Duncan Reid & the Big Heads - 13th Note - 18/01/14 (Glasgow)

A matinee show you say.

Oh why not. In for a penny, in for a pound, and with that itsaxxxxthings first gig of 2014 was booked.

So not long after lunch time on a Saturday - while others were adding to the rising stock shares of Primark - here we all were in the 13^th Note sheltering from the reality of the outside world and looking to indulge in the fantasy of rock and roll for a few hours.

Monsterpop – the solo alter ego of Jimmy Devlin – opened the day with an unsurprisingly accomplished set of power pop originals. (Unsurprisingly accomplished as he’s been around the block a few times and has an excellent ear for a hook.) Anyone who had pulled themselves away from the upstairs bar early doors was certainly provided with an aural treat.

With just his voice and an electric guitar he’s able to run rings around some full bands.

Usually the idea of one man doing power pop raises a few eyebrows as it is a sound that lends itself to a full band, yet five minutes into a set and any preconceived concerns are very easily brushed off as the material and delivery speaks for itself.

As is the norm when an original artist is looking to draw some appreciation from a cold audience they throw in a couple of familiar songs, and both the Sex Pistols and Welsh rockers Badfinger were given the Monsterpop treatment to great effect.

With the future plans for the project including some full band shows it would be fair to say that those who are already impressed with the solo outings so far are going to have a great deal of awesome to wrap their heads around soon.

Party Asylum are a band growing up in public, and with that those who have witnessed them a few times are seeing an incrementally improvement with every gig.

There’s a bit of the Runaways in the sound, but it’s still comfortable residing in the garage, and then without missing a beat the band can step up close to the punk grunge of L7 while maintaining an eye on some bubblegum pop.

It can sound a bit schizophrenic, but pretty much all of it is working, and the bits that are maybe falling a bit short are reaching for the prize so it’s all good.

Songs seem to be getting dropped from their set while newer ones are being added at a rapid pace with this highlighting that artistically they are going through a growth spurt.

Given the opportunity to be in the right place at the right time Party Asylum could surprise a few people and break out from the local scene in the way The Amazing Snakeheads have.

Keep an eye out for their name under the ‘ones to watch’ headlines.

There aren’t that many bands who can blaze their way through twenty odd minutes of music and in doing so draw the reaction of one promoter and a record label to them, but that’s what Party Asylum did.

It’s with no hint of embarrassment that I can lay claim to publicly shouting from a few rooftops that the Media Whores released one of the best albums of the year in late 2013, and as it is still bedding in with people it’s continuing to garner one rave review after another with each positive word lending credence to my early ravings.

I’m personally very pleased to see a band that I placed some faith in consistently proving me right.

Forget mainstream success, and just simply consider artistic credibility and the band are there.

One of the reasons that the band are doing so well is very obviously down to them being able to walk the walk though.

If you deliver in the studio you have to add a dimension to the songs live that gets an audiences blood pumping and the boys are doing exactly that with every show they play

With every gig that they tuck under their belts they are killing it.

Their ability to use punk rock as a springboard to leap from into a melting pot of influences is a joy to experience.

The day was always going to belong to Duncan Reid though.

I could be wrong - it is known to happen – but I think the last time he graced Glasgow with his presence was when his band The Boys opened for the Ramones in the legendary Apollo.

Since then he’s hit every corner of the globe wielding his bass and scissor kicking his way across stages large and small.

However the sidekick role has now been firmly set aside, and with his band ‘The Big Heads’ he has set out to grab some of the spotlight for himself.

It only took thirty five years of writing, but with his debut he has the material, and the band, to make more than just a credible effort at keeping it shining on him.

What he is doing is far less than the busmans holiday that some may think. Instead it’s a clear move to lay the foundations for a career move that couldn’t be described as one that simply wants to tread water.

I will hazard a guess that during the process of writing and recording, and now playing live, the thought at the forefront of Duncans mind was/is how he could take an attitude and sound that some already think of as perfect and take it to the next stage, or ultimately that the project wasn’t worth doing at all.

If I am right then he can rest easy at night knowing that he, and his band, have achieved just that.

The proof, as they say, is in the pudding though, and on a dreacht* Saturday afternoon he shook the foundations of the 13^th Note and garnered fistfuls of younger fans who until that day probably didn’t have much knowledge of his past endeavors, while keeping the faith of those a bit longer in the tooth.

A more difficult balancing trick than some may think.

It is this ability to take original music out there and secure peoples attentions from cold that can’t really be stressed enough though.

Past efforts meant little and everything they played was judged in the here and now and was found not to fall short in any way.

With a blistering set that had confidence in the material from his debut they took those who were there by the hand and led them on a merry dance.

The Boys tracks were of course a welcome addition, but refreshingly there was no move to hang the rest of the set off them as if they were a nostalgic coat hook.

If there was ever a gig that deserves to reside in the ‘you should have been there’ conversations then this was it.

First gig of the year for me and the benchmark is already set ridiculously high.

Outstanding.

* Scottish word for an overcast, dull and wet day.

Photographs by Gobo Photography. More form the show and Hi Res versions can be found here

Duncan Reid Website

The Media Whores – Pornophonica

Opening up with a track that sounds like James Bond has arrived in town and is in no mood to take any prisoners is a bold move, but 'Affluenza' carries it well while proclaiming loudly and proudly that the band are here.

With their debut 'Starfishing' serving as an impressive introduction they clearly didn't consider for a second resting on their laurels, and instead used the intervening time to write and road test the material that we now have sprawling out and taking up room across the breadth of this album.

It's difficult to pigeon hole the band, and I have a sneaky suspicion that they they like it that way.

One minute they are firmly pounding out a beat in the power pop trenches and then they comfortably ease the listener towards something that is harder edged, a bit dirtier and altogether more meaty.

The only problem is, in the nicest possible way, that as soon as you start to get to grips with that they are off out of the starting gate again and looking to embrace the angular guitar of the post punk sound while adding some harmonies over it all that have no right to be there, but works magnificently anyway.

The whole experience is akin to shadow boxing.

Every single time you may think you have the target in arms reach they have ducked away only to pop up on the periphery and come at you from another angle.

It's wonderfully discombobulating.

A bit of jazz here and a bit of reggae there, and all still sheltering within the broad church of punk rock.

I considered that something special was on the cards, but I wasn't expecting the next step from Starfishing to be such a large one.

One small step for mankind, one giant leap for the Media Whores

Twenty Stone Blatt Records

The live music conundrum

Things have been going very well on the promotion front for a while now.

There has been five shows in a row that sold out and I am very proud of that.

Currently higher profile bands are frequently getting in touch about future shows instead of me chasing them up, interesting opportunities are being offered on a daily basis from a few venues and others, and probably best of all has been the word of mouth praise that has been showered on me.

The appreciation of my efforts from all the acts who have played, those who have attended, and those who I would describe as ethical individuals who are the oil that keeps the music machine running smoothly has been reluctantly welcomed on my part.

Reluctantly because I just feel that while I am playing a role in bringing the music to people I am still but one link in a chain made up of many.

After all it is the bands/artists who really do all the work on the night.

And on the flip side welcomed as it's from my peers.

Anyway, I guess I just want to say thank you to everyone, but I also want to touch on The Strawberry Blondes show that took place a few nights ago.

This was the first in a while that didn't sell out.

I'm a realistic sort and fully expected that a show was looming that wouldn't, and I was/am completely one hundred percent fine with it.

I was wanting to look at why that was though.

To get it out of the way I should stress that a lower than expected turn out had nothing to do with any of the acts who played.

Without exception I would recommend them all.

Not just for being very good at what they do, but because of their professional attitudes towards playing.

Each of them could have business cards printed that say 'We are shit hot, and we don't do hassle'.

In fact I would comfortably go as far as to say that The Brothel Corpse Trio, The Media Whores, The Red Eyes and Billy Liar are all acts that could very easily headline a show on their own merits.

While the Strawberry Blondes credentials as a vibrant live act can easily be backed up just by highlighting that they have been invited to join the Vans Warped tour of the US.

No small potatoes for a punk rock act from deepest darkest Wales.

So here's some obvious reasons as to why the gig wasn't as successful as it should have been..

One is that the gig was on a Wednesday night.

It's not anywhere close to being ideal when you are looking to get people to come out and sample live music.

Plenty of us all have responsibilities during the week that need to be considered.

There's work in the morning, getting kids to school, covering the night for childcare if required, and that just three things for the older music fan to think about.

I guess what I am saying is that I appreciate that it isn't easy.

Still, there is a part of me that thinks I wonder how many people were watching the television and hadn't bothered because..........well they couldn't be bothered.

These people are fully entitled to do that and I'm certainly not having a solid dig at them.

Freedom of choice to do whatever you please is something I actively advocate, but I was talking to Mickie Stabbs of the Strawberry Blondes about the amount of venues on the gig circuit that are closing, and really the only thing that can be said is that if you don't use them then you lose them.

So next time a band is playing that you fancy maybe some, and obviously not all, should think about reasons why they should go and not why they shouldn't.

It's just a tiny shift in perception, but it could make a huge difference.

Another things is cash, the filthy lucre.

There's not a lot of it going about.

I get that.

I really do.

I don't have financial backers or a trust fund to dip into.

No one is bank rolling the gigs I put on and money is tight.

Then again there is that shift in perception again.

I have literally had people at the door of a gig asking what the £5 entry fee is for.

Once you tell them it's to cover paying the acts and venue hire etc they roll their eyes and look at each other as they telepathically agree with each other that they are getting ripped off.

Even though they aren't.

These are the same people who wont question the costs of a continental beer in a city bar.

It's as if there's a logic fail going on and they can't pair the cost with putting a show on with how much it is worth paying to be entertained.

£4.50 for a pint that can be sunk in 20 minutes of sipping on it.

No bother.

£5.00 for four bands entertaining you for a three hours or more.

Not so sure about that eh?

They are happy to pay for any service or goods that is going, but can't wrap their heads around why they should be pay to be entertained by a live band on a club level.

That needs to be addressed and I'm certainly not the first to mention it and I doubt I'll be the last.

Then there's how some view live entertainment.

Quite literally, and more than once, people have said to me 'I only go and see famous people'.

It's a breathtakingly absurd assertion.

Unless people invest their time in going to see bands then they limit the opportunity for them to break through.

The x-factor, and talent shows that peddle the same thing, have skewered peoples views on how to become more successful in the field of entertainment.

Very few people just appear over night and then a week plater play a stadium.

In the main it is a hard slog of club after club, and very often rejection after rejection, as they chip away at the apathy until they finally hit a tipping point and recognition for their artistic worth becomes forthcoming.

This is the norm.

The reality for the vast majority of musicians.

It actually boggles my mind why there is a solid grouping of our society who are happy to wait to see what is being offered.

It's akin to going to a restaurant and asking the waiter to decide for you what you should eat.

So if you do like music, and I assume that as you are reading this that you do, then on an evening when you are at a loose end have a look at what is on out there.

Once something catches your eye have a listen to the band as there's genuinely plenty of options to do so from links on facebook to youtube footage and once you are comfortable with a band you have heard then take the plunge.

This is where I could put up one of those memes from facebook, but I'll resist.

I am saying none of this for people to be swayed towards the shows that I put on, but shows in general.

Get out there and enjoy them.

They are about the cheapest form of entertainment going, and for every act that doesn't impress I bet you will see one that does.

To press the point that I know people can't go to everything, I'll unhappily admit that I missed a gig last night, and it will probably be the same tonight

The fantastic Primevals are playing for just £6 in the 13^th Note with a support bill to kill for and right at this very second I am already regretting that I wont see The Creeping Ivies.

Anyway, we can't go to everything, but maybe sometimes we can make a little more effort.

There's some poster art over their on the right for some gigs I'm putting on.

Have a listen and come along, and as mentioned if none of those pique your interest then keep looking and go and see someone.

There's amazing acts playing every single night.

I sincerely have no doubt of that.

Go on and enjoy them.   

The Media Whores - Whorespresents

Opening track 'I'm on' doesn't waste any time in throwing down the gauntlet.

It's one of those everything and the kitchen sink tracks.

There's a bit of 50's rock and roll in it, a shadow of the merseybeat, some seventies power pop and then they go and tie it all together with a blatant punk attitude that isn't shy in drawing attention to itself.

Step into an alternative reality where John Peel is alive and well and ruling the airways, and this could well be his toppermost of the poppermost track of the week.

'Zero Tolerance' keeps the pace jerky and could very well be draped in the sepia tones of a classic 100 Club performance.

It sounds like the missing link between pub rock and punk rock as they cling onto the ragged glam ramalama and introduce it to something that's a bit harder edged.

It's got that vibe that just keeps coming back again and again.

Close your eyes and think of The Libertines when Mick Jones was involved with them and you would be skulking in the right alley doing the wrong deal.

'Burn Out Suns' is thrown in as the track to wrong foot the listener.

Just as you think that you have an idea of where the Media Whores are going they come up with a song that leans towards the dalliance that the Stranglers had with a European sound.

It's aurally cinematic, and it's not too difficult to imagine the band in trench coats wandering the streets of Paris or Berlin in mood lighting that would be suited to some arthouse noir release.

As a taster for the forthcoming album there's far more promise extended on this three track ep than any band really has the right to claim to.

I'll be waiting impatiently to see what comes next.

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Phoenix Mayhem compilation CD

I nice little memento here from The Phoenix Mayhem Punkfest night, especially as I couldn't make the Saturday night.
The opening track sets the scene with The Media Whores providing the track 'Indisecretion' from their début CD 'Starfishing'.
It s a song that perfectly highlights their sound while giving a little bit of a nod to The Stranglers.
One listen should be enough to get you at the very least thinking about buying their album proper.
Alkotron were one of the bands that I missed, and not just on this night either.
They're friends of friends and I really should get my finger out and get along to a gig, especially now that I've heard something of them.
While 'Nameless farce' could be the code name that mates use when talking about me to third parties, although I suspect they would drop the f, it is also a pretty nifty little tune.
It would be fare to say that there's a bit of an indie sound to them, but not enough to turn the punk lovers off.
They've got a nice mix of influences with enough originality to make them a band to watch out for.
Charred Hearts. Oh man I'm kicking myself that I missed them.
Mighty riffage and snotty 77 vocals abound and according to those who did see them this is a band that can walk it like they talk it.
Razorblade Smile remind me of a cross between Newtown Grunts and Angelic Upstarts. Not a bad combo in my opinion. Rough and ready, but not without some charm.
Dun2Def are the band that the organizer of the festival Sandie Noone raves about and now I know why.
They're the perfect antidote to the yank pop punk bands that have taken over the world in the last twenty years. Aggressive but still melodic in their delivery they nail what makes UK punk that bit different from any other countries.
The might Fire Exit need no introduction.
This is the last year that they will be playing live so if Timewall, a track that features Knox of The Vibrators tickles yer fancy then you better be quick and catch them at either Rebellion or one of their other forthcoming gigs as this really is the end for Gerry and the boys.
The Liberty Club were the band that I thought sounded great, but had a bit of a problem in creating something memorable to watch, but the proof that they have the potential to be something pretty special is here on 'The War At Home'
In fact once I've upped this I'm going to go looking to see if they have a single or album available.
The Snipes punted forward ' We are the rude boys' for this compilation and similar to The Media Whores contribution it's a song that will give you a very clear indication of what Scotlands best street punk band are all about.
The first stumble comes with the track from The Skudpuppetz.
There song 'Tam the Brick' is just not my thing.
There's no need for me to dish out a critical slating though as there's nothing wrong with it apart from that it's not to my taste. It's very probable that anyone else reviewing this CD could highlight it as a favourite.
Now The Red Eyes are definitely more my thing.
'This is my Life' is one of the stand out tracks from their last album and if the glory years of punk rock, when bands like SLF, the Clash and Buzzcocks ruled the airwaves is what rings your bell then when you hear this you will think you have got tinnitus.
Not to be forgotten The Duel storm in with their song 'Jump' and for those who are going to rebellion this year then this will get you in the mood.
In fact as many of the bands on this compilation are playing in Blackpool you couldn't go far wrong by just picking up a copy of this and hitting repeat on the car stereo/bus as you make your way there for a weekend of punk rock shenanigans.
Ana Trash and the Sociopaths provide their live stand out track 'Kalashnikov' as the penultimate track and if that doesn't get the blood pumping about your body then I'd advice you to get someone to take your pulse just to make sure you haven't tossed off that mortal coil and just not noticed yet.
Closer is Hateful with 'New Messiah'.
Another stand out if seventies influenced punk rock is your thing.
All the bands can be found on myspace or facebook. So on you go and don't be a lazy bastard.
I don't know if this is still available, but if so I'll add details about how to grab a copy and if not I'll hassle Sandie to make it available as any proceeds raised form it would counter the loss she made on the nights.

*UPDATE******IT IS AVAILABLE. JUST GIVE ME A SHOUT AND I'LL POINT YOU IN THE RIGHT DIRECTION*

Phoenix Mayhem Punkfest - Ivory Blacks - 12/6/11

There's tumble weed blowing through Ivory Blacks, and in the distance I can hear a noise.
It's a repetitive beat.
It's not the sound of a heartbeat pumping blood around a healthy body, but instead it's the sound of another nail being hammered into the coffin of the live music scene.
This is starting to remind me of 'Groundhog Day'.
Another venue, another poor turn out.
Unless it's a high profile show in a major venue then it's the same old story of bands valiantly battling the Lords of Apathy, and the same sad tale of yet another music fan delving into promoting only to get their arse chewed off.
The Phoenix Mayhem Punk festival is a prime example of this.
Great bands, text book promotion job and a cheap as chips door tax, but it still isn't enough to get people to make that leap from the couch to their local venue.
As a gig goer I'd like to think that my attendance at the shows, the buying of t-shirt and CDs etc is helping keep everything afloat, but I'm delusional.
All I am doing, along with the other people who turned up last night, is fuckin' the dried out coma victim that is the live music scene on this level.
We are the last men, and women, standing.
The ones who refuse to turn of the life support while praying that a miracle will happen and the glory days will return.
It must seem ludicrous from the outside looking in, but the reason we do hang in there is because while others can't be bothered we still get a thrill from watching bands in the clubs and the pubs locally.
We just can't seem to let go.
Enough of that negativity though.
Instead here's what people missed.

The Liberty Club.
Bit of a paradox these guys.
On one hand they sound great, but on the other they look shit.
I don't know if it's supposed to be a punk rock anti fashion statement, but injecting a bit of rock and roll pizazz would have made there set jump up from being damn good to bloody great.
It's getting that balance thing right.
All the bits are in place musically.
The mix of rock guitar and punk rock attitude works extremely well
That side, the most important side, is well covered, but providing a visual show would help the band more so than they may think.
There's nothing worse than a band who are all style and no substance, but a band who are all substance and zero style will struggle to get out of the starting gates to.
It's a harsh reality, but a reality none the less.
Some new threads and moving about a bit could make a world of difference for these guys.
People don't just want to hear a band.
They want to see a band.
As an opening act they fit the bill, but with a tweak here and there and they could easily outgrow that position and do so much more.
The original songs they play hit the spot and their choice of covers is nothing to be sniffed at.
There's a rollicking take on The Newton Grunts homage to Abba called Super Trooper and a ballsy version of Cock Sparrer's Runnin Riot. The latter seeing them joined by Shug O'Neill, currently of The Snipes, but previously a member of Cock Sparrer.
Definitely a band to watch out for.

The Skudpuppetz
First song in and I was thinking it was maybe time I took a walk around the building to kill time until the next band came on. The second song reinforced the idea, but before I got away the third one pulled me in and from then on it wasn't too bad at all.
Strange how that small change of pace and direction can catch your attention.
Initially the Skudpuppetz sounded like they had learnt everything they knew from a couple of Rancid singles and the Ramones song 'Warthog', but once they settled into their set there was a bit of ska thrown in and the sharing of vocals helped shade it all to.
Okay, they have a tendency to go down the vein popping throat tearing one hundred mile an hour punk noise route, but thankfully they aren't as one dimensional as many of their peers can be, and that's important, as without that ability to branch out then they would just be another second division punk band who would wash up on the shores of obscurity.
I wouldn't go as far as to say that they rang my bell, but they didn't piss me off and I didn't go for the walk that I was contemplating on.
A plus for sure.
The talent is most definitely there and I'm sure that fans of harder edged punk rock would lap them up.

Ana Trash and the Sociopaths
This is one of those bands whose name keep popping up, but until this show I couldn't have told anyone much about them.
In my ignorance I thought they were a female fronted band with the traditional lead and rhythm guitars, drums and bass, but instead it's Ana on lead guitar and the Sociopaths are simply Abi Sociopath on drums.
You would expect that being a duo would limit the sound, make it more minimalistic, but that's not the case at all.
Abi carries everything along with a relentless beat and some nice flourishes.
More John Bonham than Meg White.
In fact she's the frantic eye of the storm that holds it all together while Ana riffs away adding her own little sonic twists on the guitar.
To be honest the first song didn't win me over as I found it too repetitive, but then everything clicked into place.
There's a bit of a Slits attitude to what they're doing.
It's not right out front slapping you in the face, but it's there and it helps that Ana can growl and howl with the best of them.
I suppose that while so many bands play to punk rock stereotypes by thinking that making a racket is all that is required Ana Trash and the Sociopaths actually have it sussed.
The racket has to be in context and have a point. It has to have some form in the chaos.
So while others are still blindly scrambling about in the dark trying to get a clue this is the band that have hit the barn door instead of missing it by a mile.

The Media Whores
yet another fantastic set from the Media Whores.
They initially pulled me in when I seen them supporting Spear of Destiny.
It was at that gig that I picked up a a copy of their début 'Starfishing' and since then it seems to keep gravitating to my stereo.
It's what we in Scotland would call a 'belter' of a release, and the band can play the shit out of it live to.
For some strange reason though the majority of an already sparse crowd decided to grab some fresh air, or nicotine, and buggered off when they came on.
It was a what the fuck moment as like everyone else I think the people should like what I like.
That they should appreciate what I hear in a band and concur that they are indeed bloody great.
How the hell anyone would want to wander off and miss these guys is a mystery to me.
While I had enjoyed all the band who had already played to various degrees I would have to say that I would have rather missed one of them than The Media Whores.
I've got to ask.
What's not to like.
It's sort of a full package deal.
They can all play to a very high standard, they have well written original songs and in their front man they have someone that can drive it all home.
Everything is there.
Maybe they're considered not punk enough by a certain type who think that everything starts and ends with a mohican and a studded leather jacket.
Bollocks to that though.
Just because a band can write well crafted melodic songs and play them well doesn't mean that they're not a punk band.
The Media Whores prove that every time the step onto a stage.
I'd personally highly recommend them to anyone who has a record collection that spans the Jam to Wire.
There's a bit of everything in what they do and it all fits together pretty much seamlessly.
There set was definitely one of the highlights of my night.

The Red Eyes
Glasgow's unsung heroes, and I'm not sure what I can add to what I have already said about The Red Eyes in the past.
How many times can you say that a band are the dogs bollocks?
How many superlatives can I use that I haven't already to describe them?
I'm firmly of the opinion that if they had recorded an album in 1979 then they would currently be on par with Stiff Little Fingers or Buzzcocks.
They're that good.
People can laugh at that, but all the evidence I would need to defend my position was there in front of me on the stage.
Go and check them out and then come back and tell me I'm wrong.
Although I'll probably just ignore anyone who disagrees with me.
Alan Bishop has a fine voice and lyrically and musically the band are firing on all cylinders.
I would love to see these guys get the kudos they deserve.
If they were to announce that they were splitting up and did one more gig and advertised it as such, then they could easily pull in a good few hundred people, but by being the stalwarts of the Glasgow scene people seem to have the notion that they don't have to go out and see them as there will always be another gig.
All I can say to that is I thought the same about The Cramps, and then they never came back, and now there is no chance of seeing them.
Now I know people wont see that as the same, but the Message is that you don't know what you've got until it's gone.

The Duel
All the way from London to Glasgow for a single gig.
You can't knock that can you?
It's that sort of attitude that endears people to the band.
Mechanical problems, equipment forgotten and a police stop in Glasgow all raised their ugly heads, but as usual the show must go on.
So there they were, larger than life, but missing their Korg.
Life had thrown them some lemons and they were making lemonade.
I've got no comparison to make with what the band would have sounded with the Korg in place, but without it they rock.
So I don't think that we were missing anything in Glasgow.
What we got was a straight ahead rock and roll show and while I like the breadth of what the band do in the studio this is what I want to see on stage.
Pumpy has been with the band for an age now and the back beat never falters as you would expect, but the new, to me, guys have really brought something else to the party.
Thanos on lead guitar knows his way about the frets and looks as if he enjoys letting go and getting the notes out there. Meanwhile Chris on bass is outstanding.
I'm not a musician, but even to my untrained ears that some fancy stuff he plays and it all nicely balanced.
Nothing that the band do is overpowering and holding anyone else back in the shade.
It's a well oiled machine, or at the every least they are giving the impression that it is, because any changes they have had to make to fill in for the Korg not being used is unnoticeable.
I see bands all the time and many of them can be filed away into two boxes.
Good local bands who are entertaining and then those band who have that little bit of magic that you know could transfer out to a wider audience.
A friend describes them as hobby bands compared to real bands.
The Duel are of the latter type.
This is their life and not a sideline and they live and breath it.
The only misgivings I had about the performance was the inclusion of the keytar.
I'm not sure about the keytar that Andy has, but that's maybe just me.
The damn things just throw up images of Kajagoogoo and their ilk.
Every time my eyes wandered to that side of the stage I just had to ask myself what the fuck Andy was doing with it.
It's just a visual thing though.
I've got a sneaky suspicion that once the show was finished he headed outside, packed it into the back seat of his DeLorean, kick started the flux capacitor, and arrived back in London ten minutes before he was due to leave for Glasgow.
Never mind all that though.
Did I say they were great?
Do I have to say it.
The truth is they were bloody fantastic, and the cover of the Clash's London's Calling was sublime.
Hopefully it wont be as long until I see them again.

Hateful
Have to say sorry to the Hateful guys as I had to leave just as they were about to go on.
If anyone else want to submit a review of their set then I'll happily add it.