A weird and wonderful night at the Glad, so this was…
The SUSS are a group of Glasgow-based musicians formed around the Improvisers Orchestra and GIOdynamics sessions, although this particular sextet had not played live before. Consisting of members on guitars, double bass, fiddle, electronic theramin and brass, the combo consists of Elenia Inei, Jer Reid, Jessica Argo, Luke Sutherland, Rose Dagul and Una McGlone.
They played several improvised pieces which drew heavily on suspense, atmosphere and cadence, and the sound was pretty unique. Not exactly hummable or catchy, the players fed off each other’s noise and there were some exhilarating moments.
Several of the SUSS then joined with Santa Sprees to make up an 11-piece ensemble. Sprees singer and mainman Anthony Dolphin lives in Devon and members are drawn from various other places but this was a GIO-generated collaboration with the Glasgow musicians. The music is at times like some kind of battered folk, mixed with cultish, almost Polyphonic Spree-ish stylings.
If you can imagine something like Tom Waits vs Throbbing Gristle, it, erm, didn’t sound anything like that! Dolphin’s slightly country-tinged vocals cover a number of subjects, not least death and serious illness (he has suffered from cancer for several years and has an uncertain future, it must be said).
Songs like ‘Run Wild When I’m Gone’ are fairly typical but we also had lighter moments, with a mass kazoo chorus (they were handed out to the audience) at one point and some other singing participation. BM is not even going to try to list the instruments being played here, but “junkyard orchestra” kind of covers it.
Overall the effect was somewhat beautiful and life-affirming, despite the dark areas often covered in the lyrics. A unique night and a great celebration of the power of music.