Glasgowgigs

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

Weird Milk @ The Poetry Club // 19.11.21

Posted on by GoldenBoughMusic

Weird Milk leaves a satisfying after taste.

Like most bands post isolation Weird Milk are touring new material from their latest EP We Were Strangers, a delightful romanticised retro, stomp through the highs and lows of romantic entanglements.

Tonight’s show at The Poetry Club is packed full – mainly with teenage girls who have no doubt came for more than the bands dulcet tones.

Opening tonight’s show is Glasgows very own Fuzzy Lop – a delightful quartet reminiscent of Nico and Cate Le Bon. Definitely one to keep an eye on.

Weird Milk arrive on stage to rapturous applause from the packed out crowd.

Opening their set with ‘See You Around’ Weird Milk waste zero time getting the party started. The song is an upbeat ditty that highlights just what this band do for bread and butter – creating something that’s fun and ever so bittersweet.

This is the bands second outing to Glasgow (previously playing Broadcast pre-pandemic) and it’s clear to see that this quintet are loving every second of performing.

Next up is a self professed ‘sad song’, ‘Under the Waves’ which sees drummer, Charlie Glover Wright delivering vocals reminiscent of Alexis Taylor of Hot Chip fame.

The band rattle through a playful set full of gems that bring a slice of Beach Boys sun all the while with a 80’s synth undertone.

Lead singer Alex Griffiths vocals are akin to Alex Turner on ‘End of the World’ and ‘Lonely Boy’ has Joe Moyle shaking maracas and the whole room dancing merrily.

With lots of jovial between song banter its clear that these boys are doing what they love.

Set finale ‘Vienna’ leaves the crowd chanting for more, after a very brief interlude the group amble back on stage to play B-side ‘You’ as an encore.

The band make it clear without any pretence that they will be around for a chat and spend ages taking selfies with fans and signing records. A promising outlook for this North London outfit be sure to get down to a gig ASAP.

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.

Jacuzzi Boys with Faux Ferocious + Deathcats @ Nice N Sleazys // 25.09.2019

Posted on by GoldenBoughMusic

Jacuzzi Boys supported by Deathcats and Faux Ferocious can only be described with one word: raucous. From start to finish last night’s gig at Nice ‘N Sleazys was high energy and every band delivered.

Local band, Deathcats, who aptly describe themselves as “surf catcore” started off the night with garage punk vibes. The lead singer was rumbustious matching the group’s rowdy music style. Playing his guitar from every angle emulating Jimi Hendrix in a showmanship-esque way, but on speed. Even though the lead singer may at times steal the stage, the bass player’s punchy bass lines and the drummer set the tempo at the core of their music which is simply fun.

Deathcats

Faux Ferocious, good ‘ol boys out of Tennessee (US),  whose style was garage rock meet jam band, was simply infectious. Most of the songs played on the night were long with minimal lyrics, but the audience couldn’t help but get lost in the music. Their constant adjustment of levels and pedals assured the audience a perfectly balanced yet psychedelically trance inducing sound. The level of musicianship of each individual member was equally as impressive as the next.

The main event of the night was Jacuzzi Boys who were wild. After all, Iggy Pop sings their praises which is no surprise given that they are the definition of rock n’ roll. From the lead singer’s raspy voice fitting a band from the late 70s/early 80s punk era, to the hooky guitar and fuzzy bass, the band seeps cool with their carefree attitudes to match the sound. Formed in 2007 in Miami, FL. and with four albums under their belts, they are no strangers to the stage and exuded confidence before, during, and after their performance. Although they haven’t released any new music since 2016, the night seemed like a compilation of their best material with them pulling tracks from all albums. Favourites such as “Glazin’”, “Double Vision”, “Sun” and “Lucky Blade” helped carry the up-beat vibe into the night which ended with most audience members either dancing, moshing, and for a few, crowd surfing.

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.