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The Ninth Wave Commune at Church, Dundee

20th October 2021

The Ninth Wave, Lucia and The Best Boys and Echo Machine bring joy to Dundee

Intelligent electronic pop tunes with attitude would best describe the night. The Church in Dundee saw some fantastic performances from all three bands. Headliners, The Ninth Wave have emerged from the enforced hiatus that Covid19 brought about as the nation went into hibernation from live performances. They managed to pull a tour together with some strategic venues up and down the country and by all accounts, everyone has gone down a storm. Whether it’s the desperation for live music or the fact that the band have put together a strong back catalogue of material in the past few years, something has clicked for them and their strength in depth is coming to the fore.

Local darlings Echo Machine were first on the bill and had the potentially daunting task of playing to an empty room as the early slot often suffers from a lack of crowd. No concern tonight, the room was filling as they came on stage. The stage was rammed with tech, not just the obligatory foot pedals that adorn most stages but synths/sequencers and laptops were the order of the day. The opener “Less Alone” is a massive wall of sound with soaring synths underpinned with hammering live drums. The full on aural attack continued with “Chameleon”, both songs the opening tracks from their album “Instant Transmissions” release last year before the pause button was hit due to Covid. Singer, Gary Mooresomehow made the most of what stage he had to work with. With slightly more room than your average shower cubicle, he danced constantly providing some much needed entertainment after the long dark year. The visual aesthetic of the band is complimented across the board as each member contributed to an overall array of alternative hair styles and fashions. Sisters Hannah and Heather McKay are a formidable backline as the live Drums and Bass cement the analogue synth bass lines. Michael McFarlane’s guitar is the icing on the cake as the lead synth of Lewis Bage tried it’s best to steal the show. Impressive display and with some new songs in the set, there’s a new album in the offering for 2022.

https://www.facebook.com/echomachinez

Lucia and the Best Boys have managed to piece together a tour for 2021 and enjoyed some amazing gigs to date. Like Echo Machine before them, the band are striking visually. Lucia Faifull would not look out of place on a fashion shoot but her stage presence comes across immediately. Lucia’s soaring voice cut through the ether and demonstrated her full vocal range from the off. “Summertime”. A bitter sweet tenderness comes across in the lyrics as Lucia draws inspiration from her life. The music is immaculate, like her voice. Both note prefect and detailed. There was a clinical delivery from all the players on stage. Each song had it’s own narrative and Lucia’s commanding performance grabbed the attention of the audience for the entire set. Lucia picked up a guitar for “Nightmare Accidentally” another well orchestrated song, which had overhauled an 80’s influence and injected attitude. The crowd were amused by Lucia’s observation that half the crowd may have turned up to see guitarist Adam who is from Dundee. She acknowledged that the band are half Glasgow/Dundee much to the delight of the punters. New song, “Burning Castles” again demonstrated Lucia’s voice is untouchable, she hit notes that you felt to your core. “When You Dress Up” elevates and inspires. During the song, less was more at times. Floods of guitar felt essential to the overall narrative. Lucia was almost menacing at times when she sung “I’ll show you what I’m made of”, one of the highlights of the night. Heavy drums and sequenced synth drove the next song, “You’re so Sweet”. A darker side unleashed yet so fitting. In contrast, “Go” felt like a full on powerhouse of a pop song. The crowd engaged with arms aloft clapping to the one word chorus. The last song was introduced by Lucia with her rolling out the lyrics for the crowd to sing along. She adorned a white cowboy hat and somehow, it was not out of place in the old church. Lucia joined the crowd on the barrier and they united in a singalong to “Perfectly Untrue”. With over a million listens on Spotify, the song from their last E.P. “The State of Things” and the last of four songs from that played tonight. Stunning performance all round and with a bigger tour planned for 2022, Lucia and the Best Boys will be a household name before long.

https://www.facebook.com/LuciaAndTheBestBoys

Lucia is a hard act to follow but The Ninth Wave brought another dimension to the two acts that preceded them. Stripped back, literally as it wasn’t long before Hayden Park-Patterson took off his jacket! There were times when the music was bare but that dynamic is an essential part of what The Ninth Wave do. I had to chuckle at the set list as the word “donk” had been substituted into every song name. This itself said to me the band are not taking themselves as serious as they may portray. Outwardly though, you get what you pay for with the band, a performance and a safe place to enjoy the music. There’s a sincerity and maturity about them and their songs, they care. Melancholy yet magnificent. “Happy Days” (or Donks!) is very reminiscent of early Depeche Mode and vocally, a nod to David Gahan. Multilayered, timbral synths with a pounding beat behind them were blistering at times. “This Broken Design” sounded huge through the PA. The Ninth Wave have consolidated their material in the past 18 months and appear to have come out fighting post lockdown. New single “Piece and Pound Coins” grows on you. Drum machine and piano being spoken over was embellished throughout the song with wonderful layers of vocals from Millie Kidd and the synths of Kyalo Searle-nbullu. Millie and Hayden shared vocals throughout the set and their voices were perfectly in sync. Calum Stewart plays an integral part in the band as his live drumming and multi-instruments complimented the electronic feel to the set and brought it alive. “Everything Will Be Fine” just might be the mission statement for the band moving forward and the song filled the venue as the crowd bounced along. “I’m Only Going To Hurt You” showed the diversity in delivery and how the halcyon days of 80’s pop tunes have been re-invented to express anxieties and emotions through emotive electronics. The band saved their new single to play at the end of their set, “Maybe You Didn’t Think” builds and you heard the dialect in Hayden’s vocal. There was a massive cheer and thankfully, it was enough to encourage an encore. The band made a promise to themselves not to do encores but “All the Things We Do” was the reward for the sustained encouragement from the crowd. No rest for the band as they moved onto two sold out nights in their hometown Glasgow but Dundee acquitted themselves well with a near full house.

https://www.facebook.com/TheNinthWaveOff

Situation Normal for The Professionals in Glasgow

18th October 2021

A rainy Monday night in Glasgow, deserted streets but inside King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut, the perfect venue for S.N.A.F.U. An acronym used for The Professional’s new album and a perfect description for the evenings proceedings, Situation Normal: All Fucked Up!.

With the relaxing of restrictions across the country, venues are awakening and bands return to “normal”. The last 18 months may have restricted live music but it was a time for the songwriters to make the most of the downtime.

Situation normal for local (ish) band Reaction as they returned to a live venue known to them but with a new addition, a new bass player and after a few nervy looks across to his band members, he acquitted himself well. Judging by the number of phones filming the bands songs, it looks like they’d drawn a good crowd. Doors were late (20:30) so by the time Reaction were on stage, they had a good few in attendance to see the bands raw rock’n’roll repertoire. The band were a late addition to the tour but slotted in perfectly.

https://www.facebook.com/reaction1977

Desperate Measures have been busy during lockdown and recorded some new material. With a captive audience on The Professionals tour, it has given them a great platform to air the new songs. Originally formed in New Zealand, Eugene Butcher, better known for the magazine “Vive Le Rock”, where he is the founder and editor, he has resurrected the band from those early 80’s beginnings. With such a solid band behind him consisting of Michael Gaffney (ex Glitterati) on guitar, Ricky McGuire (ex UK Subs) on bass and super solid drumming from James Sherry (ex Done Lying Down), Eugene had to bring his ‘A’ game to match the intensity.

He is the archetypal front man, old school and engaging. After a great start, Eugene came alive during the bands third song of the night, “Rich-Tual” from their new EP/Album “Rinsed” as he launched himself into the faces of the crowd with arms extended as he screamed “fuck the system”. You can’t get much newer songs than “Pocket” which had only been played 4 times previous to their gig in Glasgow. You could hear the influence of Gaff’s song writing as there were echoes of The Glitterati.

Another new track from their latest offering was a song tribute to Eugene’s brother who had passed away four years ago, “Lost Angels”. Another blinder of a song which gave the band an opportunity to show the crowd their strength in depth with the new material. Eugene thanked the crowd for their exuberant appreciation after they had travelled from London and made the journey was worth it. The latest single “Flowers at Your Door” went down well as it got the loudest cheer of the night before the aptly named “1984” showed a different side to the band.

The post-punk dark tune certainly detracted from the bands normal script but they showed their roots with the last tune as they belted out “I wanna be your dog”. A faithful version of the classic Iggy Pop song, but non the less, it had the crowd begging for more, the best way to leave an audience. It won’t be long before the band return north going by the reception.

https://www.facebook.com/DesperateMeasuresnz

The Professionals may have lived by reputation for many years but they certainly deserve more than just being an ex-Pistols side project. Yes, Paul Cook remains the back bone of the band but his partner in crime Tom Spencer is more than a match for founding member and fellow ‘pistol, Steve Jones both on guitar and vocals.

With Toshi back on bass and new boy Rich Jones, who had just flown in from Canada for the tour, the band ripped through the set which included a few new numbers from their tour titling album “SNAFU”.

Rich Jones flew in from Canada for the Tour

The set favourites were the main stay of the set as “Payola” kicked off the night as it has done on previous tours. It was quickly followed by “Going Going Gone” before one of the highlights of the night, new song “Easily Lead”. The new material blended right in with those songs written from the ashes of the ‘pistols. Tom was only 10yrs old when he bought the single “Just Another Dream” which he dedicated to Desperate Measures or the Desperate “Drunken” Measures as he fondly referred to them.

The band hammered out the hits with “Silly Thing” bringing out a huge cheer and their playful poses throughout the night demonstrated they are loving being back out on the road. Almost every song saw the three front men turn their backs to the crowd and pay homage to the hard hitting hero as Paul Cook showed no sign of slowing down. He smashed the skins of his drums all night and at a furious pace, back to back songs as well. He exudes youth and looks like he could still “Kick Down the Doors” with the best of them.

A poignant story from Tom showed the bands empathic side as he recounted the story of Paul flying to LA with Steve Jones mum’s ashes right before they played new song “M’Ashes” off the new album. With the last few numbers played with the same vigour as the opening few numbers, you wonder where the band draw their strength from. “1,2,3” ended the main set before a swift return with the classic “Stepping Stone” The crowd looked like they were happy to go on all night but alas, time for the band to depart but not before the dualling guitars saw Rich and Tom trade guitar licks like modern day knights jousting to win the heart of a fair maiden. With another ten days touring ahead of them, the band head south taking their sledgehammer songs with them like the true professionals they are.

https://www.facebook.com/theprofessionalsband

The Professionals continue their SNAFU tour for the rest of October

https://theprofessionalsband.com/shows

Manic Street Preachers Breathe Fire into Glasgow Barrowlands

7th October 2021

The Barrowlands in Glasgow is one of the “must play” venues in Scotland, possibly the U.K. Its iconic ballroom floor has bounced to the best of them. The Manic Street Preachers new album, “Ultra Vivid Lament” may have challenged some of their fan base but the crowd was out in numbers to show their loyalty. Covid may have affected some venues recently but the “barras” was busy and the crowd hungry for some rock ‘n’ roll.

The support slot on a major tour can be the perfect platform to launch any career. Low Hummer, predominantly a six-piece from Hull, certainly looked like they mean to make the most of this tour but on their own merits. Already critically acclaimed, their first album “Modern Tricks for Living” formed the basis of their set. Played almost in its entirety, it was a great introduction for anyone who hadn’t heard of them. The band formed mostly from members of “Le Bete Blooms”,the edgy electronic guitar-driven pop had a familiar feel to it. Not unlike LCD Soundsystem, the songs had that “vibe” about them.

Early Ultravox and 80’s Bowie guitar licks were also in the mix during “Don’t you ever sleep”. The band reacted to the buzz from the audience and the pace of the set kept the crowd engaged. The mix of male/female voice worked well and the analogue synths backed by the hard-hitting rhythmic dance-influenced drums made a glorious wall of sound on “I choose live news”. Talking to the band after their performance, they feel they have grown as a band after every performance and the feedback from the crowds has been incredible. The band wrapped up their set with “The people, this place”

https://www.facebook.com/lowhummer

The Manic Street Preachers new album “Ultra Vivid Lament” may have hit the top spot in the charts, but like any band with a rich history of hits, the crowd wanted to hear the songs that they already love. What better way to kick off the set than with one of their biggest hits, “Motorcycle Emptiness”.

As the rapturous applause died down, “Orwellian” was next, the first track to be played from the new album, it wouldn’t be the last as the new songs were spread throughout the set. “Your Love Alone” preceded the second track to be played from the new album, “The Secret He Had Missed”. Sean Moore’s vigorous drumming came to the fore as his mighty kick drum could be felt throughout the venue.

James Dean Bradfield managed to pad out the male and female parts to the song as there was no Julie Cumming in attendance to compliment his voice. Two more classic tunes, “Little Baby Nothing” and “You Stole the Sun” were up next as the setlist substitutes were used to swap out tunes regularly throughout the tour. The crowd were now suitably warmed and “Still Snowing in Sapporo” was well received as the new album opener is firmly embedded into the band’s repertoire. “Everything Must Go”, written more than 25yrs ago but still such a crucial landmark song for the band, carefully sandwiched between another new tune, “Complicated Illusions”. Nicky Wire thanked the crowd as he said he was glad to “slap some make-up on, some jeggings from Marks and Spencer” and to “feel like a Rockstar”.

The new songs worked well and blended into the bands set. The recognisable shimmering wash of sound at the beginning of “If You Tolerate This” brought the loudest singalong of the night so far as the crowd still hankered for the older tunes despite the recognition for the newer material. At this point, James Dean Bradfield was left on his own, centre stage armed only with a black acoustic guitar. He asked the audience if they wanted to reflect or sway. With a resounding cheer when prompted, the chose reflect, much to his surprise. Influenced by the audience, he played “From Despair to Where” from Gold Against The Soul. He goaded the crowd further to see if they were up to hitting the falsetto part of the song, never shy, the Glasgow crowd proved their worth.

The band return to Bradfield playing the intro to The Skids “Into the Valley” a recognisable tune to most of the crowd before he slipped in a bit of Big Country then launched into the G’n’R classic “Sweet Child of Mine”. The crowd reacted noisily as they enjoyed the somewhat traditional rendition. Some sublime guitar work from Bradfield as the crowd managed to almost drown out the PA! The brief break from the stage gave Nicky a chance to “punk” up his look as he swapped jackets, messed up his hair, and adorned a bass with a Sex Pistols sticker. He actually had a passing resemblance to the pistols bassist but that’s where the similarity ended.

Back to business as “Tsunami” and “Afterending” bring the crowd back down from rocking out. The band get back to their early roots with “Slash and Burn” and “Spectators of Suicide”. No Manic’s gig would be complete without “You Love Us” as the arrogance of their youth now transcended to become their mantra in some respects. Without a break, Bradfield launched into some thanks for the crowd coming along and staying loyal after all the years and the night ended with “A Design for Life”, what else could they end on. The welsh dragons had breathed their fire on the galvanised Glaswegians and lived to tell the tale.

https://www.facebook.com/manicstreetpreachershttps://www.manicstreetpreachers.com/?fbclid=IwAR3PUl0e2F1P3x6bfQfcy8S6prHZkY1zUnVW7NC6p5P4AhLqJKPE5cQPL-0

Nick Cave brings Carnage to the Capitol

20th September 2021

Playhouse, Edinburgh 20.09.21

The second night of Nick Cave and Warren Ellis tour in Scotland, having seen them the previous night in the Music Hall in Aberdeen, I wondered if the intensity could be matched. I had always felt that every Nick Cave gig was an immersive experience and the 90 minute drive gave me time to reflect on last nights experience. Euphoria would best explain my mood as I parked up in the multi-story, I would experience the gig, “One More Time with Feeling” [sic]. Walking to the venue, I spoke to Kerry from South Africa, she had struggled throughout lockdown but made the pilgrimage to Edinburgh to see Nick Cave for the very first time live. My drive now palled into significance as I almost envied her naivety. She was almost overcome by emotion even at the thought of what she was about to experience. She would not be disappointed.

The Playhouse in Edinburgh had a queue at every door as the security staff processed the customary paperwork that now goes with attending concerts. The Playhouse, more a theatrical venue these days, still brings back many memories of previous concerts. The air was filled with anticipation and you could see it in the eyes of the patrons as they descended the carpet stairs to the stalls and begun the search for their seat. The iconic sight of the piano front and centre, the solo chair alongside for Warren to wield his wizardry and a single bare looking drum kit were complimented by three naked microphone stands overlooking the piano. The stage looked moody, dimly lit in a royal blue haze, almost like looking into a fish tank but I had the feeling, we would be the ones being watched as Cave historically stares into the audience, like a possessed demonic Mona Lisa. Cave has that unnerving quality of engaging with his audience. Like walking into a department store and feeling the security guard watching you. The now familiar Cave/Ellis movie soundtrack intro music faded and the audience roared as the lights dimmed.

The “Conversations” tour and the “Idiot Prayer” performance had acclimatised most of the audience for what was to come and the last two albums, “Ghosteen” and Carnage” provided the backdrop for the evenings script. No “Bad Seeds” other than Warren Ellis were in attendance.

Warren Ellis and Johnny Hostile wasted no time in taking up residence on the stage before T Jae Cole, Wendi Rose, and Janet Rasmus joined them. Cave strode onto the stage with purpose and acknowledged his audience in true fashion with his now customary waves.

“Spinning Song” and “Bright Horses”, the first two tracks from Ghosteen, gave the much needed antidote to the revellers in the audience that had waited so long to hear them played live. Warren Ellis was crouched over his Korg keyboard and almost in a world of his own. Cave customarily looked to his muse almost for reassurance but there’s an empathic bond between them now. Ellis, Cave’s right hand man, has all but erased those halcyon days when Blixa was seen as Cave’s go to guy.

The irony of the opening lyrics are almost self-professed as Cave delivered “Once there was a song…. About the king of Rock ‘n’ Roll” – “With his Black Jelly hair, he crashed onto a stage in Vegas”. Strangely, no reference to Edinburgh as Cave had swapped the lyric the night before in Aberdeen. I took this as an early sign that the larger venue brought a different experience with his audience. Aberdeen, a much smaller venue did feel more intimate. The opening tracks from Ghosteen endeared the crowd to the Cave/Ellis mantra and they are hooked as the voracious nature of the applause acknowledges the musical direction Cave has taken. With the trilogy of albums, Push the Sky Away/Skeleton Tree/Ghosteen challenging their fan base, Carnage has tested their resolve even further.

The title track “Carnage”, from Cave’s latest album, elevated the intensity and musical delivery as the live drum kit hammered the song home. “White Elephant” saw Cave stare down the crowd for the first time and his menace reminded those who might have doubted his lyrical sabre has been replaced with a synthesiser.

The hypnotic title track of “Ghosteen” had the crowd mesmerised. The vocal harmonies brought an uplifting quality and led perfectly into another track from the latest album. There was a real reverence and beauty about “Lavender Fields”, it gave the backing singers the chance to shine. The Church or Cult of Cave was in full flow as they sung “There is a Kingdom in the Sky”. Cave directed his choir and the congregation lauded his direction.

The rendition of “Waiting for You” was heart-wrenching. Cave’s vocal cords strained to deliver “Waiting for you…. To return”. The heartbreak continued with “I Need You” as Cave finished the song with the repetitive “Just Breathe, just breathe, just breathe….”

Finally, Cave engaged with the audience as he thanked them and responded to the inevitable banter and it brought some light relief from the gravity of the evening. Cave baited the audience to acknowledge his good friend Warren Ellis and Ellis threw his arms out as he blew kisses to the crowd.

There was a further break from the heart wrenching songs with the T. Rex classic, “Cosmic Dancer”. Up next was the Cave classic, “God is in the House”. It gave Warren Ellis the perfect platform to show why he is the perfect compliment to Cave and such an endearing character. His dexterity on the violin was applauded by the audience.

The red lighting and dramatic chanting hypnotic chorus of “Hand of God” brought out the drama and animation to Cave’s performance on stage. He rallied his choir into a frenzy. The main set closed with “Balcony Man”, the final track from “Carnage”. Cave playfully changed the lyric to “Balcony Girl” to acknowledge the screams of one excited fan The final message from Cave being “What doesn’t kill you just makes you crazier”. The crowd knew there was much more to come as the false horizon had not yet been reached.

As Cave and Ellis returned, the applause was rapturous, and the brief standing ovation subsided into seated wonder as the epic song “Hollywood” from Ghosteen begun with the throbbing rumble of the bass as it reverberated throughout the venue. Highlight of the evening, it was 15 minutes of pure musical indulgence.

The recognisable “Henry Lee” saw Nick duet with Janet Rasmus. Any memory of his duet with Polly Harvey had been replaced by the beautiful haunting rendition. Cave took the opportunity to acknowledge the applause and introduce his fellow musicians Johnny Hostile on Bass, Drums and Keys, backing singers Wendi Rose, T Jae Cole, Janet Rasmus and of course, the unmistakeable figure of Warren Ellis. The next song was introduced as being about Edinburgh, much to the elation surprise of the crowd, but of course, we were treated to “Albuquerque” from Carnage, still an uplifting moment but without the actual reference to the capital.

The audience stood up and demanded another encore. Cave was a solo figure when he returned and took pride of place at the piano. He begun to play the recognisable “Into my arms” and the crowd noise drowned out those opening bars. The evening ended with Cave singing “I am beside you, look for me” from the song “Ghosteen Speaks”. Cave and Co stood up and acknowledged the plaudits from the audience. A final curtain call to wave to the enthusiastic crowd. The carnage was over, back to the controlled chaos of leaving the venue but with the same feeling of euphoria.

Nick Cave and Warren Ellis UK tour continues in Sept/Oct

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Nick Cave and Warren Ellis bring Carnage to Aberdeen

19th September 2021

Nick Cave finally plays Ghosteen and Carnage album material live on tour

Every Nick Cave gig is an immersive experience. Whether it is with “The Bad Seeds” as we know them, stripped back solo performances or alongside his muse, Warren Ellis, they are intense. Add the fact that his two latest albums are the most immersive and emotional experiences you could ever have and that you have probably only had to experience them in your home environment would make even the hardiest of music lovers a little nervous of experiencing them in a public forum.

The Music Hall in Aberdeen had a busy throng of eager fans flowing trough their doors and they were all seated with bated breath to see Nick Cave unleash his mastery. The iconic sight of the piano front and centre, the solo chair alongside for Warren to wield his wizardry and a single bare looking drum kit were complimented by three naked microphone stands overlooking the piano. As the now familiar Cave/Ellis movie soundtrack intro music faded, there was a collective intake of breath as the audience anticipated the arrival of the maestro himself.

The “Conversations” tour acclimatised most of the audience for what was to come and the last two albums, “Ghosteen” and Carnage” provided the backdrop for the evenings script.

Ghosteen, written pre-pandemic but ultimately affected by cancelled tours, finally got its full live premiere. We had seen glimpses of what was to come with the “Idiot Prayer”, a solo performance which was initially a live stream, but finally a live forum and the essential interaction and reaction that Cave has come to demand from his audience.

The scene set, and most of the payers already in place, Cave strode onto the stage with purpose and acknowledged his audience in true fashion with his now customary waves. The opening two tracks from Ghosteen aptly began the performance. “Spinning Song” and “Bright Horses” see Ellis crouch over his Korg keyboard and dominate the soundscape. The irony of the opening lyrics was not lost on the crowd as Cave delivered “Once there was a song…. About the king of Rock ‘n’ Roll” – “With his Black Jelly hair, he crashed onto a stage in Aberdeen”. If you are ever going to endear yourself to an audience, give them a name check and he does so with some aplomb. As he goes on to sing, “And I love you” the crowd’s empathy pours out for those lyrics written after the unfortunate death of Cave’s son in 2015.

It’s not long before “Carnage” rears its head with the title track from his latest album. Written during the lockdown, Cave and Ellis have evolved their predominantly movie soundtrack based partnership. With the trilogy of albums, Push the Sky Away/Skeleton Tree/Ghosteen challenging their fan base, Carnage has tested their resolve even further. Ellis continued to orchestrate the evening from his chair and “White Elephant” certainly animated the evening as Cave leapt like a demon around the stage to the backdrop of the rapturous song.

It’s at this point in the proceedings Cave announced, “You can yell shit out if you want, you are Scottish” to which the repost from the crowd is “Och aye”. A brief light-hearted moment to lighten the sombre surrealism. The crowd are then almost hypnotised with the title track of “Ghosteen” as the vocal harmonies have that endearing uplifting quality that make you feel almost light-headed. Cave’s cutting edge vocal delivery always keeps you grounded and bring back sombre reality to juxtapose the delirium of the music. There’s a real reverence and beauty as “Lavender Fields” give the backing singers the chance to shine. The Church or Cult of Cave is in full flow as they sing “There is a Kingdom in the Sky”.

Nick Cave spots a young man in the front row and asks him if he sings a version of “Star Charmer”, one of Cave’s incarnations (Grinderman). He informs the lad “Yeah, I’ve seen you on the internet”, “It’s so beautiful”. Cave asks what his name is, “Oliver” is the response and Cave shares the fact that his wife loves that version and Cave should sing it like him.

Nick Cave talks with Oliver about his Grinderman cover version

The rendition of “Waiting for You” is almost heart-breaking. Cave’s vocal cords strain to deliver “Waiting for you…. To return”. The same can be said for “I Need You” as Cave finishes the song with the repetitive “Just Breathe, just breathe, just breathe….” as ironically he almost faints at the piano whispering the words until they tail off into the ether.

There’s a welcome break from the heart wrenching songs as the T.Rex classic, “Cosmic Dancer” injected some much needed relief and sees some of the audience become captive dancers as they move around on their seats. The

“God is in the House” gives Warren Ellis the perfect platform to show why he is such an endearing character as his dexterity on the violin as lauded by the audience as be exaggerates blowing them kisses. Cave of course fuels to fire and goads his musical partner much to the delight of the entire venue.

The chanting hypnotic chorus of “Hand of God” sees the cult like nature return to the performance as Cave’s on stage choir drive their harmonies through the room. The main set closed with “Balcony Man”, the final track from “Carnage” and the final message from Cave being “What doesn’t kill you just makes you crazier”.

The applause is truly rapturous from the audience as they give the departing ensemble a standing ovation. It’s not long before they return and unleash the mammoth “Hollywood” from Ghosteen. The throbbing rumble of the bass reverberates throughout the room as Cave delivers the spoken word narrative of the song. Its nearly 15 minutes of indulgence at its best.

Cave and Ellis bring rapture to Aberdeen

Nick thanks the crowd then announces, “Here’s an ancient Nick Cave song… it’s from the dak ages”. The recognisable “Henry Lee” sees Nick duet with Janet Rasmus with fittingly dark raven hair similar to Polly Harvey who first sang with Cave on this iconic song. Cave takes the opportunity to acknowledge the applause and introduce his fellow musicians Johnny Hostile on Bass, Drums and Keys, backing singers Wendi Rose, T Jae Cole, Janet Rasmus and of course, the unmistakeable figure of Warren Ellis.

Nick Cave appeases the audience with Into My Arms

The audience stand up and demand another encore. Cave is a solo figure when he returns and takes pride of place at the piano and lightly begins to play the recognisable “Into my arms”. The buzz dies down and he delivers an emotive performance subtly supported with the delightful harmonies of his attentive aural angels. As the applause dies down, Cave thanks the crowd sincerely for coming along and kickstarting a return to some form of normality by attending concerts. The poignant lyrics of “Ghosteen Speaks” are like an epitaph for the performance, as Cave delivers the lines “Well, I think they’ve gathered here for me”, it is almost self-deprecation at its finest as he continues to sing “I am within you… You are beside me” he knows how to endear himself without ever comprising his integrity.

The tour continues with the following dates;

23 September – City Hall, Sheffield
24 September – Sage, Gateshead
27 September – Philharmonic Hall, Liverpool
29 September – Globe, Stockton
1 October – De Montford Hall, Leicester
2 October – Symphony Hall, Birmingham
6 October – Royal Albert Hall, London
7 October – Royal Albert Hall, London
10 October – Dome, Brighton

https://www.facebook.com/nickcaveofficial

Teenage Fanclub back in Aberdeen after 30yrs

15th September 2021

Teenage Fanclub played Beach Ballroom, Aberdeen 15.09.21

For a band that had gigged regularly for over 30 yrs, a 2 yr hiatus must’ve seemed like an eternity. Two recent sell-out gigs in England set them up for the home coming Scottish dates nicely and were enough to shake off any doubt or apprehension that the new album would not be as well received as it was the bands first new material since founding member Gerry Love had decided to leave the band. The venue change might have been a concern as the public reluctance to return to normality may have affected sales in Scotland, but as England had shown by the sell out gigs, the band were certainly still in demand. The Beach Ballroom was a great venue for their return to Aberdeen as the band hadn’t been there since ’89.

Poster Paints are a collaboration of two of Glasgow’s finest musicians. Carla J. Easton and Simon Liddell are a tour de force and are only one gig in! https://youtu.be/f8QlP_O1jhY

Aberdeen is the venue for only their second gig and they feature as a full band line up. What started as a remote collaboration has come full circle and they are the perfect opener for Teenage Fanclub. The influences are transparent but the outcome greater than the sum of their parts. There’s a confidence and maturity to the sound as Carla’s vocals sit nicely above the twin guitars and thumping signature floor. The bass underpins everything and keeps it all in place.

The audience have turned out in numbers which demonstrates an eagerness to experience not only live music again after all this time, but the possibility of seeing a band at is inception.

Carla and Simon are certainly no strangers to the stage as their other collaborations (Teen Canteen / Frightened rabbit) have produced some wonderful music but Poster Paints demonstrate a strength in depth with their two singles “Never Saw It Coming” and “Number 1”. https://youtu.be/f8QlP_O1jhYPoster Paints – Number 1

https://www.facebook.com/posterpaintsband

Having been one of the main stays in the indie scene, and still a major song writing force, “The Fannies” breezed on stage like it was their twentieth night and not just their second of this run of Scottish dates. Staring at the anonymous audience (due to masks) but they made their presence felt.

Teenage Fanclub back in Aberdeen after 30yrs

Norman Blake was beaming as he struck the opening chords and the band never looked back as they mixed some old and new material and blended those timeless tunes with the new songs from their latest release “Endless Arcade”.

All the frustrations of not being able to tour the new album upon it’s release faded away as the band opened the set with the first track from the new album, “Home”. In many ways, Teenage Fanclub are the perfect return to gigging band. Easy on the ear, familiar and re-assuring. With the uncertainty of the past 18 months, the band instantly bring the feel good factor back to live music and the crowd must’ve felt like they were “Home”. The familiarity continued with “About You” and “Start Again” as it flowed out of the warm sounding PA. The new album featured strongly in the set as the band slotted 7 songs into their performance.

The band sounded immaculate all night and the mixture of old and new was well received. Although the new songs were written before the pandemic, they do reflect the times we are in and the dark subject matter did not detract as the jangly, rich dense chords had an immersive quality. The new songs written after Gerry love’s departure seem to have invigorated the band and with the prospect of a European tour on the horizon in 2022, the band are already back in the groove. Norman recalls the band’s first visit to Aberdeen in ’89 and someone from the crowd shouts, “It was snowing”. After the brief hilarity, the band play the title track “Endless Arcade” from the album of the same name, followed by “In Our Dreams” and bring a run of new songs to a summation before the bands 1997 album “Songs from Northern Britain” features three of their timeless classics. https://youtu.be/DRh4Gm2clwk

The main set draws to a close with “The Concept” but it’s not long before they grace the stage again for an encore as they continue with “The Fall” and the final song off the new album “The Sun Won’t Shine”. The crowd showed their ultimate appreciation as “Everything Flows” ended an endearing performance. With the recent resurgence of vinyl, and the bands re-release of their Geffen albums, the new album and tour have come at the right time to bring them back into the forefront. The rich guitars and complimentary harmonies have never really gone out of fashion and the audience proved it as no one left early and they all stayed to show their appreciation.

https://www.facebook.com/teenagefanclub.music

https://www.teenagefanclub.com

2022

Apr 08, 2022 – Sheffield, UK – Leadmill

Apr 09, 2022 – Leeds, UK – Beckett’s

Apr 10, 2022 – Nottingham, UK – Rock City

Apr 12, 2022 – Birmingham, UK – Institute

Apr 13, 2022 – Norwich, UK – Waterfront

Apr 14, 2022 – Bath, UK – Komedia

Apr 16, 2022 – Brighton, UK – Chalk

Apr 17, 2022 – Portsmouth, UK – Wedgewood Rooms

Apr 20, 2022 – Belfast, UK – Empire Music Hall

Apr 21, 2022 – Dublin, IE – Academy

Apr 23, 2022 – Gothenburg, SE – Pustervik

Apr 24, 2022 – Oslo, NO – Vulkan

Apr 25, 2022 – Copenhagen, DK – Pumpehuset

Apr 27, 2022 – Hamburg, DE – Knust

Apr 28, 2022 – Berlin, DE – Columbia Theater

Apr 29, 2022 – Dusseldorf, DE – Zakk

May 01, 2022 – Munich, DE – Strom

May 02, 2022 – Mannheim, DE – Alte Feuerwache

May 04, 2022 – Lyon, FR – Épicerie Moderne

May 05, 2022 – Nantes, FR – Stereolux

May 06, 2022 – Rouen, FR – Le 106

May 07, 2022 – Paris, FR – La Gaîté Lyrique

May 08, 2022 – Eindhoven, NL – Effenaar

May 09, 2022 – Utrecht, NL – De Helling

Sep 16 – 17 2022 – Visor Fest, Benidorm, Spain

New E.P. from Those Fucking Snowflakes

10th January 2021

Those Fucking Snowflakes ‘Everything Is Absolutely Fkkkkkkd’

Vinyl pre-orders for the six song EP ‘Everything Is Absolutely Fkkkkkkd’ are available now. It’s the bands first release on Louder Than War Records.

New video for song ‘By The Power Of Barnard Castle’

E.P. Tracklisting:

Uncooperative Crusties

Due Some Terrible End

White Isn’t Right

By The Power Of Barnard Castle

Caudrilla Can Fuck Right Off

Mendacious Meddling Milkshake Recipient

The birth of Punk was an inevitable backlash to the inane bland stadium rock and the hardshipsseen in 70’s Britain that were only matched when the country was raveged by war. Who could ever have imagined that there would be a return to the desolation of these days and that it would have the back drop of a war against a virus and a government whose ambivalence hasn’t been matched since the Romans ran riot. What does it take to energise the populous and galvanise them against a government that would appear untouchable. Middle England devoid of the former unity of it’s brotherhood is now over run by snowflakes. A term now commonly used for the sensitive millennials who out number a generation that grew up using common sense and hard work to earn a living instead of privilege and knee jerk responses on social media.

How do you raise awareness, well you could start by naming your band Those Fucking Snowflakes and writing some forthright songs and educate your target audience. Blackpool, the home of “Rebellion”, albeit a punk festival, is the home of such a band. Three chords were the weapon of choice in the 70’s but music has become more progressive and a more universally appealing method is required to illuminate. Of course, it takes more than music to put fire into someones belly and direct, dark but deliberate words can do it.

The latest E.P from Those Fucking Snowflakes will be released on 22nd January and is aptly named “Everything is Absolutely Fkkkkkkd”. It certainly feels like it as at the time of writing, I’m sat in a lockdown with no real end in sight. As Covid and Brexit have done their best to try to kill the creative content of musicians all over Europe, it is the subject matter for this E.P. It is angst, anger and rage that are suitably supported with some unrelenting music as a backdrop. As is the nature with any anti-establishment protest styled gene of music, it’s in your face, uncomfortable at times but ultimately engaging. It is difficult to derive the exact words throughout the entirety of all of the songs but there’s no second guessing with their titles. It’s not just politicians that feel the wrath of the lambasted lyrics but a self professed “activist” gets both barrels from these belligerent boys. The music and the lyrics are intelligent. They are energised and deliberate. If you don’t feel invigorated by this E.P. then perhaps you might just melt if you’re not careful!

Find Those Fucking Snowflakes on Facebook, Twitter, YouTube, Instagram, and the band’s website.

“Bag pipe driven armageddon for your ear-holes!”

22nd October 2020

The fifth album from those Dundee “Oary” punksters The Cundeez, brings a new feel to their well establish sound. No strangers to some of the biggest punk festivals on the planet, The Cundeez have been doing their thing for over 10 years and have tapped into their local history and Scottish heritage throughout their existence. The new album certainly gives you a Scottish flavour as the bag pipe driven instrumental sets out their stall for this latest release.

http://www.tarbeachmusic.com/

https://www.facebook.com/Thecundeez

Of course, the pipes alone don’t set the new album apart from previous material but with Shaun W Kerr now on drums, the Celtic influence is bolstered with some great tribal drumming. The second song pays homage to fellow Scots Peat & Diesel from Stornaway. It’s a clever way of spreading The Cundeez punk folk blend of upbeat alt infused rock with a twist of ska and Oi for good measure. Gary Robertson’s natural poetic story driven lyrics give the listener a real feel of the Dundee dialect and even to the most hardened Scots, it’s an education as he unashamedly makes no apologies or allowance for those listening if it’s not understood. A lyric sheet would be much appreciated as the carefully crafted words are worthy of dissemination.

There’s always a comic, tongue in cheek feel to most Cundeez songs and I’d never have expected a Joy Division cover to ever figure into their set. Somehow they’ve managed to do it with Love Will Tear Us Apart. Not entirely sure it fits into the album but still worthy of a listen. Cundee Armageddon (a self coined lyric) is at it’s best best when they are hammering out tunes like Bow To No One, Teckle or Up for the Craic. There’s no mistaking where the band are from with song titles like Gangs o’ Dundee and Made in Dundee but there’s a universal appeal to the subject matter as most listeners would be able identify with The Cundeez as most working class towns in Britain have had their own struggles and especially with the final tune Austerity, it’s an indicator of the times we now live in. There are 16 tracks on this latest offering and some very solid material on it, possibly their best album to date. The inclusion of the two cover versions on the album goes some way to provide insight into their live sets but could easily have been left behind in the mixing room but you best decide for yourself.

Not resting on their laurels, the enigmatic east coasters are already planing an assault as they head back into the studio to work on yet more bag pipe driven armageddon for your ear-holes!

The Sensible Gray Cells Return!

12th September 2020

‘GET BACK INTO THE WORLD’ – BRAND NEW STUDIO ALBUM FEATURING CAPTAIN SENSIBLE AND PAUL GRAY FROM THE DAMNED, WITH JOHNNY MOPED DRUMMER MARTY LOVE

RELEASED NOVEMBER 27^TH VIA DAMAGED GOODS RECORDS

NEW VIDEO FOR ‘I MARRIED A MONSTER’ OUT TODAY

Back in 2013, when the world was still pretty weird, but markedly less bizarre than it is now, Captain Sensible and then former Damned bassist Paul Gray reunited for an album called ‘A Postcard From Britain’ under the name The Sensible Gray Cells. This was long before Paul Gray re-joined The Damned for their ‘Evil Spirits’ album in 2018 and allowed the pair to reacquaint their musical partnership and explore their love of the quintessentially British late 60s psych-pop period that has always been their passion.

And now, with live music derailed for the foreseeable future and 2020 already proving to be an unforgettable year for all of the wrong reason, Sensible and Gray were inspired to reignite their Sensible Gray Cells persona, together with Johnny Moped drummer Marty Love, for ‘Get Back Into The World’, released via Damaged Goods Records this coming November 27^th.

“PG and myself being garage psych aficionados feel there should be more of this kind of music and this is our contribution to the cause,” explains the Captain. “If I said that some of these songs were ‘Damned rejects’ that shouldn’t be seen as an indication of inferior song writing, more that they’re not wearing the right shirt.”

“I’ve never been a prolific writer being a lazy so and so, I think it’s best to wait for inspiration to call, which explains the 7 year gap ( how many albums could the Beatles have crammed in that period!) but in the meantime Paul re-joined the Damned and we’ve gigged about a bit, which is always fun – CAN WE HAVE LIVE MUSIC BACK AGAIN PLEASE!”

‘A Postcard From Britain’ was a snapshot of modern life and similarly, ‘Get Back Into The World’ provides a comparable document.

“It’s sad that high streets around the world have been destroyed by online shopping but nobody’s forcing people to do it – what can you do,” he states. “These are very strange times we’re living though – I just count myself lucky to have been around to witness the 2nd half of the 20th century; a fab time for music, culture, ideas and that without even mentioning Benny Hill and On The Buses. The new album coincides with all this virus malarkey, which, unpleasant as it is will undoubtedly be used by the powers that be to tighten the screws on us little people on behalf of their billionaire paymasters. Blah blah, etc. There’s a bit of that hidden away in the album.”

Back in June, listeners got their first taste of the new Sensible Gray Cells in the form of the ‘So Long’/’What’s The Point In Andrew?’ seven-inch, now long since sold out. Show-casing what to expect from the album, the strutting rock n’ roll of ‘So Long’ was a stark contrast to the whimsical royal-baiting of ‘What’s The Point Of Andrew?’ (“Known forever as the royal spare”) and shows the variety of moods and styles on offer here.

Now comes ‘I Married A Monster’, a stomping 60s garage punk nugget that pays tribute to their love of old horror films.

“We love all those old Ealing comedies, ‘Carry On’ films and 1950’s hammy-horror movies like The Blob and I Married A Monster From Outer Space,” explains Paul. “This is our musical tongue-in-cheek spoof homage to them….after all, you never can quite be sure…can you??”

Watch the ‘I Married A Monster’ video

Get Back Into The World track listing:

1 Sell Her Spark

2 Get Back Into the World

3 Don’t Say I Didn’t Warn Ya

4 Black Spider Memo Man

5 Stupid Dictators

6 So Long

7 A Little Prick

8 DJ With Half a Brain

9 Jam Tomorrow

10 What’s the Point of Andrew?

11 Fine Fairweather Friend

12 I Married a Monster

13 You and Me 14 Another World

Get Back Into The Worldis available for pre-order in the following formats

THE SENSIBLE GRAY CELLS

The title track will also be released on a 7” single along with an exclusive B-side two weeks prior to the album release.

ALBUM OPTION ONE

An exclusive black and yellow splatter vinyl LP (12 tracks) + a black vinyl 12” single containing two extra tracks + a set of three signed postcards. Limited to 500 copies.

ALBUM OPTION TWO

Standard release grey vinyl LP (12 tracks)

ALBUM OPTION THREE

CD (14 tracks)

ALBUM OPTION FOUR

Cassette (14 tracks). Limited to 100 copies

‘Get Back Into The World’ 7” single featuring exclusive B-side ‘World of Confusion’

Blue vinyl – mail order only – Limited to 400 copies

Grey vinyl – mail order only – Limited to 400 copies

Clear vinyl – shops only – Limited to 400 copies

Find Sensible Gray Cells online at:

FACEBOOK

CRASS – FEEDING THE 5,000 REMIX UPDATE

4th August 2020

CRASS – THE FEEDING OF THE FIVE THOUSAND REMIX PROJECT

‘NORMAL NEVER WAS 2’ 12” TO BE RELEASED SEPTEMBER 4^thVIA CRASS RECORDS

AVAILABLE DIGITALLY TODAY

FEATURES ‘G’S SONG’ REMIXED BY CULT NEW YORK CITY DJ AND PRODUCER JOHNNY DYNELL

AND ‘BANNED FROM THE ROXY’ BY ELECTRONIC COMPOSER CHARLES WEBBER.

ALL PROCEEDS WILL GO TO REFUGE – WWW.REFUGE.ORG.UK

Following XL Recordings honcho Richard Russell’s remix of ‘Bomb’ a few weeks back, the Crass ‘Feeding Of The Five Thousand’ remix project enters its next stage with a high-energy dancefloor deconstruction of ‘G’s Song’ by New York DJ, producer and promoter Johnny Dynell. Well known for his 1983 cult hit ‘Jam Hot’ (remixed and sampled many times over, most famously by Fatboy Slim and his group Beats International for ‘Dub Be Good To Me’ in 1990), Dynell has had a long and illustrious career in music with his roots in the 70s Downtown No Wave art-punk scene. Dynell’s connection and friendship with Crass goes back to those days when the anarchist punk icons played their only US gigs in 1978 in New York.

“I met Gee (Vaucher, visual artist for Crass) in 1977 when she came to live in NYC and we shared a loft space with another friend,” remembers Dynell.“I met CRASS in 1978 when they came to play and we became very close. Gee had her own place by then which is where the band stayed. After practically living with them all while they were in town, I quickly became aware of how bad things were in England and that bands like CRASS were really trying to make a difference. The difference between the New York Punk scene and the English scene at the time was striking. New York was nowhere near as political or as intense. CRASS were definitely not just interested in getting a record contract. Gee was and continues to be a role model and a positive influence on me.”

Because of his fondness for Gee, Dynell picked ‘G’s Song’ for his remix. It was his favourite from ‘Feeding…’, written by Vaucher in NYC before she returned to England to join the band.

“This track was a real challenge though because I wanted to do something totally different with it,” he explains.“I wanted it to sound more like the tracks that I DJ in clubs, but still have the power and drive of the punk original. I used Steve’s iconic vocals and a few bars of the punk guitar in the intro to show the song’s roots. The drums change at the end of the song to a more driving punk beat. I hoped that this would bring back some of the original live energy of the band I’d experienced.”

The 12” also includes a jarring, cut-up experimental remix of the band’s infamous ‘Banned From The Roxy’ worked on by electronic composer and video artist Charles Webber who, apart from his own extensive compositions, has for many years collaborated closely with Crass vocalist Eve Libertine on such works as the chamber opera ‘Room of Worlds’, an arrangement of Wilhelm Reich’s ‘Listen Little Man’ and the ‘Kernschmelze’ series devised by Crass founder Penny Rimbaud.

‘Normal Never Was 2’ is available digitally and on coloured blue vinyl with a limited pressing of 500 copies on September 4^thvia Crass Records, now working through One Little Independent Records.

Late last year Crass took the step of making the original separate track stems of their seminal debut album ‘The Feeding of the Five Thousand’ available as a free download. With a call to take the original sixteen track recording in its pre-mix state, the intent was for people to create their own remixes and interpretations and breathe fresh life and ideas into this revolutionary music.

First released in 1978, ‘The Feeding of the Five Thousand’ pre-empted rap and grime in its hard-on-the-beat, fast fire, uncompromising lyrics and the iconic sounds and messages are ripe for reinterpretation. Crass encouraged people to rip apart the sound and ideas and create something new, then send the files to Crass Records for future releases and charitable projects. The message is DIY like it never was before. “Yours for the taking, yours for the making,” Crass said. “You do it, we’ll stew it. Mix it backwards, forwards and upside down. Turn up the heat and fix it with a downbeat, bring in the trumpets and let ‘em blow, let the piper call the tune to let us all know. It’s up to you to do what you like with it. The only limitation is your imagination.”

All monies raised from the project will go to the charity ‘Refuge’ – http://www.refuge.org.uk who state:

‘Refuge is incredibly grateful to Crass and their team for helping raise vital funds for Refuge. Since the start of lockdown, Refuge has seen a 66% rise in demand for its Helpline, and a 950% rise in visits to its Helpline website. This shows the sheer extent of the need for specialist domestic abuse services – not just during lockdown but beyond. Every penny raised helps us to ensure that no woman or child is turned away from safety.

‘While lockdown itself doesn’t cause domestic abuse – abuse happens all year round – it does, of course, have the potential to aggravate pre-existing abusive behaviours – and the data we have shows us the increase in the need for our services during lockdown. Refuge worked incredibly hard at the beginning of the pandemic to make sure our services remained open and remained safe. The generous donations we have received, including those from Crass, mean we can continue to provide the life-saving and life-changing services that women experiencing domestic abuse need and deserve.’

Pre-order the ‘Normal Never Was 2’ 12” EP –

Crass

For further information visit:

PENNYRIMBAUD – FACEBOOK

CRASS – FACEBOOK