser

16. Are You Lookin' by The Tymes

17. A Real Hero by College & Electric Youth

18. Feelings Gone by Callum Easter

19. Sunday Morning by The Velvet Underground

20. Did I Say by Teenage Fanclub

21. Don't Look Back by Teenage Fanclub

22. Your Love Is The Place Where I Come From by Teenage Fanclub

23. Belfast by Orbital

24. Clouds by The Jayhawks

25. Dreaming Of You by The Coral

26. Everlasting Love by Love Affair

27. Walk Away Renee by The Left Banke

28. Teenage Kicks by The Undertones

29. Shaky Ground by Sneeze

29. Rill Rill by Sleigh Bells

30. I Can Feel Your Love by Felice Taylor

31. The State We're In by The Chemical Brothers w/ Beth Orton

32. Sunshine After The Rain by Ellie Greenwich

Yard Act - The Overload

Every so often I invite a friend to write a guest blog. It's been a while. But at the weekend I asked my friend Simon to write a review of The Overload, the debut album by Yard Act.

I'd been trying to get tickets for their forthcoming show at Mono in March after falling for their song Fixer Upper. Mono is sold out. 

Simon posted about the album in a beautifully thoughtful and poetic manner, so I asked if he would be up for writing a blog. Simon was, but it might take a couple of weeks cause he was super busy. Fine, no rush, no worries.

And then Simon's stunning review arrived in my inbox as I was lying listening to the album last night. 

Perfect timing. Perfectly written.

I hope it's perfect timing for you too. Read on for Simon's review and details about Yard Act's recently announced winter 2022 tour when they'll be back in Glasgow at Saint Lukes. 

Guest blog by Simon Stuart

You'll be hearing a lot about Yard Act in 2022. You'll keep on reading about sprechgesang and sprechstimme, Pulp, The Streets and most of all The Fall, and, just like the ones you're reading here, those words may or may not be worthwhile. And when The Overload wins the awards that will inevitably rain down upon it, there will be so much more breathless prose - perhaps some backlash too, from the duller witted wing of the cultural commentariat - that some of you might already be switching off in anticipation. As the kind of cynical mid-forties iconoclast for whom 'yes but Mark E Smith was doing that in 1978' has become a watchword over the past four decades: I hear you. I really do.

But please listen, and listen well, because this record matters. If it's the hipster dish du jour, it's also so much more: a piece of work that arrives so fully formed that its scope, its ambition, its sheer bloody humanity might be easily missed. All the jagged, twitchy Fall-ings, the majestic abrasive PIL-aging, the wryly self-referential Cocker-ness: sure, these are four young men who know the past 40-plus years of left-field indie inside-out. (And I don't think it's a coincidence that the album shares a name with Talking Heads' most apocalyptic moment.)

But I don't think any of that matters, either. While the likes of me can pore over this as a perfectly postmodern example of what guitar music can be, it's also the first great post-Brexit record; the first I've heard that reckons with the sheer bloody absurdity of where we are right now by holding up a mirror and saying: this is it, folks, this is it ... but can you see that tiny flash of hope there too? Over the course of its 37-minutes, The Overload's initial fury abates yet then expands - reflected in a very subtle augmentation of the instrumentation - and while it would easily have been enough to end the record with the majestic Tall Poppies (we are, all of us, flawed and constrained, and here are the acts of life, death and songwriting itself laid brutally bare), Yard Act keep on driving on, the pissed perspective-talking of Pour Another paving the way for the deathless gasp of 100% Endurance, a song which is nothing more or less a desperate howl for kindness in a burning world; an exquisitely audacious concept that exposes the simplest, most beautiful truths. Everything that came before it leads to this moment, and this moment points to everything else, no matter how big or small.

I have no idea how Yard Act follow this record; what they do next. No matter. As they put it so perfectly themselves at the end: it's not like there's going to be nothing, is it?

Pour Another live version

Tall Poppies live on Later

Yard Act play a sold out show at Mono on 3rd March and have recently announced a show at Saint Lukes on 22nd November. Acts fast for tickets.

Wet Leg at McChuills

Wet Leg, Hester Chambers & Rhian Teasdale

Wet Leg came to my attention in the summer when 6 Music grabbed a hold of their glorious pop punk debut single Chaise Longue and just wouldn't let it go. And anyone who heard it, held the song close to their hearts just as tightly. Funny, catchy, urgent, cool, full of hooks and brilliant guitars - the sound of summer.

Around that time the band announced a tour, including a date in my favourite Glasgow pub - McChuills. You can read all about my love for the bar HERE

I grabbed a couple of tickets and kept an eye on the band. Wet Leg followed Chaise Longue with the superb Wet Dream, more energetic new wave pop, full of yelps, funky beats with scratchy, noisy and vital sounding guitars, suggestive lyrics and enough hooks to floor Tyson Fury.

What makes you think you're good enough

To think about me when you're touching yourself?

It very quickly became apparent that Wet Leg were one of the hottest new bands in the country and that McChuills was going to be far too small a venue to meet demand. I fully expected the gig to be upgraded to St Lukes or King Tuts.

Thankfully it wasn't. Both for the 100 or so people in McChuills and for Wet Leg on stage. They won't be playing that many more gigs where they are just a couple of feet from the audience, staring into the whites of their eyes. 

It was actually quite refreshing to read the band come out in some recent interviews and admit that they were still developing, so playing shows like this was really important. And it is, playing packed intimate venues like McChuills is both fun and a great road test for both band and songs.

As it was, there was a stage where I thought the gig wasn't going to happen as the sound engineer wrestled for 45-minutes to fix an issue with a microphone on stage, looking a little flustered at times as the crowd began to grow a little restless.

So instead of a 9pm start time, Wet Leg finally came on at 9.45pm, quickly bursting into action and winning the crowd from the get go.

Wet Leg are Rhian Teasedale and Hester Chambers, but when they play live they become a 5-piece. Their drummer was brilliant, downing beers in between songs and driving them along. Teasedale and Chambers both played guitar, the bass was groovy, underpinning everything, while at times there was a 3rd guitar or keys/synths.

There was a brilliant rawness about Wet Leg last night. They were tight but loose and they have found a sound that generates fun and excitement on stage and off. Chambers held her guitar high, playing inventive solos and riffs around Teasedale's rhythms. 

Wet Dream was played early on (full setlist below) and most of the songs were upbeat, spiky, melodic and fun. Supermarket sounded like a lost gem from the Britpop era; slightly ridiculous but so catchy I almost found myself singing along. Think Elastica meets Sleeper with Jarvis Cocker on writing duties.

There was a couple of slower numbers and towards the end Teasedale brought the band into a huddle on stage to decide how many songs they could still play. We got another 3, all fun and full of energy, the band having real fun with the instrumental sections in Angelica, with Chambers and Teasedale bending backwards as they played their guitars.

Of course, there was only one song that could close the show, there was no encore. Wet Lege ended with the brilliant Chaise Longue, the crowd singing along, shouting the What? section to in answer to Excuse me.

Frantic, furious and cool, McChuills went suitably wild. Wet Leg easily showcased that they have more singles and what is bound to be one of 2022's most anticipated albums up their sleeves. They were the hottest ticket in town last night and it looks like their April show at The Mash House in Edinburgh is already sold out. Hopefully they add another Glasgow date - be quick in trying to get a ticket if they do!

It's always good to catch a band on the up, it will be interesting to see just how high Wet Leg can go. 

Never Saw It Coming

 

Photo by Kat Gollock

Poster Paints, my sister Carla's new band with her friend Simon, have just released their second single, Never Saw It Coming, to kick off a busy 6-weeks during which they'll play 3 shows with Teenage Fanclub in Edinburgh, Aberdeen and Glasgow - at the famous Glasgow Barrowland. They then play their first headline show at The Poetry Club on Thursday 7th October.

Never Saw It Coming begins with a fuzzy distorted guitar riff over beats, then a jangly reverb lead guitar line comes over the top as Carla begins to sing - words and melodies simply pouring out of her, only slowing when she gets to the hook/chorus.

I can't believe you're gone

I never saw it coming

And then the word and melodies come flowing again ...

so, so, so

so here we go again another day for new beginnings

with a final end to the race I fought and lost in constant winning

when we said our goodbyes I forgot to say that I was sorry

There is plenty of space in the arrangement, playing and production, everything seems so beautifully unrushed and dreamy, particularly the middle section which has loving splash of psychedelia/dream pop... dare I say shoegaze?

You've got to pull yourself together

I've got have it all

I love the whole feel to the song, the guitars are sublime, layered perfectly and Carla's vocals are stunning. 

Simon and Carla have an incredible collection of songs from lockdown and they are still writing. I look forward to hearing what they release next.

Here are Carla's original lyrics. You can see from the working title where some of the influences might come from. A limited edition cassette single is being released tomorrow (3rd September) via Poster Paints Bandcamp page.

Bandcamp

Spotify

Website

Twitter

Gerry Cinnamon to play Hampden in 2020

The story, the fairytale, the dream, keeps developing, the bonny burns brighter - more people fall under the spell, far away lands, wild scenes and so we arrive at the latest chapter....

Gerry Cinnamon has announced a HUGE home town show at Hampden Park in Glasgow for Saturday 18th July 2020. Tickets are on sale this Friday, 15th November.

You can pre-order Gerry's forthcoming second album The Bonny to get exclusive pre-sale access from Wednesday 13th November - ORDER HERE

This announcement continues the crazy meteoric rise of Cinnamon. My money was on Gerry headlining a night at TRNSMT 2020 - but his popularity has grown to the extent that he needs his own festival stadium sized show!

In a vision in the back o my eye 🔥 pic.twitter.com/8fCJFEdEme

— GERRY CINNAMON (@GerryCinnamon) November 12, 2019

And if you follow Gerry online (see video above) it isn't hard to discover why he is playing Hampden. Cinnamon is winning over arenas with his songs and personality. And his fans are playing their part, creating unparallelled atmospheres at his shows.

Sometimes it is hard to catch your breath and remember that Gerry is still unsigned - he releases everything himself. And in a media obsessed world (Gerry avoids it)- social media allows him to connect with the people who matter - the fans. And social media has allowed good old fashioned word-of-mouth to spread; from Glasgow, across Scotland, to England, Ireland, Wales, Europe, Australia, New Zealand ...

This is a trailblazing journey that Cinnamon is taking us on into uncharted, previously unimagined territory - an unsigned artist playing a stadium show?!

I would bet my mortgage on Hampden selling out in a day or less. And then ... a second night?!

I hope Gerry has been keeping a diary the last few years, in a way he has - just check his posts and tweets.

Hampden Park will be an absolute celebration and people will travel from all over to be there.

Good luck in the hunt for tickets.

https://www.gerrycinnamonmusic.com/