Limbo 074 - Thursday 28th May 2009
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Have you ever seen a digital accordion? Have you ever fought a deadly scorpion? Have you ever eaten beef bourguignon? Have you ever travelled time in Delorean? No? Well, The Lovely Eggs are pretty sure you're going to Hell!
White Heath go on first. White Heath's sound has already moved on a bit since the last time Limbo saw them (live at the GRV earlier this year) but what's immediately striking about them once again is the interesting range of instruments they're using, from the very un-hippy, but bongo-like, upturned kick drum, to trombone, fiddle, piano and then singer Sean's unusual voice. There's really quite a lot going on on stage! But they're also doing something quite different and original, which sounds genuinely fresh and fairly accomplished too from a musical perspective, albeit clearly still at a very early, developmental stage. That said, White Heath is developing fast and in an interesting direction, with each gig throwing up something new. Expect to see and hear much more of them, as they roll out across Scotland and beyond this year.
There's a very short break, before Colourmusic take the stage, with singer Ryan announcing 'hello Edinburgh, we're all REALLY VERY HAPPY to be here!' The entire band is rocking a white boiler suit look and quite a lot of facial hair, which is fantastically oddball-hippy look and suits their slightly strange, drily comical image. Colourmusic are a funny bunch indeed. Much of their PR spiel on the web and the visuals they've brought along for the show subtly pokes fun at the Church of Scientology. They're an original bunch, too, this quartet, with three of them from Oklahoma and guitarist Nick from Whitby (north Yorkshire) and all four of them exhibiting a keen intelligence, while taking enormous pride, with a very genuine integrity, in what they do. During sound-check, Ryan tells Limbo that Colin (bass) is actually the best guitarist in the band and then explains that the group runs in a very democratic way. This speaks volumes about how good they are as musicians but it's when they actually start performing that it's obvious that they can walk the walk as well. Colourmusic may well be taking the piss with their PR and image, but once they're actually on stage they don't screw around at all. They REALLY know what they're doing and proceed to blow the Limbo crowd away, quite literally, like a runaway train, with one of the best shows yet to have happened at the club. Watching Colourmusic for the first time is a very memorable experience and, hazarding a guess, probably somewhat akin to the experience of witnessing a classic rock band such as Led Zeppelin or Nirvana playing one of their early, breakthrough shows back in the day. Their recorded music, great as it is, actually sounds quite pastoral but when they are on stage, they rock out one hundred per cent, they do it in a way which somehow sounds completely fresh, and they are so tight, it's impossible to fault a moment in their set. They play about six songs and then it's all over, in less than half an hour, thanking the crowd and leaving the stage, with Limbo left to wonder at the marvels that have just been imparted to it and buzzing with the excitement of having just witnessed something so bright, intense and new.
myspace.com/colourmusic
Next week's Limbo sees the return of formidable Glasgow outfit Punch And The Apostles, plus Edinburgh folk types The Stormy Seas. There will be a third band too but still tbc. Punch And The Apostles are one of the most exciting bands in Scotland right now, slaying fans wherever they play with their uniquely unhinged brand of gypsy punk. The Stormy Seas bring their own take on folk motifs to the table, offering a perfect complement to the fierce spike in the Punch.
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What a brilliant snapshot of Scotland's hottest new musical acts. Limbo have excelled themselves ... this is triumph." The Daily Record
Lancaster duo The Lovely Eggs played their first ever gig in New York in 2006 and since then they have attracted quite a following! DJs Huw Stephens, Marc Riley, Rob Da Bank, Steve Lamacq, Tom Robinson and Jon Kennedy are all fans of The Lovely Eggs’ quirky lo-fi, DIY sound which has been described as ‘Fitting snugly between kooky kitsch and borderline avant-garde’.
The Second Hand Marching Band are a phenomenon, to say the very least. A band of 22+ people, so just getting everyone together for a gig is a task in itself! They play untraditional folk music with a mixture of dance, pop and post-rock influences. The band came together in the autumn of 2007. Pete moved to Fife at the end of 2006 and, with lack of access to a car or pals, spent time writing some songs and buying old instruments. By the end of summer there was a set of songs, which he passed round, then put on the web. Those that got back to him became the Second Hand Marching Band. Their sound is folky, featuring accordions, ukeleles, mandolins, brass, saxophones, clarinets, flutes and glockenspiels amongst other instruments. It has been compared to Beirut, Sufjan Stevens and other ensemble folk bands. The music is often influenced more by Glasgow's post-rock crew, such as Mogwai, with the songs building up in layers, albeit with acoustic instruments and not distorted guitars. All the songs can be played anywhere, using acoustic instruments and marching drums.
The Pineapple Chunks were something of a revelation at Limbo back in January and, in a good way, one of the weirdest bands we've had on at Limbo. They were really loose (it was only their fourth gig or something but the looseness was definitely part of their charm), pretty psychedelic and had a fantastically odd sense of humour, the climax of which came when drummer Owen performed an hilariously bizarre performance-art piece while wearing a mask and then kept the mask on throughout their finale.
They cite The Fall, Huey Lewis And The News, Stephen Malkmus, Deerhoof and The Beta Band as influences. Interesting mix. They forget to mention Syd Barrett, and both The Doors and, actually, Pulp sprang to mind watching their Limbo debut. Lyrically at the very least, there seems to be something of a debt owed to Barret, though (subconsciously perhaps), with their stream-of-consciousness, surrealist flow. They're not that far away from early Floyd musically either. Anyway, it's an interesting sound and not without humour, as the hilariously miserable and quite epic I Left My Mojo In London Town exhibits on the chorus: 'Oh, and i lost my soul, I spent nine f****** years in that stinking hole.' Sure to strike a chord with a number of Limbo regulars, not to mention a lot of other folk who have little time for the Big Smoke, the Pineapple Chunks sound very British and refreshingly different from the mass.
Brilliantly rousing and gloriously anarchic, Punch And The Apostles are a hectic, eclectic seven piece, with accordions and horns to the fore, led by a spindle-framed chaos merchant. A band which typifies the pointless inconsequence of blunt categorisation, their mighty, meaty songs and genre-busting approach has already garnered much in the way of plaudits and accolade, receiving notable air time on Radio 1, Radio Scotland, Radio 6 and XFM. Aptly named, their music whacks you in the face but then gently strokes your hair. Punk, jazz, blues, rock and a big dollop of chaos are perfectly orchestrated to merge seamlessly with gentle waltzes and eastern European folk tunes. The result is a jaw dropper.
The Stormy Seas are a new Edinburgh six-piece, featuring guitar, bass drums, banjo, melodica, squeezebox and fiddle. There's a strong Scottish folk tradition at work in their music, with old sea shanties rubbing shoulders with more modern styles. It's clear that they're very respectful of tradition but also keen to usurp it and create something completely new with a bit of that punk spirit.