Ligotage/The Swindlers - Audio - 27/04/13 (Glasgow)

I'm not averse to watching a tribute band or two, but it would be fair to say that given the option I would usually gravitate towards hearing an original band over someone doing covers.

I have a sense of deja vu now.

I've probably said that before so in a way I'm plagiarising myself with the opening statement.

On with the show though.

On Saturday night with Logotage in town I quite fancied a blast of early Adam and the Antz material so I made my way along to Audio to check them out.

First up were The Swindlers who ran through a set of Pistols classics with plenty of tongue in cheek attitude.

Everyone in the band has paid their dues in other punk acts and this is more like a busmans holiday for them.

While some form tribute acts to cash in it is very obvious that this is mainly just a giggle for these guys, and it's that 'do it for a laugh' attitude that swung it for me.

No one is really pretending to be a Pistol.

Even if Shug (Ex Cock Sparrer, Guttersnipe) goes all out to promote the Johnny Rotten image it's still obviously him having a laugh with it all.

I've seen a few Pistols tributes over the ears, but The Swindlers are currently giving them all a run for their money.

If you're looking for a cheap night out with mates who are looking to relive past glories then these guys will provide an excellent soundtrack to an evening of shenanigans.

Then it was Ligotage.

They aren't the cup of tea of choice for some who where there, but that's not because they aren't a quality act.

It's more down to what people expect.

They see it advertised as an Adam Ant tribute act and they are wanting a bit of the ol' Dandy Highway Man, but then the post punk sound of the Dirk period slaps them about a bit leaving them disorientated.

It's a culture shock moment, but one that I'm not thrown by as while I'm a fan of pretty much all of Adam Ants career this is the sound of the songs that introduced me to him.

I'm in my element as the band rattle through a well executed set of early Antz tracks.

As trips down memory lane go these guys are on the button.

Of course it's pure nostalgia and the age of the crowd reflected that, but who gives a toss.

I can't think of a better way to spend a fiver.

It would have cost more to have played all the Pistols and Antz tracks on a jukebox, and when you think that the alternative was watching Britain's got talent then this was a winner all the way..

Tragic City Thieves - Bar Bloc - 19/05/12 - Glasgow

The future of rock and roll is not to be found on the cover of a magazine.

Neither will it be found on many of the summer festival tents.

Instead it will be found on any stage that Tragic City Thieves perform on.

It's been a while since I have seen the band play, and their much welcomed return to the live arena was far more exciting than even I had anticipated.

Before I would have classed them as the best sleazy glam rock band that the west coast of Scotland had ever spawned.

Now I'm going to take that back.

Instead they are the best that the UK has to offer.

(Well the best I have seen.)

The comment was made during their set that this is a band that shouldn't be playing at a bar and club level, and I fully endorse that view.

While the current Guns and Roses are looking for £50 per head for a show it is a fact that Tragic City Thieves would rag doll Axl and his pick up band from here to next week without breaking a sweat.

If they break a sweat then any big rock band you care to mention should shudder in fear.

You want the fire then here it is.

I could lavish so much praise on them that readers would consider that it was a pastiche of a review, but ten minutes into watching them perform and the acceptance of the truth would hit them hard, and the truth is that no matter how much hyperbolic praise I shower them with it will still fall short of the reality.

Much of the set comprised of material that will be on their forthcoming sophomore release and will be new to an audience, but while that can normally be the kiss of death to a performance due to the unfamiliarity they exact opposite happened here.

Instead I'm left craving hearing them again, and I quite literally can't wait for the album to be released.

There's a huge step forward in the quality of the material, and that's not to say that the original album was lacking in quality.

More so it's to try and convey that if the punters liked that then they better hold onto their hats as this one is going to be all killer.

I count myself very lucky that so far in this year I have seen some fantastic live performances and here was yet another to add to the list.

Tragic City Thieves have to break through to a wider audience.

I don't want to keep them to myself as a grubby little secret.

I want the world to know about them.

Fans of everyone from the New York Dolls to The Dead Boys, from Turbonegro to The Dwarves, from The Stooges to Bowie are going to love them.

This is the future of rock and roll.

People just need to wake up to that and get with it.

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