No Age / Male Bonding @ Stereo 9/10/10

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

of Montreal @ QMU 4/10/10

For anyone who has never seen of Montreal live you are certainly missing out! The Georgia based act light up the stage with their frantic freak pop while bringing a few actors along for the ride to add a theatrical tint to a wonderfully entertaining show.

The band emerge dressed in all white with chalked faces under an intense strobe and start playing a sinister intro. Meanwhile a combination of a fish and gas mask has wandered on stage holding a couple of heavy looking guns.

Just before things get too sinister, but not less weird, frontman Kevin Barnes appears dressed like a time confused, trendy transvestite and the band launch into new track ‘Coquet Couette’.

The camp theatrical antics continue throughout and matched up with an impressive background projection they provides a wonderful alternative for those bored of watching just some folks playing instruments.

It is clear of Montreal know their stronger tracks as the stage antics are somewhat set aside when the band hit into songs, from their rousingly trippy 2007 release Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer, like ‘Gronlandic Edit’.

Various costume changes of bright coloured lycra and skeletal masks are gone through while the band work through tracks like ‘Enemy Gene’ and ‘Sex Karma’ from new release False Priest.

However, it is in the older songs that the true charm of the set is found. ‘Bunny Ain’t No Kind of Rider’ find Barnes at the peak of his powers. ‘She’s A Rejector’ injects powerful bouncing bass that pushes the crowd into an unrelenting sing-along while a blood drooling pair cackle around the stage in straight jackets.

Then the set takes a darker turn as Barnes disappears off stage and returns covered in golden cloth with a rope round his neck and performs a disturbed little number while animated war images project behind him.

This distressing image quickly gives way to screeching synths and Barnes, cloaked in a new skirted outfit, erupts into the pop bliss of ‘Heimdalsgate Like A Promethean Curse’. Pop gems ‘Plastis Wafers’ and ‘For Our Elegant Caste’ from 2008’s Skeletal Lamping sandwich the clap-along ‘Suffer For Fashion’.

Before the band disappear off stage we are treated to a couple of dancing pigs and are drowned confetti to the chirpy funk sound of ‘A Sentence Of Sorts In Kongsvinger’.

After the band disappear a solitary pig stays on stage and whirls the crowd into frenzy for the band to emerge again and exit of a victorious note.

Instead of the expected cover song of Montreal fans have come accustomed to (no Nirvana or Franz Ferdinand tonight). The band instead delve further into their back catalogue than at any point in the night choosing the joyous silliness of ‘The Party’s Crashing Us Now’ from 2005’s Sunlandic Twins.

While of Montreal’s hyperactive, uber-trendy indie rock may not everyone’s cup of tea, it’s hard to argue with the amount of fun they dish out live. A wonderfully dramatic, thoroughly entertaining set overshadows the poor setting and leaves everyone waiting for the band hit Glasgow again.

Photos: Eilidh McMillan

Grinderman @ Barrowlands 28/9/10

Tonight sees, what is still to some a Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds side-project, Grinderman visit Glasgow for the first time and this early into the tour they are in a rousing mood.

Promoting second album Grinderman 2 Cave and co have managed to distance themselves from the Bad Seeds material by coming at it from a different angle.

Cave’s usual avenues of song writing have been cut off, no love or religion under this alter ego! The result is a much more raw, raunchy rock ‘n’ roll sound, far removed from his heavily ballad ridden Bad Seeds work.

Grinderman has gradually moved away from being just a side project since the release of their self-titled debut in 2007. This is further emphasised by the easily sold out crowd at the Barrowlands tonight, a bigger venue than the Bad Seeds played on their last visit to Glasgow.

Opener tonight ‘Mickey Mouse and the Goodbye Man’ sees the four-piece start in an explosive fashion before pushing into the Cave speciality explicit charms of ‘Worm Tamer’.

A quick breather is given to the band when Bad Seeds stalwart Warren Ellis blows his amp, prompting Cave to input “Warren’s blown up his third amp of the tour”, which is incidentally only four days old.

The mere mention of Ellis’ name provokes the crowd into a spell of Warren worship. A number of adoring fans in the audience proclaim their love for the bearded multi-instrumentalist, to which Ellis quips “I’m looking for a good divorce lawyer”.

The oozing sexuality of Grinderman is no better shown than in the stand out tracks from their debut album. It is these songs also that prove the set stand outs, ‘Get It On’ and ‘ No Pussy Blues’ convey opposite sides of Cave’s sex driven lyrical world, but both rouse the crowd into massive sweaty sing-a-longs.

‘Man in the Moon’, ‘When My Love Comes Down’ and their self-titled track create a strong and dazing yet moving encore. The complaint anyone could have is the lack of Bad Seeds tracks making appearance, however this does not seem to bother most in attendance, further justifying the testament that Grinderman is a stand alone band in their own right.

Grinderman 2 is out now on Anti-.

Fang Island @ Captain’s Rest 5/9/10

Fang Island are one of the latest of the wave of New York artists labeled as “math rock” to pass through the UK. Despite the band’s calculated, mass pedal usage there is a hugely joyous, fun-filled attitude coming along with them.

Support tonight comes from local boys Endor, who bring an atmospheric yet pop filled charm to the start of the evening. Without completely blowing the crowd away, these guys have a solid base and will have won over a few new fans tonight, despite a lot in attendance being here to see them.

As Fang Island fronting duo Jason Bartell and Nicholas Andrew Sadler appear on stage clad in colourful hoodies (wizard like in the case of Bartell), it is hard to tell whether they are the height of New York cool, or the complete opposite. Any doubts on this are quickly quashed by the sheer joy they embody when playing.

Opening with ‘Dream of Dreams’, the band’s head bouncing, energetic antics quickly win over the sadly half full crowd. Still, the relatively small crowd is more than up for the show, and while hesitant during the support are now dancing along enthusiastically, something there isn’t usually room for in the Rest.

The band clearly are enjoying their first visit to Glasgow, or indeed their first full tour, as Bartell emphasises “we’ve never been anywhere before”, after stating how great it was to be here. The happiness these guys put into playing live could win over the most hardhearted music fan.

‘The Illinois’ forms an early highlight of the set conjuring up images of a superhero racing the rescue. The five-piece bounce through tracks from a self-titled debut album worth of mostly instrumental wonder.

As the set progresses into the skies the band move from potential hit to potential hit. Latest single ‘Daisy’ moves into set stand out ‘Sideswiper’ before closing on the explosive bursts of ‘Davey Crockett’.

By the end of the set it simply doesn’t matter if these guys are cool or not, and despite the lackluster attendance this evening, expect a scramble for tickets next time they hit British shores.

Picture: Gordon Ballantyne

Liars @ Stereo 9/8/10

Liars have been very consistent in quality since forming 10 years ago, and while touring perhaps their most critically acclaimed release to date, Sisterworld, Stereo is dumbfounded at how tonight’s show has undersold.

Tonight’s support comes from Glasgow’s own Milk, who come across come as much a blast from the past as it is a look to the future. We, at Rokbun, covered them at the Captain’s Rest last month.

By the time Liars take the stage, it is clear the now swelling, but not quite capacity, crowd are all here to catch to Brooklyn based trio, bolstered to a five-piece for this evening’s performance.

Draped in smoke and green light tonight’s heroes emerge. Frontman Angus Andrew strikes an imposing figure, but as his uniquely expressionate stage antics kick in a confidence fills the room; they are watching a band at the height of their game.

Advancing into the powerful ‘Scarecrows on a Killer Slant’ the band look in their stride. Andrew then expels a more touching side announcing they’ll play a track he wrote while staying in Glasgow but they don’t play live often, before moving into the almost heartfelt murder ballad ‘Scissor’ which explodes into full on noise-punk.

Liars aren’t afraid to show off their more humorous side as Aaron Hemphill, on synth and guitar duties, jokes with a crowd member sporting Wu-Tang Clan merch. Displaying his knowledge of Wu-Tang Hemphill jibes at his favourite album is Wu-Tang Forever stating: “I’m not posing man, I read both books.”

The heat in the Stereo basement rises throughout the set, but Andrew keeps up his passionate dazed dances as the band power through Sisterworld tracks ‘No Barrier Fun’, ‘Here Comes All the People’ and ‘The Overachievers’.

Perhaps the standout of the night comes from 2007’s self-titled album in the form of ‘Clear Island’. The track’s throbbing keyboards and chanting lyrics have even the questionable fan nodding along.

Performances of old and new favourites like ‘The Other Side of Mt. Heart Attack’ and ‘Proud Evolution’ only go further to demonstrate the band’s appeal. However, it is when they emerge as just a trio for the encore that the crowd really takes the show by the scruff of the neck, as chants of “blood” rain down on Stereo during an engrossing version of ‘Broken Witch’.

Liars may not have managed to fill out Stereo this time, but their disco vibed punk continues to capture the ears and imagination of everyone in attendance. As the word gets out and with their ever-growing popularity, we will surely see them playing a bigger venue next time around.

Photograph: Usman Malik

Wild Nothing @ Captain’s Rest 28/7/2010

It’s time again for the sound of 2010 to hit Glasgow. Tonight’s headliner, Wild Nothing, is the latest act to be labeled ‘dream pop’ that has set eyes a sparkling the world over, fans and critics alike.

The solo project of Virginia born Jack Tatum, tonight performing as a four-piece, visits Glasgow for the first time, promoting debut album Gemini.

Support tonight comes from Glasgow’s own Barn Owl, who treat us to calm wave of a set. The five-piece seem confident in their groove but outside of it the nerves look apparent. Despite this the twinkling of a xylophone and the occasion tune reminiscent of laid back Los Campesinos! the band form a delightful opener.

Tonight there is surprisingly room to move in Rest, which is odd considering the hype Wild Nothing has been receiving and the tiny venue. Still, the relatively few in attendance are treated a shy yet refined performance courtesy of this talented young man, who is continually gaining a deserved recognition.

The clattering of ‘Chinatown’ opens the set on an upbeat tone before Tatum drags us into a deep yet dreamy sulk, so brilliantly captured by this genres best, who Wild Nothing is among.

The beautiful album opener ‘Live in Dreams’ forms a stand out of the set as Tatum sings “that’s exactly why I’d rather live in dreams and I rather die” and the crowd grows ever closer to the glazed swagger evoked by he constant rhythm of Tatum’s backing.

Then the glaze is blasted open as the most danceable beat of the night hits the floor, as Tatum and co hit into arguably the albums most pop track ‘Bored Games’. Tatum keeps the high ground and ends the set on an optimistic point with current single and almost twee delight ‘Summer Holiday’.

The shy frontman leaves us on an apology, firstly for not being the most talkative onstage, this he is instantly forgiven, and once again as the crowd chants for more he shyly announces that they had this last night but they have no more songs.

Wild Nothing may not be dripping with the pop sensibilities that the more popular members of this scene embody, however, both live and record he has is a gem which will be cherished by many who have taken this scene to heart.

Ariel Pink’s Haunted Graffiti @ Captain’s Rest 3/6/10

With the Halt Bar Hijack just along the road the area is jam packed with live music fans. This hands the perfect scenario to much hyped avant-garde musician Ariel Pink to play his own set just a skip away at the Captain’s Rest.

Many have taken a quick time out from the Hijack to catch the LA based act, with his band Haunted Graffiti. As a result the show is sold out very quickly and we find the tiny basement of the Rest once again at it’s sweaty best by the time the headliners come on.

Before the venue gets packed to the brims we are treated to a couple of local acts to get the early comers warmed up. First on are We’re Only Afraid Of NYC, who’s alternative indie borders on the expansive without really breaking any barriers.

Next are the more interesting, yet not as well received, Paws who up the energy and the volume with a number of powerful punk enthused alternative tracks.

The one trouble with a packed Captain’s Rest, aside the intense heat, is vision, if you aren’t near the front you aren’t going to see very much. So, with having to guess what the band looks like your ears are left to do the judging.

With agitation building in the crowd, as the Graffiti take a good time fidgeting with equipment, the band finally fire into their set, opening with the funky ‘Don’t Think Twice (Love)’ from Ariel’s 2004 debut Doldrums. The track’s grooved up bassline coupled with Ariel’s obscure yet impressive vocal changes, switching from a high squeal to a deep boom and everywhere in between, provide an ideal start.

The Graffiti’s latest release, Before Today, has been receiving much hype all over the music press and with it only out a week many tonight are here to see what it can offer in a live environment.

The flowing dreamy pop tones of 60s garage cover ‘Bright Lit Blue Skies’ is the first chance we get to sample the new material and it does not let down. The soaring beautiful chorus drags the listener in and as Ariel sticks to one vocal pattern it gives a nice coherence not found in much of their older material.

Indeed it is Ariel’s vocals that many will raise a question over, the constant changing and sometimes odd positions of his voice can occasionally come across as grating.

However, these eccentrics, love them or hate them, are tied down more of the new release and as a result the band have found their feet commercially. Still, a vast amount of the set is built up of old material and some who have only heard the new release will struggle to accept the more taxing material.

Closing, before a relatively pointless encore, on their hit of the minute ‘Round and Round’ the Graffiti reach the peak of their set. The single has become an indie centerpiece for 2010 and best signifies the band’s move form psychedelic awkwardness to dream filled pop bliss.

Ariel Pink appears to be gradually moving away from his past musical haunts, and while live he still clings to the past, there is still quality here in abundance. Finishing just in time for a run back along to the Halt to catch Holy Mountain and Eternal Fags, the Graffiti provide a perfect pop injection to a damp Sunday evening.

Photograph: Sam Fenn