I don’t really know Aidan Moffat, or Bill Wells. However, I would imagine that – despite the former’s frequent use of Twitter, and his companion’s mastery of recording technology – the pair would delight in the old-world, art-deco surroundings of Dunfermline’s 100+ year-old music venue.
Indeed, it’s maybe fitting that current single ‘DILF_77 …’ – a ‘tribute’ to online dating, of sorts – is omitted from tonight’s setlist, although the music-hall-friendly band setup – including Stevie Jones on double bass and Danielle Price on tuba and backing vocals – might hardly be conducive to the hi-energy disco beats on said single.
So instead, it’s, well, what we’ve come to expect from the Falkirk duo’s live sets of late. Definite jazz overtones, with Robert Henderson providing muted trumpet as well as his party piece of simultaneous piano and brass on a beautifully maudlin ‘Copper Top’. By comparison, ‘Keep Me In Your Heart’ is (relatively) upbeat, while ‘Glasgow Jubilee’, reworked to compensate for the lack of electronics but just as sweary as on record, goes down very well with the sparse Fife crowd. This is the biggest disappointment of the evening’s proceedings – that more people weren’t tempted to see one of the most entertaining live acts on the Scottish gig circuit today. However, if we get the entire Carnegie to ourselves and can enjoy the complete silence in ‘Vanilla’ without interruption, then 50 or so hardy souls with perfect gig manners and impeccable taste will go home very happy.