The Courettes

MacArts Galashiels & Slay Glasgow

15/16-08-25

There is a band whose drummer is as cool as Ringo, yet as animated as Moon the Loon, and whose singer is the living reincarnation of Lux Interior, Ronnie Spector, and Poison Ivy rolled into one. Say hello to The Fabulous Courettes.

Hot off the heels of a debut Rebellion Festival performance, they arrive in the promised land for a 48-hour whirlwind of shows.

Guitar and arms raised high, The Courettes look out to the crowd, utterly still and silent. Demanding attention, inviting you to connect. The fuse is then lit and the night takes off with a humdinger of an opener, ‘You Woo Me.’

Authentic, take-no-prisoners garage punk meets the Wall of Sound. With an infectious and explosive performance that hits 100mph in the blink of an eye, this larger-than-life duo rip the place apart and hypnotise all those watching.

Despite the size of both MacArts and Slay, you get the feeling you could be in a juke joint in 1930s Mississippi… walls and bodies shaking to the beat that takes over every emotion, eyes fixated on the unfolding spectacle that seems never to end.

Hard to resist and impossible to ignore, The Courettes are an utterly engaging, riotous rock and roll machine. Flavia: a Brazilian firecracker, guitar-wielding ball of energy and crowd-surfing whirlwind of addictive fun. Martin: the Danish pounding heart of every song, who whistles and harmonises, cusses and sings, saluting his best mates and enjoying every sweat-drenched moment.

This ever-touring duo are as pure and hardcore as it gets. As dedicated to their chosen life as The Cramps were to theirs. You are drawn in, mesmerised from beginning to end. This is real. This is it. The 16-song set is over before you know it, leaving you to consider the brilliance of what you have just witnessed.

The next time I have a cocktail, I shall mix one part Brazilian cachaça with one part Danish akvavit and shake—not stir, shake! I will down it in one and salute the band that creates such heartfelt joy you wish their gigs were on constant repeat.

Nights like these remind you why you love music—maybe even life itself.