The Just Joans - Indietracks

Oh, I've been waiting for this moment for years. This whole website, Last Night From Glasgow Indie Eyespy, it was all a carefully calculated ruse leading up to this moment, when a band what I released an album for, play to a packed room at the UK leading Indie music festival.

How can I even review The Just Joans?
I dunno, so I ask other people.
Holly (the singer's girlfriend) - "They're okay"
Mark (the drummer's boyfriend) - "Bunch of Scottish wankers"
Alan (some kind of hanger-on) - "erm, quite refreshing"

Some quality unbiased view there.

So I've seen them many times before and they keep getting better, you can take this as biased hypobole, but I was there I know. Their first ever gig, at the Tchai Ovna in 2006 was spinetingerling, the place was packed and David Pope was so nervous, but he pulled it off beautiful renditions of tracks off of the first album, then with the Last Night From Glasgow webcasts everything as so much more polished, the Say Dirty show at Brel last year, when I heard some of the new songs for the first time and they blew my mind, then even the WeePop show the other week, the song from the WeePop release highly polish and David centre stage surrounded by his band with real stage presence. And now victorious at Indietracks to winning over a room full of folk seeing them for the first time.

It was weird the applause they got, after the first song, it was the kind of thunderous response you get at the end of a set. Even the howls for an encore at the end, It was overwealming.

The last song, possibly called "If You Don't Pull", three part harmonies and a chorus that you'll be singing in the shower for weeks. I thoroughly endorse the vitriol of hating your friends and bandmates with the frustration of you're own inability to pull.

Bitterness is the new green.

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Darren Hanlon - Indietracks

He's in the distance, on the Outdoor Stage, a lone troubadour with guitar, Darren Hanlon, sounding much the same as he did when I saw him playing Edinburgh last year with the Just Joans as support. Speaking of which they were the next band on in the Church.

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Tortoise Shout - Indietracks

The night before, me and Robbie were sat in a train carriage, drinking local ales, and talking crap, flyers had been left on the tables for n act playing on the Saturday afternoon. Quite a neat marketing trick, advertising an individual set at the festival. The flyer had a photo of two women, presumably from the band, and there was small print about an album, Robbie had heard of the producer. Anyhoo, I read out aloud the name of the band.

A girl from the band materialised in front our table, "Thats us" she cried, "Crikey!" I replied. Anyhoo, we assured her that we'd go to the show, Robbie asked about the producer chap, and I asked what the band, Tortoise Shout, what they sounded like.

"We don't sound like anyone else." was the reply.

Having seen them play, I think a more accurate response would be that they sound just like two women with acoustic guitars.

At the start of their set on the main stage at Indietracks the drummer hadn't turned up, so they pleaded with the audience asking if there were any drummers who could cover for them.

Earlier, on the outdoor stage, the Town Bike set had been quite emotional cos their drummer Charlie was leaving the band, leaving the country too, Indietracks was his last gig. I can only imagine Town Bike were stood at the side when Tortoise Shout were on, they were chatting about the wonderful times they'd had together, the crazy adventure, that time they taped flyers to stray dogs, that time they surfed buses on the was home from a show, etc, and this reminiscing is interrupted by the drummer's call.

So Charlie's on stage with Tortoise Shout, just providing fills and timing, and he's doing a good job of it. The rest of the music was pants, sounded to me like bog standard girls with acoustic guitars sound.

Maybe that's harsh and they're victims of circumstance, Tortoise Shout were playing in the Twist and Spout acoustic tent thing the next day and they sounded a little better, more relaxed, at a pinch I'd say it was Jennifer Warnes-style music. If you like that sort of thing, then Tortoise Shout might wet your whistle.

About two songs from the end of the set on the main stage, the proper drummer turns up. I was quite looking forward to a fight, they they all seemed quite friendly in setting up the the snare and the usurper returning to bubblegum family.

For the final song, they handed out kazoos to the audience, marched a dozen folk onto the stage and made them join in with bits of the chorus. A rather jolly shambles.


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Still Corners - Indietracks

It was really hot in the church, its a tin railway church, and ancient wee thing and its a stage at Indietracks, bands play at the front, punters sit on the pews or crouch in the central aisle, or are crammed in round the door.

When I wandered in Still Corners have the audience rapt during a quiet bit. Its droney haunting music, kind of sleepy and dreamlike.

Great beat, not sure about the tune, lots of oooh's. I could do with being more drunk and tired to listen to them, rather than having a dozen bands to run round and see.

Outside, in the sunshine, dust devils have been circling round the diesel yard, taunting the festival goers. One particularly adventurous one rushes through the crowd in front of the Twist and Spout tea shop, people turn marvel at its audacity as sweeps through the indie/goth clothing stall, and towards the vintage and handmade clothing stall. It snatched the gazebo and hurled it toward people sitting nearby, stacks of merchandise went flying, scarfs and hankies carried spiraling hundreds of feet into the air.

It was a fine sight to be seen.

Photies
SweepingTheNation08

The Kick Inside - Indietracks

i caught the last song of The Kick Inside, playing the main stage. They sounded like they did the other week at The Enterprise, kind of ska and Smiths/Morrissey-ish, but the acoustics in the diesel shed did them no justice. The could have sounded so much better.

Other photies
Trev Lost

Town Bike - Indietracks

Town Bike are on fire, first band of the day on the outdoor stage and punters are flocking to the front

They're like this generations answer to Shampoo, rude and bad girls loose on the streets. Bubblegum shirts, they are a living breathing cartoon band.

Songs about the guitarist from Busted, being bad, their bassist's first prom, they even have their own theme song where they introduce the band.

Its like they are possessed by the spirit of rock, Alice Cooper pulped and moulded into the shape of a riot pop act from Liverpool.

They'd won a poll on the Anorak messageboard to chose some of the bands at Indietracks, and I understand some idle remark was made about them playing a cover. So onstage they launch Smells Like B*witched, its like B*Witched songs played to the tune of Smells Like Teen Spirit, and there in the flesh, it was amazing.

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Trev Lost
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Penny Broadhurst

Silence the Sea - Indietracks

There's five or so people on stage, Silence the Sea, they look kind of familiar from other bands. Two girls, one with melodica and a mic, one sat at a desk with a typewriter, there's this chap from Little My in an animal costume and bare feet (hippy) with an acoustic guitar, prowling the stage. Sounds like the coolest office to work in.

The songs are a wee bit sea shantyish, although warmer than most sea shanties, Hidden Cameras with half as many people on stage, aye bass and violin. Sometimes that Altantic FM warmth to the songs.

Charming, happy and relaxed girl harmonies with just a touch of reverb to balance the occasionally boomy bass. Kind of like the weather in heaven.

"The best advice I was ever given,
was shut my mouth and learn to listen"

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Astrid
HayleyHawley
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Light-o