Live Review

Southside Festival – Queen’s Park, Glasgow

• 29th May 2011

The main stage at Glasgow’s Southside Festival played host to some great local talent yesterday. I managed to catch eight bands before heading off to another gig, so apologies to those I missed.

A May outdoor festival in Glasgow is a bit of a gamble weather-wise, but apart from the odd heavy shower it co-operated pretty well. And those who braved the elements were treated to a varied and entertaining bill.

The Modests were first to take to the stage. They have a basic two guitar, bass and drums rock sound. They are a little rough around the edges but are young and showed a lot of promise. Instruments were swapped around several times, with the drummer taking lead vocals on a nice cover of Fulsom Prison Blues.

Selective Service arrived a little late, meaning they had to cut a fine set short. Their rock sound takes in elements of blues, reggae and dub to create a highly individual approach to music, and the band played hard and fast. The Merchant from their recent EP and the closing In The Kingdom were the highlights of a solid performance.

The Fiction were very good too. With a sax and a six string bass in the mix they have a varied rock sound that builds and falls nicely to back a strong lead singer. There was a good energy level to their performance with the anthemic Keep Safe being a high spot, along with slower track Hope. For a band that has only been together a year or so they have a tight live show.

Inner Sight blend dance elements into their rock sound in a highly entertaining fashion. The swirling keyboards create an atmospheric backing for the guitars and vocals. Their music featured some very nice lead guitar work and an extrovert lead singer who seems to love the stage – although he did make it into the audience at one point. They played a fine range of songs including the epic Voyage To The Stars.

Audio Model have a dynamic two guitar indie sound with a clear folk influence. Featuring some melodic guitar riffs, a strong lead vocal and a steady rhythm they were unspectacular but entertaining. The husky edge to the vocals on Story’s End was good as was their standout track, Heat Of The Night.

These Little Kings are another who come into the young but promising category. Their rock sound is based around twin guitars and they put in an energetic performance. Pretend To Care featured frenetic guitars and some nice lead work, while the acoustic Was It Worth It, performed without the bass and drums, showed a different side to the band.

The Rudiments have a big sound, with two acoustic guitars and an electric plus keyboards, bass and drums. But their sound is tight and melodic, with a clear 60s influence on their indie pop. An impressive performance, with Along The Bottom a standout, concluded with a great cover of Shakin’ All Over.

The Imagineers (pictured)brought the biggest fan club of the day along with them, and put on a typically energetic and high quality performance. Their indie sound has a Latin feel to it and the addition of a violin on several tracks gives yet another layer to an already exciting sound. Playing all four tracks from their recently released EP, the highlights of an excellent set were Spanish Sands and the closing Mariana.

I already knew that there is a great deal of talent in the Glasgow music scene. And events like this offer a good showcase for local bands to demonstrate just what they can do. I know that most will have gone away with a few new fans from a fine day of music.