Live Review

Monica Queen and Thrum – King Tut’s, Glasgow

• 11th Sep 2011

Monica Queen and Thrum roiled back the years last night as Glasgow’s No Mean City festival came to King Tut’s. Two very different support acts also played entertaining sets to make this a fine night of music.

Warren McIntyre, the former Moondials frontman, began playing solo and performing a few older songs like Call Box. His has a warm and expressive voice and is an engaging performer, chatting confidently with the crowd between songs. McIntyre was joined by several other musicians during the second part of his set as he played newer material, including the mournful Time Alone, which had a nice country feel to it.

The Parsonage is a Glasgow country choir, named for Gram Parsons. Normally they boast 40 singers, but a cut down version of 25 just about fitted onto the small stage. With rich tones and fine harmonies they covered a range of country standards, including songs from Hank Williams and Parsons himself. Their version of Neil Young’s After The Gold Rush featured a fine solo performance and the closing country version of Great Balls Of Fire really shouldn’t have worked, but it did. A refreshingly different performance that the crowd thoroughly enjoyed.

Thrum was formed in Bellshill, Lanarkshire, back in 1992 by guitarist Johnny Smillie and singer Monica Queen. They played many live shows and produced one album, Rifferama, and several singles before splitting up in 1995. Now, sixteen years on, after Monica has sung with the likes of Belle and Sebastian, The Jayhawks, Shane McGowan and Snow Patrol, the band is back together.

A large crowd waited excitedly to see Thrum once more. The house lights went down and a cheer went up. Seconds later the band had launched into Exciter from the new album Elettorama. This was an excellent choice as opener, a fast paced indie track that sparkled as the twin guitars of Smillie and Queen backed the vocals. Queen’s voice was high and clear, almost ethereal, yet powerful enough to cut through the mix.

There were several old favourites on the set list, as well as more from the new album. Here I Am, a single back in 1994, had a heavier sound and featured a fine guitar solo from Smillie. You Wish had a slower tempo, with the two principals harmonising on the vocals to good effect.

Of the new songs played, Dark Heart was a standout, its opening chords giving a distorted sound that bristled with energy and the ending seeing Smillie and Queen rocking it out in fine style. Precious, a slower song with beautiful vocals and more fine lead guitar work was also very well received.

The closing one–two saw fan favourite Nowhere To Run played in fast paced indie style with many singing along, while new song Banish The Devil slowed things down before turning into an extended instrumental jam that ended the set in real style.

The audience demanded an encore and Queen and Smillie soon returned to the stage along with their excellent rhythm section of Ian on bass and Gary on drums. And there was a surprise to come as Monica called The Parsonage back to the stage.

What followed was a simply sublime cover of The Jayhawks’ Waiting For The Sun, with Queen’s beautiful voice backed by a choir, with harmonies rising and falling in a quite wonderful manner. The song kept going, rising and falling, before eventually coming to a conclusion. It was an excellent end to a fine night of music.

The message from this gig is a clear one. Thrum is back – and the music is as good as ever.