This was a long night, and time, like my (oh forget it) is tight, so Betty will be very brief.
Stag and Dagger mark 4, I think, the Scotch outpost of the English city festival. Last year was very wet, Warpaint and Sons & Daughters headlined, all ok but not that inspiring to be honest.
This year – reports from Betty’s other half at Captain’s Rest of running late, so bands on behind schedule, some technical sound issues also – she, or he, was well pissed off…
Betty’s at the Art School around 6.45pm – the old Art School venue demolished, so it’s the temporary, smaller Union on Sauch St beside the Beresford. Weather lovely’s, not sure why I am going underground to watch some band I have never heard of, but dedication to the cause, readers… the things I’ve done in the name of music…
The Art School then: White Arrows are from CA, USA – a bit Killers, very young – sounding ok but leaving no lasting impression.
To the ABC1, the main venue for tonight, for White Denim – the Guardian called them “the only prog Southern rock band” and that is spot on, lengthy workouts channeling Led Zep, Hendrix and Genesis (?) plus a Texan hoedown attitude, they kicked out some sound, but with no real songs. They’ll doubtless go down well (as Betty also does occasionally, less frequently these days) at festivals?
Following this, Glasgae’s own, mighty Phantom Band, rocking out but still looking for that killer single that some radio plugger or TV/advert/net firm might pick up on – not yet guys, or you may not want it – very complex and very accomplished but possibly treading some water tonight?
A brief foray over to CCA to see Eleanor Frieburger on the last night of her tour – a bit of a Patti Smith/Pretenders thing going on but no bad thing. It’s a smallish audience but she did not seem bothered – no Franz Ferdinand covers however.
So, back to ABC1 for Django Django – they have been a bit hyped and it helps that Franz have no new material (yet) or live dates north of the border confirmed, but to be fair, they are very good – infectious and inventive, with Beta Band and other influences present – but bugger me (well not necessarily tonight, we can fix the time and fee) these are good influences. And some killer hooks to boot.
They certainly made me, and pretty much everyone else at the front, dance, so job done, the latest generation…
Early on we heard that Nikki & the Dove had cancelled, a drummer armbreak in Manchester earlier in the week – a real shame.
So Conquering Animal Sound – Scottish album of the year nominees – came on at v.short notice, debuting some stuff from album two. Perhaps a bit out of practice, but quite charming – some nods to Bjork/Fever Ray, but again, tickle me on the nips with a very large tickling stick, good influences…
The festival is big enough now that you could have gone to different venues, on the same ticket, and seem completely different bands to what I did, around 40 in 7 (or thereabouts) different venues, so fair play to the organisers – disappointed I did not get down to new Skinny stage at Stereo for example, the bill sounded good.
All in all, enjoyable variety from a very worthwhile festival.