Friday, 28 June 2013

Kingdom of Wires by Kevin Harper




Once I loved a girl while i was broken hearted
So we were doomed from the minute it started

So begins 'Kingdom of Wires', the debut solo album by Kevin Harper, one of the most talented songwriters in Scotland.

Anyone familiar with Harper's work from his fondly remembered band Little Eskimo's will know that he isn't afraid to pour his heart out into his songs. 'Kingdom of Wires' takes things further, Kev has lived a life, he has loved and lost, several times, friends included.

Once I had a brother a friend for a lifetime
Until he left us, he suddenly left us

The title track flows superbly with guitars powering through and ringing true, much like Kev's lyrics.

Harper's love of American guitar music is evident throughout the album, perhaps displayed at best with 'Couch'. Catchy, personal and with an element of self depreciating humour, 'Couch' is brilliant.

In a year from now I will miss you still
If i could tell you I'm sorry, Jennifer i will

'Get Me Down' slows things down - well a little bit. There is a sense of urgency throughout the album, almost like these songs have been stored for a while and during recording (with Harper playing pretty much everything) they were just bursting out.

'Better Ways' rumbles into life and once again Harper is opening his heart to the world. The song fizzes into life like a classic Foo Fighters single for the chorus.



'I Was A Sailor' is a song I first heard many moons ago and it is great to hear it on record. I sometimes think that Kev must have lived in America in a previous lifetime. Real humour and playfulness on this track, although again there is that sense of hurt and looking for something new.

Gotta get some light in here
I can hardly see
I gotta get some air in here
I can barely breathe

'Said It All' has another soaring chorus and the guitars across the album sound fantastic.

A secret in the morning can be a ruin by the afternoon
'Glory Box' by Portishead can ruin the day for you

So begins 'Used It Well' before the chorus explodes into life - seriously, the way the choruses flow on this album are exceptional. The closing hook 'You gotta come back down' is the killer blow.

'Forgotten Girls' starts with just an acoustic guitar and drum machine and Kev's heartfelt vocals. Synths help power the chorus to this song, rather than the usual guitars. In that sense, it does break up the album quite nicely, offering something different and leading into some slower tracks.

The album goes off in a completely different direction with 'Oxygen' with Kev singing about another lost love who has a new boy who just uses her for 'idle entertainment'. The chorus on this song soars in a different way to others, there is barely anything backing up Harper other than emotional synth sounds.

The epic 6-and-a-half minute 'Jacqueline' closes the album in spectacular manner. There is a welcome increase in the speed and urgency of the song from the previous two songs 'Majorette; (ripe for an American sync deal!) and 'Gibraltar'. This is Kevin Harper and the Heartbreakers, acoustic guitars married perfectly to synths and electric guitar.

The guitar solo is scorching and Kev even allows a nice 'alright' during it, recognising the groove he has found with this tune. The song progresses into a real synth jam - brilliant.

Kevin Harper and his band play King Tuts on July 29th. The bands on after him better be on top of there game or he is going to blow them off the stage. See you there!

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Wednesday, 19 June 2013

Stone Roses at Glasgow Green 2013

My favourite band in my home town, it was all set up to be a momentous occasion to rival the incredible high I had for weeks after Heaton Park last summer....

So why did I walk away from the event a little deflated? 

 Did the comedown from Heaton Park finally kick in?

 The Roses at Glasgow Green was a real mixed bag for me; I got to spend the day with family and friends, have a good time, see 2 of my fave bands and even make a rare (these days) excursion to go clubbing at the Arches. However the sound wasn't great, Ian's singing was awful at times and the atmosphere at times really threatened to turn extremely sour.

 That said, there were moments of sheer brilliance, notably 'This Is The One', 'Made of Stone' and 'Resurrection' at the end.

The atmosphere in Glasgow was electric. I was in town on the Friday for the Ian Tilton 'Set In Stone' exhibition and then on to Primal Scream's secret show at the Poetry Club (blog review to follow) and everyone was talking about the Roses coming to town, there were pre-show-pre-show parties a-plenty, everyone was up for it in a big way.

I met a crowd of friends and family on Saturday afternoon to get in the mood and we got into town early evening, meeting loads of people we know en route to the venue. Everyone was out for the hottest ticket in town. I've never seen Glasgow go nuts like this for a band before.

There was no problems getting in, we all waltzed in with no-one being checked for bottles, cans or anything else. Jake Bugg was still playing, the sun was shining, the weather was sweet...

We got split up almost immediately due to the crazy crowd for beers and the fact that mobiles weren't working. My crowd headed towards the sound-desk to make sure we could hear what was going on.

Jake Bugg's Dylan-esque melodies sounded brilliant in the early evening sunshine and all seemed sweet.

Primal Scream came on and after a promising opening their set turned rather flat with the airing  of 2 of the more subdued tracks from their new album. With the Scream's back catalogue you would have expected them to fire off a set to rival the Roses, but perhaps 2-years of Screamadelica and the punk ethic in Bobby G meant that he stuck to his guns to promote the new album. '2013' sounded fantastic though and 'Loaded' could get any party started, never mind one containing a load of people who were...loaded. As good as Primal Scream can be on their day, the crowd were here for one band only.

A torrential downpour didn't dampen the spirits, anything but! The crowd just cheered as the rain got heavier and then a double rainbow appeared just in time for the Roses taking the stage.


Before they did we moved from our position as a fight broke out between 2 groups of lads. I'm not sure how it developed but some serious punches and kicks were being thrown and the mood turned nasty. Given the amount of people unable to walk or talk due to drink or drugs, I wasn't surprised, people were falling around banging into others and creating tension. It seemed harmless at first, a bit of shoving and pushing, but it got nastier and with my wife and sister there we moved forwards to the front right of the sounddesk.

The Roses came on to 'Stoned Love', Ian Brown looking super cool in a yellow anorak, his haircut reminiscent to the one from those iconic shots in the inside cover of the debut album from 1989.


Mani was up for it big style, flares were being let off, everyone was in the mood. The rumbling bassline of 'Adored' kicked in to a huge cheer and then Squire's lazy, melodic guitar lines kicked in sounding beautiful, Reni held it all together. They sounded incredible, no-one else can play like that.

'Elephant Stone' followed, the place was going nuts. There was another couple of scuffles around us and the sound seemed to become a little distant in comparison to 'Adored'. 

'Ten Storey Love Song' kept things going, generating one of the biggest sing-a-long choruses of the night, people were hugging as Brown patrolled the stage and Squire's guitar chimed beautifully.

The sound didn't seem quite right, it seemed to rise and fall rather than be consistent like Heaton Park. Maybe it was where I was standing (doubt it as it was near the sounddesk), maybe it was the weather, maybe it was just the sound or maybe it was because Glasgow Green has a residential area around it so the sound can't be as high as Heaton Park.

Anyway, it didn't seem right to me. I was struggling to get into the gig as a result. The increasing number of people seemingly up for a fight also wasn't helping my mood.

 'Sally Cinnamon' sent the place even more ballistic and a few people fell over where we were standing as flares were held aloft. Then a flare was thrown, then some glasses of piss and beer were thrown, then what looked like a Buckfast bottle was thrown. 


Things were raining down from all angles. A few people got clobbered, a few of them went looking for the culprits. The mood was turning.

 'Fools Gold' didn't seem to generate the same feeling as it had at Heaton Park, the sound seemed swampy. 'Something's Burning' seemed flat.

 'Waterfall' lifted things, the outro was played at a furious pace but then things went horribly wrong for Ian Brown during 'Don't Stop'. He was so far off key it was embarrassing. The last time I saw Brown solo I walked away, he was that bad. My brother and I cringed, 2 huge Roses fans at our home town show. Brown was awful.

 He picked it up thankfully and the closing third of the show was the best as the Roses romped through 'Drums', 'This Is The One', 'Made of Stone' and 'Resurrection'.

 Maybe it was just me, but 'Love Spreads' and 'Breaking Into Heaven' sounded leaden in comparison.


By this time we had edged out to the side near a speaker to try and get a better sound and to escape the mayhem where we had been standing.

 The heady atmosphere had turned for me, too many people were incapacitated through drink  and drugs. As Ian Brown himself once said 'tune in, turn on, don't drop out.' Too many people seemed to be there to get as fucked as possible rather than to see and hear the band.

 We headed to the Arches a little subdued, talking about the good things but also the not so good. After a while we were dancing to Hacienda classics.

 Back in 1999 I witnessed United lift the Champions League in Barcelona to complete a historic treble. It took a while to come down.

 I think Heaton Park will always be my Barcelona - never to be repeated, yet I'll always strive for that high...hooked.

 My thoughts go out to the poor girl who passed away following the show. R.I.P



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Friday, 31 May 2013

Stone Roses : Made of Stone - a Shane Meadows flm


Sometimes I fantasise, when the streets are cold and lonely…

Last night I went to see ‘Made of Stone’, the Shane Meadows documentary on my all-time fave band; the Stone Roses.

The opening sequence is incredible, Ian Brown on the last night at Heaton Park comes down from the stage and walks along the front row, high fiving, punching (in a friendly way), shaking hands…the look on fans faces as he does this is one of sheer ecstasy, happiness and love. Brown remains super cool and takes a phone from someone and then takes a picture. The shot is played in super slo-mo, the quality of the picture on the big screen is crystal clear, over the footage is a clip of Alfred Hitchcock talking about what happiness means to him.

And so the film begins. Check the trailer below.



That opening sequence sets the tone for the whole film, it is a film for the fans by a fan, a love letter to the Stone Roses, a band who have been around in various guises for 30-years, shrouded in mystery at times, a band that have produced music that will live forever and be passed down from generation to generation. Meadows stars in the film alongside producer Mark Herbert and their enthusiasm comes across throughout.

5 highlights from the film

  1. The Warrington Town Hall comeback show
The footage from the comeback show is spine tingling, the beating heart of the film. In the Q&A after the film, Meadows admitted that was when he knew he had a film.

Imagine hearing the announcement that the Roses were playing a free gig and to get in you needed to get down to the box office with a CD, record, ticket or t-shirt to get in. The response that this generated just highlighted and confirmed how much this band is loved and adored. There was brilliant footage of people sprinting towards the venue clutching records adorned with Squire’s artwork, people in overalls, suits and ties, a Dad dragging a kid along as fast as he possibly could…there was that panic of getting there, the excitement of the possibility of seeing the Roses in a small venue and then the exhilaration of getting a ticket.

The look on peoples faces and their reaction (literally jumping for joy) was just superb to watch, it said it all in many ways, but we did get to hear from them. There was the guy who quit his job to run home to get his CD and get down there, the guy who had left his kid at the childminders long after they were due to get picked up, the builder who had just knocked down a wall on a house and left it unboarded up to get down there.. all walks of life, all utterly in love with the Stone Roses.

Then there was a guy just declaring his undying love for the band when pressed why he had rushed down; ‘You know and I know but you can't right it down can you?'

The band arrive, they look like they can’t wait to get out there. They gather backstage as ‘Stoned Love’ by the Supremes is blasted out the PA and then bound on stage. Mani grinning like a Cheshire cat, Ian taking it all in, Squire looking super cool and Reni getting to work on the drums.

One of the cameras cuts to Meadows watching from the side of the stage and he just looks at it and says ‘Jesus f**king Christ’.

The crowd is going mental as the rumbling bass line of ‘Adored’ kicks in. It is nuts, it is 20-years of pent up frustration that one of the best bands of all-time hadn’t been together, hadn’t been playing their majestic music to an ever increasing audience.

There is a great bit when the footage cuts to fans gathered outside, those that couldn’t get in. One guy says he offered a girl a job, then his car and just stopped short of his house for a ticket. She refused.

People are singing along to the guitar riff, the bass line, the almighty chorus and mimicking Reni on drums. There are football terrace style chants of ‘Roses, Roses’, people are dancing, jumping and generally having the night of their lives.

Spine tingling.



  1. ‘Fools Gold’ from the Sunday at Heaton Park
The film closes with footage of an extraordinary performance of ‘Fools Gold’. The sound of the crowd is cut off, so all that you are hearing is the sound of Brown, Squire, Mani and Reni as they lock into a groove before Squire unleashes psychedelic fireworks from his guitar. It is an astonishing display from the band and it is captured beautifully by the film crew (38 cameras). Mani and Reni are tight and loose all at once while Squire just goes mental and lets his inner Hendrix run wild.

Brown strolls down the front again as the film ends the way it began.



  1. The ‘Waterfall’ rehearsal
There is some great footage from the Roses secret rehearsal location. It is pretty rusty at first as they feel their way through ‘Something’s Burning’ 10-weeks from Heaton Park, the old magic is there, it just needs polished. 6-weeks to Heaton Park flashes up on screen as the band kick in with ‘Waterfall’ and it is magical. The closing outro instrumental is fired off in double quick time as the band share grins and knowing glances that they have found their groove.

  1. Shane and Mark arrive at the rehearsal location
Shane and Mark arrive at a country farm that has become the Roses secret lair. Their love for the band is clearly evident as they enter the room and look at Mani’s bass, Squire’s guitar and Shane discovers a letter from Reni on his drums and immediately says ‘that’s going in the scrapbook’. They then find two big boards with a list of Roses songs that they are considering for the setlist and pour over them like excited school kids; ‘what a set, can you imagine that?’ They have the golden ticket!

  1. Reni
What becomes clear (at least to me) during the film is the fact that Reni is the glue that holds the Roses together, his natural talent is a joy to watch, he makes it look ridiculously easy; all over his drum kit but doing little shrugs and pulling faces to the camera and the band. All this while singing backing vocals. All of the band seem to buzz off his talent and feel more assured with the knowledge he is behind them. Even the footage from the reunion press conference highlights his wit, charm and how he unites the band.

All of the band have qualities that they bring to the table; they are stronger as people and as artists when they are together, but that backbeat, those drum rolls, the high hat action, the way his fellow band members look at him in awe and astonishment – Reni is the glue.

'It takes time for people to fall in love with you, but it's inevitable.' Ian Brown


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Friday, 24 May 2013

Lets catch up

It has been a while since my last blog post, I've been pretty busy with my day job, managing Nevada Base and Vigo Thieves and being a Dad.

I've still had time to enjoy lots of music and gigs during that time so I thought I'd write a short blog about some of the stuff I have been enjoying over the last couple of months and then aim to do 3 or 4 blogs a month after that. So here goes....

Collins released an album 'Understated' on his own label back in February and followed that up with a home coming show at the ABC in Glasgow in March. The album rolls back the years, fusing Collins love of Northern Soul with his passion for pop and the Velvets. 

The show at the ABC was utterly sensational. Grown men were in tears as he rolled out a load of Orange Juice classics, although it was a rare performance of his worldwide solo smash 'A Girl Like You' that truly brought the house down as Collins left the stage to leave his exceptional band jamming on.


I will eventually post a review of the album but check out my personal fave 'Too Bad, That's Sad' below.


Former leader of the Beta Band, Steve Mason released 'Monkey Minds in the Devils Time' and showcased his talent in a number of ways through the 20-tracks on the record; playing virtually every instrument (I particularly like his bass grooves), self recorded and produced a large percentage and by using his unique voice to bring politics to the fore.

Every second track is an instrumental recorded in Mason's home studio, flushing out the album and turning it into something you can truly get lost in and enjoy spending time with. 

'Oh My Lord' is sensational while 'Fight Them Back' gets into a Beta Band groove. A cracking follow up to the outstanding 'Boys Outside'. Steve Mason is on a roll.



I started writing a review of Bowie's 'comeback' album 'The Next Day' but I haven't got around to finish it. I will at some point, in many ways I'm still exploring it. 

This album has so much to offer the listener; Bowie is on top form with glam, punk, pop and rock all combining to startling effect. His voice sounds stronger than ever as he pours scorn on rumours surrounding his death and conjours up songs that other acts would give their right arm for with ease.

Somewhere Brett Anderson is wishing that he wrote this number;




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Sunday, 10 March 2013

The D Aye Y music scene in Scotland/Glasgow

The weekend that just past was an excellent one for the DIY/Independent scene in Scottish Music.

Friday saw the Scottish Alternative Music Awards ceremony take place at the Garage in Glasgow. The SAMA's (as they are affectionately known) was an idea born from the creative young mind of Richy Muirhead during his studies. It has grown arms and legs and has become a real staple in the DIY music calendar and an excellent platform for bands and artists to strive to reach.

Saturday saw the guys from Tenement TV throw a multi-venue festival named the Tenement Trail (a-la 'Stag & Dagger') and after speaking to Chae and Paul last night (and witnessing the scenes at the Art School) it was an incredible success. These guys are developing all the time, literally buzzing with creativity, full of ideas and never afraid to make an ask or try something out. Top artists like Jake Bugg are playing sets for them, they are getting involved with festivals in a big way, promoting nights in Glasgow and beyond and reaching for the stars. The future is burning bright for these guys.

Despite the current financial climate, the appetite for music in Scotland is as strong as ever. There may not be as much money as there once was in the music industry, but that is only strengthening the resolve and inspiring the creativity of bands, artists, labels, bloggers and promoters and things are flourishing in Glasgow (and across Scotland right now).



2013 is shaping up to be an incredible year for the D.Aye.Y music scene in Glasgow. Bursts of creativity from artists and bedroom/flatmate labels are gathering ever increasing exposure that is really threatening to blow quite naturally over into the big time.

This blog will look at a few of the people responsible for that;

As it is my blog I am going to start with Vigo Thieves who I manage. This is a band shooting for the stars armed with an ever increasing collection of anthems with the kind of universal lyrics that soundtrack lives - think of the stuff that Weller served up with The Jam but fed on a diet of U2, Simple Minds and New Order.

The epic cinematic songs are enhanced by the bands incredible range of videos. That partnership is really setting them apart from their peers in many ways (along with the fact that they are commercial and don't hide it).

'Heartbeats' was used to soundtrack the T in the Park line-up announcement in 2012, adding a couple of thousand new likes to their Facebook page in a week. The band then played the BBC Introducing Stage at the festival and packed it out - check this footage.


'Forever' featured Jody Latham from Shameless and new video single 'Ghosts' features John Leslie entering an old mans drinking den and promptly getting up on karaoke to sing the song.


Their songs, videos and bond with their fans through Social Media is DIY on a scale that no-one else is doing. The 'Heart & Soul Pt II' EP has just been released an it is off the scale.

So OK I started off with some shameless self promotion, lets look at who else is doing well.

Two lovely people that I have met since becoming involved in band management are Lloyd and Halina who run Olive Grove Records, as well as Peenko and Glasgow PodCart. I do wonder how little sleep the couple manage giving the time and energy they put into their blogs, podcasts, promotion, label and band management, but somehow they keep going.



Olive Grove Records in particular are developing at a fast rate of knots, with the pair quick to recognise  talent and offer them a platform to release.

The Son(s) is an act of theirs that I particularly enjoy, but look out for them developing with Jo Mango and Randolphs Leap in particular, with Lloyd and the Leap forging excellent links with Fence Records and 6Music. I do feel that it is only a matter of time before the label breaks through with the right artist and song...and a little bit of luck which everyone needs and their hard work deserves.

Another label I find interesting right now is Comets and Cartwheels. They have announced an innovative partnership with Brewdog and their artists will be playing shows at their bars throughout the country. This is innovative and also commons sense. Bars need business, musicians need good venues, everyone should be a winner....and I think in this case that will happen.



Fake Major are the most recent signing to the label and I imagine that as they feature former members of Endor that they will have learned a lot and be eager to crack on. Their initial offering (below) certainly highlights the quality that they and the label will be striving for.

So the SAMA's, Tenement TV, bands like Vigo Thieves selling out 2-nights at Tuts and gaining incredible exposure and a fanbase for a DIY band, labels like Olive Grove and Comets & Cartwheels pushing further forwards and an army of bloggers and music fans backing them up.

It is an exceptionally exciting time for Scottish D.Aye.Y Music (there is a blog name for someone), heightened even more by the emergence of Chvrches, showing other bands that they can make it.

Who knows what they year will hold.






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Thursday, 7 March 2013

Casual Sex - Stroh 80

I'm a big fan of the label Moshi Moshi; their taste in music is rather good, always discovering little gems  and providing a stepping stone for a number of artists who have gone on to bigger things; Bloc Party, Florence and Hot Chip to name a few.

One of their forthcoming releases is from a Glasgow band, the brilliantly named Casual Sex. I imagine that this blog may get a lot of hits!

Released on limited edition 7-inch vinyl via the Moshi Singles Club on 1st April, 'Stroh 80' is a fuzzy electro/acoustic groove with slices of glam guitar thrown in for good measure.

The production is rather beautiful, the lyrics full of humour and the delivery coming on like a cross between Alex Kapranos and Kevin Rowland with a dash of Bowie.

Dream, I dream til you leave
Cause you, you poison my sleep

The band launch the single with a show at Nice'n'Sleazys on Friday 5th April.



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Wednesday, 27 February 2013

Vigo Thieves at King Tuts Wah Wah Hut - Facebook comments

Life has moved pretty god damn fast since Vigo Thieves smashed King Tuts Wah Wah Hut on February 8th and 9th. It was an absolute pleasure to be involved in it.

 Words can't really describe the atmosphere for the 2 sold out nights - yeah that's right, 2 sold out nights, back to back, yeah Vigo Thieves are unsigned....for now.

 So I'm not going to bother with a review, I'll let the pictures below and the fans comments do my work for me. Best band around.






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