Live Review

Suspire – The Arches, Glasgow

• 4th Sep 2011

Glasgow indie band Suspire played a fine set last night to launch their new single, Salvation Sister, which will be released tomorrow on their own Clay Davis Records. It is produced by Echo & The Bunnymen guitarist Gordy Goudie, who is a big fan of the band.

The first of two support acts was Ayrshire’s Tragic O’Hara. Performing his first song a capello before picking up an acoustic guitar, Tragic showed that he has a strong and expressive voice. He is also an interesting songwriter, with Jail Bird telling of chickens in a slaughter house and Hits From A Bong of drug use. It was an entreatingly different set.

The Lonely Boy performed some solo acoustic tracks, including a cover of Michael Jackson’s Dirty Diana and displayed a soulful voice. But he also brought some friends along and was accompanied at different times by a second guitar, a trumpet and a female singer. Don’t Go Changing, a duet with Lauren, was perhaps the best of his short set.

Three piece indie band Suspire hail from Glasgow and are receiving a good deal of positive publicity in the Scottish press at the moment. And it was easy to see why as they overcame some early technical problems to play a high quality set that was lively and entertaining throughout.

Paul Duffin on guitar and vocals leads the band with some nice riffs and melodies, and the occasional keyboard flourish, while his brother Mark plays a mean bass and adds backing vocals too. Claire Kelly on the drums is both explosive and relentless as she belies a slight frame to add power to the sound.

The set started with some new material including Dodos, which has a tremendous bass line, a strong rhythm and some nice vocal interplay between the two brothers.

The heart of the set was the single being promoted. Salvation Sister is a great three minute slice of music, its tempo varying over meaty guitar chords and building to a big chorus. It’s one of those songs that sticks in your head, its combination of power and rhythm typifying the band’s indie sound.

For the b-side, Set In Stone, the band was joined by Ruth Gamble on viola and Tragic O’Hara on lead guitar, giving the track a darker and more atmospheric sound. It was interesting to hear a slightly expanded grouping, not that the band needs any help to create a potent sound.

The night finished with another new song that we were told will be called March Of The Penguins, although I have a feeling that this will chance. The harder rocking sound was built on distorted guitar and pounding drums to create a heavy beat. And the closing Goodbye featured another fine impressive bass line and one more of those simple choruses that sticks.

Suspire are undoubtedly a talented band and their high quality live shows should continue to see then generate positive press. Salvation Sister is a fine singe and I hope we will be hearing a lot more of Suspire in the coming months.