The Next Big Thing – Carling Academy, Glasgow

I’ve managed to catch The Shakes playing live a good few times. However it’s always been on smaller stages. The Down & Outs impressed me with their sound whilst playing the Sunday Mail Tent at Live @ Loch Lomond this summer. The Next Big Thing provided the perfect opportunity to see if two of Scotland’s biggest unsigned bands could pull it off on a big stage at a venue that has held host to some of the world’s most successful acts.

The Shakes have garnered a reputation for playing every gig like it’s their last. They are without a doubt one of the tightest bands I’ve heard in a long while. Thankfully they upheld their end of the bargain and didn’t disappoint.

‘Going to Where She’s Gone’ has become a firm set and fans’ favourite, which is no surprise. Lead singer Ian Gillies delivers with his usual distinctive sexy drawl that could rival Caleb Followhill of Kings of Leon. A bold statement, I know but just deserved.

Possibly their most unassuming track, ‘Sting Got Stung’ has a stonking bass line, courtesy of Ross Hunter. Just when you think you’ve heard all this song has to offer the momentum building guitars kick in from nowhere before handing it back to the bass line.

I would defy anyone who wasn’t impressed by ‘Little Romancer’, a tune that grips a hold of you as it steam rolls ahead. An instantly likeable song that displays the strengths of the band as a whole. There is no standout Shake here, they all come out of their corner fighting and they all win.

Favourite track of mine, far and away belongs to ‘Driffic’, an ideal closer. A proper raucous rock and roll ramshackle that has everything to offer and leaves nothing out. Phil Plunkett gives it stacks on the bass drum pedal before going wild with crashing cymbals. Alan Jones and Marc McLean up the ante by ripping it up with some fantastic guitar skills. And as Gillies growls, “To whoever is not here tonight, then you just might as well be dead”, I can’t help but think he’s right.

I would bet my life that this won’t be the last time The Shakes play the Carling Academy.

In a hedonistic daze I stumbled across The Down & Outs and was fairly impressed. I was wondering if my first impressions were duly deserved or was it down to the fact that I wasn’t exactly ‘with it’, shall we say?

Looks matter. I’m not saying it’s the most important thing but when a band looks right it certainly helps. The Down & Outs are fairly iconoclastic. Nothing particularly special or standout but they fit together and suit each other, none the less.

Opening track ‘forever In Your Shadow’ seems like a pretty good place to start. It’s toe tappingly infectious with lyrics like “Can’t even pull a pint nevermind a girl”. Full of fun and dancing beats, it certainly won’t be drawing any comparisons to Radiohead.

Perhaps the most standout tune for me was ‘She’s My Baby’. This could be for the fact that I’m a sucker for anything that lends its self to 60’s doo wop. However, it comes with a twist, tinged with a country sound that adds to the warmth and beauty of this simple song.

Special mention has to go to Fisher on bass and not just for his musical abilities. Not since I saw Interpol play the very same stage have I seen such moves displayed by a string player. If I thought Daniel Kessler was a showman then I’d say that Fisher would give him a run for his money, slinking and sliding all over the stage.

‘Julie Andrews’ is obviously a bit of a crowd pleaser as it whips a fair few folk into a flurry of jumping and skipping. Infact, it’s not just the crowd, the stage becomes bombarded with the La Fontaines. Cute, if not a litte staged. I can definitely envisage this track getting people strutting on the dance floor in clubs up and down the country in the not so distant future.

Back for an encore with ‘Coming Down’ guitarist Chris proves his worth as the unsung hero of the band with some impressive fretboard work. Holding it up at the back is Chris, thrashing away with tonnes of energy and enthusiasim.

The Downa & Outs perform with the self assured confidence, which is lacking in so many of Scotland’s bands. Lead singer Clark is a massive asset to the band, he exudes charm, which is a priceless quality. He plays as though he belongs on stage, taking advantage of this by having fun. He is enigmatic which draws you into the band and leaves you wanting more.

It’s fair to say that they draw massive comparison to The Libertines. This is not a bad thing but I fear it will be banded about all too often and become a lazy way to desscribe them. They are much more though. They are classic indie pop, they are dipped in doo wop, they are 60’s Merseyside, they are 70’s punk, they are damned hard to sum up. Probably best you go and see them yourself, I doubt you’ll ask for your money back.

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