Review by Northings
goHI 2006
18 Sep 2006 in Festival, Highland, Music
Inverness, 7-9 September 2006
Shutter
FRIDAY’S BANDS are loving and giving … First band of the night, Curio, played to a meagre crowd in the Ironworks, but did well taking into consideration the size of the venue and the fact that they were on very early.
Next up was Carson who have greatly matured since their last performance up in the Highlands. The vocals have a more gravel-based edge, the harmonies especially on songs like ‘One of Us’ and ‘Numbness in the Sun’ beautifully crafted.
The band have encompassed other Glasgow-based acts like Terra Diablo and Biffy Clyro into their sound, ending up with a set full of twists and recognisable songs. Tunes like ‘Rot’ and ‘Damage’ left the crowd in mini-mosh pits, especially finished and tightly controlled.
One of the youngest acts ever to play at a Go Event was Dornoch based Lucie Treacher, in the Market Bar. Although the talent shone through, this performance left a lot of the crowd uneasy – for an eleven year old, singing in front a crowd this big must be a daunting experience, and seeing a child up on stage performing better than many grown men and women is a little disturbing.
Most of the songs were under-developed, but Lucy’s ability to play the piano, guitar and sing showed that in a few years with the right guidance she will be a star.
Theatre Fall were playing Mad Hatters, and definitely showed what a lot of practice and determination can do in six months. The band have cemented their electro-rock/pop sound and songs like ‘Transformers’ and ‘Magneato’ displayed Angus Carburns’ ability to push his vocals to a new level and engage with the crowd with more confidence and personality.
Despite guitarist Stuart’s guitar strap snapping and nearly knocking someone down in the front row(!), this was a stellar performance from a band who only have come on leaps and bounds since their support with The Fratellis earlier this year.
The Foundry was heaving for Belfast beauties Panda Kopanda. However, the crowd were more interested in drinking and pushing each other around, and as a result the band found it difficult to engage with any more than the two front rows.
PK don’t seem be able to decide which genre they want to pursue, and this left the overall impression of a band with too many influences and not enough confidence to push the boundaries to find their own sound.
Injuns forced the very unresponsive Foundry crowd into submission, with their Guillemots-type eccentricities. This very under-rated band filled the pub with happy-go-lucky tunes, with their drummer leading the vocals.
Some of the songs are very Bob Marley-esque, but then descend into a pop mess, while turning into something that you want to hurl yourself at the stage to. Definitely a band to watch with both eyes!
Friday’s venues work hard for their living …. Top marks go to Mad Hatters, for the most welcoming atmosphere to both bands and punters, and the best size for this level of act.
However, bottom of the pile was the Foundry, who not only kept the plasma screens on during the performances, but switched the lights on half way through the last band’s last song, and had a really annoying compere, who seemed to think he was at a fairground ride booth shouting “Scream if you want to go faster” rather than introducing an unsigned indie band.
The Ironworks provided a place for under 18s to sample some musical titbits – venues for younger fans are sorely needed in Inverness.
Woo hoo it’s Saturday! The Now were first up in Mad Hatters, filling the space with Oasis/Stone Roses driven riffs and vocals to a responsive crowd. These guys have been getting better and better at what they do, but the sounds of their influences again don’t let anything else through. Fantastic bassist though.
Frame of Mind provided a welcome change to the night, after travelling 15 hours up from Manchester to play their 30 minute set, which included a cover of Stevie Wonder’s ‘Superstition’ incorporated with ‘Papa was a Rolling Stone’.
The band jazzed their way through their set, with triple vocals, giving a lovely harmonic twist to some tracks. Again, the Foundry crowd didn’t pay FOM their due, but after opening for Status Quo (the prize in a competition they won) the band have had to deal with some difficult crowds in the past!
Mad Hatters showcased Aberdeen-based Edgar Prais whose messy tightness threw the crowd into a series of spasms, and culminated in the lead singer handing out a bottle of whiskey to the crowd for ‘Bottom of the Bottle’ to huge applause (and in some cases, disbelief).
Songs like ‘Sloppy Drunk Boys’ and ‘Jaimie’, with gravely vocals and funked up bass, left the crowd screaming for more (and the majority of females trying to climb on the stage!). This was definitely one the best performances of the night.
Pop Up, a hotly tipped indie-rock band, were again let down by the venue that they were playing in. The set was enjoyable and the buzz about this band is apparent, with their debut EP “Lucy what you trying to say?” released on Hijacked Records in July they provided Go Hi with a taste of what a more established band can do.
The last band of the night in Mad Hatters was Shutter, closing the running order with their epic, blasting riffs and solar bass lines. Shutter are good at what they do, and their sound has developed into something that you can quite easily kickback to while in no way boring or over the top.
What the professionals thought: “Standout bands were definitely Theatre Fall and Edgar Prais for me. The standard of the line up was not as strong as in recent years. However, it was eclectic, and provided a good bench mark of what Go North will entertain us with next year.” Sharon Stephen, A&R Columbia Records
Over all the bands playing were well received and the weekend displayed the Highlands and Islands ability to come up with some diamonds, as well as seek out gems from further afield, such as Manchester and Belfast.
The venues were all accommodating, but the bands complaints about The Foundry were warranted (you should NEVER keep the plasma screens on when a band is performing!!), and a lack of over 14s venues meant that only The Ironworks could accommodate the younger fans.
Go North will be held in Inverness in June next year, and the city is set up for another great industry buzz event pushing the word of Highlands and Islands music out there even further.
© Cara Anderson, 2006
