Pale Angels @ The 13th Note, 17 Dec

Live Review by Claire Francis | 20 Dec 2016

Matinee shows usually evoke visions of laid-back, unplugged performances to wile away a lazy afternoon. With their noisy grunge proclivity, Pale Angels make an unusual pick for a Saturday daytime show. Sure, thanks to Glasgow's winter gloom it's nearly dark outside by the time the group emerge on stage, but it's still hard to shake the nagging feeling that this is a band better heard under the cover of night.

The irregular show timing predictably results in a thinned-out crowd. Pale Angels soldier on, seemingly indifferent to the sparse turnout. A transatlantic outfit, with guitarist Mike Santostefano hailing from New Jersey and bassist Jamie Morrison from Swansea, the group originally formed for a Nirvana covers set at punk gathering in Florida, and their catalogue gives more than a solid nod to their primary influence. It's also bloody LOUD, with the three-piece cranking the volume to 11 for the duration of the set, in defiance of the low-key atmosphere.

Daydreaming Blues makes up a hefty chunk of performance, and Springsteen's State Trooper is a welcome inclusion, though the original's haunting simplicity is replaced with fuzz layers and feedback. Osciallting between frantic beats and grunge-pop tempos, to sludgy bass lines and alt-rock riffs, the group pick up momentum in their closing numbers, but the mood remains somewhat leaden. Pale Angels' productions prove that they are capable of innovation alongside imitation; unfortunately this fails to shine through in this matinee performance.