DUNDEE LIVE - BANDS TO WATCH!!

KEITH RODGER + THE VIRAGOES + SECOND GO LUCKY - Hustlers 12-09-08


As seems to be the trend for our weekend Dead Earnest events at Hustlers, the headline band, Sonnet 65, pulled out at, this time, a spectacular 24 hours notice - the best one yet!! - The Leatherettes gave us 48 hours, Blind Ambition gave us 48 hours and The Skinflints gave us a whole 4 days! But Sonnet 65 decided to try and soften the blow by offering us an alternative that they could get to play - which mistakenly included The Trade - mistakenly, as I knew they were unable to play!! Anyway, we elected to go for a singer called Keith Rodger who I'd never heard of before, but who graciously agreed to play, largely as it turned out, since he wanted to!! While Sonnet 65 didn't exactly replace themselves - maybe someone should!! - they did, inadvertently, give us someone who was actually rather excellent.
ONe man, his trusty acoustic and a soft voice, kind of clear yet warm, played a set of songs that even had the Second Go Lucky band and fans appreciating it. Featuring a clutch of songs with chopy, slo-mo chords, sung verses that rise and fall with excellent fynamic ability, while a vocal veers from cron to intensity, albeit softly, over the cyclical chords and melodies. The third song was very emotive,l with a strong sense of yearning to the vocal, a bit like early Ralph McTell. The next was more languid with something aproaching a memorable chorus, had more of a flow to it, with story-telling lyrics that held you spellbound. The next was like a livelier Esperi, and then he subsequently had the crowd singing along with the warmest acoustic rendition of The View's "Same Jeans" that I've heard to date. The final song was a homage to Dundee and had everyone singing along. A newe name on the acoustic block and one that is sure to win over more fans as they get to hear him - go check out his myspace site!
Glasgow's The Viragoes were making their Dundee debut. A quintet featuring one guy on guitar and violin, a lead female vocalist on acoustic guitar, a second female vocalist on mandolin-y type thing, and a rhythm section. The first two tracks were led by strong, driving rhythms with real depth, the band chugging along as the lead vocalist revealed a vocal of a somewhat mid-high register as the other vocalist counterpointed with delicious harmonies, as the rich sound from the guitars provided meat on the bones and strngth to the melodies. Third up featured a fast, lurching rhythm, tightly cliped, as the lead vocal soared out above a jaunty guitar melody that flew overhead. The song stretched out, then moved into a more staccato section before becoming smoth in the instrumental mid-section as the fluid guitar work leads into equally warm vocalising that rises to a crescendo, rejoins the clipped isntrumental phrasing as the backing vocal steams in as the song drives forward to its end point. In the fourth song, the mandolin-y thing came out, giving the playing an additional layer on a fast-flowing song that really tore along in searing folk-rock fashion, quite short, veering between faster and quieter, but totally effective and really memorable. The fifth track opened with acoustic guitar and vocals, more brooding, but the song suddenly erupts as both the female vocalists take on a solid chorus and stunning harmonies that really catch fire, a bit like, if I dare make the analogy, a seriously musical, folk-rock answer to Voice Of The Beehive! Following this, I had door duties on which to concentrate so "lost" the rest of the set, but if this was an example of what they are capable of delivering and how they wowed and audience who had not only never seen them before but, technically, weren't into their style of music, then we'll be having them back, for sure.
I'd not seen Second Go Lucky for a while - and this did not disappoint!! Starting the set with a storming guitar intro, really deep and solid, the vocals soared out on top as the song drove forward with muscle, as the most catchy hokline to the riff commands your attention, a stinging lead guitar wailing out on top to excellent effect, the whole song really kind of singalong, even though you're completely unfamiliar with it, and a great way to open the set, with a blues-tinged but rock-solid slice of indie strength. Because of the dor duties, the second song was noticed as a strong song that lurched and drove with a really solid lead guitar and a strong vocal. Back to concentrating on the band, the third song started with an electrifying guitar riff that went into an almsot indie-dub rhythm as the vocal lurches along on top, sounding completely natural and flowing, while the whole performance sways along in adictive fashion, with that lead guitar ringing out above the expansive rhythm guitar and pounding rhythm section. Then it stops - and accelerates - then returns to its dubby main section.The whole thing is absolutely addictive as it chops and changes, turning into quite a lengthy epic of a track but one that justifies and sustains every second of its journey, and for such an embryonic band, a really amazing track. The fourth track opened with the vocalist over a really deep, booming riff that all dives into fast forward into an explosive rhythm as the vocals really blaze. The track then twists into an almost cossack-esque rhythm before reverting to its monster of a riff then swings back and foorth between the two, a real brain-blaster of a track. There's at times an almost violin-y depth to the guitars as the sound comes across as really rich but still blasts out in rock solid fashion. The fifth track was very View-esque in the beginning, but once again, had that depth to its guitar work only this time smoothly knocking you for 6 rather than biting you in the ass. A great vocal hoOK as chorus rise above the driving rhythms as the drummer really the pounding, almost native sounding, beats, as the song drives forward to spellbinding effect. So, even though I didn't catch every nuance of what was played, I think you'll agree - a typically eclectic Dead Earnest line-up - not one we'd planned, I have to say - but one that, thanks to the goodwill and enthusiasm of all the musicans that played, turned out into a most successful evening all round.

Back to Dundee Bands home page
Email Andy G
Home page