Live in Edinburgh This Week – 29th March 2009
How many of you are there? There’s only one of me, which looks like it might prove troublesome this week, particularly late on when the clashing gigs really start to stack up. I am just back in Edinburgh after the Jason Lytle interview, which went very well in terms of being a most pleasant sort of chat, yet didn’t provide a particularly obvious hook on which to hang an article. I may have to listen back and digest for a couple of days before writing it, I think. It’s odd to suddenly find yourself in conversation with someone whose music you’ve been listening to for over ten years, though, so I guess that in itself might be an interesting angle to take.
This week’s activities on Toad will involve beginning to work on that interview, the writing up of a couple of gig reviews, and editing a big pile of Broken Records live videos. So in other words it’s going to be fucking busy again. I am also going to have a chat with Andy about redesigning both this website and the label site. I find myself feeling inordinately guilty about not designing it myself, oddly. This whole site has been entirely DIY so far, so that’s probably the reason, but at the moment I need it to be able to do things which are well beyond my own rudimentary understanding of code, and I simply don’t have the time to begin with, so there you go. I’ll have a big input of course, and the Toad sketches will remain, but basically I’m going to try and let Andy get on with it as much as I can. As a designer myself, at Proper Job, I know there’s nothing worse than a client who stares over your shoulder constantly while you’re trying to do your job.
So that’s it, this is being posted in the wee hours, and I am going straight to bed so that I can at least pretend to be functional in the morning. I actually find a lack of sleep worse than a hangover in terms of its damage to my productivity these days, so these half one bedtimes really do have to stop.
Thursday 2nd April 2009: St Deluxe, French Wives & Team Turnip play Limbo at the Voodoo Rooms.
St. Deluxe are the new hot tamales around town, apparently. I’ve had a listen to their MySpace and they do indeed sound pretty decent, although with such a brief listen I’m really in no position to say much one way or another. They’re quite a rough and noisy band though, where French Wives and Team Turnip are a little poppier, but all three groups on this bill sound like good value to me.
St Deluxe – New Wave Stars
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Thursday 2nd April 2009: Tim & Sam’s Tim & the Sam Band With Tim & Sam at Cabaret Voltaire.
Tim and Sam and so on and so forth are big favourites of me old pal Drunk Country over at the Waiting Room, so he’ll be chuffed to know that they’re putting in an appearance in these parts. I am rarely ever much of a fan of bands who play instrumental music, but I think that’s probably laziness on my behalf, and certainly these chaps make fine music under any circumstances. It’s even better live, according to DC, so I’d recommend this one. It’s a late one though, I think, so check the times before turning up.
Tim & Sam etc.. – Join the Dots
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Friday 3rd April 2009: Frightened Rabbit & Meursault at the Bowery.
I am fairly (but not entirely) sure that Frightened Rabbit are intending to play an acoustic set at the Bowery on Friday instead of their more usual melodic indie rock, and I do believe Meursault are following suit and unplugging all their electronic faffery as well, so this should be quite a special one.
Frightened Rabbit – I Feel Better (Live)
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Friday 3rd April 2009: Jesus H. Foxx, Y’All is Fantasy Island & the Hindle Wakes at Sneaky Pete’s.
Jesus H. Foxx will be mentioned some time later today when I write up their gig at the Bowery from last Friday, but believe me they are sounding very, very good at the moment. Where previously they seemed to be fairly single-faceted (is that physically possible – never mind) there’s a lot more depth and a lot more confidence to their music these days. They have an EP on the way too, which I am very excited to hear indeed.
Jesus H. Foxx – Trying to Be Good
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Friday 3rd April: Thomas Truax, Withered Hand & Greg Dodgeson at Cabaret Voltaire.
Is Dan from Withered Hand playing every single gig in Scotland at the moment? Ah well, good for us if he is. Apart from the music, Thomas Truax’s truly amazing homemade instruments make this a gig you really should attend.
Thomas Truax – The Butterfly & the Entomologist
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Saturday 4th April 2009: The Wee Rogue, Rob St. John & Ben Wetherill at the Bowery.
I don’t want to say anything that’s going to get me beaten up by an angry mob of nice, sensitive young men, but this is probably the least ‘anti’ of the many great anti-folk gigs you can find in Edinburgh in any given week. I mean that in the sense that the ‘anti’ part is something I tend to treat as describing a certain lack of prettiness in anti-folk music, but even as specific a genre description as anti-folk is a bit too broad for that sort of thing these days. Where was I? Oh yes, expect fine, fragile and lovely music.
The Wee Rogue – Into the Mist
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Saturday 4th April 2009: The Gothenburg Address, North Atlantic Oscillation & San Sebastian at Sneaky Pete’s.
Should the loveliness at the Bowery prove just a little too gentle for you then Sneaky Pete’s is probably the place to be, where there will be Post Rock a-gogo. It’ll be loud, I’d imagine, so get there early, find a spot facing the stage and just let it all wash over you.
San Sebastian – New
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Sunday 5th April 2009: Come On Gang, Vendor Defender & The Kays Lavelle at Sneaky Pete’s.
Come On Gang should be in a fine mood after their SXSW adventure, so their punk pop should have even more zip to it than usual. It’s going to be a busy week at Sneaky Pete’s. Is their booking getting better and better or is it just that I’m only just starting to realise that I should be paying more attention to what they’re doing? Good stuff, anyway.
On Friday night (April 3), The Gillyflowers are supporting Mystery Juice at Henry’s Cellar Bar on Morrison St. It’s a busy Friday night for sure…
you know, regardless how good they are, some weeks i just can’t be arsed with gigs, i’m sure this will change in about 5 mins….but there you go
Sorry Ed – I’ve been a bit slack with checking the Henry’s listings recently.
Chutters – it’s a pleasure, not an obligation. There’s no point wearing yourself out and taking all the fun out of it – everyone needs a break from time to time. I know exactly how you feel. Most bands probably do as well.
Toad – how good was Saturday night?
Sam and Tim and Chas and Dave with Timmy Sam sound somewhat icelandic, if thats not an obvious thing to say about an instrumental act. If idlewild decamped to Reykjavik, it might come out like Davey Sam and the Tim Tims. Sorry, im struggling name wise. Thanks for bringing them to my attention though Toadatron. Ah layk at! (in joke wi my daughter)
Jesus fuck. This is one week, right?!
I’m supposed to be saving money for Homegame..
Also, thats the first visitation of Jesus H Foxx to my ear canals, and all in all, it went rather well. Why did i expect them to sound all electro and that?
Jesus, there are loads of boss gigs this week. Unfortunately I’m spending most of this week in bloody Inverness, bloody hell!
I know its a bit rubbish mentioning your own band but if anyones not going to see the kays lavelle on Sunday then you’d be most welcome at the city cafe where the stormy seas’ are playing at concrete campfires.
Gigs in Inverness this week:
Wednesday at Eden Court Theatre
The Illegal Eagles
Thursday at the Iron Works
Sharon Shannon Big Band featuring Shane McGowan
(woah!)
Sunday at Eden Court
The Ring of Fire – (Johnny Cash tribute)
I wouldn’t have to worry about spending too much money if I was in Inverness this week.
Although none of those gigs are without their appeal.
Sharon Shannon Big Band featuring Shane McGowan gig is not til the 16th April….then they play Edinburgh the night after at the Picture House….i know this cos the gorgeous Camille O Sullivan is supporting….
Not to attempt to detract from someone I’m not familiar with – I’m sure she’s a lovely girl – but I’m not confident in your perception of gorgeous, Tom.
Because if Camille O’Sullivan looked like your arse you’d think the poor girl was gorgeous.
Just those other two quality gigs in Inverness this week, then.
Good luck, Dave.
Our thoughts are with you.
I think the Illegal Eagles would be a lot of fun.
They could even think about chucking a few Eagles Of Death Metal covers into their set list, just to mix things up a bit.
i’m getting worried with your obsession with my arse Dylan!!!
Arse, that looked like the winner too. Oh well, Johnny Cash it is.
Did you guys enjoy broken records? I feel like a prime muppet.
well i can’t remember getting home…..
Mahatma,
I think Jesus H Foxx are known of as a bit of a party band – which is maybe why you were expecting electro.
They’re very much indie, but indie you can actually dance to. Which is no bad thing.
Um, any scottish enlightenment shows on the horizon?
What’s a Scottish Enlightenment show?
http://tinyurl.com/cl8yaa
Ah, the lost art of conversation.
Cock.
oh don’t worry Dylan, Bart got me with that yesterday
I’ve lost interest now, sorry.
If it wasn’t for the homegame I’d go the that Sharron Shannon gig myself, if only for Camille and the wonderfully shambolic Shane McGowan.
Bat and ball
Mahatma – I don’t know them that well. As I said, I can be a bit narrow-minded about instrumental bands, albeit it not on purpose. Dreadful name, though, although I presume that everyone says that to them.
Jesus H. Foxx became the art-rock support band of choice for a while around here, so that probably leads to a few misconceptions. Not sure about the electronica though. Maybe you’re discussing the highly secret Meursault Remix?
LMGTFY is the dog’s bollocks and anyone too lazy to do their own Googling can’t complain. They have every right to resent the smart-arsery, but no right to actually whinge about it because they have been well and truly hoist by their own petard.
(And no, it’s not ‘hoisted’, apparently.)
Oh, and Chutters, Saturday was fucking brilliant. Possibly the best gig I’ve seen them play, although maybe the venue influenced that a little, and the general celebration about record deals and so on.
Once again, gutted.
What’s a petard?
http://tinyurl.com/c9j598
You’d think that search would find more results in the comments section of this site than it does on YouTube.
Oh they’re a band!
Bart,
Thanks for asking. Come end of May we should be playing some gigs. Finishing of album the noo, last studio visit in a three weeks. Do we have your email address? We’ll be treating our mailing list rather well when new tracks are done…
Good grief, it worries me how happy i am that you show interest… Must find more balanced foundation for psyche…
that’s good.
Not seen yous play since a This Is Music night, which was AGES ago.
I’ll make sure I’m on the mailing list.
Ah. Not only are The Scottish Enlightenment a band, but mahatma_dj seems to be in the band.
That’s embarassing for me!
Luckily I’m a pratt and should mostly be ignored.
Even more luckily The Scottish Enlightenment seem to be a very good band judging their MySpace.
I’ll get my coat.
Jesus H. Foxx…the singer of CSS is called Love foxx and CSS are electro-y, so guess that’s why they might be expected to sound electro-like.
Scottish Enlightenment released an excellent EP in 2007 called Eyes, hope they will follow this up sometime soon…