A Night Of Coincidences at Pivo Pivo

Hello fans and strangers,

Normally my reviews are quite structured, but as this "review" is not coming from recent memory, I thought I would permit myself to ramble a bit.  At some point in the near past, I experienced a wonderful night of coincidences at the venue Pivo Pivo which highlighted to me what the 'local' music 'scene' is all about - fun and crossing genre borders because everyone is too skint and unknown to know any better.

To start with, it was a bit of a chance that I even attended said venue on said night (whenever that may have been).  Previous to the gig, which I was to be attending purely to enjoy The Cellophanes ( http://www.myspace.com/thecellophanesuk ), I had been having a rather jolly old time of it in a nearby public house and was pondering if a) I had missed the said Cellophanes experience and b) if it would be worthwhile shedding myself of several quid in entry fees to discover this.  Time, you see, had flew by as I was having fun.

Erring on the side of "feck it, I love music", myself and my female companion took a stroll around the corner to chez Pivo and immediately I was rewarded.  For on the bill for the night were none other than TvRevo ( http://www.myspace.com/tvrevo ) a band with members it wouldn't be a stretch to describe as chums of mine, and whom I had been intending to seek out in a live function for many a moon, only to be denied by scheduling clashes.  This was one of the night's coincidences.

As it so happened, we were in time for The Cellophanes who, as memory serves, played up a storming set that night.  This being despite the fact that Pivo Pivo has a patchy performance in handling vocals, and in my opinion the vocals are a huge part of what makes The Cellophanes great, from what I can remember they managed to batter through and make singing through a microphone that sounds 10 feet underwater feel like an art form.

Sean, bass and vox of said 'Phanes, could later be found relating to me the band's escapades at Be In Belhaven (a festival that featured another band featuring a chum, Make This Relate ( http://www.myspace.com/makethisrelate ), who don't actually feature in this musical adventure but are worth listening to) (oh wait, well, they do actually kind of feature in this night - the last time I saw them live was in support of What The Dead Know ( http://www.myspace.com/whatthedeadknow ) of whom guitarist/singer Camebull was in attendance this fine Pivo-lian night as a fan of TvRevo - coincidences I tell thee!).

Before we go any further - MySpace (or my[_____]beta as it wants to be known as now) is now crashing my PC, so if any of these links are incorrect - sorry, but I was mostly guessing.  I'll continue.

So Sean was relating to me a tale of this pop-punky band who were also playing at Be In Belhaven, a fine outfit whose name had escaped him at this point in time. This band had performed a truly epic-by-all-accounts rendition of the Tina Turner classic "Proud Mary", and being a fan of ole Tina, Sean felt I should seek this band out if possible.  This is another coincidence that becomes important (in the scheme of things) as we continue.

There may or may not have been another band playing at this point in the night - by now I was partaking in some more poisoned liquid refreshment (or triple-dark-rum-and-cokes to you), so my memory is hazy (it was also around 3 months ago).

Either way, TvRevo did indeed play at some point in the evening, and they were worth the wait.  Energetic as energy can energise, they performed a rather strange mix that just sorta made sense - while the rest of the band were attempting to ressurect the soul and sound of Manic Street Preachers, hopping-guitarist extraordinaire Gary Deighan seemed to have missed the memo and instead was trying to ressurect a not-yet-dead Slash.  Did this strange-but-true mix work? Heck yeah!!  Energy, vibrance and a grounded tone was the theme of the set, and it was a good one.

As the final band made their sound preparations, the audience made good their escape.  Through the various goodbyes, cheerios and cya-laters, the final band took to the stage met with essentially me, m'lady, Sean O'Phane, a few others and their own half-half-dozen of an entourage.  Not that you'd notice.  The band played their set like it was an audience of thousands.  Their above-average pop-punk set (intended as a HUGE compliment by-the-by - most 'local' 'pop-punk' sounds nothing but average) produced a set that seemed so familiar, almost as if this were a band I had been talking about mere minutes ago.  Then they played Proud Mary.

Yes, that's right, the one and only Twisted RainBow ( http://www.myspace.com/atwistedrainbow ) were headlining that very same night, putting the finishing touches on a night of coincidence.  And I for one am glad they were and pity the fools that left early (whether justified or otherwise).  Like I said before, this band put on a show - playing their hearts out and soaking up the fun energy created by such few people in such a small venue.  I wish I could say for sure that there was dancing in the streets.  I wish I could say the roof came off the sucker.  I wish I could say they played Proud Mary 5 times just for me.  These things may or may not have happened (being that I was inebriated and it was so long in the past), but it damn sure felt like they did!

(For a short glance at the nonchalant aura of a band striding the fine line between mockery and mythology, here are Twisted RainBow performing Proud Mary at Be In Belhaven - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=VTmKA26kyH ).

All in all, the night hosted 3 (or maybe 4) great bands, giving great performances, that all held some tenious connection to each other and reminded me exactly what local music should be - fun for fans and friends.  Click on all the links above (if they won't crash yer PC that is) and have yourself a rare old time discovering some bands that made my night.

Cheers

2009/06/12 - The Cellophanes / The Terrors / Blitz Kid

Venue: 13th Note, Glasgow (website).
Date: Friday, 12th June 2009.
Line-up: The Cellophanes (myspace), The Terrors (myspace), Blitz Kid (website).
Promotion: The Wrecking Pit (myspace).
Price: £6.
Ratings: Venue 8/10, The Cellophanes 8/10, The Terrors 8/10, Blitz Kid 3/10.

The Venue: - http://www.13thnote.co.uk -

The 13th Note is a cosy wee café in the center of Glasgow that houses a small music venue amidst the bosom of its basement. Boasting a decor of bare concrete walls and old wooden tables emblazoned with the engravings of gigs past, this venue has hosted many a great local punk and metal gig. It is essentially the perfect venue for a gig like tonight's.

For such a small venue (the stage is nothing more than a carpet in the corner; the sound desk is literally housed in a hole in the wall) there was some fantastic sound emanating from tonight's bands. The drink prices were reasonable, the toilets were kept relatively clean, and the abundance of local graffiti, both on the tables and in the cubicles, and advertising provided a very warm, very local, atmosphere.


The Cellophanes: - http://www.myspace.com/thecellophanesuk -

After the set backs of a late-running Blitz Kid (see below), The Cellophanes finally took the stage under instructions to "play as fast as you can," which they were all too happy to oblige with.

Set opener "She's Dyslexic" immediately sets the tone for the evening. Fast, fun and absolutely catchy, it's the type of song you don't mind finding yourself humming days, even weeks, later. Without pause, the band segue straight into "25 Seconds To Go," continuing the pace for fast and frantic punk. The band finally pause for breath, before launching into a slightly slower, yet even more catchy, "Don't Forget Me," followed by an excellent cover of The Ramones' "Bonzo Goes To Bitburg." Self-referential though it may be ("see through you like cellophane"), the crowd love it and, with Sean (bass) taking over from Stewart (guitar) on lead vocals, it is a perfect example of the vocal diversity within the band, as all three members (completed by Jonny on drums) create some excellent overlaps throughout the song.

This combined vocal assault continues into "Don't Wanna Be Retarded," a song that yet again infects the subconscious brain with a deliciously catchy guitar riff, and showcases the brilliance of combining the vocals of all three band members. This 'more vocals are greater than one' mentality seems to be just laying the foundations for "Weekend Girl," easily the band's most contagious song and highlight of the night. Hearing this song live guarantees you will find yourself singing it over and over again for at least the next few weeks.

After another short, split-second break, the band launch into their final two songs of the night - "Wasting My Time (On You)," which could also be called "How To Layer A Song," and set closer "Stitches On My Brain," which utilises the best parts of previous songs - funky bass lines, instantly memorable guitar riffs, vocals so addictive you can't help but sing along - and combines them into a thrilling final song. A fantastic performance.


The Terrors: - http://www.myspace.com/theterrorsuk -

Set opener "Bloody Red Roses" comes on like a powerful call-to-arms - drums, guitar and bass combine to form a thunderous punk onslaught with an almost rockabilly-esque rhythm. "Raining Daggers" keeps up the pace, with Tina (who alternates bass and guitar duties with Michael at several points throughout the set) managing a rare feat in aggressive women singers - sounding believably menacing without compromising the natural softness that comes with a female voice. That she can sing dark-tinged lyrics ("stab you in the back and let you deal with it") without forcing her voice to delve into the deep, growling vocals of other, more Hardcore-orientated punk singers such as Candace Kucsulain (Walls Of Jericho), is a credit to her talents. Combined with the backing vocals of Michael, their music delivers a rewarding and rich sound.

Next up is "Shutting Down," a song which evokes the amusing and thought-provoking image of Kimya Dawson (The Moldy Peaches) as a punk, before set highlight "Homemade Weapons." Although in keeping with The Terror's signature sound, "Homemade Weapons" is instantly made more accessible and memorable than most of the set thanks to the first repeatable refrain of the night ("I got an opinion/I got an opinion/I got an opinion").

The band continues to go from strength to strength, breezing easily through a full and fast songlist that includes perfectly blending Bad Religion-esque punk with shades of metal in "Here We Are," taking that sound and performing it with increasing urgency in "Everything Around Me," and finishing with the excellent "Rise & Wake." Before you know it, the band have received their final bout of applause and are leaving the stage. Although having performed a full and well-rounded set, the speed and intensity in which The Terrors delivered each song creates the feeling that they had been on stage for a quarter of the time, leaving the crowd with a sense of satisfaction, yet still begging for more.


Blitz Kid - http://www.blitzkid.com -

Although the other two bands tonight managed to create a memorable and satisfying atmosphere, the mood came disastrously close to turning sour before the doors had even opened. Rumours that Blitz Kid were running late began to circulate, and were confirmed when the doors finally opened almost half an hour later than advertised. In addition to this, a mix-up in communications resulted in many people believing the gig was £4 and feeling a bit miffed to discover that the door price was actually £6, however it has since been confirmed that this was seemingly the original intended price and not £4 as some had thought.

So it was, with the price confirmed and the start time delayed, the audience's melancholy mood melted into curious anticipation as The Cellophanes finally began to set up and looked poised to launch into their first song, when the first of Blitz Kid's roadies/entourage/equipment burst through the door next to the stage, and proceeded to set up around The Cellophanes, moving equipment, amps and guitars without so much as a care, delaying proceedings even further and creating a worse atmosphere than before.

Half-way through The Terrors' set, the audience were asked, as a part of between-song banter, whether they were ready to see Blitz Kid perform. The band were met by deafening silence. The night seemed to be almost over before Blitz Kid took the stage as the crowd, which was near-capacity, suddenly disappeared. However, just as Blitz Kid were ready to play their first song, a new, larger, crowd appeared ready to greet them with cheers and seemed utterly oblivious to any lateness/price increases.

To give them their dues, Blitz Kid's sound did seem to be very tight, well performed and appreciated by their fans. However, whatever the reasons, mix-ups, delays, excuses, etc, for it, the general feeling from a large portion of the original crowd was that Blitz Kid were late, rude and unapologetic. If anyone has a different viewpoint from behind the scenes, I will happily listen to all points of view and print a retraction if necessary. But from what I have experienced, I do not endorse Blitz Kid.

A good performance on the stage never excuses a terrible performance off.



More Upcoming Events From... -

The 13th Note, The Cellophanes and The Terrors.