This performance was part of Scotland’s first alcohol and drug free music festival Recovery Collective, and they chose a lovely sunny day for it (or rather it chose them!). There were stalls and other bands, including a Stone Roses tribute act and Oasis tribute Stop the Clocks.
But the real event of interest for BM was ‘The Air In Between’, a live rendition of Steg G’s album (now on Spotify and other platforms, on 1208388 Records DK.
The piece had previously been performed at Govan Fairfields and at the Barras Bar, which regrettably BM had missed – coming it around track three, this was a mighty performance and a great collaboration.
Over twelve tracks and using Glasgow as its central location, it tells stories of family history, adversity, drugs and crime and ultimately maybe redemption. The performances and the music are quite outstanding – starting with the remarkable Solareye on the title track, riffing on storytelling worldwide, as the muse – with some political barbs thrown in, and references to other tellers from Wu Tang to Tolstoy and Rushdie.
Young Team CCTV continue with ‘Life on Tick’, narratives about poverty, the underclass and the battles against a weighted state and criminal justice system – this recalls some of Louis/Hector Bizerk’s stuff and is brutal and harsh, but righteous…
Freestyle Master takes on track three, covering Irish history with some great piano samples from Steg G.
Empress gives us the vocals on track four, referencing the gig economy and the crappy world of minimum wage work – this track is really catchy and the vocals are pointed and really clever.
Solareye comes on again for ‘Scattered Seeds and Deep Roots’, with again some great backing tracking from Steg G. He riffs on refugees, different generations, hardships and the mental health fallout from that.
CCTV are great on ‘Nae Going Back’ and all the time the sun shines, people smile and there is some dancing – the arena is pretty full with people of all sorts, families with kids…
Freestyle Master pulls another corker out of the bag with ‘Lonely City’ – a story of trying to cope in a strange city – Glasgow. ‘Sunken Dreams’ sees Empress rapping over another great instrumental from Steg G – “tougher than the stuff that tries to break you”.
The last chapter starts with another Solareye rap, ‘Ghost Notes on the Timeline’ – talks about generational ties, unfortunate outcomes and “moments like grace notes in the lifetime”, incredible words, referencing labelling of people and bad circumstances…
The last few tracks really drive it home, in the sunshine, with CCTV talking about “trying to get out” and the backing track is again immense, what a fecking achievement this is!
Empress is on the mike again, talking about how to escape, via music with some rap references – Freestyle Master finishes things off with a tribute to Glasgow, referencing engineers, tenements and the wart and all.
The album is some achievement and this live performance makes it very clear – could this be the Scottish Album of the Year?