RACHEL ANDERSON + THE GET DOWNS + LUVA ANNA + THE LAW - The Vault, Monifieth 13-08-06
A fund raiser for Monifieth Youth Club (we'll come on to that later) and a free gig involving two of Dundee's leading unsigned bands, Dundee's own female singer-songwriter and a local band, who organised the gig. What a line-up - and FREE!!
But where the heck is The Vault? Driving down, Monifieth is one of those "blink and you'll miss it" town centres, in other words, it's not very big. I get there, find the place easy enough, go in the wrong door, then go in the right door and am greeted with a not-so-long, narrow room, a bar down half of one side, a bit of a right angle at the back and a raised stage area with not enough room to swing a cat - and the place is packed - and still people were coming in. This was gonna be a goodie!!
As I got there Rachel Anderson had begun and already people were at the front and applauding. Rachel was playing to a packed bar, most of whom had never heard or seen her before, and most of whom were as young as she was, but, young and older, she won them over easily. With a clutch of great songs, from ballad to driving, she just exuded confidence, resplendent in green, playing her acoustic guitar almost percussively at times, and, with her soaring high-register voice rising above the audience, sounding so strong in this environment, this proved conclusively that Rachel's star is definitely on the rise.
One lady wh I'd never met before, came up to me after all 4 acts had been on, and said that she had been having a meal at the Dundee Riverside Travel Lodge where Rachel and Susan played last night, and that she had enjoyed the songs (that Rachel) played, but then she said "but I really enjoyed her a lot more tonight - last night she did a lot of covers, but her own songs are so much better" - a finer complement (and true!), you can't find - and that won't be just one person thinking that, the way things are going!
The place is now sardine-like. Next up were the band who organised this - the Get Downs. From Monifieth, they came on and revealed a set so tight and together, you'd think that this band had been around ages rather than a bunch of young guys just starting to gain a following. The thing I noticed about this band was that, in their half hour or so set, there wasn't one song that didn't carry you along with it. Playing an addictive brew that mixed punk and emo with vari-paced rhythms that ranged from Ramones-esque speed to energetic, almost early Stones-esque swagger, you couldn't fail to enjoy what they did. One track, to use a rather obscure reference, was a bit like a punk version of Jason & The Scorchers, with guitar work that just sizzled. Throughout the set, the band just flew, feeding off the enthusiastic audience, who rightly gave them one heck of a reception. For the first time of seeing them, this was one impressive band who can play, write, perform and who I'd put on in concert tomorrow - in fact, I am, but that's for later.
Leaving the live review behind for a second, the band explained to me that this was trying to raise both awareness and funds to keep the Monifieth Youth Club open, a place where they practice and yet are facing the possibility of their pracice time being drastically cut if proposed organisational changes there go ahead. Well, without being political, if this place progressing, means bands of the undoubted talent that the Get Downs have, can come out of it, then it's an open and shut case - you have to keep it on the right track. It's no good lamenting funding - Dundee's Music Scene is on the rise right now, more vibrant than ever - this autumn the world, never mind the UK, will be focusing on Dundee Bands - but Dundee is about the geographic peripherals too, Monifieth being one. Arts funding or council funding for Arts (whichever council we're talking about) that allows the bands to flourish and become successful, can only bring good to the City and its surrounds, by the shedload. Anything right now that actually denies the up and coming bands to share in what is undoubtedly going to put the Dundee Music Scene on the map, is nothing but short-sightedness on an epic scale.
Back to the gig. With The Get Downs set finished, time for Luva Anna. But by now the place is rammed - and I mean rammed! An authoritarian voice is heard to say "it's a lot busier than we thought it was going to be". Had to laugh! I'm thinkin' "you put on a free gig of this stature and quality - what did you expect?" The guy from the Get Downs said that they had told the place to prepare for it being busy - but I don't think even they in their wildest dreams could have expected this!
I think the proprietor of The Vault has now just realised what is happening on the Dundee Music Scene - welcome aboard!
A considerable delay that involved the Police not letting anyone else in to the place, and a problem with the volume, that whispered rumours said might have to curtail the gig (which luckily never materialised), thankfully led to Luva Anna taking the stage. By now, there were people on the floor, people on chairs and a sea of people in a small pub that had probably never done bar takings like this in its life, outside of Hogmanay - and even that's debateable. From the anthemic driving opening track, the quartet had the crowd with them all the way. Into the track that I think is called "Hello Hello" with it's unforgettable chorus of "the only time I'm happy is when I'm crying", and the audience is swaying, hands in the air and singing along. The vocals alternate between the two lead vocalists, Dave Webster and Drew Boy Grazer, from song to song, Dave doing the majority. Their wry look at nighclub life in "Sticky Feet" was a swaggering success while "The Legend of Bobby Smith" took folk-rock by the tail and kicked it up the arce with a rousing anthemic ballad. When Dave, for the final number, announced the "song about the police", a cheer broke out and as the band took off, so did the audience, as the place erupted with jumping, dancing and singing Luva Anna fans. A triumph. One guy said later that he loved the band because they were so different from a lot of what else is on the Dundee Music Scene right now - he's right - but different AND commerical, too - and, above all, great songs of which you don't tire, and which are both clever and fun, brilliantly played by a band who can do no wrong just now.
By the time The Law came on, any thought that anyone had to curtail the gig had long gone as there would have been a riot - so, with the pub at boiling point (in most respects), to the audience chorus of "ooo ahh, up The Law", on came the Law - but not before someone had announced that Dundee's own The View, with thier first major label single, had reached number 15 in the charts that very afternoon - amid a huge cheer, they added "The View are ON FIRE"! Well, if the View are on fire, the The Law are having their flames fanned, as they came on and the place went mental. From the driving anthem that is "Velvet Army", to the rousing closer, "Hot Rod" - each more addictive than anything llegal - and most things that aren't - they had the audience eating out of the palms of their hands. The thing about The Law is their combination of wry life observations inthe lyrics, set to arrangements that are thirty years of bands that range from the Beatles and the Kinks to more modern contemporary indie bands. Yet, put The Law as a live act next to the Arctic Monkeys and similar, and The Law win hands down. They are the epitome of the commercial indie band but with an appeal that takes it way outside of any particular age range. Their time must surely be close. Anyway, they played a blinder of a set with Stevie Anderson's guitar work ranging from country twang and psychedelic groove to surging leads that keep the songs so alive. Stuart's vocals were solid as ever, as he really looks every inch the classic front-guy, while the whole band now just sound so tight. With the crowd jumping and dancing, this ended one amazing concert.
You got the feel that, in the not-too-distant future- when all the acts on this bill have achieved whatever measure of success greater than where they're at now, as they undoubtedly will, those who were here will be able to hold their heads high and say, with a broad grin across their face, "I was there!"