Practice makes perfect, they say.
Openers, local trio Yakima, are fast becoming the full article. Their set is short, perhaps due in part to their recently becoming a three=piece, so among their clutch of tunes is a mid-set Krautrocky instrumental, which despite having a slightly improv feel to it shows much promise. But it’s singles ‘Burn’ and ‘Wasi Sabi’ that impress most, their mix of pop and slightly proggy chord changes adding to what seems to be great promise.
Bloke Music, from the online PR, might be the evening’s comedy turn. Disappointingly not sporting flat caps, their promise of excerpts from R Kelly’s autobiography actually materialise later. However, they couldn’t be further from lad-rock, even if they do seem to inhabit a period of music in Scotland where Oasis covers bands wrestled (sadly not literally) with the country’s abundance of math rock acts.
The fact they sport a former Super Adventure Club member suggests that we can expect the latter genre, and when they burst forth with an instrumental number in the time signature of pi, a forthcoming half hour of precision rhythms and dizzying guitar lines (all in meticulously and obstinately different keys) sees our post rock dreams come true. The singer has a theremin (I bet he listens to Ark a lot) but despite hints of a militantly uncommercial version of Eska or Laeto (or Lamb-era Genesis with Chou Pahrot producing), it’s far from po-faced – apart from the promised reading from ‘Soulacoaster’, there’s a tune from their new trowel (fortunately, the garden implement does come with a download code).
The man responsible for much of tonight’s fun and games of coruse Yip Man himself, Al Nero – Armelodie Records supremo, but augmented with friends from his multi-talented label roster. Roping in are members of Nero and Cuddly Shark plus a drummer again sourced from Super Adventure Club means a raft of influences – pop, but also edgy, syncopated rhythms and guitar lines that are at once muscular but intricate.
And as chief cigar-chomper at the label, Nero has the band clad in matching merch – woolly hats and Ts – with the singer, in his superhero guise from the ‘Braw Power’ album cover, flaunting the “no capes” maxim. The hazard is swiftly removed before someone loses an eye, or just evaporates, though the frontman rather unfairly has a go at the “pussy” drummer for removing his headgear.
Of course, it’s not just about the the presentation, the aforementioned album being one of the top releases of 2016, so expectationa are high.
And we’re not disappointed. The Hits come early, ‘Not That Easy’ and ‘Bamburner’ as good as on record (which is pretty darn good). We can spot hints of Weezer and Grandaddy and Pavement, but augmented by soulful choruses on ‘In The Book’, while the patter is decidedly Scottish.
Which it has to be with a largely hometown crowd – though a wee bit “chatty” in places, but a shout of “shut up!” during ‘Taxi’ closes down the gabbers and causing the singer to break down in giggles – “Did you mean me?”
The self-effacing banter continues around the slightly croaky vocals as Nero asks for more in the monitior – “it might help”. A Jake Thackary (!) cover and the “autobiographical” ‘Skinny White Ghost’ draw the set towards its climax, ‘It’s About Time We Stopped’ seeing the band get in gear with some rangey guitar from our mainman that’s worthy of the more ‘technical’ support.
But while Yip Man may still be a little rough round the edges, with tunes like those on ‘Braw Power’ who cares – perfection is overrated anyway.