So the ABC1 was pretty empty when nine-piece (I think!) funk/soul collective The Nipples of Venus got started, their mashups of popular tunes mixed with their own tunes making quite a din. BM liked the 2-Unlimited cover and the Reservoir Dogs/surf guitar references, but their own stuff was also very good. A great brass section, some ridiculous costumes, a very up for it frontman (think Bon Jovi vs Alex Harvey vs Steve Tyler, and some great geetar riffing) – who knows what the alternative names suggested at the first band meeting were; the Throne of Jupiter maybe, The Bottom of Uranus? Anyway, the hall was beginning to fill up with dancers as they finished but they certainly got this party started. Respect and best wishes for 2017!
Ska collective Bombskare have paid their dues on the Glasgow circuit and beyond (although Betty was, before tonight, a Bombskare virgin, now not a Bombskare virgin) – their punchy ska tunes were pure skankin throughout their shortish set. They are an eight-piece with a smashing brass section, twin lead vocalists who may have been around the block a few times, probably the best bass player of the entire evening and some great party tunes. Ska is infectious and they make it contagious, again best wishes for 2017!
But these two acts had been a mere aperitif for the audience who had sold out this 1300 capacity venue to see CM&TDF. It has been quite a year for The Yellow Movement (a collective state of madness advocated by the band, or something!). They have sustained the madness over a number of gigs (notably selling out the Barrowlands for a charity gig in Spring 2016) festivals in the UK and also traveled to the Far East. Who could have thought this could happen? BM is no stranger to a bit of Yellow (see previous reviews) and was happy to witness tonight another triumph of music and something else, gonnae call it love as there isn’t really anything else to call it except insanity…
This kind of thing requires some visual cues – for a start, a good deal of the audience are dressed in yellow. BM made an effort in a yellow number although my bum may have looked a bit, yellowish, not the most flattering colour I have found, over the years, but no hard feelings… The band came on around 9.15 and played a good hour of their greatest “hits”, maybe not anything that has hit the charts but this audience knows them well and belts them out. The best thing about this lot is that even although the audience knows the music, nobody knows what will happen onstage next. After an extended intro from the excitable “DJ” at the back, the massed members took over the stage (were there maybe ten, twelve, more?). There are drums, bass, keys, brass section, backing singers/dancers and several other mischief makers, along with the Col himself, who tonight comes on dressed as a disco ball, and BM means literally dressed, he is encased in it and has to take it off to move. Given that ABC has Scotland’s biggest disco ball suspended above, it looks like some weird competition, but he is also wearing the usual one on his head so fine – did BM mention this lot are a bit mental, just a normal shift for the Mustards…
Not quite a normal tonight though, as this marks the end of their most successful year – the Yellow Movement has been a big force in music in Scotland in 2016, promoting peace, love and understanding. As they lay into the first song ‘International Sex Hero’ BM is reminded of The Happy Mondays (with Beatles codas, Magical Mystery Tour reference could get them sued by Applecorps!) fronted by former KLF rapper Jimmy Cauty (who recently dropped his shipping container at Platform in Easterhouse, art fans). There is lot of audience participation, from shouting the choruses to the actions in “Cross the Road”. There is a great Utah Saints excerpt during ‘Peace In The Valley’ (US are playing Cottiers on 30th December, wtf is that all about, a West End cocktail bar audience, BM must have a word with their manager….).
Other selections include ‘Gay Icon’, the “Popmoblie” one and ‘Ginger Girl’, just flirting on the right/wrong side of political correctness in the name of the groove – are they Scotland’s answer to Sly and the Family Stone, they certainly have the grooves to proove…?
There is also the usual good patter with the punters too, a suggestion from The Col re a Eurovision entry next year and further shout-outs to the entire YM and support bands etc. The bouncers pretty much gave up stopping people on each others’ shoulders etc, this was all so good-natured, and the DiJancer (who had been waving flags, swinging stuff around and god knows what else all night hi David!) finally launched that inflatable unicorn of legend into the audience and attempted to surf the wave. Hard to tell how successful an attempt it was tonight (BM had been beaten back to bar pretty much tonight!) but a blizzard of yellow balloons launched into the audience further confused things. And still they played, the Col rock steady as a frontman and commanding proceedings as only he can, a master of chaos. Final number “Not the drugs you are looking for” has a message of hope and togetherness, and gets everyone singing along – a suitable ending for a collectively wonderful gig.
It has been a wonderful 2016 for the Mustards, and there is no doubt they are planning even more japes, scrapes and party tunes for 2017 – BM has enjoyed this a lot so more soon please!