For their first ever show in Glasgow Giant Sand landed at the ABC in Sauchiehall street as part of this years Celtic Connections. Howe Gelb has played several solo gigs here over the past ten years or so but this was the first full blown Sand experience and it was well worth the wait. While the latest album Blurry Blue Mountain featured heavily there was a fine nod to the current reissue programme by Fire Records who are releasing around 30 past Giant Sand/Howe Gelb records in remastered and expanded formats. Accordingly we were treated to blisteringly hot renditions of Thin Line Man and Valley of Rain in their full blown guitar mesh. While the crowd (and it was crowded) went wild for these Ride The Rails (from the latest album) matched them for intensity.
Blabber’N’Smoke was able to grab some time with Howe for an interview before the gig, some of which will be posted here soon. In the meantime here’s some pictures of the event.
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Category Archives: Live
Pokey LaFarge and the South City Three
The Wynntown Marshals. Bar Brel. West End festival. 25th June 2010
It’s a crazy idea to have a gig in a conservatory on one of the hottest nights of the year, however a chance to see The Marshals up close was too good to resist. Crammed on to a tiny stage the five piece band were almost in each other’s laps as they sweated over a fine set of songs picked mainly from their fine Westerner album. Despite the heat they turned in a set that ranged from the mellow country tones of “Nelly” to the ferocious blast that was “You Can Have My Heart”. 
Singer Keith Benzie was in fine form and seemed to be enjoying the show as he explained the story behind the road trip from hell that is detailed in “48 Hours” and engaged in some banter with the audience. While “Ballad of Jayne” and “Snowflake” appeared early in the set the first highlight was a reading of “Thunder In the Valley,” one of the weightier songs from their album with some fine soloing from guitarist Iain Barbour. With Iain Sloan’s pedal steel playing somewhat buried in the mix the night belonged to the other Iain, whose guitar playing was a constant delight. Part of this may be that I was sitting two feet away from him but his mastery of the instrument, his picking and blistering solos just burned.
As the temperature in the hothouse rose the band appeared to be wanting to add to it as they approached the end of their set, the volume rose as they ended their set with the double whammy of “After All These Years” and “You Can have My heart.” A brave and rousing cover of Neil Young’s “Powderfinger” served as an encore which set the ears ringing.
Overall a great little night and proof, if needed, that The Marshals have some great songs and some mighty great chops with which to deliver them.
Jason and the Scorchers. Thursday 6th May. ABC.
A medley of mishaps involving public transport and a citizen’s duty to cross out a politician conspired to prevent me seeing the opening act The Wynntown Marshals who were promoting their fine new album. A poor start but after this things could only get better. And so they did. A rejuvenated Scorchers had the house jumping with a fine set that gave full space to their new album, Halcyon Days but also found room to slip in several of their old crowd pleasers. Guitarist Warner E Hodges, looking like a wild haired version of Robert Downey Jnr. was on fine form. Slinging his guitar with abandon and towards the end swirling like a dervish he mugged with glee at the front rows of the audience and appeared to be having a fine time. Front man Jason Ringenberg howled and flayed like a man possessed while between songs he regaled us with tales of songwriting partners and the genesis of some of the new songs. While these appear to be still bedding in (with Jason reading lyrics from a sheet) overall the best of them sound as if they could have been in the Scorchers’ repertoire forever. There was a great atmospheric reading of Twang Town Blues and numbers such as Moonshine Guy, Mona Lee and Days of Wine and Roses fit right in to the Scorchers’ tradition. A great Ramones type bash through We’ve Got It Going On and a scorching (had to do it) rendition of Better than This from Hodges totally fired up the audience. However it was the fan’s favourite Broken Whiskey Glass that drew the most cheers and some incredible audience participation while White Lies closed the show all too soon.
Sarah Borges and The Broken Singles. Lauries Music bar, Glasgow. Sunday 25th April.
For their Glasgow début this fine outfit toned down their usual full blown rock show to accommodate the cosiness of the venue. Tucked into a small back room with a small but devoted audience they turned in an almost perfect performance that may have lacked wattage but more than made up for it in spades with fine playing and a great sense of fun.
A disparate bunch with bassist, Binky, looking like Keith Richards’ attic portrait, guitarist Lyle Brewer sporting a preppy look, drummer Rob Dulaney seemingly Shel Silverstein’s’s double and the glamorously goofy Borges herself, they spent a great deal of time interacting with the audience. Borges and Binky are a great double act and delighted with their tales of hanging out with Glaswegians the previous night and her attempts to get around the local tongue.
Away from the banter however this is a serious band who play some mighty fine tunes tastefully and the highlight of almost every song was guitarist Brewer. Obviously acquainted with the work of James Burton, Roy Buchanan and Danny Gatton he played tasty licks, tearing solos and towards the end grabbed a plastic pint glass from a punter’s table to produce some amazing slide sounds.
With songs ranging from rockabilly to honky tonk and country blues the two sets whizzed by. Standout songs included Daniel Lee, Symphony (a dream like version played beautifully) and a long sultry version of Cry One More Time. A version of Evan Dando’s Ride with Me topped the show before the band came back for a gloriously riotous encore.
A great night and a great band.
Woodenbox With A Fistful of Fivers. Album launch
A packed crowd in Mono on Sunday night heard this splendidly named band play all of the songs from their debut album, “Home and the Wildhunt.” Loud and raucous and tight as the proverbial duck at the end of a promotional tour they played with gusto and appeared to be enjoying it as much as the audience. The horn section (and whistling) did at times conjure up the spirit of Morricone and spaghetti westerns (to wit the name) but were also able to add slabs of sound giving the impression of a soul revue from back in the days of Stax. Difficult to call a favourite moment here but the radio friendly Twisted Mile drew cheers and Besides the Point was like seeing The Violent Femmes on a particularly psychotic bend. The closing song My Mule had an almost psychedelic start before the band hammered into the song.
The album itself is a bit of a tour de force. With twelve songs delivered in the space of 40 minutes there is hardly time to draw breath. There are the radio friendly hooks of Twisted Mile and the Calexico stylings of Hang the Noose but the baroque pop of Heart Attack, sounding like something Mark Mulcahey might have written, is a gem while the segue from the harmonies on the opening Intro to the horns on Life From Above is excellent.
Gathering a reputation as a hot band live and radio plays from the likes of Marc Riley and Radcliffe and Maconie the album only cements the possibility that Woodenbox are set for greater things. The album’s released on Electric Honey and is another feather in the cap for this label based at Stow College.
“ Woodenbox with a Fistful of Fivers – Besides The Point by Triad Publicity “>
Check them out and buy the album here
Celtic Connections. Pokey Lafarge and the South City Three/The Wiyos.
Discover Simple, Private Sharing at Drop.io
An old time Americana night at Celtic Connections was too good an opportunity to miss. Both these bands play ragtime, swing and Hillbilly music although with contrasting emphasis on their roots.
LaFarge and his band are from the South, Mississippi territory and embody much of the grace and emotions churned up there. A true Southern gent with a huckster’s attitude Pokey engaged with the audience throughout while all four played brilliantly. As an ensemble they add so much to what was already a great act solo.
The Wiyos in contrast are a more cosmopolitan bunch. With an almost vaudevillian approach and different members fronting songs they are smoother but they draw their inspiration from the same well as Pokey and the South City Three. Again there was much musicianship on display and some genuinely funny moments to boot.
At the end all eight musicians gathered for a rendition of Diddy Wah Diddy that showcased all their talents and had all of us begging for more.
There’s a chance to see both bands (separately unfortunately) tonight and tomorrow with Pokey playing the City Halls (again as part of Celtic Connections) and The Wiyos in Kilbarchan on Friday at what should be a tremendously intimate gig.
Discover Simple, Private Sharing at Drop.io