In a relatively quiet week for Glasgow gigs (lots of people on holidays, recovering from TRNSMT etc) this 432-promoted “Endless Summer” was a lot of fun and marked another step on the headliner Megan Black’s route to conquering the world, and beyond!
First act MC Blance played five tracks, several of them released and others not. Mathew (as his mum calls him) was on guitar/vocals, Anna on keyboards/backing and occasional lead vocals, with Louis and Cameron comprising the drum ‘n’ bass. The music was propulsive and compelling in itself but what makes the difference is Blance’s very impassioned and skilful vocal lines, mainly rapped, choruses more likely sung.
‘Mr Fake’ and ‘No Idolz’ especially rail against the stupidities of the modern world, with the entertainment industry especially getting a bit of a kicking… There’s a somewhat iconoclastic vibe and despite his mild manners, MC Blance gives the audience (quite full by now) his version of the truth – there’s some definite talent there (maybe something of the Jamie T?) from Mathew and the rest of the band, and this Edinburgh-based outfit will hopefully get picked up for more gigs (this was apparently their first one in Glasgow).
Solo on guitar and latterly piano, Joyful gave us several originals plus a ‘Sweet Dreams’ cover mashed up with several other things which he constructed using several pedal/loops, quite something in fact – and it certainly got the audience enthused.
And the headliner, appearing tonight with an extensive array of musicians and vocalists, really smashed it. On the back of a debut album ‘Deadly Is The Woman’ released last year, Megan Black has all the makings of a breakout success.
Someone mentioned Stevie Nicks (possibly partly because of the cape-like garb, which was removed after the first couple due to the heat!) maybe but BM was thinking more Annie Lennox… Anyway first track ‘Freedom Belongs To Him’ from the album fairly powered along with some bluesy beats while self-explanatory ‘Sweet Bisexual’ was sweet (“I am a queer artist but when I started coming out I said I was bi and people just assumed I fancied EVERYONE, which of course I didn’t…).
A cover of Wet Leg’s ‘Chaise Longue’ seemed almost a waste except for the fact the band were clearly loving playing it and it certainly drew yells from the increasingly excited audience. With Lewis on guitar shredding duties, Steph on (and interrupting Megan’s between-song chat at intervals) throbbing bass, Stephen on drums, Paul on lead guitar and Sam/Niamh on backing vocals and percussion, they made an unholy racket (although very tight indeed!).
Megan took some time to explain that all her songs come from pure rage against the patriarchy and we were off into ‘Just For Fun’. MC Blanche was called back up to guest on ‘What Else Am I Good For?’ There were shout-outs to producer (Scott Bathgate) of the new track ‘Mother Daughter Lover’ before she asked one of the guest vocalists on the record (the very talented herself) Mima Merrow onstage to help with the vocals. With audience participation (fists raised, yelling the chorus) it was quite a powerful moment, galvanising and channelling that “pure rage” into bringing people together, and that is what BM meant earlier about this artist having the potential to break out of any perceived “indie” or “minority” artistic ghettoes that may or may not exist.
After that triumph Megan tried to end things with ‘San Francisco’ from the album, which showcased again her amazing voice and the blues/rock chops of the band, before she was pretty much forced/persuaded by the audience to do another (unplanned) number, which ended up as a cover of Mac Miller’s ‘What’s The Use?’ – and surprise surprise, Megan can rap with the best of them as well, as this gloriously unhinged set came to a halt – story to be continued…