The Coffins/Rabid Punk Guitars/Sixth Avenue Traffic - 19/05/12 - The Bay (Glasgow)

Sixth Avenue Traffic are a strange band.

Everything seems to be there, but they just fall short of taking the performance to a level where an audience would feel stunned.

It's actually verging of frustrating watching them at times.

You want them to soar and then they hit cruise control.

On paper the band will work. There's no doubt about that.

The original material is of a high quality, the band have a more than acceptable level of musicianship, and the singer has a hint of Chris Robinson of the Black Crowes about his vocals.

It's all good, but live they don't quite manage to provide that moment that acts as a catalyst and imprints their name forever on the lips of an audience as a band to watch out for.

Two things seemed to be stopping them from creating the magic.

One was that they seemed uncomfortable squeezed into The Bay.

A larger stage would have possibly given them some room to make more of a performance rather than just play the songs.

The second was the stiffness of the singer in the delivery of the vocals.

I was mentally urging him to let go as I reckon he's got it.

The problem isn't that the talent is missing, it just seems that he is holding it all tightly contained, and he needs to let it all out.

The cover of The Florence and the Machine hit Dog Days was interesting, but it was on this song that the holding back was most apparent on.

Even on the reworked version there are points, such as the 'Run fast for your mother, run fast for your father' break, that lend themselves to a more gonzo approach.

Sixth Avenue Traffic need to let loose.

A tip would be to glance over their shoulders at their own drummer who was the only one who seemed to have keyed into what playing rock and roll should be about.

There has to be some wild abandon and a sense of danger.

Some bands have more attitude than talent, and can very often disappoint, but the opposite was on show here.

The very obvious talent on display needs a fix of attitude, and when that's added then I suspect that they will turn some heads.

R.P.G, from Perth, had no problems in the attitude department, or could be considered lightweights when it comes to musicianship either.

I've got a broad understanding of what punk is that many would disagree with, but no one would raise an eyebrow if I was to say that R.P.G were a real punk band.

The passion, the raw anger, and the' fuck you, I wont do what you tell me', foundations of what punk is all about are all present and correct.

Then the addition of the real essence of punk rock as I understand it - a refusal to kow tow to a uniformed template - is right to the fore to.

The dual bass sound of the band is mind blowing.

The throbbing post punk runs add a whole new dimension to the sound.

Not that the band are solely defined by the bass sound, as the guitar and drums are equally as important, as are the duel vocals.

The whole aural tapestry of what they are doing is heady stuff.

Plenty of bands could do with checking out what RPG are doing, and taking some notes.

If there's a rock and roll rule book then the guys in the band read it from cover to cover and then tore it up and wrote their own.

That's what punk is about.

It's not a ghetto to get bogged down in. It's a wide open vista of opportunity, and here's a band that fundamentally get that.

Once again it would seem that it is down to those who have been around the block a couple of times to lead the way.

Punks dead, long live punk.

The Coffins are one of those bands that you have to see live to get it.

Part garage punk, part performance art, and all rock and roll.

The influence of Alex Harvey looms large in the material, but it is far darker, and far more visceral, than anything that Vambo would do.

The world of the Coffins is one where less than savoury characters exist, blood runs in the gutter, and anyone with any common sense prays for the dawn.

Even when they introduce their summer anthem 'waves' it quickly melds sun and surf with being swept under the waves of the title.

If Screaming Lord Sutch was to record an album that was written by The Birthday Party then it might come close to sounding like The Coffins.

Front man Joe Bone stalks the stage like a demented serial killer.

All twitches, psychotic stares and props.

Michael Wernick on bass is a thrashing dervish who never stops.

His excitable style of of playing the bass would probably make him the main focal point in most bands, but the Coffins aren't most bands, and at any given time your attention can also be caught by Bil Gilchrist on guitar and swinging shrunken head, or the pounding Graham Platt who never ever misses the beat.

The is a real band and not three guys backing up the one individual as we so often see.

All are cogs in a machine that effortlessly mesh together and allows it to run fast and smooth.

In a very short time they have built up a solid fan base, and it's very obvious why as attending a gig by them is akin to being swept up by a hurricane.

I would reckon that after seeing them once then most people would be up for a return visit.

It's all the more laudable that they have accrued this success as they have bloody mindedly refused to pander to pay to play promoters and instead sought out ethical venues and bookers and worked hand in hand with them to promote themselves.

It's a positive example to other bands that there are other options available, and there's really no need to offer themselves up to be exploited.

In fact here's some advice.

Get in touch with bands like The Coffins, promoters like Punk Rock Rammy, bookers like Mark McG of the Girobabies, speak to venues like The Bay, Bar Bloc and the 13^th Note.

Use what is out there and work with the good guys.

They're not the only ones kicking about Glasgow.

There are more, but crack in and get recommendations from them and take some control of your own destiny.

Well that's my tuppence worth. 


The Coffins
Rabid Punk Guitars (R.P.G)
Sixth Avenue Traffic