The Steeples – Live, Henry’s Cellar Bar, Edinburgh, Thursday 7th February 2008
Ah the perils of actually interacting with bands and watching your objectivity vanish into the distance. The Steeples were hanging around before and after their gig and came across as such a sincerely enthusiastic group of really, genuinely nice lads that I really, really hope they do well just on that basis alone. Watch them play live and the number of times you catch any two members of the group grinning ridiculously at one another, as if playing this gig was the single best thing that had ever happened to them, is just silly. You can imagine, I hope, how that sort of boundless enthusiasm spills over into an audience: what fucking brilliant fun to see, these guys are.
I think perhaps the most obvious and instructive comparison to make, although they may not thank me for making it, is with The Fratellis. Indie-snobs the world over turned their noses up at The Fratellis somewhat, which is something I find partially undeserved and irritating. The album itself was a splendidly catchy and eminently enjoyable slice of indie pop which I think it is just plain churlish to sneer at for seeming a little lightweight. That said, The Fratellis’ big failing, one which The Steeples highlight strongly by their difference, is that with the exception of the drummer they sucked sweaty donkey balls live. Two thirds of them just couldn’t play.
The Steeples, on the other hand, have no such problems. Live they are really, really tight. The sound is similar to The Fratellis alright, albeit with a much bigger debt to ska, but the playing was light years ahead. If you fancy a really fucking good night out, I wouldn’t recommend many bands above The Steeples.
That said, recorded, I think a lot seems to have gone missing. The infectious joy and energy of the live performance is not really there, if you ask me. Over-production would be my first guess, but who knows how these things happen. Either way, perhaps be cautious about the records, but definitely go and see them live.
The Steeples – Tight Tina
It will not letting me listen to my favorite songs
What?
When I click on the player it is just fine. Try right clicking on the song title and using ‘Save As’.
Unless this is a trick question and Tight Tina is not one of your favourite songs. That particular player is unlikely to let you listen to Lionel Ritchie.
Well, I will have to give them a try because I love the Fratellis. And I really didn’t think were all that bad on Later. Trouble is with their gibberish singing. It’s really hard to recreate live. That plus it’s really their drummer who is the problem. He may be talented but he plays everything too fast when they play live.
Ah right, well I never saw it that way, but I take your point. I went to see them here in Edinburgh and both guitarists were mediocre, the tunes didn’t stand out and the singing was poor. The only thing to actually enjoy was a bit of virtuoso drumming, although I accept that this might have been somewhat detrimental to the ‘team effort’.