Bell X1
Glasgow King Tut's (Thursday 21st May)
Most bands, when they start to get a bit of commercial success, succumb to the nice, comfy lifestyle and write more obviously commercial songs. Bell X1, on the other hand, seem to be getting weirder.
Paul Noonan’s peculiar dancing and ridiculous-looking 80s-electro-style guitar sort of scream “early mid life crisis”, and new songs like ‘Breastfed’ and a naff cover of ‘I Fought The Law’ pretty well cement that notion.
As unsettling as this may be, Bell X1 are still a great, reliable and consistent band. They play with passion and have the kind of eclectic approach to songwriting that allows them to maintain (most of) the crowd’s interest even after an hour and a half.
Funnily enough, the most easily distracted crowd members are also the most enthusiastic. A bunch of presumably visiting Irish girls go nuts for all the songs that were hits back home. The remaining majority of the crowd, though, are most receptive to tracks from 2003’s ‘Music In Mouth’ and greet all newer material with pensive curiosity.
At times the band don’t seem like they have the same oomph that they used to (’Tongue’ sounds somewhat sluggish), but elsewhere in the set, Paul’s extra percussion often gives Bell X1 more kick than ever before.
Fiona McKinlay
