Times New Viking @ Nice 'N' Sleazy, 17 Sep
The sound of Beach Boys classic Good Vibrations fills the air at Sleazy's preceding Times New Viking’s set tonight. Fitting, because once one pares away the lo-fi, blown-out sounds of their records, TNV are proven indie pop specialists. In the live setting, robbed of these production qualities, the Ohioans start a little slow out of the gate. However, once their sound issues are sorted and drummer/vocalist Adam Elliott gets to showing off some stand-up power drumming, the band pick up speed. Giving Glasgow a taste of the forthcoming Born Again Revisited, the trio rips through half a dozen noise pop nuggets, even managing to work in a little Sabbath riffage to bridge a couple of numbers. While the crowd could benefit from a bit more of this newfound vigour, the set ends quickly. And though this is disappointing, the night's highlights defy the sceptics to show that TNV hold up as a solid rock band, even without the amps cranked to 11.