GHOSTS OF PROGRESS + RICOSHAY + HAMPER + FOREVERVOID - Hustlers, Dundee 16-05-08
There are times when all the dross I sit through in concert make me wonder sometimes why I put myself through all this. Then, out of the blue, you hit upon something you've never seen before that has the hairs standing up on the back of your neck, has a seasoned concert-goer like me applauding like crazy, gives me a mile wide smile and makes you realise why, indeed, I do all this - and tonight Ghosts of Progress did exactly that!!
I was chatting with Hustlers owner Dave half way down the stairs when the band started - "you should see this band" he says, "there are just two of them - two guitarists - and one of the guitarists is the drummer!!" As we wandered up the stairs, I was wondering what on earth he was talking about - then I realised. On stage were two guys playing electric guitars; the guy to the left was operating a kick drum and cymbal, cemented to the floor, with his foot, busker style. The opening number featured this raw low vocal as the guitarists riffed away and the surprisingly varied, powerful and ultra-effective "drum work" actually worked a treat. A second track later and I'm thinking "this band are good". Then, third track in, and they go into "Anal Blues" (which you can hear on the myspace site), and THIS was one of those moments when your jaw drops, the adrenaline rises and you resist the urge to leap around the place like an idiot, for the duo unleashed this absolutely electrifying torrent of guitar work, the guitarist stage right producing this amazing slide guitar sound without using a slide, while the electricity just erupted from the PA as the vocal scorched through the airwaves on a track so powerful, it makes the one online seem weak by comparison (and the one online is great!). The track just fired through the venue and was incendiary, the drum work solid and the perfect foundations for what the guitarists were doing. If that was incredible enough, what followed was even more amazing as the duo let rip on this totally unique smoking brew of startlingly powerful songs all infused with this fiery blues undercurrent, yet it's not blues in the sense that you'd call it. The guitarists played what seemed like a storm-force mix of indie, blues, rock and something that hasn't even got a name for it yet. The final track was positively Neil Young-esque with stinging, steaming leads erupting out of the guitar work as the riffing fired out, the vocals roared through the building and the whole place just took off. Yet inside all this they're also undoubtedly a contemporary indie band, too - you could put this duo on with The Getdowns, The Brogues, the Blues Festival, hell, you could even put them on at a metal gig - and they'd be lapped up by everyone who sees them. Possibly the most sensational thing I've seen for ages - this was utterly incredible and I'd urge you to get out and see them - like now! - because you're in for one stunning good time.
Now, at this point, I should say that this event was what you'd call "varied" - in fact, there was no musical link between any one of the four bands appearing. So, from there, it was the turn of Ricoshay to hit the stage. Another band I didn't know anything about, they proved to be a sort of rock-indie type of band with a good vocalist and some strong playing. I couldn't readily put my finger on a comparison, but the first couple of songs were well played and showed a certain amount of promise in a sort of really early Oasis-styled manner, if you had to pin me down. The third song was actually the best of the set so far, with the vocals quite strong, a semblance of a hook and chorus, and the band tight and solid with some hot guitar work emanating from the stage. I thought it was heading in the right direction until the final two numbers when for some reason best known to himself, the guitarist kranked up his onstage volume, and this squalling howl of a trebly guitar came at you like a knife, the only thing you could do if you valued your ears, to take refuge back down the stairs - which I did - so I missed the last two numbers - and pretty well forgot the rest!! Another time, no doubt!!
Now, the reason I was here at all tonight, was to see Hamper. Hamper gigs these days are more akin to sightings of Nessie - rare as heck and only believed when you see one!! For those unfamiliar with them, they are a quartet of musicians spread around Scotland, with a female vocalist originally from Ireland, who get together when they can, have existed as a band for a number of years - and are responsible for two of the most superb CD singles, of which two of these tracks ("Comfort Cake" and "Lullabye") are simply two of the most timeless and enjoyable tracks you could hope to find.
So, they took the stage - what you don't get from the studio recordings, that you do get when you see the band live, is the extra power that they possess, particularly from the guitarist, Mark Friars, and this gives the tracks that extra strength, drive and potency, adding another dimension to tracks that are more atmospheric on CD, but, crucially, not losing an ounce of that atmosphere when played live.
So it was thay they opened with "Comfort Cake" - and th first thing you notivce is that the lead guitar work is right upfront, still ringing and chiming as it does on record, but now with an added sense of early Cure aded to its strength as this scything lead soars and dives through the PA to riveting effect. Pete Nixon and Gordon MacPherson play a lurching beat that drives away, as shortly into the song, vocalist and acoustic guitarist Louise McVey, provides this goregoue mix of sultry, husky, rich, smooth, beautiful and strong vocalising that immediately captures you and draws you in to its charms. Meanwhile the guitar work climbs ever higher, ringing out like indie church bells, as the track becomes this sublime mix of atmosphere and electricity, beauty and power at the same time, the result winning a rapturous reception from the audience. From here it was onto "Lullabye", the latest CD single, and here the band take things slower as Louise's vocals sounds heartwarming and fragile, but infused with this broding mix of determination and yearning. As we take off to the chorus, the band rises up, the guitar works rings out and the result produces a smile and lump in the throat at the same time, while still retaining an air of mystery and, thanks to the soid rhythm work and the soaring guitar, an air of mystery and intensity that's like no other band around - in fact, you could imagine Neil Young fans bowing down to every minute of this, even though it sounds nothing like what he does - stunning!! The next song they dedicated to me - awwwwwwww....how sweet!!! - and it was a really strong number where the vocals really sprang to life as Louise opened up more and this wonderful slice of atmospheric indie folk-rock spreads through the room like mist clearing on a lake, to leave the sun shining through and the warmth of its charms ringing out to perfection. A new piece, "Amsterdam" started out in a kind of waltz-time with rhythms that cemented this, while the vocals was provided in a slightly higher register that gave brief glimpses of classic early Judie Tzuke and really shone through. As this was hapening, the rhythms began to accelerate and become a bit more rock oriented, while Mark's guitar works twists and turns as the band wander down musical avenues and alleyways that sound so natural yet come as completely unpredicatable. Somewhere along the way there is a touch of Neil Young to the guitar work, while the track itself, has hints of Al Stewarts's "Roads To Moscow" in the way it builds, but then, typically Hamper, wanders down a side street and takes to an altogether different place. The final track, "Last Chance Salon" if I recall correctly, is a real epic set-closer, as the band start in quiet but determined mode and gradually fire up (for them) to provide this really huge sounding slice of epic songwriting, with Louise's vocals the most powerful they've sounded so far without losing any of that richness and gorgeousness that makes it such a mesmersing vocal performance. Towards the end of the track, with the band diving ever forwards, she unleashes a vocal like a wild west Annie Oakley firing velvet bullets, hitting the mark every time.
In the best traditions of concert going, the relatively short set, left you wanting more - but that said, it was absolutely spellbinding, the sign of a quality band to which you really must devote more of your attention. The road to glory lies open before them - for they shall be recognised!!
The final piece of tonight's ecelctic jigsaw puzzle was provided by a band from Glasgow called Forevervoid - playing heavy metal!!! Best bit was that they actualy played it quite superbly. Unleashing a blitz of riffing and surging leads, the dual-guitar led quintet immediately let their presence felt. But what really toped it off was their singer and undoubted natural frontman, DLJ (honest!!!), who showcased a really powerful lead vocal worthy of many a more famous metal band, while the songs they played had roots in three decades of rock, conforming more to the "Classic Rock" line than anything else. The band also, crucially, puts forward a visual image that makes you want to keep watching as the singer preoves as magnetic as the swaying, headshaking and rocking of the guitarists as they roam the stage and give every classic metal pose in the book, yet none of it comes across as anything but totally in keeping with what they're playing. In many ways, they reminded me of the old Fife band Krank Solo, only more powerful, better singing and armed with stronger songs. Through a roaring fire of rock, the band unleash a set of songs that are, in many ways, as intricate as they are anthemic, and on first hearing, while you're loving what you see and hear as a metal fan, few of the songs stick in your head after you've heard them, but if you listen to their myspace tracks, you'll hear that you've only got to listen to them all a couple of times before they'll become more memorable when you see them live. Standing next to Louise from Hamper, who surprisingly to me, was enjoying what she was hearing, this was the sound of a fine metal band that can really deliver the goods, and another band well worth seeing if and when they return to the city.
So, there you have it - in essence, one pretty sensational evening's entertainment - and you can't say fairer than that!!