Live Review

The Xcerts – King Tut’s, Glasgow

• 28th Sep 2010

King Tut’s is by far my favourite Glasgow venue. The history and the atmosphere are second to none, and the sound quality is usually very good. But for all age shows the feel is very different, as it was last night. Teenagers, and some who looked even younger, crowded into the venue intent on having a good time. And the Xcerts certainly helped them to do so.

2 Thirds of Youth were first on stage, a local band who had won a contest to secure their place as support. Their rock sound is largely repeated power chords and heavy bass with little evidence of any subtlety. But the closing track, 89, with its use of distorted vocals offered something a little different. And the audience seemed to appreciate their efforts.

The Xcerts in contrast played a set bristling with energy and quality. The three members of the band originally hail from Aberdeen, but despite moving to Brighton they still retain a strong local fan base, which meant that the sing-along sections were greeted enthusiastically and loudly.

Murray MacLeod on guitar and vocals is at the centre of their sound, and he led the line well with an expansive style allied to solid musical ability. For some reason he seemed to be especially popular with the females in the audience.

Jordan Smith on bass and Tom Heron behind the drums form a powerful and dynamic rhythm section, allowing MacLeod to express himself, which he did with gusto, almost being pulled over the barriers and into the crowd at one point.

The Xcerts’ second album, Scatterbrain, comes out very shortly and Slackerpop was the stand out new track played. Allied to several tracks from debut album In The Cold Wind We Smile, the set was varied in pace and sound, but with the trademark anthemic choruses evident through.

The band calls its style distorted pop, although to me it sounded somewhere between indie and hard rock. And that’s not a bad niche to be in. Their stage sound somehow seems bigger than a three piece band has any right to achieve.

MacLeod uses a twin microphone set up, which allows him to alternate between standard vocals and a reverb heavy sound. This adds an air of distorted delivery that combines well with the riffs and solos that dominate their music to give a diverse feel.

The set ended with new single, Young (Belane), played at a frenetic pace and heartfelt closer Home, before a final flourish of guitar brought things to a close as the band left the stage to a mix of feedback and applause.

The Xcerts are a talented threesome and their live act is varied and at times electrifying. They demonstrated a real command of the stage and delighted the audience with their music. With a new single and a new album to promote their future looks bright.