Time for me to delve through an inbox full of press releases, trawl Bandcamp, and generally recycle information to pad out my blog posts, hooray. I’ve been updating this all night, so if you read it when it was first posted there’s some new stuff in here now.
Month: March 2011
This Week’s Gigs: 28th March - 3rd April
StandardHow about that census/clock change/football match/controversial review huh?
Fundraising gig for Yorkhill Hospital. It all kicks off at 1pm and carries on till Midnight, costing a fiver. Playing are The Girobabies, The Paraffins, Annie Stevenson and loads more, full details here.
Preview: Wide Days
StandardNews & Bits - March 21st
StandardFirst, some new releases worth mentioning.
Carnivores have released their first EP. Nights of Infinity is limited to 50 copies, so if you want one you should probably act fast. You can buy a copy here.
Laki Mera are a band I haven’t heard much from in a while, but they’ve popped up with a new single today. Once again, you can buy that on eMusic or iTunes.
Friday 1st April – Tunnels 2, Aberdeen
Saturday 2nd April – Thomsons Bar, Dundee
Sunday 3rd April - 13th Note, Glasgow
This Week’s Gigs: 21st - 27th March
StandardSomewhat lacking in blog enthusiasm this week, resulting in lots of half written posts and the return of the feeling that I could pack this in without anyone noticing. Wah wah, poor me.
This Week’s Gigs: 14th - 20th March
StandardTrack By Track: Black International - In Debt
StandardWay back towards the tail end of last year Black International were roped in to be one of my rare interview guinea pigs. At the time they mentioned that they were working on finishing off their debut album. Well that album, In Debt, is now all finished and released, so I roped Black International’s Stewart Allen in to coming back to tell us all about it.
Due to me being (a) lazy and (b) rubbish I’ve yet to write a review for the album, but I wouldn’t have asked Black International for a track by track run down if I didn’t like it.
Gig Review: Admiral Fallow, Olympic Swimmers
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Admiral Fallow, Olympic Swimmers.
The night opened with Glasgow based band Olympic Swimmers, a new band to me but I had been reassured that they were right up my street. Named in Radar as band to watch in 2010 the band didn’t disappoint. This five piece is headed up by Susie Smillie on vocals provided a great set to warm up the night, the arch busy with an appreciative audience. The other members of the band providing a great backdrop for her vocals, playing a mix of mellow arrangements to more indie rock. The only criticisms I have is one not being able to see the band due to the amount of smoke and dark lighting on stage, and not being able to hear the vocals clear over the top of the rest of the band, but I will be looking out for their next gig and hunting down their two EPs recordings.
After a quick dash to the bar at approximately 9.30pm on Wednesday the 2nd of March I fell in love with a whole band, well to be honest I was a fan before but this confirmed it. The cheers went up as Admiral Fallow took the stage and opened with ‘Dead Leg’ from their first album ‘Boots Met My Face’. The band fronted by Louis Abbott on vocals and guitar were instantly on top form for their hometown gig. The band had the amazing The Admiral Fallow Brass section; any band with live brass gets me every time providing beautiful harmony to back the songs. As well as playing through the tracks from their debut album the guys took the opportunity to introduce some new material for their Glasgow audience, starting off with new song Paper Trench and then the fantastic The Way You were raised later on in the set. Fans of the album will not be disappointed with the new material. The lovely Sarah Hayes took the lead vocals to sing the stunning ‘Bomb Through The Town’, when the audience hushed to listen closely was just another highlight of this performance.
The band built up the audiences anticipation finishing their set with ‘Squealing Pigs’ that confirmed itself as the bands anthem with the whole room singing the chorus back to them and dancing along. But of course that was not the end as after much enthusiastic applause Louis returned to the stage with his guitar to do a solo cover of the Elbow classic ‘Switching Off’ executed beautifully just before the rest of the guys rejoined him on stage for one final set ‘Old Ballons’ before sending the audience off buzzing with excitement, or maybe that was just me…
News & Bits - March 7th
StandardThis went pretty well last week, so I’ll do it again.