Musical review of the year - Perth and beyond rocks out

Jan 5 2010 by Andrew Welsh, Perthshire Advertiser Tuesday

REFLECTING on the past year’s events in Perthshire, it’s clear that an area with a relatively small population can boast of being big on livemusic.

Now familiar platforms for established and unknown artists alike offered fairly packed listings programmes throughout 2009 in the Fair City and beyond, and while some old favourites fell by the wayside, a whole host of new venues sprung up throughout the year to fill the void.

First out of the blocks last year was Perth Concert Hall (PCH), which welcomed folk rock legend RICHARD THOMPSON back to the Fair City.

But much of the year’s early musical focus was on the keenly-awaited debut album from Perth’s own hard-gigging WINDOWS, the 16-track Hearts And Sleeves.

The band’s frontman Athole Fleming always makes for good copy and, thankfully, the diverse collection proved the sometimes frenzied build-up to the set’s release had been worth the wait, with his songs making for a satisfying, riff-driven listen.

The traditionally sparse January live scene ended with a hardcore session at Perth’s Bliss and Envy nightclub from world-famous deck technician SCOTT BROWN, before punk veterans THE REZILLOS blazed a colourful trail to the Corinna Hotel.

Fellow new wave survivors MIDGE URE and TOYAH both managed Horsecross-organised appearances to help keep the fires burning during the winter, while the new Late Lounge venue in Perth provided a popular platform for new local talents like HUMBLE HOBOS, AYE ‘N’ AYE and MELTDOWN.

Spring dawned with the first in a series of high-octane live sessions put together at Perth’s Mucky Mulligans by Make-That-A-Take Records supremo Deeker Johnston, otherwise known as hayseed punkster TRAGICAL HISTORY TOUR.

Following the release of their Delta Road sophomore offering, Perthshire troubadours WANG DANG DELTA swung back into live action in March, with the band’s spin-off collective RANCHO REBOP & THE FULL MOON HOWLERS also adding to their fanbase.

Acts at different ends of the age spectrum impressed in April as Manchester legends THE HOLLIES and then new Scots prospects AUTOSAFARI, PEARL & THE PUPPETS and KRIS DREVER played in Perth, along with Northern Irish doctor-turned-singer EOGHAN COLGAN.

While all that was happening, ever-improving Fair City music venue Greyfriars Bar secured a coup by landing a series of open jam sessions led by former Grim Northern Social frontman EWAN MACFARLANE.

May saw the Late Lounge’s most high-profile gig to date, with ex-Silencers vocalist JJ GILMOUR headlining, but the month was all about some stirring performances at the annual Perth Arts Festival.

Top turns at Perth Theatre and PCH included laconic indie pioneer EDWYN COLLINS, the violin-toting SETH LAKEMAN and Perth’s own alt-rockers RADARS.

PCH’S Refugee Week concert was an undoubted highlight in June, featuring as it did the combined talents of fresh Scots rap crew YOUNG FATHERS, plus DAY OF DAYS and SARAH COLOSO.

Elsewhere, cult songsmith KING CREOSOTE starred in Birnam, while a host of unsigned hopefuls seized the initiative over four days at the inaugural Perth Music Festival.

July’s T in the Park attracted an 85,000 crowd to Balado, where the likes of KINGS OF LEON, GLASVEGAS, LADY GAGA, ELBOW, PAOLO NUTINI, BLUR, FLORENCE & THE MACHINE and MANIC STREET PREACHERS were among the huge list of big names gracing the festival’s numerous stages.

But the post-T hangover didn’t last long in ‘09, with the Fair City’s second Southern Fried Festival topped by a tremendous set from country rock goddess LUCINDA WILLIAMS, with the world-famous LOS LOBOS and BOOKER T sharing equal billing.

A 17,500-strong crowd lapped up RUNRIG at Scone Palace in August, but Music Scene’s moment-of-the-month was a trip to Edinburgh’s Edge Festival where reformed post-punksters MAGAZINE put on a storming show.

Unusually quiet September saw rising Scots sensation TOMMY REILLY display his own energetic, off-kilter take on guitar pop at PCH.

Onto October and it was certainly a good month for two Perth bands, with electro outfit THE NUMBER making a name for themselves by playing a Radio 1 Scotland session, and Radars unleashing their second album.

The end of the month also saw the demise of the Ice Factory as a regular dance venue, with Soulwax, aka 2 MANY DJS and JOHN DIGWEED among the last of the big names to attack its decks.

Eccentric Scots folk rockers BROKEN RECORDS, country bluesters ALABAMA 3, raw punks KRAKATOA, tartan twins THE PROCLAIMERS and South African legends LADYSMITH BLACK MAMBAZO enlivened Horsecross proceedings in November, with hard-living US troubadour STEVE EARLE and veteran songbird ELKIE BROOKS ushering in December with PCH appearances.

A bumper year of live shows concluded with COMPLETE STONE ROSES headlining at the Ice Factory, proving there’s still life in the Shore Road venue despite it moving on from its old club-orientated audience.