Rock Music

Maximo Park – Queen’s Hall

Live music, Music Review

Maximo Park are thrilled to play the Queen’s Hall for the first time, even when things don’t go exactly to plan.

The music of Maximo Park, the indie rock outfit from northeast England, has been called many things over the band’s 20-plus-year history, including – but not limited to – “intellectual”, “energetic”, “intense”, “political”, “optimistic”, “endearing”, “romantic”, “emotional”, “passionate” and “sincere”. A lot of very broad, human qualities embodied in their sound and in their lyrics especially. At different times they’ve been categorised as “alternative rock” and “post punk” and “art pop” but regardless of pigeonholing the loudest reviews have generally been quite positive; critics like to say nice things about this band.

I’m not here to argue with the tastemakers of history but one thing that isn’t mentioned enough, in my opinion, is how awkwardly self-aware this band is and has always been. And when I say “this band” I’m really talking about its most expressive incarnation, its mouthpiece. I’m talking about Paul Smith, frontman, lyricist, self-anointed spokesperson, social media manager, mailing list usurper. The singer who appears to be 105% present in every performance and 110% in his head at all times.

Paul Smith has made a career out of turning the banal surreal, out of punctuating abstract scenes with his own unmistakable, visceral, whiplash-inducing lyrical couplets. He’s very good with the words. And dancing. And singing, too; excellent with the singing. Yet, when he’s on stage he often comes across as if he’s dodging imaginary word bullets. It’s like his superpower is intuiting what not to say so as to avoid getting retroactively cancelled in 30 years’ time. It must be a real struggle when you have such an actively extensive lexicon, to find just the right way of saying “this song is about geographical privilege in the arts” or “bodily autonomy”, for example – legitimate examples, by the way – and yet Smith insists on trying this for every song, or at least every other song and most songs in between. It’s distracting to watch him calculating in real time – he talks a lot for someone who says very little – but true fans and word nerds understand and appreciate the effort. He’s really a sensitive, new age guy.

Anyway, no-one talks about this nearly enough for my liking.

You know what makes this band so great? And, especially, what makes this band so great live?

Duncan Lloyd: Founder, guitarist, songwriter and former co-frontman – once-upon-a-time, before the incumbent magnetic frontman arrived – this guy is just effortlessly cool. His mere presence brings the average temperature of any room down by approximately six degrees Celsius. Understated is an understatement when you’re talking about Duncan Lloyd – he’s on stage, guitar is everywhere but you have no idea where it’s coming from because this guy has effervesced into pure sonic air. That’s right, this guy is so cool he defies physics. Also if you look up the Maximo Park Wikipedia timeline of band members you’ll see that for the last five years Lloyd is credited with guitars, keys, bass and backing vocals; the guy could literally form a Maximo Park one-man tribute band.

Speaking of one-man bands…

You know what else makes this band so great?

Tom English plays the drumkit like it’s an orchestra, like he’s an orchestra. Like he’s conductor and concertmaster; melody, counter melody, harmony and – of course – percussion. He exacts tonality, timbre and tempo from his instrument with the stone-faced charm of Charlie Watts doing his best impression of Animal from The Muppets, or vice versa. His style is emphatic, idiosyncratic. His fills often underscore the ferocity of Lloyd’s own percussive strumming without ever entertaining the spotlight for even a second, though you’d happily listen to him pound out a sixteen-minute solo, given half the chance.

I could go on. I will go on.

Jemma Freese, joined the band as a touring member in 2019 following original keyboardist Lukas Wooller’s departure and immigration to Australia – he’s doing fine; he DJs with a friend of mine in Melbourne sometimes, comes back to visit family in Yorkshire and complain about the weather. Jemma Freese is now an integral part of the Maximo Park live set-up and like Smith’s higher consciousness she probably doesn’t get the attention she deserves. There are times when, especially on the earlier songs, the only thing elevating their performance above the band’s very energetic original recordings is that deliciously indefinable X-factor that is the human voice, Jemma’s voice, and also a particularly juicy keyboard line delivered with just the right amount of spice. Jemma Freese is a musical master chef and connoisseur of tone. When she sings, you listen. When she plays, you feel something: sated.

What’s missing?

Bass. Okay, sure, sometimes in acoustic sets they’ll go without, but you wouldn’t go without, if you had a choice. Listening to Maximo Park songs without bass would be like watching The Wizard of Oz without the colour green. It’s the same story and the characters are all accounted for but suddenly that witch isn’t so scary and the Emerald City is, well, it’s just a city, isn’t it? There’s a fantastical magic about the basslines that Maximo Park deploy, something elemental, that was forged in their very beginning and that carries on today through the presence of Andrew Lowther who was loaned to the band by their musical brothers, Field Music, and who now, like a shared favourite toy, has to be agreeably passed back and forth between the two bands seemingly until one of them outgrows their enjoyment of him, or he’s broken beyond repair. Hopefully never the latter.

So these five humans get together in Edinburgh on a gloomy, autumnal Friday night in 2024. They bash out 18 songs in roughly 75 minutes. I know without checking my watch that it’s about 75 minutes because in the 30-something times I’ve seen them live they’ve only once pushed the 80-minute mark. They have a setlist formula and – eight albums in – they’re sticking to it. The sound is surprisingly good for a room that’s not designed for or suited to amplified instruments.

It’s going well for them until halfway through when a crackle in the monitors breaks Smith’s concentration and the system has to be rebooted. It’s fine, actually, they weren’t building great momentum with the new song / old song / new song rhythm at that point anyway, more of a haunted house stop-start carnival ride energy. This added bit of improvised drama plays into the performance-as-art-installation vibe they’ve been cultivating on the recent instore junket for Stream of Life, their latest collective release about geographical privilege and bodily autonomy (among other things). They persevere serendipitously towards emotional and technical catharsis through a semi-acoustic rendition of the album’s title track that’s really nice. And then they power through the rest of the set like it’s business as usual, which it is: Two back-to-back smash hits to close out the set and then two unsuspecting old favourites for the encore.

Now there’s a word to describe Maximo Park that doesn’t come up very often: Consistent. They’re a consistent live band. They’re consistent on record. They’re reliable. Professional. These aren’t the sexy qualities that we lust after in our Rock Gods and Pop Stars, these are traits on a whole other level. These are the characteristics we seek out in life partners, ride-or-die besties, colleagues, godparents to our children and, importantly, qualities we aspire to embody ourselves. We seek and we find them in our favourite bands. No wonder critics like to say such nice things about them.

Bleachers – Barrowland Ballroom

Live music, Music Review

On their triumphant return to Glasgow, Bleachers prove that the only way from here is up – and two saxophones are better than one!

Bleachers’ frontman Jack Antonoff alleges that the first and only time his band played in Glasgow there were nine people in the audience. Speaking to fans who were in attendance that night it was more likely into triple digits but for the bargain price of £10 – even in 2015 – it seems almost criminal that anyone could’ve passed up such a gig. In the nine intervening years, the band has expanded their catalogue to four albums of nostalgia therapy; Breakfast Club anthems touching on love, loss and the general specific of 21st century angst. While Antonoff has collaborated on many, wildly successful projects with other artists it’s in Bleachers that his musical identity is its most raw and authentic. The sound is iconically New Jersey, iconically millennial, and in this Bleachers has forged an irresistible dynamic. And so for their second Glasgow outing – at more than triple the ticket price – Bleachers upscaled not once but twice, from SWG3 to the iconic almost-2000-capacity Barrowlands Ballroom, and sold it out.

Scottish-born, London-based artist Kaeto landed the coveted support slot for this From The Studio to The Stage Tour and duly delivers an uncompromising set of amalgam pop which is simultaneously ethereal and violent. Closing with the instantly familiar groove of No Body, she ensures the energy in the room is high ahead of the main event as she heads to the merch desk to give away postcards.

With the pervasive oscillation that is characteristic of their songs, Bleachers opt for an understated start as latest album opener I Am Right On Time winds the crowd up gently. It’s going to be a long night but no-one quite knows that yet. They come out all guns blazing on Modern Girl though. There are three saxophones on the stage and they’re immediately threatening on this track. In fact, there’s very limited relief from the intensity of dual saxes and dual drums throughout.

The fierce urgency of How Dare You Want More fades into the sweet simplicity of Wake Me. Antonoff recalls that first Glasgow gig with energetic sincerity and dedicates his cathartic grief bop Everybody Lost Somebody to the supposed nine people who showed up in 2015. His affection and genuine appreciation for the Scottish audience is voiced often and the love is clearly reciprocated with exaggerated ovations and occasionally thunderous singalongs.

The romantic devotional Me Before You carries tones of Springsteen’s Secret Garden and so when it segues tenderly into an actual Springsteen collaboration – hypnotic dream sequence, Chinatown – the crowd is already there waiting. As a songwriter, Antonoff really excels at building these quite straight-forward, mildly intense and melodramatic, love songs and the mid-set is loaded with them. There’s very few artists who can pull off 80s pastiche with both earnestness and self-awareness but this is where Bleachers have made their niche. Addressing the crowd, he speaks with an almost aggressive friendliness (New Jersey, man! IYKYK) about what it all means to him; where music comes from, inspiration and genius; what he loves to feel in music as a listener and as a performer, and eventually he rambles onto a cover of The Waterboys that nearly brings the house down through audience participation.

They carry on, unrelenting still. The one-two punch of Rollercoaster and Let’s Get Married sees Antonoff commanding the crowd to rise on one another’s shoulders and later he even plays his acoustic guitar with such ferocity that his hand requires minor medical attention. They’re not fucking around. It’s after 10.30pm when Antonoff announces that they’re foregoing the false-encore protocol. Thank God! the applause has been exhausting!

Their 20-song set crescendos in the last quarter with a sequence of what can only be described as “absolute bangers”; an embarrassment of riches representing each of their studio albums. At 11pm Antonoff calls to put the lights up on the audience so that the band can take in the full glorious scene of their triumphant “Glasgow 2” and with the promise of “Glasgow 3: as soon as fucking possible” they launch into Don’t Take The Money, closing the night with a crash of euphoric bitter-sweetness. Bleachers leave it all on the stage, regardless of how many people they’re playing for, and the feeling from this performance is that it could’ve been a lot bigger. For certain it could not have been smaller and it might not be this small again. Time will tell. Hopefully not too much time though.

The Vaccines – Barrowland Ballroom

Live music, Music Review

No-one else does glamorous indie rock and roll quite like The Vaccines.

When The Vaccines emerged onto the UK music scene with their debut album in 2011 they immediately landed themselves in no-band’s land. Pop music was in a transitional phase with the girls (Rhianna, Lady Gaga, Katy Perry, Adele) on top and the folk rock revival (Mumford & Sons et al.) gaining momentum. Guitar bands were already “so two-thousand and late”. Arriving at the wake of landfill indie to find the buffet cleared and the chairs stacked, The Vaccines had no business hanging around. And yet…they delivered their first two LPs with such a moreish blend of earnestness and – ironically – irony that they almost single handedly revived the genre. Thirteen years later it’s hard to say whether the longevity and success of The Vaccines is an underdog story, or if contempt for their particular brand of English lad rock is merely a play in the culture wars waged between those Millennials utilising their university degrees in gainful employment and those who are not. It doesn’t really matter either way. What matters is that they’re still doing what they do, and doing it incredibly well.

In support of their latest studio album, Pick-Up Full of Pink Carnations, the band brought a scintillating energy to their sold out show at Glasgow’s iconic Barrowland Ballroom. Their 75 minute performance encompassed an unrelenting 21-song set that made the two opening acts – Divorce and Teen Jesus & the Jean Teasers – seem like a completely separate gig, on a whole other night of the month, such was the intensity and immersive quality of The Vaccines frenetic musical joyride. Each of their six albums was honoured and, as is the measure of any decent live act, the songs cohered seamlessly over the course of the set. One could argue that The Vaccines’ biggest weakness is that their songs all kind of sound the same but the flaw in this thinking is that it’s actually a fantastic sound. Tonally, there’s not a lot of diversity but each and every song contains a top tier melodic hook and at least one indisputably relatable lyrical truth.

Articulating highlights among the no-filler set is super subjective: Wetsuit sounds more poignant than ever; Discount De Kooning (Last One Standing) offers a cathartic, jubilant singalong; singer Justin Young in his element, effortlessly windmilling his way through Headphones Baby is something to behold and has the crowd frothing. It’s all delightfully inconsequential. With an average bpm somewhere around 140 the show is over breathlessly quick. A four-song encore that ends with an entirely crowd-sung Norgaard underscores the need for both fresh air and levity.

“The longer we do this the luckier we feel” declares Young and in the current music industry landscape it’s easy to believe him. No-one does it quite like The Vaccines, anymore.

Far From Saints – Oran Mor

Live music, Music Review

Far From Saints made their Scottish debut with an intimate, sold out show in Glasgow, giving fans a sneak preview of their live sound and forthcoming album, ahead of some high profile stadium support gigs and summer festivals this year.

It may have been only their third live performance as a band but Far From Saints are far from new to the business of live music, or to recorded music for that matter. Comprised of Stereophonics’ songwriter and lead vocalist Kelly Jones and Austin, Texas band The Wind + The Wave (Patty Lynn and Dwight Baker), the band have found a new thrill in collaboration that began when their respective projects toured together, first in 2013 and later when Jones invited the American duo to open for him on a solo tour in 2019. They bonded over a shared love of the classics – Fleetwood Mac, Neil Young, Led Zeppelin, Tom Petty – and by the end of that tour they had an album’s worth of songs. The resulting self-titled record was delayed significantly by the Covid-19 pandemic but with its now imminent release coming on June 16th, and the band set to perform a slew of open air events over the summer, including support gigs with Kings of Leon and Paul Weller, they wisely decided to throw on a couple of “warm-up” shows in Glasgow and Leeds.

In comparison to the venues Jones has been accustomed to selling out over his 25+ year career, Glasgow’s Oran Mor isn’t just physically small, it’s dangerously intimate. There’s almost no distance between the band, on a waist- high stage, and the 500 punters assembled on the other side of the barrier but moreover, there’s nowhere to hide if things go wrong. And sometimes things do.

While the band assume their positions on stage, Jones takes an extended moment to personalise the occasion with an anecdote about being recognised in a Timpson store earlier while asking for directions to a pharmacy. Two points to be made here: He feels at home in Glasgow and he’s battling a cold. With that information out in the open he tends to keep his chat fairly minimal throughout the rest of the set which, for those familiar with his often narrative-driven performances, is a bit of a letdown. They open with the album’s first track and latest single Screaming Hallelujah, a distinctly indie folk number which is buoyed by bright acoustic guitar and duelling chorus melodies.

From the outset we’re promised a run through of the album and then some covers to finish up. It’s not the exact running order of the album but rather Jones and Lynn alternating introductions and lead vocal duties in equal turns. This generally means switching between mellow (Jones’) and more uptempo (Lynn’s) songs but given that no-one’s heard more than three singles yet the crowd are none the wiser about how the energy “should” flow between these ten songs. What’s so interesting about the audience at Oran Mor, a modest but notable majority of whom are women, is that they seem substantially more enamoured with Lynn and Baker. This makes for a really interesting dynamic between songs where fans shout for their favourite band member – “I LOVE YOU PATTY!” “I LOVE YOU DWIGHT!” and less often “I LOVE YOU KELLY” – but there’s very limited recognition or reciprocity from the stage and eventually the cries become a bit tedious.

Jones launches No Fool Like An Old Fool. Instantly familiar and catchy with a 70s country folk ballad feel, it’s not quite Gram and Emmylou but you can clearly sense the magic that sparked this collaboration in the first place. Then it’s Lynn’s turn to lead Take It Through The Night, much to the raucous delight of the audience. “This is my favourite one to perform because I sing most of it” she declares, tongue loosely in cheek. While she claims to be channelling her inner Stevie Nicks on this number, the twang of the guitars and pounding drums bear more resemblance to Miranda Lambert in her heavier moments. There’s no denying though, Lynn’s voice is the star of the show here.

On Won’t Get Out Alive the contrasting tones of their voices become almost cinematic; Jones’ soft and cloud-like rasp gently enveloping Lynn’s richly bold and resonant delivery. Despite a false start – or two – the set runs smoothly towards the final Southern rock epic, The Ride. This one features more lush vocal duelling, a driving rhythm section and multiple guitar solos before it goes full ZZ Top with a swinging blues rock instrumental outro. It’s so much fun!

When the band return from their brief refreshment interlude – it can’t be called an encore because no-one demanded it, though a few tried here and there – they let everyone witness the duet that catalysed the whole project: a cover of Stop Draggin’ My Heart Around. It’s good enough. They don’t owe anyone more but they insist on another two covers because they’re obviously enjoying playing together. And after a long night listening to mostly unreleased songs the audience appreciate a a few familiar ones that they can sing along to. Lynn puts in a solid turn leading The Ronettes’ Be My Baby before they close out the night on Tom Petty’s American Girl, to genuinely overwhelming applause.

Kaiser Chiefs – OVO Hydro

Live music, Music Review

Seasoned indie rockers Kaiser Chiefs proved worth their billing at Glasgow’s OVO Hydro on Friday night.

The “All Together” Tour arrived in Glasgow at the end of a long week for Ricky Wilson. An exceptional off night at London’s O2 last Saturday gave fans and music press cause for concern that the Kaiser Chiefs’ singer might not be up to headlining an arena tour right now. All fears were emphatically allayed with a consummate performance by the band on Friday night.

Charged with opening proceedings was Yorkshire band The Sherlocks, followed by Glasgow’s own The Fratellis with their modern take on rock’n’roll that featured both brass and a sassy trio of ladies on backing vocals. From the outset, fans were treated to a solid night of radio-friendly guitar anthems with plenty of opportunities to raise their pints and sing along, arm-in-arm, with friends and strangers alike.

Dancing and pleasure were major themes throughout Kaiser Chiefs’ set, whether intended figuratively or literally, and it took the band all of about 20 seconds of being onstage before the audience had entirely submitted to their will for the evening. Never Miss A Beat still embodied an ironic joy just as prescient in 2022 as when it was released in 2008. The same could be said for a few of the older songs on the setlist, such as Modern Way and The Angry Mob but it was obvious that, for the most part, audiences were expected to feel rather than think their way through the performance.

New single How To Dance was introduced as something of a cure for anxiety which, if true, delivered a great deal of relief to those in attendance. Northern Holiday elevated the positive energy of the room further through its irresistible disco beat while a lengthy call-and-response introduction was added to mega-hit Everyday I Love You Less And Less in case the audience needed to warm up for the ensuing singalong. Wilson dedicated a fabulous rendition of Hole In My Soul to “everyone of you that’s stuck with us over the years”, jumping, dancing and generally running himself ragged all without missing a note. Any critics doubting his dedication or ability to deliver a thrilling arena show were resolutely silenced by the end of the night.

Fan favourite I Predict A Riot brought punters racing back from the bar and toilet queues as shirtless lads on their mates’ shoulders embraced their moment of revelry. A respectable turn around allowed for a two-song encore but with closer Oh My God running to about double its recorded length there was ample singing and dancing to get in before curfew, the band finally leaving to rapturous applause and a chorus of voices sing-chanting their lyrics all the way home.

Jamie T – O2 Academy Glasgow

Live music, Music Review

Jamie T is back in the game!

The indie punk poet kicked off his first headline tour in five years at Glasgow’s O2 Academy – the first of two sold out shows at this venue. Where it’s typical for big acts to schedule gaps in their tours for adding extra shows once the original dates sell out, Jamie T (real name Jamie Treays) is bookending his now-11-date run somewhat unconventionally with second visits to Glasgow and Manchester respectively. Read into it what you like but the singer-songwriter’s unwavering popularity in university towns, particularly across the north, is undeniable.

What’s also apparent from the excitable crowd in Glasgow is that Jamie T inspires the kind of obsessive loyalty in fans that’s usually reserved for rock legends and pop music’s elite. These are a different breed of devotee who can withstand years of relative silence, an absence of musical output, and minimal social media interaction and still be ready to swarm on any opportunity to see their man perform. Fans have travelled from all across the UK and some even made the trip from Europe to be at the opening night of The Theory of Whatever Tour. If Jamie T has casual fans they likely missed out on tickets; this show is packed with only die-hards!

Those who arrive before 8pm – a good majority – are treated to the first official public performance by new outfit 86TVs. The band sound like all the best elements of your parents’ record collection with mind-altering melodic hooks and irresistible vocal harmonies, crisp, steady drums and groovy bass lines, all delivered with an unassuming air of confidence. It’s the kind of performance to convince naive audiences that great songs come easily and genius is the default of true creatives. The fact that 86TVs comprises four veterans of the indie rock scene maybe goes some way to dispelling this myth but it doesn’t detract from the exceptional quality of their opening set. That they only play for 28 minutes is a real disappointment.

There’s no false bravado when Jamie T takes to the stage; the artist possesses a genuine and earned swagger. In the 15 years since the release of his debut album, Panic Prevention, Treays has established a unique status within the UK music scene through his authentic vulnerability, disarming wit and unashamedly astute lyricism. Largely evading the burden of hype and expectation, he has committed diligently to his craft and consistently delivered savvy, incisive, relevant and fun songs that defy the boundaries of any one genre. His fifth LP, for which the tour is named, is a collection as clever as it is charming.

The Glasgow crowd is a mix of ages – young couples brace and embrace along the barrier beside an adolescent boy and his guardian, and on the other side an older gentleman raises his walking stick with vigour. The set opens with 90s Cars and The Old Style Raiders, as per the latest album, and the audience responds like they’re old favourites. Jamie T has always been something of a sonic shape-shifter, and comfortably anachronistic, so it’s curious and exciting that right now he sounds the closest to indie that he ever has.

Acknowledging that he hasn’t played out in a while, Treays intends to deliver a set that covers all eras of his career, with something for everyone. And he does. There are highlights upon highlights; to borrow a phrase, it’s all thriller no filler. The ukulele foundation of Spider’s Web underscores one of many joyful singalongs and sees friends boosting friends on shoulders; the opening chord of Salvador chimes like a call to attention and is met with a plaintive chorus of voices near enough to wake the dead. A Million & One New Ways To Die is another song that embodies the “new fave” with its oddly familiar guitar motif and anthemic pseudo-emo chorus. Solo ballad St. George Wharf Tower is a bold but beautiful move in front of a restless crowd and he follows it up with Back In The Game – just a man and his acoustic bass guitar – showcasing the accomplished intricacy and vibrancy of his songwriting, as it was and continues to be.

Pint cups are launched towards the Academy’s central dome as The Man’s Machine and 368 bring the show towards a ferocious climax, yet both audience and band remain equally buoyant, in synchronised ecstasy. Chants of “Jamie-fucking-T” bring about a three-song encore during which the audience, facing in all directions, bounce, swell and radiate jubilation en masse. At the end the atmosphere is simultaneously chaotic and focused, pure, ragged, and elated; an honest reflection on the music of an artist still finding his edge and an audience willing to follow him there.

The Big Moon – Summerhall

Live music, Music Review

If there was ever any question over the popularity of guitar bands in the last few years consider this; The Big Moon are on their second round of touring through the UK since releasing their sophomore record at the beginning of January. And they’ve only gone and sold the place out! Following on from a successful run of shows supporting Bombay Bicycle Club earlier in the month they return to Scotland on the very last – leap – night of February to headline Edinburgh’s Summerhall.

Anticipation is palpable with a queue snaking down the stairs and out into the courtyard. Fans are eager to get in early and snag a good position. They’re also keen to look the part and the merch table is already busy flogging t-shirts and albums; a positive sign for any artist in the streaming age but especially for new and breaking bands.

There’s a big portion of the audience already in place when tour support Prima Queen take to the stage. They don’t say much for the first few songs and only really get chatty before the end of the set when they mention that their bassist got dumped 20 minutes before soundcheck – “so rock’n’roll” – and that they put their band name on the drums because they forgot to mention it at previous shows. The mood is light and the band have a great chemistry on stage. Lead vocals are shared between guitarists Louise MacPhail and Kristin McFadden. They have that kind of effortlessly powerful command of harmonies, familiar to fans of boygenius and Alvvays, and with tones and melodies made for summer festival afternoons blissing out under blue skies. It’s a gentle kind of warm up set that closes out with “Milk Teeth” and “Mexico” and leaves the crowd slightly swaying, slightly nodding, ready for the main event.

From the moment The Big Moon appear there’s a buzzing warmth in the room. It’s not quite Beatles hysteria but it’s damn infectious! They meet that audience energy with the scratchy jangle of debut album opener Sucker which, despite its usual dynamic shifts, remains buoyant throughout. They follow up swiftly with the pulsing disco vibe of Don’t Think before settling into a lyrical groove with Take A Piece. The new songs are just as enthusiastically received as those from the band’s Mercury nominated 2017 release Love In The 4th Dimension despite being vastly different in both sound and subject matter. Of course in the live setting there’s minimal production to hide behind and every catchy chorus and driving guitar feels just as vibrant and raw as it should. Lyrically, Juliette Jackson’s direct and literal style is engaging whether lamenting youthful relationships, wrestling inner demons or staring defiantly into the void. Witty couplets cut through the repetitive choruses and reconnect the audience with the characters and emotions at the heart of each song. There’s flutes, there’s sing-alongs, there’s even a Fatboy Slim cover, either side of which Jackson is off the stage and down on the barrier leading “a gentle song with some yelling at the end” (Waves) followed by a riotous crowd favourite (Bonfire). The end comes around too quickly for fans who are vigorous in their applause and even after the last song, after the house music starts playing, are unwilling to accept that there won’t be an encore tonight. Naturally it’s disappointing for everyone who wanted to hear more from the band but there’s something so heartening about an authentic rock performance that elicits such an organic reaction from those present. It’s refreshing. It’s invigorating. It’s healthy. Guitar bands like Prima Queen and The Big Moon are good for the health of the industry.

The National – Castlefield Bowl

Live music, Music Review

On the third night of Manchester’s Sounds Of The City open air festival music fans who defied the forecast of evening showers were rewarded with an immersive and exhilarating performance by one of American indie rock’s keystone bands, The National. Opening their European summer tour with a one-off headline show ahead of some festival dates provided the band with a unique opportunity to showcase latest album I Am Easy To Find, while polishing up some old favourites, in front of an enthusiastic 8000-capacity crowd.

While many punters were still arriving the early support slot was filled by Nashville-based artist Adia Victoria. The singer spared no effort getting the crowd warmed up under the densely humid afternoon sky. Her sometimes-husky voice and sultry melodies, accompanied by occasional twirls and a sway of hips infused the performance with a powerful sensuality that contrast to the themes of songs like “Devil Is A Lie” and “The Needle’s Eye”. Finishing on the creeping groove of “Different Kind Of Love”, Victoria makes it clear she’s here for a good time, if not a long time.

When the headliners take to the stage there’s a peculiar feeling of anticipation. Singer Matt Berninger appears to be in a light-hearted mood, ducking behind the piano as the crowd erupts in applause. The feeling shifts almost immediately to one of serious concentration as the band lead off with a string of songs from their latest album. It’s always a shock to the system when an established band comes to tour new material. That initial excitement and apprehension about what they will play and how it will flow weighs on both the performers and their audience. In this set of 25 songs 12 come from I Am Easy To Find. It’s a lot to take on and there are some sound issues throughout the first half of the set where Berninger’s vocals are occasionally drowned out by guitars, synths and horns. There’s a lot of words and a lot of voices and on no fewer than 3 instances the frontman concedes he messed up his part. Exchanging melodies and harmonies with 3 stunning female vocalists in Eve Owen, Mina Tindle and Gail Ann Dorsey gives the new songs like “Oblivions” and “Where Is Her Head” a much stronger sense of collaboration which stands out against some of the older tracks like “Bloodbuzz Ohio” and “Apartment Story”.

The National performing at Castlefield Bowl, Manchester

There’s a defiant sense of progress about the setlist too; not only are there a lot of new songs but there are fewer and fewer very old songs. One of the things fans love about seeing The National live is that, yes there are certain favourites they will always play but no 2 nights will ever be the same. The band change up their set for every single show and there’s always some unexpected treats from the catalogue. In Manchester these included “Green Gloves” and “All The Wine” which bookended some amusing chat from Berninger about capitalism after he exchanged his seemingly unpleasant drink with a fan in the front row.

Another standard of The National’s live show is the moment of insanity that ensues every time Matt Berninger wades into the crowd. It’s as exciting as it is terrifying and yet he does it so regularly that the band almost don’t notice, but that wingmen/guitarists Aaron and Bryce Dessner intuitively know when to occupy front and centre stage. “Day I Die” sees one such moment, after which Berninger appears quite dishevelled, his crisp white shirt untucked and his glasses skewed. Yet he returns again during “Graceless” where the microphone is all but lost to the crowd and his voice is barely heard over the shout-singing of those around him. His antics are especially jovial late in the set. During “The System Only Dreams In Total Darkness” he interferes with Aaron Dessner’s guitar change and finds himself flirting with the edge of the stage before running and leaping into position for the opening lyric. At one point he coaxes a phone from someone in the crowd, taking it on stage to film his perspective before tossing it back into the melee.

The band close out the set with “Fake Empire” and a new crowd favourite “Rylan” just as the heavy sky starts to give way to a light mist. Berninger’s protracted departure from the stage sees him handing a bottle of wine from his personal stash into the crowd, followed by some cups. “Now I don’t even have time to pee before the encore” he complains. Not leaving without playing a final couple of songs from the new album, they push on with the encore as Berninger enters the crowd one final time during “Mr November”. He emerges at the end of it a somewhat changed man, mainly in that he is unable to hear the band clearly or keep up with “Terrible Love” until well into the bridge, at which point the Dessner’s take over and drown out whatever vocals remain to be heard.

Shenanigans have cost them time and as they set up the final songs, a typical crowd singalong with “Vanderlyle Crybaby Geeks” the venue hits its 10.30pm curfew and all amplification is silenced. Lights come on as the crowd leads line after line, drowning out all but a faint tambourine on the stage that keeps time until the last note is sung. Rain falls heavier, the louder the chorus rises until finally the gathering disperses by mutual agreement. Another one-of-a-kind night for fans, if not quite an auspicious show to kick off this tour.

Sheryl Crow – Glasgow Royal Concert Hall

Live music, Music Review

Having recently opened shows for the likes of legendary artists Phil Collins and the Eagles, Sheryl Crow is grateful to be back in front of her own audience for a while. With the promise of a two-hour set featuring “a bunch of old things and…some new things too” regulars know to expect a great night. For first-timers the setlist, front heavy with mega hits like “If It Makes You Happy” and “All I Wanna Do”, is a shock to the system and an assertive reminder of why Crow, now in her late 50s, has maintained a position as one of the most revered and sought-after songwriters and female vocalists for over 2 decades.

Her energy and enthusiasm is relentless and it’s clear Crow still enjoys playing the older songs. The crowd reacts with lively call and response singalongs and dancing in the aisles. Crow acknowledges, engaging audience participation, for at least as much as she can understand of the Glasgow accent and vernacular. She shies away from recent albums for the most part but introduces a few tracks from her forthcoming release Threads, due at the end of August. The first of these is “Prove You Wrong”, a collaboration with country star Maren Morris and rock veteran Stevie Nicks. It has an instant classic rock feel that tends a little formulaic towards the end but is no less enjoyable in the context of modern rock radio playlists. Another new single, “Live Wire”, comes under the blues influence of its contributors Bonnie Raitt and Mavis Staples, and is introduced with a cracking anecdote from the recording session with Staples. As one of the slower songs in the set – and it’s by no means a ballad – “Live Wire” is evidence that Crow still has the skill to craft a meaningful and catchy song without sounding like a rehash of former glories or a nostalgic tribute to the successes of youth.

Despite adhering mostly to the acoustic guitar throughout, Crow’s knack for creating rock anthems is indisputable and well supported by her six-piece band that includes two lead guitarists of equal genius in Audley Freed and Peter Stroud; the latter garnering extra attention from the singer for his “snazzy jacket” in addition to his expertise with the six-string. The sound is further embellished with Joshua Grange on pedal steel, Jen Gunderman on piano and Robert Kearns providing bass and particularly stand out vocals as a substitute for Joe Walsh on new duet “Still The Good Old Days”, a song that Crow admits is “about being my age”. Yet the clarity and ease of her voice on the opening of “The Difficult Kind” shows an ageless strength and beauty; her voice is as good as it’s ever been. Sadly, there are times when the full force of the band is too much and Crow’s still-powerful vocal is overwhelmed, mainly by the treble of her own guitar. It’s disappointing to experience this in a room like the Concert Hall which usually delivers perfectly balanced levels, for any genre or musical style. Nevertheless the crowd is on her side and she receives a standing ovation before she’s even finished the set. Admittedly, the performance of “Best Of Times” is well deserving; Crow takes her microphone from its stand and commands the stage from end to end with multiple charged harmonica solos, set against intense strobing as the band gathers around the drum kit to pool and play off  their collective energies.

The final song of the set, “Steve McQueen”, features Crow playing a glittery red, white and blue electric guitar while her two sons – acting as occasional guitar techs throughout the night – join in on maracas from behind the keyboards. When she returns for an encore she mentions that they spent their day over at the Glasgow Science Centre and had a great time taking in the city. She dedicates “Soak Up The Sun” to her Glasgow audience in honour of the beautiful weather, before closing out with a grand rendition of “Real Gone”. The crowd need no further persuasion and remain on their feet for the duration. Warmly received at the top of the show is Hebridean singer-songwriter Colin MacLeod, himself no stranger to opening some pretty big stages, having supported the likes of Van Morrison, Robert Plant and Roger Waters in the last twelve months alone. He played a brief but beautiful solo set of melancholic-sounding songs, drawn mainly from his 2018 debut Bloodlines, with two new songs performed on acoustic guitar sandwiched into the middle of his set. MacLeod shows himself to be a versatile performer; an accomplished guitarist as well as a gifted storyteller and songwriter, with a voice as warm and mellow as a 21 year old single malt.

Idlewild – Aberdeen Music Hall

Live music, Music Review

On the weekend that Idlewild released their latest album Interview Music they played 3 separate sets in Aberdeen; two at the AECC for the BrewDog shareholders’ AGM and one semi-acoustic instore at HMV. Whether by coincidence or by design they also rounded out the UK leg of their Interview Music tour at the city’s recently transformed Music Hall on Sunday night with a rousing set of modern classics and old favourites.

The XCERTS had the privilege and responsibility of getting the bank holiday crowd warmed up for one of their own favourite bands, which proved to be more than within their capabilities. The three-piece, originally from Aberdeen, have been sailing a sea of praise since their fourth album Hold On To Your Heart was released at the beginning of 2018. Their unapologetically ripe blend of instantly sing-a-long-able choruses, almost-familiar riffs and heart-on-sleeve lyrics on this album and subsequent out-takes EP, Wildheart Dreaming, seem to connect with even the grittiest of old school Idlewild supporters. There’s no denying Murray MacLeod’s stunning vocal is the centrepiece of these songs; whether rocking out on upbeat openers Daydream and the Petty-esque Drive Me Wild, or crooning through piano-lead power ballad The Dark, his delivery is loaded with melodrama and earnest romanticism. The ten-song set rushes by to close with the irresistible a cappella chorus of Feels Like Falling In Love. Job done. The crowd is suitably thawed.

Following a career highlight tenth show at the Barrowlands in Glasgow the night before Idlewild seem astonishingly relaxed when they take to the Music Hall stage. Their energy and resolve is not diminished any by the previous night’s antics however and they set straight to task bringing Interview Music alive for their assembled followers. Dream Variations introduces the new album straight away with equal measures of everything this band is about in 2019; a rock-solid rhythm section, duelling guitars and piano, soaring harmonies and, of course, Roddy Woomble’s abstract lyricism. A curious feature on the new album that comes into play further as the set progresses is the mid-song change-up; a different tempo, a different energy, new melodic ideas break through. The title track takes one of these moments to catch its breath before launching an all out sonic assault. It’s not out of place, more a reminder that the band still love to jam, still love to throw everything into their performance.

New songs are few and far between, for being an album-specific tour, but where they do come they’re well received by the Aberdonian crowd. Woomble points out that the record sold particularly well in the city, so it’s unsurprising to see so many people singing along. Radio single Same Things Twice sees fists in the air and voices raised as if it’s been in the set for the last decade. Admittedly, it has one of the catchiest choruses on the new album, and live it takes on a coarseness and density to rival anything off 100 Broken Windows. Indeed songs like Roseability and Little Discourage elicit spontaneous pitch perfect sing-a-longs and the crowd need little prompting to join in when Woomble says he’s needing support on Live In A Hiding Place. Another mid-set highlight is the frenetic and angular A Ghost In The Arcade. Washed in strobing green, white and blue lights, it closes with a rambunctious solo from guitarist, Rod Jones, and finds Woomble watching on not from his usual shadowy side-of-stage vantage point but from the front corner of the stage; an indication of just how relaxed he is within the performance.

From the point of American English the set takes off on a melodic upward trajectory, buoyed by the crowd and reciprocated by the band. It leaps from El Capitan to yet another reworked rendition of the fan favourite When I Argue I See Shapes, altogether faster and fuzzier than on the previous tour but still not as messy as the original. This could be its best incarnation yet.

The band wave a brief “thank you and goodnight” but don’t waste much time before returning for their encore. They still have a lot to deliver but spare some grace to introduce the first song, in tribute to Scott Hutchison, a cover of the gut-punching Frightened Rabbit anthem Head Rolls Off. It’s powerfully uplifting from start to finish, leaving many faces scorched with defiantly jubilant tears. The encore is relentless rock after that, wringing out every last ounce of love from either side of the barrier. As if the band had something to prove. Finishing with In Remote Part / Scottish Fiction there’s still a sense that the band could come back for a second encore and the crowd are restless and demanding until the house lights finally come on. It’s enough, for now. They’ll probably be back; seems they quite like playing Aberdeen. And they would be welcome, any time.