Westend festival - Dykeenies, Glasvegas, My Latest Novel and Camera Obscura

It was a sunny Saturday night ‘doon ra west end’ and probably the last day of summer in Glasgow to be honest. I went along to bar Brel in Ashton Lane, just off Byres Road, to find some Jazz Quartet finishing up. This of course meant that the moth like figures of the middle aged west-enders were swarming to plague proportions because of a bit of “stylish tasteful music”. Some obviously hadn’t been let out for a while and were rolling down the cigarette-doubt littered hill in the back garden. There were public displays of affection from otherwise stuffy middle to old age locals and there were a few dances going on that looked awkward and drink fuelled. All a bit of a laugh to be honest. So I drank up and headed round the corner to the QMU for the ‘west end festival’ gig which included Glasvega the Dykeenies my latest novel and headlining were Camera Obscura.

I had really came to see the Dykeenies who have recently signed to the launch of the new King tuts wah wah hut label releasing ‘new Ideas’ in July. Also I wanted to see the fabulous Camera Obscura. I was curious to the whacky named Glasvegas but not so much that I arrived in enough time to actually see them. So after a full body cavity search by the Hackett QMU door staff, I was in. the Dykeenies were already on stage. I had not heard that much from them but had bought the hype and liked the track ‘new ideas’ as well as a few others. As time went on I realised that this is band going places. But in my books it was a band going places for the wrong reasons. They had a poor stage presence, but then I never did like a front man playing keyboards. I thought they may have learned from Howard Jones on that one. Dressed like American nerds they banged out one tune after another with varying styles jumping between the killers to the keiser chiefs or willy sheafs as I like to call them.

It was all pandering pop disguised under this NME plagiarised version of the term ‘Indie’. Not to my taste at all and all too predictable. By the time they closed with the track ‘New Ideas’ I fully believed that they had none. My short lived romance with them had ended. The hoares that they are. I felt violated.

Next on were my latest Novel. A Band from Greenock Scotland who warn you not to dare compare them to any other band on their My Space site. I had downloaded two of their tracks before hand, when we were wolves and some other looper–esque track with a Scottish monologue drolling through it. I wasn’t impressed at all. So much so I thought about going out and coming back later for Camera Obscura. Well I did but I came right back in as they had now opened the upper tier. Boy was I glad they did. Little did I know, I had simply downloaded (in my opinion) their two weakest songs. What happened after that was moving. This foursome were simply breath taking. They played everything from fiddle to Xylophone and created the most beautiful striking pieces of music I had heard in a long time. This lot don’t care much for Genre and it showed. While the world laps up Gee-tar bands this lot were knocking preconceptions into touch. The response from the crowd showed this. The feedback after each track grew as they went on. This was developing into somewhat of a special night. They left the stage to a new found hero’s reception as mental notes were hastily written to go get their album tomorrow if the haze of alcohol in their heads permitted.

Next on stage were Camera Obscura. I knew I liked them but had never seen them play live before. I had read in the Skinny newspaper of lead singer Tracyanne Campbell’s annoyance of not being recognised and that she was on the point of quitting the country. I know how she feels sometimes. Hence the new album title ‘get me out of this country’ . After my latest novel it was always going to be one of those nights. Band member’s Mums in the crowd and the venue now packed to the rafters. Scotland, Chelsea and Motherwell legend (loosely termed) Pat Nevin introduced them as ‘his favourite band’ and left stage left. One by one they took the stage. The Bassist led the way first, fresh from his Cameo as the Albino monk Silas in the Da vinci code, lead Guitar followed, stumbling on stage what seemed almost by accident straight after work in city attire, then Traceyanne was shoved to the front to perform as all the others snook on and lined up behind her. It seemed a little nervous at first and I could almost see the insecurity of the band’s ‘Skinny’ interview surfacing. The bloke beside me jumped around like he had just won a tenner on the lottery. His mail order wife looked a wee bit unimpressed mind you.

There were 72 guitars, 16 sets of drums, one violin, three xylophones and a string quartet on stage. That may be a slight over exaggeration but once they struck up the sound felt as if that was true. It was massive, and unashamedly catchy. Ploughing through their new album I realised why HMV were touting this on their new Artist free CD thingy as ‘indicative of a band hitting their stride’. Track after track battered out and the furore after each was obvious for all to experience. The big man in the suit (sorry I don’t remember names that well) payed tribute to My latest Novel between songs, and well he might as they had really warmed the crowd up and the buzz was already in the room. So the gig was pitched at a great height from beginning to end and from reading about Camera Obscura I somewhat believe Traceyanne when she said ‘thanks for coming, I really thought no one would show up’. I am glad this was such a special gig and I am glad she got the warmth from the room that night. It may well have been the same drunks that had frequented the beer garden at Brel earlier but who cares who enjoys your music so long as they do. And they ALL did!! Ace!!! - Fopp records would have been busy the next day.