T’was the Friday before Xmas, and some people were already partied out after one too many at the office do, but not in this room! With four acts on the bill it was an endurance test but a very enjoyable one at that.
Chloe McNeil started things off, backed by guitar and bass – her massive voice boomed over the PA but the delivery was pitch perfect on a selection of mainly covers, with a couple of originals as well. There’s a lot of potential there and BM will be interested to see what she does next…
Motopia were playing as a four piece, with a substitute bassist alongside the usual Andy on guitar, Thomas on drums and Mo on vocals. They played what is at the moment the usual set, including ‘Addicted To The Poison’ and ‘Clockwatching’ (sic). The Stooges-esque guitar riffs rang out, the backline rumbled and Mo did her thing, whipping the crowd into somewhat of a frenzy, this time a lot less troubled by the sound than BM’s experience of them at SWG3 (mainly thanks to regular Room 2 soundman Nelson’s efforts). With some recording in progress it looks as if 2024 will be even bigger, but look how far they have come in 2023…just wow!
Up next were The Hazey Sundays, who fused some Britpop-esque riffs with ’60s psychedelia to great effect. Glasgow-based but with some members originally hailing from the Dundee area, they know their way around a good chord sequence and have the swagger to carry off some guitar heroics as well.
Paul Hipson, aka Hippy, was the headliner tonight, playing with a full band. They kicked up quite the ruckus, with Paul’s charismatic persona as frontman providing the vocals, including some thoughtful and inspiring lyrics while the rest of the band gave us a pared-down and at times brutal attack on indie-rock, along with some more subtle semi-acoustic numbers which showed off the range and dexterity of them as individuals and as a band. Impressive and enjoyable, it was a great end to a very good evening – BM even avoided most of the pre-Xmas “revellers” on the way home!