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REVlEW ROCK
JOHN B MCKENNA
we wane PROMISED JETPACKS
AND OVER THE WALL Captain’s Rest, Glasgow, Thu 5 Jun 0...
Starting with suitably hushed reverence for John B McKenna's gentle powerhouse of a voice in an acoustic set, and ending with the squawking guitar, pounding keyboard and trumpet combo of Over the Wall, tonight's outing of the monthly Thursday Moore night was a slow but steady burner from quiet to loud.
The position of the stage lighting combined with the red backdrop made Mr McKenna resemble a Hammer Horror baddie. but it gave an appropriately eerie edge to a plaintive run-through of the likes of ‘Keep Me in the Dark’. and a lyrical nod to ‘mescaline horizons' reflected the narcotic thrill of his tunes. Cracking.
We Were Promised Jetpacks took the baton and ran with it in excellent style, in a pocket-sized Arcade Fire/Idlewild/Morrissey with acoustic guitar wizardry plus violins kinda way. So, Over the Wall undoubtedly had their work cut out for them, and what the music lacked in broad appeal it made up for with affable stage banter, mid-song high fives and Neil Diamond anecdotes. (Emma Newlands)
REVIEW INDIE KID CANAVERAL
Henry's Cellar Bar, Fri 20 Jun 0..
Henry's, for all its charms, is hardly the most sparkly place in town. However, bringing a solid dose of summer to the venue's dimly lit confines, St Andrews four-piece Kid Canaveral's lively guitar pop does the place wonders. serving — if you will — as a sonic feather duster.
Marking the release of their double A-side single ‘Couldn't Dance/Teenage Fanclub Song', they demonstrate with a charming playfulness the growing quality of their writing. This does have the effect of leaving their older material sounding like slightly worn first drafts, but the Pavement-like jangle of the second song from the single points to a band growing in stature. There are some
moments still slightly rough around the
edges. with a forced guitar re-tuning draining some of the momentum they build-up during a medley of ‘tunes you can dance to“. but frontman David MacGregor's fine line in rambling comedic patter fills the empty space well enough. This combined with Kate Lazda (voice and guitar), and bassist Rose McConnachie's matching dresses. their unpretentious style should keep winning them new friends. (Miles Johnson)
REViEW ROCK
KEVIN MODERMOTT Oran Mor, Glasgow, Mon 23 Jun 0”.
“Was that good?‘ says the chipper Scots musician early on in his set. and 20 years into his career as a singer- songwriter. ‘l thought so,’ he adds. tongue in cheek. ‘And I liked the guitar solo.‘
But he has every right to be proud of his roster of consistently perfectly- crafted rock songs. often reminiscent of Crowded House siblings Neil and Tim Finn's work together as The Finn Brothers. with a bit of Dylan and even Simple Minds thrown in for good measure.
Songs from various stages of his career rub shoulders during the set with ‘Wise to the Fade' setting the pace, followed by 'Diamond', ‘Spider Spinning' and ‘Watching Cartoons‘. and both his voice and his backing are as muscular as the watertight songwriting.
The crowd responds with equally solid devotion, with the blues-rock feel taking a backseat for a solo acoustic interlude which sees the pace slow and includes ‘Til the Bough Breaks'.
But the wisecracking banter returns as he is joined again by his band for an invigorating finale that is electric in every sense of the word.
(Emma Newlands)
Tomorrow ’3 music today. This issue: Ross Clark
Looking like the bastard rockabilly son of a Proclaimer and with a singing voice like a shot of raw Glasgow bluegrass, 20-year-old Ross Clark’s exuberant, sweat- drenched live sets have been getting him a reputation. He sings brainy songs about girls and going for a fry-up and his new single ‘Silversword’ is rollickineg brilliant with a natty litle trumpet solo. We like it so much we thought we’d get him in for a chat
How would you describe your sound?
Fucked-up country. ‘Country' because I like my songs to tell stories. I just write songs about girls. I love girls. They make me happy and sad at the same time. ‘Fucked-up' because . . . well, because we play it loud. I guess.
Although you’re a solo artist, you’ve got a pretty hefty backing band on your single: bass, drums, madolin, violin, trumpet . . .
Yeah. I always wanted to be ‘Ross Clark and The Somethings'. I don't sit down and consciously write the songs — everything we play comes out of jam sessions and just grows like crazy. Everyone's heard bands with the two guitars, bass and drums formula. Me, I‘ll just ask anyone who can play an instrument if they want in on it! Why not stick it in? I just want to make big. colourful noises that make sound engineers cry! (Kirstin lnnes) I Cabaret Voltaire, Edinburgh, Fri 4 Jul; Henry '3 Cellar Bar. Edinburgh, Sat 5 Jul; Oran Mor, Glasgow, Wed 9 <3 76 Jul and ABC? on Tue 22 Jul. 'Si/versword' is out now, see w. m yspace. com/electricpo/yester
RE‘JlEW ART/MUSIC INSTALLATION FOUND
Dialogues of Wind and Bamboo, Royal Botanic Garden, Edinburgh, Sat 21 Jun 000
It was the all-you-can-eat buffet of line- ups. There were robots playing bamboo instruments. dancing in the sculpture garden, tai chi and the chance to creep in the undergrowth like David Bellamy in an pop meets classical music video. But then along came some the monsoons, washing the outdoor action down the pan.
The sections in the greenhouses were soothing and sensory tickling — Edinburgh art collective Found mixed folk-electronica with bird song and Kim Ho lp added other-worldly yang chin to the nature trail soundtrack. Ziggy Campbell's self-playing Chinese dulcimer — wired to robotic chimes and bony bamboo fingers — was musical genius. His latest audio-gadget art installation was invented with Dr Simon Kirby, his partner in FOund Electronics. Oblivious to the stream of humans in caQOules, it sounded magical and serene from its hidey-hole in the plants. But the threat of trench foot baSicalIy wrote off the rest of the evening. Inventive, ambitious and full of beautiful noises, it's a damn shame someone at the big mixing desk in the sky COuldn't turn the $0und of hammering rain down a bit. (Claire Sawers)
(3—1 7 Jul 2008 THE LIST 69