Archive for September, 2007
Target practice
Friday, September 28th, 2007
Take one look at the top 40 and you’d probably come to the conclusion that there’s no better time than the present to get a few mates together and start a band called ‘The’ something.
Be it Enemy, Twang or Klaxons, boys dressed in skinny jeans and accessorised with guitars are as common as fake ID cards in Freshers’ Week.
So it’s no surprise THE RIFLES are trying to muscle in on the action, with their Jam-esque sound of the not-so-plush parts of London.
But having released a mediocre debut album in a market saturated with like-minded souls, you can’t help but feel The Rifles will have to come up with something pretty special (or soundtrack a deodorant advert) if they’re to keep up with the The’s.
4 The Rifles – In Between Days (The Cure cover)
b October 6, QMU, Glasgow
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Les magnifiques
Thursday, September 27th, 2007
When Leslie FEIST strolled on stage at Oran Mor last night, the Canadian songstress announced that ever since her previous visit to Glasgow (at Nice ‘n’ Sleazy on November 20, 2004), she has been raving about it on her travels around the world.
And once again there was more than enough magic and drama to make you think she’ll be talking about this gig for a few years too.
Feist certainly warmed up a freezing Wednesday night in the West End, with an ethereal voice so stunning even her microphone struggled to cope with its remarkable range. But the occasional technical hitches didn’t come close to distracting a zealous crowd from appreciating one of the most naturally blessed talents of our generation.
After Feist was corrected by a heckler on a North Americanism (saying “apartment” rather than “flat”), she began overelaborating the definition of a porch by explaining it as a place to sit out in the summer when one quick-witted punter got the biggest laugh of the night by yelling: “What does summer mean?”
When the band got down to serious business, the consistent greatness of songs from most-recent album The Remi
nder were interspersed by some choice cuts from her back catalogue, the most eventful undoubtedly being a ramshackle attempt at Mushaboom, during which an exasperated Feist forgot the words (genuinely, it would seem) and offered one well-versed front-rower the chance to do a better job.
As The Pop Cop’s photo shows, the cheeky scamp did just that in exchange for getting his copy of The Reminder signed on stage – he even came prepared with a pen!
If you weren’t lucky enough to be at Oran Mor and this review has whetted your appetite, look out for the concert appearing on a future episode of the BBC Culture Show, for which it was filmed last night. If you were there, you’ll no doubt be looking forward to reliving some unforgettable memories.
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Sting in the tale
Wednesday, September 26th, 2007
It’s difficult to define why one man with a heartbreaking story and an acoustic guitar can take you on a captivating journey, while 99 others will drag you down with them.
There’s something wonderful about the simplicity of it all. Boy meets girl, girl screws boy over. Devastation. Boy meets guitar, girl gets bad-mouthed. Redemption. Essentially, the chords and characters are the same but the outcome is different.
In the hands of DAMIEN RICE it’s as though no-one has ever suffered so acutely for our benefit. Well, not since JC. The angry beauty of his music betrays an intense, wounded soul, whose songs are cathartic not clichéd.
As well as being smart enough not to mess with the perfection of his albums on stage, Damien’s live performances thrive in the fact that his raw passion is laid bare for all to see. Let’s hope our favourite Irishman doesn’t find Mrs Rice any time soon.
4 Damien Rice – Lonely Soldier (feat Christy Moore)
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