Despite a fair bit of static and feedback, openers Seas,
Starry put on a damn good show. Kicking off with recent single Faint Praise, the quintet flew through a
set of powerful instrumental shoegaze that was over all too quickly. Featuring
guitar-noodling aplenty over a meaty drumbeat, the crowd were suitably
impressed and, closing with Cody, the
band left the stage triumphant.
Carson Wells’ set was similarly fraught with technical
difficulties, however it had its upsides too. Although they struggled with a
malfunctioning bass amp, the gig represented a step up in their career: they
had “never played in a venue with a car park before!” Despite the amp issues,
the trio still battered out their trademark monumental riffs and
just-strained-enough vocals. Tracks like Home
and Don’t Forget The Super 8 were
highlights in a set that featured songs from their debut EP as well as their
upcoming album.
Eschewing all comparisons to Idlewild from the get-go,
Rod Jones and the rest of The Birthday Suit put on a stunning show. Opening
with tracks like the powerful and melodic Hope
Me Home and first single Do You Ever?
was always going to be a safe bet, and the crowd were soon in the mood to experience the band's twin-vocalist-led pop-rock sound.
Mixing tunes from his solo career amongst The Birthday
Suit tracks, Rod Jones – the man with the most unfeasibly thin legs in Scottish
music – brought a kind of serene energy to the set. At times lost in the music
with his eyes tightly screwed shut, and at others bouncing about the stage, he
proved to be an engaging frontman.
Claiming that he was once told that On My Own sounds like Placebo, Jones continued on to state that he
didn’t really care. It’s true, the song does sound a bit like Placebo. But the
audience didn’t care either, because it’s a great song. While launching into
rollicking country affair Sing Your Praises,
he also claims that he was once asked to appear on BBC’s Songs of Praise to perform the track. It’s at times like this –
when Jones shows he’s not afraid to poke fun at himself, the band, or his music
– that it becomes apparent just how at home he feels on stage, playing the
music he loves.
Scattering a couple of covers throughout the set, Jones
showed just what a diverse range of musical styles have influenced him over the
years. A touching, mid-set version of John Martyn’s Over The Hill was magical, and an awesomely oddball rendition of
Snap’s Rhythm Is A Dancer provided an
unexpected end to the show.
As with many of Woodend Barn’s excellent shows, it seems,
The Birthday Suit gig was sadly underattended. But maybe, and perhaps it’s
selfish to say so, it was better that way: with only a handful of people in the
room, the gig felt special and intimate. We were the lucky few.
Photos by David Lovie. Click here for a full gallery.
ES
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