Broadcast

Iceage / Moni Jitchell @Broadcast // 28.03.23

Posted on by GoldenBoughMusic

Having been postponed from March 2022 due to ongoing COVID concerns, Danish post-punk heartthrobs finally make it back to Glasgow for a packed show at Broadcast, their first in the city since 2018.

Absurdly-named Glasgow hardcore act Moni Jitchell kicked off the evening, providing the only support. Despite comprising just two members, vocalist Grant Donaldson and guitarist David Scott threaten to level the venue with volume. An insistent backing track of pre-recorded drums & bass, crackling electronics and the occasional distorted sample thicken the sound to almost unbearable levels, a raging baseline for the raw vocals and violent riffs as the band alternately speed and stalk through tracks from their debut EP ‘Clear’ and upcoming 12” ‘Unreal’.

While many of the songs are minute-or-so breakneck hardcore bangers, when they slow down, cuts like Sell Selfish and set highlight Waves veer into expansive, with Donaldson’s melodic vocals melding with Scott’s unusual 12-string guitar textures. They close their set with the furious (and incredibly titled) ‘Moni Jitchell Live at Hellfest’: Donaldson evoking TV classic LOST’s John Locke with an impassioned and definitely tongue-in-cheek refrain of ‘DON’T TELL ME WHAT I CAN’T DO’ – a fitting statement of intent for this inherently odd, exciting band.

Iceage’s frontman Elias Bender Rønnenfelt appears onstage wearing a very nice cardigan, and the audience immediately swoons. Perhaps the only band to have ever gotten away with ripping off Oasis and still sounding cool as fuck (as on 2021’s Seek Shelter), Iceage’s trajectory has been unusual. Their first two records were early Bad Seeds by way of English post-punk, but there was a definite shift with 2014’s Plowing Into the Field of Love into something more refined and big-room-ready.

Broadcast’s stage is strange, narrow and deep – Rønnenfelt front-and-centre, but the rest of the band stand nestled far into the venue’s alcove, giving the unfair impression that it’s the Elias show.

He is a captivating presence, his charismatically off-key drawl giving huge presence to the set (mostly comprised of cuts from Plowing…, 2018’s Beyondless and Seek Shelter) but the rest of the band are capable and poised, especially on ragers like Painkiller (the absence of recorded collaborator Sky Ferreira barely noticeable) massive singalong Shelter Song and early hit The Lord’s Favorite.

There are possible signs that their obsession with Madchester is getting a little out of hand, as two of the three new songs played tonight almost sound like Smiths covers, and the third could be a Joy Division b-side.

But the crowd are enraptured and rightfully so – the band is tight, the performance on the right line between joyous and painfully cool. It feels as though the band remains perched right on the edge of superstardom – hopefully their next visit to Glasgow is on a bigger stage.

Words 📝 Sean Patrick Campbell

Shot by 📸 Sean Patrick Campbell

Pip Blom @ Stereo // 11.10.2019

Posted on by GoldenBoughMusic

Currently touring with their first full-length album Boat, Pip Blom graced our presence in Glasgow last Friday night. Relatively new and on the up, this group has a lot of people talking with their lo-fi indie pop jams. With Rolling Stone having described their album as “an instant classic” and just about every other music publication singing their praises as well, it is no surprise that they drew in a large crowd at Stereo.

Concert-goers stood shoulder to shoulder in a packed crowd as they waited for the band to start. At times it felt a bit claustrophobic, however, any discomfort melted away as soon as the Pip Blom hit their first chord with “Tinfoil” a song punching with punk vibes. You can tell the band loves what they do as they bounced and danced on stage in-sync with the crowd never ceasing to smile. It seemed that they enjoyed the show just as much as we did and the atmosphere was simply joyous. The night was all about their music as they switched from one song to the next with barely a break between songs. The only notable chat from the band was to inform us that their mother was slinging merch at their stall and that they would be behind the stand after the gig for a meet and greet.

Although their songs are catchy and bursting with energy,.their lyrics can be thoughtfully intimate speaking about issues we all face. In “Sorry” Pip Blom talks to us about a  breakdown of a relationship where things just aren’t the same anymore singing “It’s not alright, you know you can’t deny/You find it hard to be there by my side”. The band also talks about self doubt and recovery in “Ruby” with lines like “I tried to swim but I feel so self-conscious/So I decide to go where no one watches/And, I know I shouldn’t hide” and “Worst days are over now that I feel fine/Don’t know what to do with all the time, all the time”. The downhearted themes which can be heard in their lyrics are contrasted with cheerful fuzzy indie-pop ultimately making listeners feel optimistic about the difficult feelings associated with everyday situations.

The band played a perfect mix of materials from their early days to their latest album Boat. With their upbeat pop melodies and fast paced rhythms, moshing at the front of the crowd started early and didn’t finish until the final note of the last song “Daddy Issues”. What comes next for the band is unknown, but with a strong jumping off point we are eager to hear what they come up with next.

FUR @ Broadcast // 18.09.2019

Posted on by GoldenBoughMusic

Summer is definitely over. The weather is cooler. The days are becoming shorter while the weeks are becoming a bit more hectic…seeming longer. As it is a Wednesday, the weekend is close but, oh how it seems so far away. Experiencing a bad case of the hump day blues and needing Friday feels, I headed down to Broadcast to catch FUR, a band from Brighton that I’ve personally been obsessing over for the past year. Turns out their upbeat melodies and jangly guitars was the pick me up I needed.

If William Murray (singer/guitar) wouldn’t have told us that they almost didn’t make it to the gig due to his wisdom tooth woes we would have never known as their performance was close to perfect and their energy infectious. FUR played a mix of older and newer material so there was something for everyone whether you were a fan who has followed them since the beginning or have only just discovered them recently. They drew us in with crowd favourites such as ‘All My Dreams’ , ‘Not Enough’, and ‘Him and Her’. At times the set list felt  like an emotional rollercoaster [one we wanted to be on] with slower ballads nestled between upbeat, carefree tracks. One minute the audience was swaying from side to side hypnotised by William Murray’s slow serenades and the next having a wee boogie as the whole band played. We all left the gig bouncing, on a musical high…and maybe with our legs a bit sore.

I will admit that it isn’t only their music that I love. It is their complete aesthetic which is utterly retro making you nostalgic for a time when you weren’t even alive and that you’ve only seen in old movies. The combination of their fashion choices and music style feels as though they are the “free love” children of Buddy Holly and The Beatles. With genetics this strong hits are sure to follow.

“It wasn’t always like this” is a phrase used by bands who spent years trying to get discovered, but for FUR it kinda was always like this. With their first video going viral on Youtube at a time when they had no label or even a manager, it is safe to say they started with a bang and not a whimper. Now that video, ‘If You Know That I’m Lonely’, has successfully amassed over 8 million views and justifiably so as they have successfully modernised an older sound giving us something we didn’t even realise we were longing for. As a band with only one EP under their belt they have an incredibly mature, unique sound which some bands fail to have even after playing together for a decade. Now on the label Nice Swan, with a proper team supporting them, and a solid fan base they have an even more promising future ahead and the only way is up.

No Vacation @ Broadcast // Glasgow

Posted on by GoldenBoughMusic

To say No Vacation’s gig on Saturday was intimate would be an understatement. Playing for a small crowd of dedicated fans and set in the basement of Broadcast, one of the cities smaller music venues, it felt as though we’d been snuck in to see a private rehearsal than a gig. As the band urged the crowd to close the gap at the front of the stage, opting for zero space between musician and audience, they allowed their sound to envelop us completely into their hazy dream pop world rather than simply making us watch from the outside.

The band played crowd favorites “Yam Yam” and “Mind Fields”  from their last EP Intermission which was released in 2017. Throughout each the crowd sang in unison with Sab Mai (vocals + guitar) whose voice is softly spoken smoky and melodic adding to the band’s dreamy beach sound. Other songs such as “You’re Not With Me” and “Reaper” showcased their ability to commandeer the sound of their individual instruments into one cohesive sound, creating such a balanced sound so that not one element overpowers another and seamlessly blends together. Members in the audience were in awe of synth instrumentalist Nat Lee’s musicianship. Muffled comments of excitement and admiration swept through the crowd as she switched between violin, keyboards, and at one point took control of Sab Mai’s guitar.

From new band members being added, a founder leaving, to the break up of the band altogether and them getting back together to create their last EP…it is safe to say that No Vacation has been through a lot of changes since its inception as a duo. However, one can argue that these changes in the composition of the band and the personal lives of its members has helped the music evolve. Although no singles have been published from their new EP Phasing which is to be released in September, they did play a few songs and gave us a taste of what is to come. What we heard was a more mature and polished version of their truly unique and original sound. We can only hope that the band is here to stay for good and continues to evolve.

Notes: Although no official date for the new album release has been announced, their first single “Estrangers” will be released Friday, August 30th.