The A Forest + Speyside - Balcony Bar, Dundee 09-03-06
+
Isis - Art Bar, Dundee 09-03-06
Fully functioning once more, time to get back into review mode with a vengeance. Well, sort of.....
I'd already said I'd attend the Isis gig as (a)I still love their set, and (b)It was Cath the drummer's birthday. Then I got an e mail from Speyside, the group whose last bit of set I'd caught and been impressed with at a recent Rising Signs gig. They were on the same night at The Balcony Bar. Rats!!! - here we go again, I thought - where's that cloning machine!!
Anyway, turned out that Speyside were on at 9.30 - "great", I thought, "go to Balcony, catch Speyside, they finish around 10.10, off to Art Bar for Isis" - easy peasy! Well, sort of....
So, first port of call was Balcony Bar - four bands on, of which I was destined to catch the first and Speyside, theoretically. So, first up was a band called The A Forest. You knew this was going to be different from what you normally hear there, as the female electric cellist sat down stage left of two guitarists, one with this dazzling array of foot pedals, a bassist, drummer, female singer and, in the corner, a keyboard that turned out to be used by the two guitarists, individually. The band began - well, talk about my jaw hitting the floor, I think you'd have needed a JCB to get it back up. With crisp delicate drumming, ringing guitar chords, litling bass, a deep resonance from the cello, the band immediately provided this wondrous sound - but when the female vocalist opened up, it was positively spiritual as this gorgeous ethereal high-register voice floated and soared above the solid but expansive instrumentation. Wow!! As the track continued, the guitars chimed out, the cello provided the depth and the bass the rigidity for the vocals to fly around the room with grace and space - then the drummer suddenly kicked it up a notch and the band catched fire, although still quite relaxed at the same time, not sop much exploding as smouldering - but a truly captivating opener froma truly original band. The second track was just as good. Then, for the third track, the vocalst donned what looked like a hand-held electric clavinet with a mouth attachment (or a mini EWI or summat like that). Over deft touches from the keyboard, strong almost tribal but restrained drumming, solid flowing bass and more delicate chiming, ringing guitar leads, the cello and this organ-like instrument carved out the lead lines to another ethereal paradise, as the vocalist weaves another magical spell of singing purity in between the instrumental passages. For the final number, the wondefully titled "There Is No Love Berween Pigeons", the vocalist began with an altogether more sultry tone as the multi-textured leads and effective rhythm section provided the ambience. But then the drums crash in, and the band at alst fires up to almost fiery extent, you still getting the feeling that they're holding back and that, instrumentally, they can really let rip if they choose. Meanwhile, our vocalist is just flying as another gem of a song takes off, only to drop down to earth all too soon. Stunning, and a band I have to see again, for sure
Then it was the turn of Speyside, the band I'd come to check out. They did not disappoint - in fact they were better than I thought they might be. Led by this man mountain of a guitarist, the 2-guitar, bass, drums quartet startedd off with a strong opener that had shades of early Tom Petty but soon developed into something way more substantial as the rolling drums and strong bass drive the track, the twin guiitars providing the heart, while ove the top of all this a fine lead male vocal lets the song take off.They have this knack of building it all up, then taking it down a notch only to raise it even higher, with some superb harmony vocals and choruses along the way, but a stunning warm, crunchy sea of guitars leads, leaving you in awe of the original material. For the second track, they used the dynamices to even greater effect on what is a seriously strong song with great choruses and a symphony of guitars ending in a blistering manner that's almost "Americana Hardcore" - strange, but true. The third track was strong but had this remarkable yearning quality to the vocals and the guitars as the band soared amid some dynamic riffs and chiming leads. Introducing track four, the band urged you to "stomp" - well, how could you stop! An Americana rocker that has guitars set on stun as the rhythm section got up a head of steam, the vocals flew and the whole band provides this corker of a tightly knit anthem. The fifth track stats slowly only to up the anti as the guitars blaze away with another strong lead vocal before dropping back to the slower portion of the song, as ther vocal harmonies get stronger and fly out above the expansive oceanm of twin guitar heaven that's bursting out of the speakers. The track then decelerates to feature a more chiming guitar as the song enters a real ballad-like territory with lush harmonies before it all then blasts out of the wateras song and band erupt to take the track to a roaring finale.
With two tracks to go, so did I (have to go, that is). This band is a class act, like the Rising Signs, only this lot want to rock as well, and their smoking brew of original somgs with some ace guitar work and all-round ensemble excellence, means that this is a band to be watched.
Across town.......and into the Art Bar.......to catch the second of two Isis sets.
It's a mark of their originality, consistency, song-writing and good-time playing, that, even with all the remarkable bands I keep seeing on the Dundee Scene, I still never tire of hearing Isis. Their combination of tasty but tight playing, Zara's mid-range and oh-so strong vocals, allied to a set of three minute songs that never fail to deliver a good time, yet of which the lyrics are so heartfelt or really make you sit up and take notice at the same time. From the cyclical hypnotism of "Dreams" through the anthemic "My Race" to the positively rousing "Alrite" and "Coming Around Again", they hit close to top gear and delivered another solid and totaly consistent set to a packed and delighted Art Bar audience. That they pulled off a version of a track by Shania Twain without making me wince was good enough, but a new number whose title I missed, was a barnstormer with some wondrously grungy guitar work and a really addictive chorus while at the same time rocking out like a demon - not quite up to "Blue Horizons" but the closest yet - and a track that is undoubtedly going to become a stage favourite. Cath and Martin provided some great rhythmic strength, with Cath getting a chance to batter the kit into submission at th end of "Soming Around Again" as the riffing guitar and bass rang out with Martin and Zara falling to the floor and the crowd applauding wildly. Overall, a solid second set as Isis deliver the goods yet again.
A good night was had by all - and I'm typing this with so much energy at 2.45am, thanks to three remarkable bands in one Dundee night.