Live Music Highlights - February, 2009
Spread the word: Edinburgh's filthiest glam/punk sons The Vivians play their homecoming gig on 6 February at Cabaret Voltaire and it's free entry, so this one is gonna go off for sure! Having decamped to the Big Smoke in order to test their mettle with the big boys, the Vivians return, harder, faster and stronger than ever. Discount the hyperbole at your peril: this band have massive tunes, limitless energy and they will entertain you. Exciting shit, y'all.
Shiny Dundee four-piece The Hazy Janes will doubtless put a spring into the step of those who venture down to Fat Sam's (Dundee) on 6 February - their relentlessly upbeat rhythms and sweet boy/girl harmonies are reminiscent of dozens of classic sunshine bands, but remain uniquely Scottish in flavour. Foot-stomping, hand-clapping goodness... sign us up!
This Town Needs Guns are a band that really should be better known than they are. With beautiful, intricate guitar lines that recall both the precision of Don Caballero and the euphoric outlandishness of The Meat Puppets, there's not many bands around right now that have the chops to marry such virtuosity with such strong, melodic vocal work. Definitely bold, unusual and worthy of your time. Glasgow Barfly on 13 February (with hometown support from Endor) and Aberdeen Moshulu on 14 February.
Fusing eerie melodies, snappy pop hooks, noise and thumping percussion is no mean feat, but Women (Google that, motherf***er!) are already making a name for themselves with their engagingly intense live performances, despite the fact that their debut album has only just been released on these shores. This is definitely one gig you should try to make it to - we have a feeling Women will go on to great things. Captain's Rest (Glasgow) on 14 February.
Honey-voiced singer/songwriters ain't thin on the ground, but Emmy the Great stands out from the crop due to her charisma and witty, thoughtful lyrics. Plus, her band are more than just hired hands and actually play an important role in shaping her sound, which attains a surprising lushness on occasion. Aberdeen Moshulu on 15 February and Edinburgh Cabaret Voltaire on 16 February.
This isn't the first time we've bigged-up Parts & Labor in this column, and with good reason: they're a frickin' great live band (not to mention darn impressive on record to boot). Brutal, pounding rhythms, killer bass and synth interplay and mesmerising vocal lines all add up to a seriously impressive package from these hard-hitting Brooklyn types. It's going down at Glasgow Captain's Rest on 16 February.
Brace thyselves Glasgow, Black Lips are coming to town and they ain't taking no fuckin' prisoners. Freaky, psychedelic rock 'n rollers don't get much better than this lot. They swing, they stomp, they burn... Rolling Stone has called them "one of the best live bands in America" and you know what? For once, they might actually be right. Glasgow ABC 2 on 17 February.
Legendary performance poet and super-articulate acolyte of your favourite bands, John Cooper Clarke gets verbal at Glasgow Arches on 1 March. Expect comedy, tragedy and everything in between at this one, which will most likely walk the line between full-on punk poetry and stand-up comedy.