The latest gig on our A to Z Musical Tour was ……
In this post we review bis, with support from Art Brut, Yummy Fur and Lung Leg
What defines a good night out? For people who go to gigs, I suspect it’s to see and hear musical acts they may or may not be familiar with, in a venue that’s best suited to the acts performing, and with fellow audience members who share the same passion for live music.
On Saturday night, at St Lukes, bis, Art Brut, Yummy Fur and Lung Leg were the acts who were tasked with entertaining the audience. In the case of bis, Yummy Fur and Lung Leg, these bands were performing in the 1990s, before going their separate ways and returning to the stage spotlights and recording studios. Maybe in the near future this will be termed the ‘Reformation Movement’ of music.
But this wasn’t a good night. It was much more than that. It was exceptional and everyone played its part. The bands were having fun playing and the audience reciprocated in kind.
Headliners bis felt they were maybe more under pressure than the other acts as the night was a 30th celebration of their coming together. If that pressure ever existed, it fell away within the first few bars of the opening number.
They were on top form and though most of the songs that made up the setlist were from their earlier period, the new songs were as gratefully received as the ‘hits’ and the songs, as Steven pointed out, that weren’t ‘hits’.
Three band members, Steven Clark, John Clark and Amanda MacKinnon. Two guitarists, one keyboard player and a sparingly used drum machine. The three sharing vocal duties throughout the night harmonising or taking the lead. And what a sound they made. Joyous up-tempo indie pop.
Their biggest strength though may be the humility they bring to the stage.
They are honoured to be at a big venue like St Lukes. They are delighted the new songs are met with the same enthusiasm as the old. They want the audience to have a good time, to dance and sing and most of all to appreciate that they are still able to come out and bear witness to why live music is as relevant today as it was in the 1990s when they first came together as a band.
As you would expect at most gigs, the set is geared to finish on a high before the encore and lights up. bis didn’t disappoint at any level, though given the set started on such a high and never let up, maybe it was just a teaser for the last three songs with a guest appearance by sax player Lora Logic of X-Ray Spex fame to reprise a cover bis recorded of Germ Free Adolescent.
In our A to Z Musical Tour, there have been many acts who have delivered an entertaining night full of the music we had hoped for with entertaining anecdotes and introductions to songs along the way. Many of the acts also enjoyed the experience and few, if any, seemed to see it as another day at the office.
bis are the biz though, they are the complete package. They write and play great pop music. They don’t take themselves too seriously and they bond with their audience. They invited us to their 30th Birthday Party and gave us all the best Saturday night present we could have hoped for.
Support Acts
Art Brut
On the face of it, Art Brut are an indie rock band with a couple of guitarists, bass player, drummer and vocalist.
That’s on the face of it. If you only see a picture, you might interpret it that way. But not every picture tells the true story. The musicians part is accurate. However, the ‘vocalist’ is more akin to an old fashioned storyteller. He doesn’t so much sing the lyrics as say them. Maybe you could include shouting for variety.
Vocalist, Eddie Argos is a Showman with the personality to match.
Art Brut have been around since the early 2000s with Argos the linchpin so like the other support acts they had been around the block a few times. The trouble with story telling is that you can extend the length of the story by simply ad-libbing for effect and on the night Eddie’s ad-libbing probably cut off a few songs from the prepared setlist the band had planned. It was 30 minutes of excitement, not knowing what was coming next. The band had an inclination though and were able to keep a steady background beat going on.
It was different, in a good way and it would be interesting to see how an extended headline show for them might entail in the future.
Yummy Fur
Yummy Fur were formed in 1992 and were still going seven years later between which they had, enlisted the support of a few members of what would become Franz Ferdinand and key man John McKeown was to go on to form the 1990s. Knowledge is great when you know it and wonderful when you find it.
Yummy Fur were back, hopefully for a bit more sonic delight in the months and years to come, with an incendiary set full of energetic indie rock. Songs heavily dependent on the interaction between both guitarists, leaving the bass and drummer to maintain the dynamic beat that pushed the songs along at lightning speed.
As a ‘support’ act, their thirty minute set offered a glimpse of the good times they will no doubt bring to a larger audience in the future.
Lung Leg
Lung Leg formed in 1993. While they disbanded in 1999, they have recently returned to the Scottish music scene where, through local record label Last Night From Glasgow, they have released reprints of past releases. They can also be seen performing in various indie venues in support of and headlining bespoke gigs.
With four ladies sharing vocals, guitar, bass and keyboards, and with a guest drummer keeping the beat, they were very accomplished and rose to the occasion with aplomb. A tidy set of songs, some remarkably short, ensured it was the perfect start to a perfect evening.
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