A double bill of DIY brilliance is promised tonight as highly rated trio Male Bonding come out in support of Radiohead favourites No Age.
After a set from local boys Paws it is the formers turn to take the stage to an already overflowing Stereo. From the off the vocals are way too low in the mix, however the band soon shrug this off as they enter their stride.
Bassist Kevin Hendrick swaggers around in a confident fashion as they break into ‘Franklin’ from the Londoner’s superb debut album Nothing Hurts. Throughout the set Hendrick’s more traditional punk sneer contrasts well with guitarist John Arthur Webb’s sometimes shoegazey vocals as the two trade fronting places.
DIY punk ethos form a basis tonight, Male Bonding take to this full heartedly as poor sound quality is got over through sheer volume. Not that the band lack quality songs, album opener ‘Year’s Not Long’ forms the strongest example of this tonight.
It is safe to say most in attendance tonight are here to see No Age, and the duo have moved on somewhat since they last appeared in town on their tour with Los Campesinos! and Times New Viking.
Now a sampler joins them onstage adding a soundscapey feel to the raw sound they made their name with. This is not the only step away from their roots, they also have their own projectionist working a display throughout the show. This displays some interesting images but Stereo’s pillars and equipment don’t give much space for full-scale view.
The LA duo also are hampered with poor sound but the band make this work to their advantage as it compliments their raw and extremely loud set. The dtrong yet strained vocals of drummer Dean Allen Spunt work well as the set evolves more in a musical daze with one song flowing into the next.
Spunt is no shy cookie either as he proclaims his love for Glasgow over an emphatic soundscape before giving a quick shout out to his favourite Glasgow vegan hangouts, including tonight’s venue.
‘Fever Dreaming’ forms an early highlight as the band cut loose and hit us hard and fast in one of the standouts from latest album Everything in Between. While ‘Valley Hump Crash’ forms a great example of the new dreamy side of the band’s sound.
After a set comprised of mainly new material a rapturous finish is in order and the band truly deliver. The chirpy guitar of 2008 single ‘Eraser’ is easily the best received song of the night. The band then disappears only to reemerge as the recognisable duo and dig deep into their catalogue to perform Wierdo Rippers favourite ‘Boy Void’.
Sound may be an issue that is being constantly raised with Stereo but tonight’s set forms a classic example of how this problem can be worked in your advantage. The bands on offer tonight have grown up playing small dingy venues and through experience have a produced a sound that, delivered at break neck energy, works on any level.
Phot0: Gordon Ballantyne
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