Tacocat @ Broadcast, Glasgow, 25 Aug
The joy Tacocat inject into their Glasgow audience reminds us that there's always light at the end of the weekend
With one of the best band names of the decade, Seattle’s Tacocat were the most exciting grunge-pop act to emerge from the noughties. Having recently released their third album This Mess is a Place, a record that evokes the 90s trailblazing riot grrrl attitude, the four-piece's characteristically playful lyrics remain against a backdrop of surf-pop guitar and infectious melodies.
In Broadcast tonight there's a gleeful anticipation in the air. Fans gather in colourful Tacocat tees and Hawaiian print shorts, and there's something almost childlike about the way the audience patiently wait for the band to appear. When they do, Tacocat certainly don’t disappoint – frontwoman Emily Nokes leaps onstage wearing latex cleaning gloves and a peroxide pixie mullet, enthusiastically waving a red tambourine in the air, whilst bassist Bree McKenna, drummer Lelah Maupin and guitarist Eric Randall follow suit in their own camp and colourful get-ups.
The set begins with fan-favourite Bridge to Hawaii, a grunge-pop earworm about escaping dull Seattle for more sunny pastures. The songs that follow range in subject matter from periods and the internet to depression and mansplaining; there's something charming about the balance the band strikes between their fun, upbeat presence onstage and the subjects they tackle in their songs. Their flamboyant style mixed with lyrics that address cultural taboos like mental health and social inequality have the effect of giving the finger to the bigots that currently roam our political landscape.
Particular highlights come in the form of I Hate the Weekend, and Grains of Salt, a perfect pop strut imploring listeners to embrace their individuality. While the band play seamlessly this evening, proving that even after 12 years they're far from bored, their set is sadly plagued by poor sound quality that fails to meet the vitality of Tacocat's performance. Nokes' lyrics are lost amid overpowering bass and guitar. Nonetheless, the joy that Tacocat injects into its audience tonight holds great power, reminding us that there is always light at the end of the weekend.