We’re honoured, you know. Some of the bands who’ve played at itm? shows in the past have been almost household names (well, our household), but it’s not just about the big names, but smaller acts who’ve traveled from afar and done shows for the sheer joy of it.
This evening however, we’re in the presence of Scottish indie royalty, but before we get onto that, we are doubly honoured to have SAY open – yes, one of the UK’s top acts (even before their Popworld appearance) on the tiny 13th Note stage. The fact that they’re not on a stadium tour is further proof that the musical world is upside down, but it’s gratifying that a packed Note will see Lancashire’s finest purveyors of psychedelic melodic harmonies as the trio (soon to be quintet) work through their current pop masterpiece ‘Autumn Burrows’.
Onto perhaps the main reason for the particularly crowded venue – Stevie Jackson of Belle and Sebastian fame, doing a set ‘with friends’ who include long-time collaborator Roy Moller, and Teenage Fannclub drummer Francis Macdonald, plus Sarah, Mick and Bobby who are of course his more regular bandmates. Jackson’s set, which he confesses to being nervous about but which shows no real cracks, contains a curious mix of self-penned material which always has a strong pop theme running through it. Opening with a solo tune penned for film director John Huston ‘It’s Just, Just So To The Point’, the set sees members drift onto the stage and do some admirable improvisation and instrument switching. Jay from SAY fils in on keys on ‘Lorries Are Spendiferous’ which is a duet with Nicola Atkinson Doesfly; and, there’s another film-inspired tune in ‘Kurosawa’ (inspired by Ozu, a Japanese director). And rocking out gently, there’s the Noel Corward-esque ‘Hiding ‘neath My Umbrella’ in which Bobby from Friends of the Bride comes on with a brolly as prop to ‘shelter’ Stevie from the Note’s harsher elements.
The London 5-piece are headliners for tonight and gratifyingly a large majority of the crowd stick around, and aren’t disappointed. What they’re calling ‘nu-croon’ comes to Scotland and might be summed up as a synthless version of Hoboken. However, the band’s suave take on rock’n’roll (‘So You Think You Can Dance’) and the swaggering ‘Buckle Up Sunshine’s Smiths-fronted-by Mel Torme schtick show that FotB are as worthy headliners as any of tonight’s star-studded bill. Haste them back.more photos Stevie, SAY, and Friends on Flickr
