This gig was one of several “Indian Summer”-branded events across the late August/Early September, promoters PCL reviving a long-forgotten festival held a few times in Victoria Park, Glasgow.
Each gig this year was at a different venue and today was BM’s first visit to Barras Art and Design as a music venue. It is pretty impressive with a high stage, a partly glass roof and a banging sound system.
It has to be said that numbers were a bit sparse when the first of the six acts on today started around 3.30pm although it did gradually fill up over the course of the event.
With quite a bit of to-ing and fro-Ing and breaks for food etc BM did not really see two of the bands who played, so apologies to Quiche and Sports Team.
First on were local Glasgow band The Vignettes, a four-piece whose spiky poppy attack blended a wee bit of Monochrome Set archness with some of the cartoon daftness of Eddie Argos onstage. They played tunes from an upcoming release which BM will definitely be checking out.
Third on, and having travelled “seven hours from Suffolk” were Gaffa Tape Sandy, a three piece who kicked up an immense, Cramps-esque racket. They have an EP out, most of which was played today, and some onstage presence which makes BM think they could do quite well at this game.
Last on, and let’s face it the band that most of the crowd were here to see, were The Beths. Hailing from New Zealand, and making at least their second appearance in Glasgow after a G2 gig in the spring, they played pretty much all of the current album ‘Future Me Hates Me’ plus a couple of older tracks. The sound is quirky indie guitar pop/rock, with some great vocals from Elizabeth. Hard to pick a favourite track but the title track is pretty darn good, as is the encore ‘Little Death’.
Not sure if the “Indian Summer” concept worked overall in terms of programming as there didn’t seem to be any common theme, but then it didn’t have the choice of a multi-stage event, hmm…. one for the promoters to ponder BM thinks…