Live Review

Aerials Up – King Tut’s, Glasgow

• 18th Jul 2011

It was back to King Tut’s last night for another four band bill. This one was eclectic and at times unusual, but enjoyable all the same and featured an excellent performance from the headliners.

Little Fire is the stage name of 25 year old singer songwriter Jamie McGeechan from Ayr. He has a strong voice with an emotional edge that gives great depth to his passionate acoustic rock songs. His song writing ability was demonstrated in the ballad I Met A Girl and the excellent up tempo All I Need In Life, which closed his fine set. McGeechan is clearly a young man with a lot of talent.

Glasgow folk/ electronic group Where We Lay Our Heads performed a gentle set of songs played with twin violins that could have been utilised more. Their melodic approach featured some nice hooks, simple synth parts and occasional burst of energy that added much. Minor Major featured a strong bass line and Glasgow Fires exploded into life with a passion, although the flat vocals spoiled the effect a little.

How to describe Blocestra? There were over 20 people on stage playing a bewildering array of instruments that included guitars, violins, keyboards, a ukulele, a banjo, a cello, a sax and even a trombone. The overall effect was of a folky jam writ large featuring a fine female vocalist who somehow managed to be heard. The set sounded much better that it really should have; testimony to both the arrangement and the skills of Alec, the King Tut’s sound guru.

Aerials Up played an excellent set of pop infused indie songs that combined strong lead vocals with lush harmonies and great guitar work with fine string accompaniment. The seven piece group has supported the likes of Snow Patrol and Paolo Nutini recently, as well as winning the Emerging Talent Award at last year’s Tartan Clefs, and it was easy to see why they are a band in such demand.

The set opened in energetic fashion with I Am and So Far Away played in quick succession, both tracks showing how the combination of male and female voices can work so well, with the cello and violin adding depth to the music.

After a pause for breath they launched into a new song, played at their recent T In The Park appearance. With a slower start and a mournful air built by the cello, the song soon sprung into life with a ferocious drum beat that was augmented by a snare drum at the front of the stage.

The single Super Glue was a highlight, with its twin guitar riffs before the vocals came in over a strong rhythm. This is a clear fan favourite and many were singing along with every word as the rich harmonies build nicely. And then the closing track saw many of the members of Blocestra fill the stage once more, playing a rambling and chaotic jam that closed the night in some style.

This was a fairly short set from Aerials Up, but it was more than enough to demonstrate the undoubted musical abilities that they have, both individually and collectively. This is a band that’s going places, and quickly.