Album & Live Reviews

Last weekend was a big one for Italian label Frontiers. Their own three-day festival in Milan showcased the best of the talent on their roster and on the Friday they released another batch of three albums that are worthy of attention. With the earlier release of the latest collection from W.E.T. they’ve had quite a month in April. Canadian rockers Harem Scarem were the Sunday headliner at the festival and their latest album ‘Chasing Euphoria’ continues a fine late-career renaissance. Their 1993 album ‘Mood Swings’ has justifiably achieved legendary status and like FM, they were re-united and rejuvenated by an appearance at Nottingham’s Firefest a few years ago. Songs like ‘Sinking Ship’ and ‘Things I Know’ from 2017’s ‘United’ have fully justified that. Pete Lesperance on guitar and vocalist / producer Harry Hess (also of First Signal) have always been there and allegedly the band’s name was derived from a ‘Bugs Bunny’ cartoon. The latest album is another slice of muscular Canadian melodic rock (which is just like American melodic rock but with more hockey and less tariffs) and standout tracks include the rollocking title track, ‘Better the Devil You Know’, ‘Reliving History’ and especially ‘In a Bad Way’. The band are just completing a short European run with Cassidy Paris and hopefully we’ll see them back over here soon.

Saturday brought a much-anticipated trip to Glasgow. Along with a pile of pals we were heading to The Cathouse for a night with the Wayward Sons. First off, there was time for a quick bite to eat and catch up in The Howlin’ Wolf. It was great to see the place full of music fans at 6 o’clock on a Saturday night. The band playing was, I think, called The Lonesome Whistles. They were a three-piece comprising guitar, bass and mandolin. I thought they were absolutely outstanding. Their set was all covers which they played with a twist – no drums and an exceptionally talented bass player who was effectively playing lead. I loved them and would love to know more about then so I can get along to another of their shows. Check them out if you can. We headed down to the Cathouse and just missed the opening band. This was a really early show as the place turns into a nightclub at 11:00 PM. We decided to grab and beer and this resulted in a bit of a challenge. There were six of us and three of us went to grab the drinks. We were refused any more than one drink per person so it became impossible to buy a round for friends. This was a gig for aging rockers at 7 o’clock on a Saturday night; it was not a scene from the Fall of Rome! Whatever the Cathouse policy is, it failed to read the room and, I know, annoyed a good many punters whilst severely limiting their bar takings. It may be good to review that policy before booking similar gigs or at least make the position known when tickets are bought. So, to the music. MuddiBrooke arrived after an ultra-quick change over and gave us 11 songs in their allotted time. This three piece had a real ‘girl punk’ vibe about them, despite having a guy on drums. They delivered a powerful, grunge rock set which I enjoyed. Hopefully, they will get the chance to head back to Scotland for a full show, they’d be well worth a night out. Did I mention quick changeovers? It took less than ten minutes to get things sorted for the headliner and just before quarter to nine, The Wayward Sons took the stage. The first couple, ‘Alive’ and ‘Don’t Wanna Go’ came from the bands 2017 debut long player, “Ghosts of Yet to Come” and the third from their opening blitzkrieg, ‘Big Day’, was a cut of the 2021 album, “Even Up the Score”. This was to be an 18 song set with thirteen of those coming from these two albums. There was no time for a breath, it was just, bam, into the next salvo – ‘Bloody Typical’, ‘Land of the Blind’ and ‘Radio Denial’. This is a venue where the ceiling is low over the stage; this gives a sense that the band are moving within a picture frame. The heat was up and, by now, the sweat was rolling off everyone in that tight little room and, of course, the music was rocking. This was a big band playing a small room. If this had been a club warm gig up for a Download headliner it would have neither looked or felt different from what we were watching on Saturday such was the musical stature of the four protagonists moving in that frame. Taking on lead guitar duties was Sam Wood. Sam has been around the block and played with some great musicians over his career. It is easy to see why, his commanding, front of stage solos were outstanding, and despite his hight and his ever-present sparking grin, he was just as able to blend into the back of the stage and play two strings as others took the lead. Nic Wastell was on the four string. Nic has been a long-term partner in crime of Jepson’s and that shone out in his playing. His instrument of choice was Firebird bass. As Graham, my mate with the mega music knowledge, pointed out “these things weigh a ton”. Nic was throwing it around, moulding it to his body and pointing it at the crowd all night long. All the while, nailing a bass line that others would find a bit too complex for live performance. At the back of the stage, sporting a Denis the Menace jumper was Phil Martini. He was the one guy in the room who appeared not to have cracked into a sweat. Phil’s drumming in blistering. Tonight, he was playing a set of 50 year old Ludwig drums and what a tone and beat he got from them. There is no surprise that Phil, his drums and his rhythm skills are in such demand. He gave a fantastic beat to the night and, as Graham pointed out, “no drums, no rock and roll”. On with the show. The title track to Even Up the Score made a welcome appearance as did ‘Downfall’ and ‘Faith in Fool’s’ from the same album. Wayward Sons have been a solid base for Toby Jepson for a while but they are not, by any stretch, his first band, so it was good to hear that Little Angel’s favourite ‘Small Talk’ arriving at the end of the set. There was no heading off to milk the applause. Like most of the audience, Toby recognised that his back and knees just couldn’t take it. Instead the band stayed put and blasted through ‘Joke’s on You’, ‘Feel Good Hit’ and ‘Until the End’ to bring the night to a close. What a night it was too. I always feel Toby Jepson comes along with a guitar in one hand and his integrity in the other. He always provides a night of fantastic rock and roll. His influences are obvious, but he always comes carrying a passion for, and a commitment to, his fans. I watched a bit of him during lockdown, but, for Graham, Toby’s weekly acoustic shows from his home was a staple. Toby worked hard to get himself and his fans through a difficult period, and, good on him I say. Toby is a fan focused performer, and I often wonder if that has come at a cost to him. As I mentioned at the start of this piece, if that same band were headlining Download with that same set of tunes, the following day, I would not have been a surprised. That level of commercial success has, thus far, eluded Jepson and I don’t know why. Saturday was the last gig of the tour. This rolling circus of rock and roll creativity will, no doubt, be back and if they arrive in a town near you grab a ticket and get down the front. Their artistry, alive and well within the Wayward Sons picture frame, is joy to see.

Midland Railway hail from one of the UK’s most famous breeding areas of musical talent, Manchester. They’ve just released their debut album the self-titled “Midland Railway.” The five piece band, Nick Lote, Sarah MacFhearadhaigh Blemings, Andy Traverse, Kat Donohue, and Ben Ambridge, create a joyful geek rock where you can hear influences as far ranging as Weezer, Artic Monkeys, Buzzcocks, Squeeze, and, in the pitch and sound of some the vocal harmonies even a bit of Queen. Of course, nerdy pop music isn’t a new turn for Manchester. There’s a long history of this kind of music from the city, Herman’s Hermits, 10 c.c., Buzzcocks, Jilted John, and Jon Cooper Clark all hail from in or around the city, and Midland Railway have been catching the ear of people with their own take on it. The album itself provides 10 songs of mostly tongue in cheek humour and slice of life dramas. Clocking in at a very concise 29 minutes there’s no room for any waste here. The tone is set with the incredibly catch “She Loves Ted Bundy,” which has a chorus that will linger with the listener for days after they last heard it. “Bedroom Analysis” leaves no doubt for the listener about why Weezer are often mentioned when Midland Railway’s sound is being described. Under the upbeat music lies a melancholy tale of heartbreak and break-up. This recalled the kitchen sink dramas of Squeeze like “Up the Junction,” which deploys a similar mix of catchy tune with a sad tale or the lyrical smarts of Paul Heaton and the Beautiful South. “A Song for Hannah-Beth” follows and it’s going to keep the foot tapping with its honky-tonk vibe and fun time feeling. There are fuzzy guitars a plenty in the mix here too. The juxtaposition of happy song after and sad song keeps the listen from wallowing too much. The Smith’s this isn’t. I’d mention here the one thing that irked me slightly while listening to the album as it’s particularly noticeable on a “A Song for Hannah-Beth.” There are moments throughout where the mix has the instruments so high up in it that the lyrics are almost impossible to pick up. It’s an annoyance, which doesn’t distract from the album’s enjoyment too much, but I do like to listen to lyrics, and I think Midland Railway’s humour in those I can hear makes me sad for what I may be missing. That sense of fun and good straight forward pop vibes carries through the next few tracks. By the time “The Mysterious Cities of Gold” ends you have a good idea of who Midland Railway are. “General Debility” takes the foot off the accelerator briefly. It’s moodier than any of the tracks before it. This bodes well for Midland Railway not being a one trick pony. That point is driven home by “One Day” with its angry punk energy. The vocals on this track from Nick Lote and harsh and raw. You could imagine he had a sore throat for a few days after recording this track. “Involuntary Counsellor” follows “One Day” and stays true to the quirky pop and smart lyrics Midland Railway seem to revel in. As the album come towards it end “Anna in Wonderland” adds in some nice touches of psychedelia that give the track a hazy smoke filled glow. “An Attempt to Write a Song” wraps the proceedings up. It’s another smart piece of geek rock where the target of the song is the writing of the song. It’s a smart record. Anyone who likes any of the bands mentioned above will find something to love here. The ten tracks sit well together and the album breezes along. It’s short enough to not out stay its welcome and it makes you want to click on the play button to start it all over again. Not every album has me wanting to do that. There will be some who’ll want to smooth some of the rougher edges off, but it’s that punk rock roughness and joy de vie that makes the whole album pull together as a cohesive whole for me. A band to watch out for with hopefully a lot more to come from them. If you wanted an abridged introduction to Midland Railway I’d go for a listen to "Bedroom Analysis”, "A Song for Hannah-Beth”, "Cities of Gold”, and “One Day”. Midland Railway will play: · King’s Loch, Middlewich, Sunday 27th April 2025 · Salty Dog, Northwich, Friday 2nd May 2025 · Cavern Club, Liverpool, Wednesday 28th May 2025 · Castle & Falcon, Birmingham, Sunday “3rd August 2025 “Midland Railway” the album was released 14th February 2025 and is available on: Spotify Apple Music Amazon Music

The premiere of ‘Coastal’ was shown UK-wide for a single screening and for one night only as we approached the Easter weekend last week. ‘Coastal’ documents an acoustic tour around Californian undertaken by Neil Young in 2023. Providing a mix of live concert and behind the scenes footage mostly shot on his tour bus, it also provides a rare and intimate insight into one of rock’s longest-standing and some might say cantankerous troubadours. Opening slowly, the documentary starts on his vintage tour bus with Neil Young sitting up front on a passenger seat across the aisle from his driver, Don, talking simply about life. Leaning back, and what looked like without a seatbelt and with his feet on the dashboard as the tour bus drove down the freeway did for a moment make me think of the tragic loss of Cliff Burton. Shot in black and white by his wife, Daryl Hannah, the movie uses a number of fixed camera angles around the tour bus with the one at the front in the corner of the bus at dashboard level putting Don in the foreground with Neil to his side - not your usual star as the focus of everything approach. The conversation was a little mundane at the start and the documentary a little slow to drag you in, but touring’s not all about sex and drugs. Accompanying Neil on the bus were Daryl, Ben (his adult son who is quadriplegic with severe cerebral palsy and who goes everywhere with him including tours, award ceremonies etc) and their two dogs. The first gig to feature was at the John Anson Ford Amphitheatre in Los Angeles, a 12,000 seat outdoors venue in which much of the stage had to be covered temporarily in gazebos to protect the instruments and stage equipment from the heat of the sun during sound check. As the time of the gig approached we saw his human side, as Neil felt nervous about performing for the first time in four years due to the pandemic. However, any pre-shoe nerves didn’t affect his performance. As solo gigs, Neil accompanied himself on harmonica, acoustic 6 and 12 string guitars, his customised Les Paul with Bigsby tailpiece and tremolo arm, different pianos and a wonderful pipe organ which he thought he might have picked up in a pawn store, but his memory and drugs at the time may have let him down in remembering. The only additional accompaniment was on some occasional percussion and piano. Those attending were warned by him during the show that this was a “no hits” tour and instead he’d be pulling rarely played songs from his vast back catalogue. Highlights for me included - ‘Vampire Blues’ which despite being played solo was much louder and rawer here than on ‘On the Beach’ (1974), as Neil strapped on his Les Paul and delivered some wonderful distortion while not losing the melody; ‘Don’t Forget Love’ from the more recent ‘Barn’ an album released two weeks before Christmas in 2021, which leapfrogged what had come before it and became my album of the year; ‘Prime of Life’ from ‘Sleeps with Angels’; and the beautiful piano ballad ‘When I Hold You in My Arms’. His time in Buffalo Springfield was also marked with the inclusion of ‘Expecting to Fly’. The stage for each show also featured a large guage train set which regularly puffed its way around the stage - probably not surprising if you’re aware of Neil’s passion for toy trains which was reawakened when Ben was small. As an artist, his music has spanned folk, rock and Americana, and there are few who can be compared with him. Yes, he’s slowing down. He was 76 when this was shot, but he’s still got it. While some who don’t like his music may find his voice a bit whiny, to others it’s angelic and in the cinema with surround sound his vocals were crystal clear. While well-known for his gentler work, it’s also not for nothing that he is also known as the Godfather of Grunge marrying loud distortion with beautiful melodies … and we also have him to thank for providing the muse for one of Lynyrd Skynyrd’s greatest songs. As the songs progressed, there was also something magical and gunslinger-like watching him play piano with his Les Paul slung over his back and then swinging it around mid-song to play an electric guitar break. Finally, this wouldn’t be a proper review if I didn’t mention ‘Love Earth’, an album track from his last album with Crazy Horse (2022’s ‘World Record’). Played live, this had a similar effect to hearing ‘Always Look on the Bright Side of Life’ from the ‘Life of Brian’ and not being able to get the sing-song melody out of your head. Also based on a deceptively simple sing-song melody, Neil encouraged his audience to sing just two words (not hard to remember) - “Love Earth” after almost every line of the song. It’s still going through my mind and I’m still walking around singing “Love Earth” four days later. A simple message in line with his Hippie Dream and it’s hard not to smile at him raising his middle finger as the tour bus passes the Big Oil rigs off the Californian Coast on the way to his next gig. Not for everyone, but personally I loved it. But as a one-time only screening which created more of a communal and shared experience for like-minded fans than more normal trips to the movies, you’ll have to wait for this to be released in other forms. The songs from ‘Coastal’ are also available on CD or for download and, as with the rest of his catalogue, will not be available on Spotify. GMcA

A one-off gig north of the border for The Bates Motel. Billed as being for fans of Tom Petty, Steve Earle, and Robert Jon & the Wreck they got a hit on all three bands for me. Formed around guitarist, singer and main songwriter “Bad” Bob Bates, the rest of The Bates Motel, (TBM from here on), are Ally Lee, guitar, backing vocals, Dave Coates, bass, backing vocals, Adam Forster, drums and Les Young, percussion, harmonica and backing vocals. While “Bad” Bob has been writing songs for many years, the band have only existed for the past two years. Yet it was clear from the first song that every member of the band is an excellent musician and played as a unit. As promised by the advertising the bands music does cross and mix sounds and elements of country, rock, roots, and Americana music. TBM open with the rocking “Broken Bottles” and the ‘haunting’ “Shape In the Mirror,” which sees The Police’s “Every Breath You Take” taken beyond the grave. “Hands on the Radio” is an anthem and an ode to the golden days of radio, when you could listen through the static to Radios Luxemburg and Caroline and Radio 1 catered to every genre of music like it was part of the mainstream. TBM’s opening salvo is rounded off by “Let me be your Doctor,” which has enough innuendos to make David Coverdale blush. Through the middle of the set TBM take things down a notch “Sundown in Santa Cruz” stands out here. “Bad” Bob explaining all the things he would do if he had the money to pay for it. The chorus lays out how he’ll see sundown in Santa Crus and breakfast in Johannesburg (if I heard it right!). The country side of Bob’s songs also comes to the fore in the middle of the set, most noticeably on “Talkin’ to Jesus” and “Cryin’ Time.” Bob admits he makes no concession for the way his songs move between genres. He writes how and what he feels. It’s not an issue and all his songs work and feel like they belong together. Songs like “Talkin’ to Jesus” and the final song of the set, the hard rocking “Bartender” also display that Geordie sense of humour. On that note another artist I’ll add to the “for the fans of” mix would be Ginger Wildheart, particularly on his more American, roots leaning solo records. There’s plenty of onstage banter between Bob and Ally. Much of it around guitars and what sort of person throws a good guitar in a dumpster. After an on stage discussion of how both Bob and Ally don’t like San Francisco but Dave does, TBM play “Sausalito” Bob’s ode to the town across the bay that sits on the other side of the Golden Gate Bridge. Bob really likes Sausalito and declares in the chorus that “some singers leave their hearts in San Francisco, but I left mine in Sausalito.” It’s the rocky side of TBM that brings the set home with “Remains to be Seen” and “Bartender.” The audience laps these up and then the set is done. Rather than mess around with leaving and coming back TBM remain on stage pretend their coming back after a thunderous demand from the crowd for more. After Bob comments on how much the audience seemed to enjoy the more upbeat rock songs, they rock their way through “Blues Ain’t Gonna Feed Ya” and an epic “Bridge Street in the Rain.” The latter building from the actual sounds of Bridge Street in the rain recorded by Bob on a walk to the pub complete with traffic noise to a crescendo of guitars in the way that Dire Straits “Love Over Gold” or “Telegraph Road” did. And then it’s over. The band were excellent all night, Dave and Adam were a tight rhythm section, Les providing rhythmic support though more impactful was his harmonica playing and Ally and Bob providing sparring guitars in the way the Knopfler brothers once did in Dire Straits or Parfitt and Rossi in Status Quo (fitting in that Bob was in Quo tribute band “Ma Kelly’s Boys”). Going into this show I had no knowledge of the music. I was intrigued by the bands mentioned in the advertising. I had seen Ma Kelly’s Boys. Yet I was entertained for all the near two hour set. That’s how good these guys are as a band; how good the songs are. There’s the right amount of self-reverence, humour, and insight into the human spirit (or at least into Bob). I’ve been to see major acts in vast arenas or stadiums that haven’t held my attention like TBM did. The Back Stage venue is compact (the capacity is 120ish) and when full can be quite noisy. The recent investment in a new sound desk is evident in the excellent sound in the room. Being situated with the Green Hotel it makes for a good night out. The venue has a bar, and there is the main bar of the hotel to enjoy a tipple at pre gig. There’s also an extensive bar menu and the food is excellent. That makes it all the sadder that only around twenty people made the effort to come out and see TBM. So TBM deserve a big thank you for still making the journey up from the ‘Toon to play the gig and giving us such an entertaining evening. They are already talking about a return event, and we’ll be there, hopefully with a lot more people than there were tonight, to enjoy another cracking evening in the company of TBM. You can check The Bates Motel and “Bad” Bob Bates Amazon Music, Apple Music, Bandcamp, and Spotify. Photos courtesy of Mundell Music.

All hail the keytar – the absolute prince of musical instruments! The Ascend to the Skies Tour features Skies Turn Black with their hyper-melodic, keytar-driven and danceable power metal plus the loud & aggressive, even more danceable, metalcore / EDM turbo gimp mask-wearing band Andromedous in one hellacious, loud and energetic package. But before all that there was Jack Brodie. Jack is a talented and thoughtful local acoustic singer-songwriter, so his presence on this bill might have been the biggest musical mis-match since The Blues Brothers movie when they played at Bob’s Country Bunker, but somehow it all worked out just fine. It must have taken some balls for young Jack to take this one on but he’s keen to grab all the chances he can to perform and he seemed to bring in a few of his own supporters too. The metal crowd embraced him and the headline bands also showed support as he ran through a selection of his own self-penned numbers, including ‘Tell Me’ – his latest release which he described as a “sex song” (not that sexy though), an obligatory heart-break song, plus a few covers including ‘Candy’ by Paolo Nutini and ‘Champagne Supernova’ by the Brothers Grim. His best song ‘Take Me Away’ even got an enthusiastic sing-along. I’m sure Jack was relieved to get a good reception and he seemed to enjoy the rest of his evening too, joining in with the head-banging through both co-headliners’ sets and even venturing into the ‘pit at the end. I hope the expected hearing loss does not impair his own future song-writing. Glamorous, gravy-loving Northern lads Skies Turn Black book-ended their set with two great numbers that I recognized from their performance at Wildfire Festival previously; ‘Playing with Fire’ and ‘The Skies Are Falling Down’. Their debut album is about six years old and they are a different band now but good numbers like ‘The Sickness and the Cure’ still hold up well. Jamie Jordan handles the vocals cleanly and stylishly but with some growls thrown in and Xander Isles is a big presence on the keytar and backing vocals, alongside the handsome dancing bass player Danny Woodhead. The band sound a bit like a Dragonforce single but played at 33 rpm instead of 45 rpm and with extra harmonies thrown in. There is even an occasional hint of an 80s synth-pop vibe but with additional ass-kicking metal stylings and classic rock grooves, their style went down really well and would appeal to fans of bands like Beast in Black. The newer songs are even better and there is an album on the way. ‘Sweet, Sweet Solitude’ was good, there was one that might have been called ‘Stand with Me’, a very new one called ‘Witness’ and of course their latest single ‘Angel’ was a stand-out, although sadly there was no sign of the pole dancer who stars in their current throwback promo video. I thoroughly enjoyed their performance once again. The band are an excellent live proposition and with this line-up and an album to follow, they will hopefully get the credit they deserve in due course. Andromedous are an imposing proposition with two (usually three) masked performers plus harsh but spot-on growling vocals from the unmasked Elliot Harrison. The band specialise in aggressive electro-core with dance beats, dub step and beat box grooves mixed in with the metal in an effective and striking package that is just a little outside of the comfort zone but all the better for it. The only song I really recognised was the brutally good ‘Tyro’ – one of several songs that might have been recorded instrumentally originally but now with a lead vocal from Elliot, but this band are more about the overall vibe and the mix of rave and mosh atmospheres. With the dim lighting, nightmarish sounds and Squid Game-esque masks, the show could blow anyone out of a trance and actually reminded me of that time I visited a Rage Room in Glasgow and got to smash shit up for fun. On both occasions, I came out feeling better for having blown off a bit of cathartic steam and no one got hurt. Even the mosh pit at the end was the happiest and danciest one I’ve ever seen. With Ghost playing the sold-out OVO Metha-drome in Glasgow on Wednesday, another avant-garde masked rock outfit have monopolised the rock dollars this week, but with the £10 ticket here being £2 less than the cost of two pints at the bar in Bannerman’s (and a lot less than the tariff imposed at the Hydro) I was very happy with the bang for my buck this Monday evening. Andromedous have an EP called ‘The Ascent’ due out shortly and a home gig in Weston-Super-Mare at the end of this short tour. All of the acts at this show did themselves proud and are well-worthy of further investigation for those with open minds and a willingness to try something a bit different. Check them out.

The enduring phenomenon that is Skunk Anansie arrived in Glasgow to a sold out O2 Academy for their tour promoting their new album ‘The Painful Truth’ and left the crowd with the knowledge that the real truth of the evening is that this band are untouchable as a live act. It’s been a few years since I last saw Skunk Anansie live and it was at the same iconic venue as tonight's gig that I stood in awe at just how brilliant a live act they were back then. I was hoping that I would experience the same feeling again tonight. Before Skunk Anansie take to the stage there is the small matter of the evenings support band, called ‘So Good’ to listen too. Glasgow is a welcoming place for bands and whilst I had never heard of ‘So Good’ it was clear that many of the crowd had done. As they take to the stage there appear to be 3 men, though I don’t actually know they are men, dressed in what appears to be boiler suit style clothing and wearing bright pink balaclavas. This is the guitar, bass guitar and drum section and I am immediately reminded of the ‘Pussy Riot’ band of a few years ago. Three girls then take to the stage in dressed in American high school outfits reminiscent of the 80s movie ‘Porkys’ complete red berets, knee length socks and some Tartan draped over their shoulders. The music and lyrics are hard and are peppered with strong language and politics with an over use of the middle finger salute which the crowd are fully encouraged to engage in. This is mainly aimed at US President Donald Trump and a proportion of the crowd reciprocate. With their short set continuing mainly on a political theme, there was time for reflection on sexuality and, from what I could make out, a specific part of the female anatomy together with asking the crowd if it was true that Glasgow men had big dicks. You can imagine the response to that line of questioning. With the support act over, and a 30 minute wait for the arrival, of Skunk Anansie, the temperature in the venue seemed to rise and it was rapidly becoming a sweat box. This was my memory of the last time I saw the band in this venue but no-one seemed to mind. Having initially split up in 2001 then reforming in 2009, Skunk Anansie have re-established themselves as a formidable studio band and even more formidable live band. Their lead, bass and rhythm section being just as integral to the band as their iconic front woman in “Skin’. With the O2 Academy Glasgow absolutely full, and with no space for anyone else within the tightly packed front standing area, the lights are dim and New Rose by The Damned comes over the PA. Skunk Anansie take to the stage to a massive Glasgow welcome and launch into ‘This Means War’ with lead vocalist ’Skin’, dressed in black and with her eyes masked with black mascara, prowling the stage like a caged wild animal, its clear that this is going to be a masterclass in stage presence, vocal prowess and musical brilliance. Immediately following the opening number with ‘Charlie Big Potato’ and ‘Because Of You’, I've rarely seen a crowd so much in the palm of the hand of the band on stage since I first saw Bowie in concert nearly 40 years ago - Skunk Anansie really are that powerful a live presence. The set continues with a mix of old songs, new songs and the familiar, but well constructed political themes, which are well received by the crowd. The mix of the old and new songs balance each other out and its clear some thought has been put into the setlist for this tour. With Skunk Anansie having written and played live some amazing softer songs, it is without doubt the harder songs that are the real crowd pleasers. Taking the fantastic ‘Weak’ and ‘Hedonism’ out of the equation as they are the obvious pleasers for those who are not as familiar with the back catalogue as some, it’s the bands earlier music that gets the crowd really bouncing with tracks such as ‘I Can Dream’ and ‘Yes it’s Fucking Political’ proving to be the highlights of the evening for most. Leaving the stage to join the crowd on more than one occasion, lead vocalist Skin surfed her way back to the stage to finish the main set with ‘Little Baby Swastika’ before the band returned for their encores including a snippet of the Led Zeppelin track ‘Whole Lotta Love’. How to explain the live spectacle of a Skunk Anansie gig to a newcomer - is it the he demonic stare of vocalist Skin or is it the combined musical talents of Martin "Ace" Kent on guitar, Richard "Cass" Lewis on bass or Mark Henderson on drums? No, it’s the classic formula of the whole being greater than the sum of the parts with Skunk Anansie. The easiest way to sum up Skunk Anansie live its to simply go see them. You won’t be disappointed.

Mike Dawes is an acoustic fingerstyle guitarist, who has brought redefining technique to the style of playing. Mike’s playing has the ability to fill a whole room with all the elements of song – melody, harmony, a bassline and even percussion. Bringing all of these together on one instrument is a rare thing, making his solo concert a really unique experience. I remember the first time hearing him play on YouTube, and wanting to put down my electric for good, and only play acoustic from there on. Mike Dawes has a custom made guitar, by German luthier ‘Andreas Cuntz’, which has special provisions made to fit his playing style. Examples of these customisations include a special ‘scratch pad’, and a distinct body to make hitting the guitar more accessible whilst playing, both used to emulate the sound of drums. This is a guitar I’ve watched a few ‘rig rundowns’ on, so it was really cool to see it being used in front of me. Unfortunately, due to issues with my train I missed the first 20 minutes of the show – a bit of a blow considering he played some of his more popular covers then, including ‘Jump’ by Van Halen and ‘Somebody I used to know’ by Gotye. There’s a great video of Mike playing ‘Jump’ on YouTube (that anyone reading this should watch to get an idea of his talent) where he somehow manages to play Eddie Van Halen’s guitar solo whilst continuing with the backing instrumental?! I still managed to catch plenty of the show after my delayed arrival. The show consisted primarily of covers of songs, arranged by Mike. There were a couple original pieces of music mixed in, which might have been nice to hear more of; there was a pretty big degree of experimentality in these originals, which could maybe be perceived as a bit over the top and admittedly unnecessary (like playing the strings behind the capo to add a drum beat). However, this was a Mike Dawes concert, where people have paid to see him do weird Mike Dawes things, so I welcomed it. Other noteworthy covers included ‘All Along the Watchtower’, ‘Purple Rain’ and ‘Smells Like Teen Spirit’. There was a great segment in the show during a cover of John Mayer’s ‘Slow Dancing in a Burning Room’, where the audience was split in half, and were instructed on what notes to sing, resulting in the whole of Oran Mór singing in harmony, ignoring my bum notes. The gig ended with Mike unplugging the guitar and having a walk about the audience, playing ‘Be My Mistake’ by The 1975, a really great ending. Mike stuck about for a pint at the merch booth once the show had wrapped up, where I got a chance to meet him and get a photo, along with everyone else waiting in line. It was Mike’s first show in Glasgow, and I’m definitely hoping for many more!

At the beginning of the year, a friend in the US who also reviews rock music was raving about a new album out of California which had just been released there on CD and vinyl only. Having heard a couple of the songs, I was interested, but my Scottish nature balked when I discovered that the CD was available for £13, but with a hefty £17 postage to the U.K. Call me tight … I prefer canny … and don’t get me wrong, I have occasionally paid that for a different version of an album released on CD from an artist I love and could guarantee would be worth the cost, but £30 felt steep for an album which I knew much less about. So, I miserly and miserably decided not to take the risk and to wait until it was released digitally, so I could download it. Fast forward three months and Frankie and the Studs’ debut album ‘Life’s A Glitch’ has finally been released more widely. Based mainly around the vocals and writing of the abundantly talented Frankie Clarke, ‘Life’s A Glitch’ provides a heady mixture of rock, punk, new wave and pop lifting the best elements from the 70’s, 80’s and 90’s and still producing something which sounds fresh, urgent, raw, melodic and now. All delivered with attitude … make that attitude+. Frankie’s vocals are front and centre throughout, and underpinned by heavily guitar-driven songs with both her vocal delivery and the music shape-shifting through styles and influences within and between songs. Think Debbie Harry (and Blondie), Siouxsie Sioux (and Siouxsie and the Banshees), Chrissie Hynde (and The Pretenders) and Gwen Stefani (and No Doubt) - if you like any (or in my case) all of these singers and acts, you will love this album. Yes, big name comparisons for a new, young singer and act to stand up to, but completely deserved on the basis of this outing. Stand-out tracks include - the urgent album-opener ‘Hole in My Head’; the slamming ‘Bimini’; the chopping ‘Head Rush’; the dance floor-filling ‘Flash’ (which will have even the most “too cool to dance” rock fan rushing to put their JD down and get their freak on); the massive, driving ‘Monster’; the NY punk of ‘Can’t Stand You’; and the glorious fuzzy guitar and bubblegum punk/pop about one-sided love of ‘Nothing To Do’ complete with rock guitar solo rising above. Not to mention the heavily rock’n’roll or rockabilly-leaning lead single, ‘Fuck this shit’, which with its chorus of “Fuck this shit, Fuck You, I quit” is simple, effective and so much more than an anthem for Generation Z, and will roll back the years and also resonate with those of Generations Y and X (and anyone who’s had enough of their job); the wonderfully raucous cover of Bananarama’s ‘Venus’ also featuring Green Day’s Billy Joe Armstrong (go on, admit it - you know the words); and the sublime ‘Losing You’. The production is raw, big and beautiful, befitting the music and songs. The album was produced by Gilby Clarke, former guitarist with Guns’n’Roses, who also swapped his more usual six strings for four and played bass on a number of the songs. Not being the quickest, I didn’t initially make the familial connection as I was so engrossed in the music, but further reading confirms that Frankie is also no less than Gilby’s daughter. Having discovered this fact, I deliberately left this to the end of this review as this album deserves to be judged on its own merits - not the artist’s lineage (no matter however rocking). Having said that, Gilby could well find himself being introduced in future as “Frankie Clarke’s Dad” instead of by his past membership of G’n’R if this album has the impact it deserves. Very highly recommended. Just buy it, put it on and turn it up to loud. I might even oil the lock on my wallet and order the CD. ‘Life’s A Glitch’ is available on vinyl (12 songs) or CD (14 songs) and can be ordered directly from Dead Beat Records; it is also available on the usual digital and streaming platforms. GMcA