Andy Kerr

VIVA BROTHER Oran Mor, Glasgow, September 22 * *

theandykerr — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 02:24:06 +0000

It’s reassuring that despite Scotland’s love of lad-rock, new self-proclaimed kings of the genre Viva Brother have failed to take the country by storm despite writing what singer/guitarist Lee Newell has described as “the best songs of the last 20 years.”

Truth be told, like their last visit to Glasgow, tonight the five-piece did little to suggest their songs are destined to receive the ultimate lad-rock accolade and make the move from venue to football ground anytime soon.

The best that could be said of the Slough outfit’s set was that final number Darling Buds Of May has a memorable hook, however whether you’ll want to remember it is another matter.

Watch the video for Viva Brother’s ‘Darling Buds of May

JON FRATELLI Oran Mor, Glasgow, September 16 * *

theandykerr — Mon, 07 Nov 2011 02:12:17 +0000

With The Fratellis on hiatus after the Glasgow trio’s second album Here We Stand flopped, and Codeine Velvet Club barely in existence a year before commitment issues led to his departure, Jon Fratelli has returned, this time as a solo artist.

Tonight he and his band, which for some reason included a second drummer alongside Fratellis sticksman Mince, played a clutch of largely uninspired tracks from debut album Psycho Jukebox.

As you’d expect, the hometown crowd were on side throughout, most vocally during the Fratellis’ tracks which littered the set, but overall it was an underwhelming performance which offered few surprises.

Watch the video for Jon Fratelli’s ‘Santo Domingo’

THE NATIONAL The Academy, Glasgow, August 24 * * * *

theandykerr — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 00:44:39 +0000

It’s been 15 months since The National hit the road to promote their break-through album High Violet. Tonight they played their last headline show on European soil for “a long time” and judging by what was at times a sluggish and fairly routine performance, the Brooklyn quintet could do with a rest.

Tonight they showed glimpses of what they’re capable of, most notably during Abel, Mr November and the frenzied climax of Squalor Victoria. However poor sound and a lack of energy from the band, and in particular their usual driving-force frontman Matt Berninger, meant ultimately it was a solid rather than spectacular display.

Watch the Video for The National’s Abel

THE MARS PATROL King Tut’s, Glasgow, August 19

theandykerr — Tue, 06 Sep 2011 00:36:59 +0000

Within seconds of opener Started With A Kiss, it was clear that The Mars Patrol were on a mission to push back the boundaries of taste and to badly go where numerous bands have gone before with some of the most soulless pop-rock songs imaginable.

Fronted by what appeared to be a shrunken slightly wizened KT Tunstall, the five-piece’s performance proved totally devoid of originality. Musically bankrupt, each song was strewn with glaring clichés, uninspired melodies and predictable lyrics while throughout, the delivery felt forced – especially when it came to their desperate attempts to involve what was an apparently underwhelmed crowd.

Watch the Video for The Mars Patrol’s Shake It Up

ALEX WAYT King Tut’s, Glasgow, August 12 *

theandykerr — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 15:08:28 +0000

There’s a good reason why, despite the longevity of his music career, it’s unlikely you’ve ever heard of singer/songwriter Alex Wayt. After 30 minutes tonight it was all too apparent just why he’s slipped under the radar.

Musically-misguided, charisma-deficient and sporting a look best described as Miami Vice, Wayt spoke in cliches and sang his school-boy lyrics with the kind of cheesy veneer that made stifling laughter an ongoing challenge.

Despite the small but vocal crowd’s support, there was no getting past the dated music, cringe-worthy delivery and general dearth of inspiration on display during the course of what was a quite woeful set.

Watch the video for Alex Wayt’s ‘Take Your Time’ Live

THE LOW SUNS Glasgow, King Tut’s, August 11 * *

theandykerr — Sun, 21 Aug 2011 15:03:16 +0000

There was a moment tonight when The Low Suns looked set to win over the small crowd. Unabashedly aiming for what their manager called “stadium pop”, Bad Kids seemed to have got those facing the stage onside thanks to its hooky euphoric chorus. But as it turned out it was to be a one-off. The audience’s attention soon waned, chatter rose and the crowd thinned.

What probably did the Londoners’ chances of making an impact the most harm, if you discount singer Jack Berkeley’s ‘X Factor’ delivery, was Never Going To Care. A truly dreadful track which, had this been 1988, would have been snapped up as filler for the Working Girl soundtrack.

Watch the video for The Low Suns’ ‘Never Gonna Care’

THE DATSUNS King Tut’s, Glasgow, August 4 * * *

theandykerr — Sat, 13 Aug 2011 16:19:44 +0000

It’s nine years since The Datsuns burst on the scene thanks to a couple of catchy singles. They’re now back in the UK to test-run some new material and on tonight’s evidence, time – the 1970s to be precise – continues to stand still for the rock-loving New Zealanders.

The usual ingredients were in place from the off – big and largely derivative riffs (most blatantly Alice Cooper’s School’s Out on What I’ve Lost) and a slew of rock clichés including countless noodley guitar solos. But even with all their shortcomings, the honesty of their performance shone through, making tonight’s set an entertaining one if nothing else.

Watch the video for The Datsuns’ ‘Harmonic Generator’

ATHLETE The Arches, Glasgow, July 30 * *

theandykerr — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 02:20:41 +0000

Having languished in the indie-pop wilderness for some time, Athlete are back on the road but with nothing really to promote except a career in decline.

Billed as a ‘Hits Stripped’ show, or as singer/guitarist Joel Pott put it “we’re playing everything slow tonight”, the quartet played re-imagined versions of their most popular tracks, pouring extra schmaltz on already slick and sickly songs.

Judging by their response, for fans it was a performance to be savoured. Indeed the most memorable moment came courtesy of their impromptu “Oh Athlete we love you” sing-along, which although slightly disconcerting, proved the one genuinely touching moment of an otherwise insipid night.

Athlete’s ‘Tourist’

THE RAY SUMMERS King Tut’s, Glasgow, July 28 * * *

theandykerr — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 02:13:34 +0000

After a surprise appearance from the soulless Kassidy, masquerading as The Billy Kays, it was time for Falkirk six-piece The Ray Summers to close this year’s Summer Nights strand of gigs at Tut’s.

Fusing psychedelic sounds with a funk sensibility, The Ray Summers plough the same furrow as The Bees and at times tonight they did it well, most successfully on Oh No.

However a lack of depth, and a tendency to rely on simple themes all too often let them down especially as the set wore on.

The Ray Summer’s ‘Boots n’ Cats’

VIVIAN GIRLS Captains Rest, Glasgow, July 18 * * *

theandykerr — Thu, 11 Aug 2011 02:06:44 +0000

With minimal fuss and little in the way of fanfare, New York lo-fi punk trio Vivian Girls may have come across as unassuming as they did a quick line check before launching into opener Never See Me Again, but when it came to their music there was no holding back.

Although their output was often repetitive and vocal levels inconsistent and regularly obliterated by distortion, the trio’s energy and the immediacy of melodies on tracks like I Won’t Belong and Wild Eyes saw them through.

However it was the epic The Other Girls which stole the show with its dark twists and turns and extended psyche-tinged instrumental provoking the biggest response from a packed crowd.

Vivian Girls’ ‘I Heard You Say’