BMX Bandits

The latest gig on our A to Z Musical Tour was ……

In this post we review BMX Bandits, with wojtek the bear providing support at the Strathaven Hotel, part of the Frets Concerts series there.

The sun was shining, for a pleasant change, as we headed to the Strathaven Hotel for the latest in the Frets Concerts series.

While BMX Bandits were the headline act for the evening, we were equally looking forward to seeing wojtek the bear in action too.

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As lead singer Duglas T Stewart was keen to remind everyone, he and BMX Bandits have been on the go in one form or another since the mid-1980s.

And the lineup has ebbed and flowed over the years so much so that none of the current band members sharing the stage with him, Liam Chapman on drums, Amanda Nizic on bass and Andrew Pattie on lead guitar were even born when they started up. As a ‘young’ collective though , they forged the perfect accompaniment to someone at ease with being the old man of music for the night.

There was also the added bonus of Chloe Philip joining on vocals for a couple of numbers too.

If every picture tells a story, then on the night, every song had its own tale as Duglas introduced it to us.

There’s an infectious eccentricity to Duglas as he recounts how songs were contrived, whether from his upbringing in Bellshill with friend Norman Blake or in more recent times writing and recording with Andrew.

A personal highlight on the night was the song Razorblades & Honey which he wrote with Anton Newcombe of The Brian Jonestown Massacre, and honey itself became a recurring topic that Duglas kept returning too as it forms part of the marketing campaign for their most recent album release.

In musical terms, BMX Bandits share a mantel with the sounds of fellow Scottish acts like Teenage Fanclub and The Pastels, a sound that has been taken up in more recent times by the likes of Belle & Sebastian, The Delgados and tonight’s support act, wojtek the bear.

What they share is the creation of well crafted ‘pop’ songs, based around fine lyrics and creative musicianship.

Some of the songs written by Duglas may seem whimsical, however on the night, the band brought them all too life in an engaging and enjoyable manner. That is the essence of going to a gig. To be entertained, and the band certainly did that with flying colours.

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Support Act

wojtek the bear

Like the headline act, the band played songs that make you want to sit back, listen and enjoy.

Squeezed onto the stage, the six band members played with a free flowing ease that showcased the experience they have gained in recent years since we last watched them play.

The similarities to Belle and Sebastian in the structure of their songs is no bad thing either. Trumpet and violin sitting easily with lead guitar, while bass, drums and acoustic provide the backdrop for some well-crafted lyrics. There are no frills by any individual band member but a collective spirit that shone through on the night led by the droll humour of lead singer Tam Killean.

They are a band on an upward trajectory and to see them in such an intimate setting was a bonus on a very pleasant night.

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Frets Concerts

Once again Douglas MacIntyre and his team provided the perfect evenings entertainment. The venue is great, the bands playing are obviously selected with care and targeted at a specific generation of music lovers. It’s a winning formula for all concerned. The musical acts, the venue and us the audience.