With The Cords
The Glad Cafe, 21 June
The beginning of the end, an interview, album launch and a support act that are getting better each time we see them. The Glad Café on a summer Saturday night in Glasgow was the hottest ticket in town, as much for the musical talent on show as the room temperature for the performers and audience.
The beginning of the end relates to time being called on The Creeping Bent Organisation, a very well-respected record label set up by Douglas MacIntyre in the mid nineties inspired by the likes of Postcard Records and Fast Product with the DIY ethos that was prevalent three decades ago.
With arts writer and broadcaster Nicola Meighan, asking the questions, it was an insightful beginning to the evening as Douglas and wife Katy Lironi of Fizzbombs and The Secret Goldfish provided a glimpse of how an idea thirty years earlier had evolved. How the label had introduced them to each other, the work and effort that continued to eat into the available time in the day to do all the things they wanted to do and finally, after thirty years, Douglas was actually going to release Katy’s album, Empty Holster with The Secret Goldfish. A brief history of the Scottish music scene by two people at the beating heart or should that be Hungry Beat? of what has been produced during their time together.
The interview over, The Cords took to the stage with sisters Eva on guitar and vocals and Grace in the drummer’s seat. Over the past couple of years, we have seen the pair perform in and around the city supporting some well-known bands along the way.
What is clear from Saturday’s performance is that they are getting better with each performance. They still retain that look of wonderment at times when people applaud and cheer at the end of each song. The songs are classic pop, short, sharp, memorable. With Eva strumming rhythm guitar and the steady drumbeat throughout from Grace, there is something magical at play which evokes the early times when The Creeping Bent Organisation was taking it’s first steps into the world.
As The Cords were joined by Douglas and Katy for their final number of the night, a cover of a Fizzbombs number, both looked at ease with the exposure that work with established artists had given them in the past couple of years.
Douglas said in the interview with Nicola, ‘..it’s time to pass the baton on and he believes that bands like The Cords are at that point in their careers when they are ready to run with it….’
After Saturday’s performance, The Cords are off their marks and won’t be handing the baton back any time soon.
The Secret Goldfish were finally able to celebrate the launch of their album Empty Holster after many years of recording. With writing credits to the likes of Vic Godard, David Henderson, James Kirk and more, a ‘covers’ album it may be, however the songs selected reflect all that has been good about a distinctly Scottish jangly pop scene.
With James Kirk and daughter Amelia Lironi joining the band on stage, the setlist was the definition of musical entertainment. Experienced musicians playing and singing in harmony in more ways than one.
As the night drew to a close, we were left to reminisce on thirty plus years of endeavour and look forward to young artists like The Cords providing the sounds of our lives going forward.
A hot night in the Glad Café of that there was little doubt.
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