This was special.
The rescheduled show started with Last Night From Glasgow signings Cloth, the three-piece (percussion, guitar and guitar) playing to an already half full venue. Since their support slot with Arab Strap last year BM thinks they were more confident, ramped up some of the treatments a bit, and were better lit! A couple of more jumpy songs (in the time signatures) maybe didn’t engage the crowd as much as the last number did, but still loads of potential and talent on display. Self-deprecating as usual, they suggested that we might enjoy the night ahead. And we did!
Earlier BM had been to the TTS fan meetup at Petra Von Fustenberg’s West Brewery (inside the former Templeton Carpet Factory, fact fans…) and chatted to a good few people. Main things to take from this (BM refuses to use the phrase “takeaway”, did not go to fucking McDonalds) was that so many people mingled in a friendly way, and it is a very mutually supportive group of people – there were many Americans, some of whom referred to TTS and the fan community as “their family” which makes it all sound like a weird cult! But they were so respectful and polite it was hard to take against it, and does wonders for the Scottish hospitality industry as well.
As mentioned above, Cloth were great but really just an appetiser tonight. The bar was doing brisk business (and now has card readers, Christ it will all have to go through the books now… only joking, lay those lawyers and attack dogs off – this gig could only have happened here…).
There were also the lineup changes, so TTS drummer Sebastien Schultz is American and could not make it over for unspecified reasons, so they invoked a supersub in the shape of former Frabbits drummer Grant Hutchison. Guitarist Andy MacFarlane was also laid off for “personal” reasons, perhaps Covid-related, either way BM hopes he is okay. Sub in this case was Mogwai live/touring guitarist Alex Mackay. None of these things detracted from the show tonight, and in some ways made it more “us against the world”, Ie the show will go ahead, after at least three postponements…
The PA system was also really interesting. Billing as a quadraphonic gig, the main quad sound was provided by two massive speakers, mounted on the ceiling above the main PA system, blasting sound over our heads to the back of the venue. There were some smaller speakers at the back, along with lighting rigs at the sides, making the whole thing an immersive sound and lights experience…
The levels of anticipation were ramped up to fever level when the band emerged around 9pm. They blasted through an expansive set, majoring with eight songs from most recent album ‘It Won/t Be Like This All The Time’ (the title of which has taken on new meaning during lockdown), plus a smattering of tracks from the other four albums, three from the debut.
It is hard to describe the experience of the next hour and 45 minutes, let us just say that it took on the feeling of some kind of religious experience. BM looked around the audience at times when the house lights were up and there were people in stages of ecstasy, grief and a general feeling of cathartic euphoria.
The playing was piledriving, Grant’s drums thumping along at the back while bass and keyboards combined with the lacerating guitar to give us smouldering sheets of glacial noise.
And James, the focus of the visuals, he was in fine form, obviously overcome with emotion at times but it did not affect his vocal performance, just quite remarkable, feeding off the audience as they yelled him encouragement.
There were many highlights but several stood out for BM – the newer synth-driven tracks such as ‘Videograms’ and ‘VTR’ showed the band’s development into more Depeche and Cure-influenced material, the appearance to the delight of the audience of old favourites like ‘Cold Days…’ and also the Frabbits anthem ‘Keep Yourself Warm’ which again invoked some tears and snotters among the faithful.
Overall – a very emphatic statement – this band will go on!