Rock veterans set for Balado

May 26 2009 by Andrew Welsh, Perthshire Advertiser Tuesday

ALTERNATIVE rock veterans THAT PETROL EMOTION head up the latest quartet of T in the Park additions.

The Northern Irish outfit reformed last year after more than a decade apart and will continue a recent string of successful reunion shows by opening the Radio 1/NME Stage at the Balado festival on Saturday July 11.

Critically lauded for their highly skilled musicianship, intense performances, diverse influences and political agenda, the Big Decision hit-makers were considered musical pioneers in their late-Eighties / early-Nineties heyday.

Initially influenced by acts as diverse as The Beatles, Wire, Television and Can, TPE’s reformed line-up includes former Undertones brothers John (guitar) and Damian O’Neill (bass), second guitarist Raymond Gorman and American singer Steve Mack, who were all key members after they originally started the band back in 1985.

Meanwhile, southern singer-songwriter JACK PENATE will be returning to play the Kinross-shire extravaganza this year.

The soulful London popster, who performs on the Futures Stage on July 12, has just released the inventive single Tonight’s Today from his second album, Everything Is New.

Produced by Bloc Party and Friendly Fires knob-twiddler Paul Epworth, Penate’s sophomore offering is an ambitious, lo-fi soul record which should help to get the T crowd jumping.

Elsewhere, Northern Irish rockers IN CASE OF FIRE have been lined-up to fill the Radio 1/NME Stage opening slot on July 12.

Tipped as a top new talent, the band who have been described as a “skyscraping pop-metal hybrid” were the opening act on the Kerrang! tour earlier this year.

The three-piece released their debut album Align The Planets last week.

Making up the latest list of T attractions, indie-dance act DELPHIC will bring a strong dose of Eighties nostalgia to the Futures Stage on July 11.

Influenced by Factory Records, the Hacienda and acid house, the Manchester outfit play electronic music with a full band line-up.