Gigs in arts centres are in a sense a staple part of the Scottish music scene – out-of-town shows which might seem unattractive can get the full weight of the local council behind them and bands who might been harder to get to play on the local pub can be coaxed up the M9, in this case, to Stirling’s rather decent live ‘community’ venue.
Getting the locals out is another matter as the Fubar has discovered at times, but a smart booking policy under the monthly ‘Reloaded’ banner has seen a good crowd fill out the Tollbooth’s live room.
Which is fortunate, as when the Second Hand Marching Band play, there’s always a chance that band will outnumber audience. With a lineup that can number 20 on occasion, the Glasgow-centred band – but with, crucially, one Stirling member – spill off the decent-sized stage, with musicians jostling for space as they set up. Like a grown-up school orchestra, the 2hmb seem to utilise everything but the kitchen sink, with glockenspiel, accordion, flute and (somewhere stage left) a big bass drum vying for attention with more conventional instruments.
They are also an indie-supergroup with (we think) How to Swim, Eagleowl, Q Without U, The Martial Arts, Wall Street Ammunition Hero and The Just Joans providing personnel (Dananananaykroyd and Remember Remember types absent tonight).
So with that build-up, what do they sound like? Actually, pretty darn good, considering – and that’s not to do their sound down, but with so many people involved they could be an unholy mess. As it happens there are flashes of chaos but always outweighed by the creativity and ambition of the sound they create. Put simply, there’s some excellent songwriting talent at work here matched only by the arrangements, which manage – just – to keep things on an even keel and doing so spawn a few moments of near-genius. The simplest adjective would be ‘Fencey’, if you put the entire Collective on one stage – the traditional instruments somehow work alongside the standard fare of guitars and drums, and brass and woodwind always arrive unexpectedly. While the choral work – while not always hitting the note precisely – is inspired, such as a girls-versus-boys moment on ‘Don’t’ where the two sexes vocally battle it out. And with stagecraft at a premium, it seems crucial that the band are having as least much fun as the audience.
More local types in the shape of My Friend Plays Keys in Toploader who, it seems, are a one-off collaboration, possibly involving members of Jack Butler. If nothing else they spark a debate on whether they are influenced more by David Bowie or Suede, which may say more about listener than band. The setlist also puzzles – a B*witched cover and an instrumental early on mean they have a lot of work to do. However, there is something very ‘now’ about the latter half their set as at least one tune would have sat happily alongside Arctic Monkeys, Wombats and Pigeon Detectives on Xfm, if it existed. It doesn’t, which may be one reason for their short lifespan.
De Rosa, the interlopers for tonight (all the way from Lanarkshire), are also the most professional and dare I say it, polished of the acts. Which isn’t to do them down, but when the now-five piece are in full flow there’s not an act to beat them on this small planet. A mix of new material – due on album Prevention early 2009 – and should-be classics from debut Mend, the intricate melodies woven by the band and lustily delivered by Martin Henry are – surely – still easy-enough on the ear to garner them the widespread acclaim they deserve. They deliver favourites ‘New Lanark’ and ‘Evelyn’ but there’s plenty of unnamed (they don’t say a lot) new material, typified by ‘A Love Economy’, that’s clearly a match for that first album. Indeed, could their follow-up be better as the new songs are sounding grittier, fuller, smarter… I’d hate to tempt fate, but could 2009 be De Rosa’s year?