The Riveras take the stage!

This blog has given me an opportunity to introduce readers to some of Glasgow’s most exciting new bands – from Majestic Dandelion and Dirty Sally to Gogobot – and I have one more band to point the spotlight at: The Riveras.

This five-piece indie rock band consists of Ben Smith (vocals), Scott Whitehall (guitar), Gary McCrossan (guitar, vocals), Calum Purse (bass, vocals) and Martyn McInnes (drums, vocals). The band sees their style to be a mixture of garage rock, new-wave and post-punk.

You can hear that the band have incorporated influences from throughout the decades of legendary British guitar music – from iconic groups such as The Beatles and The Smiths to punk bands like The Jam and Gang of Four – into short, lively three minute bursts like Job Seeking and Electric Lines.

In 1970, John Lennon said that “the best stuff is primitive enough and has no bullshit. It gets through to you; it got through to me, the only thing to get through to me of all the things that were happening when I was 15.”

This is exactly what The Riveras are trying to do – they aren’t trying to reinvent guitar music, but like all great bands they take the music that influenced them and write their own songs that relate to a new generation of music fans.

This band have all the ingredients to become successful but the number of bands with potential who break up before their time outweighs the bands who make it – we can only hope that The Riveras get the chance to make that next step and fully establish themselves as one of Glasgow’s best new bands.  

Visit The Riveras on Facebook

Gogobots are go!

L to R: Gordon McNeil, Marko Kelly, Rosie McClune

Gogobot are a three-piece band from Glasgow, consisting of Marko Kelly (vocals, guitar), Rosie McClune (bass), and Gordon McNeil (drums). Describing their songs as “synth anthems, pounding rock base [with] infectious pop melodies”, they weave influences as disparate as Scissor Sisters and Muse to create a unique dance-rock sound that sets them apart from their peers in the Glasgow music scene.

The band have been growing from strength to strength recently and have a fantastic live pedigree for a young band – from supporting Glasvegas to appearances some of the country’s biggest music festivals, such as T in the Park, Rockness and Wickerman.

The band describe their attitude as “DIY” – even going as far as building their own studio so they could control how they recorded their music. 2011 saw the band release the ‘See Saw Series’ – a run of six singles released throughout the year climaxing with a headline gig at Glasgow’s legendary King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut.

I think this is definitely a band to watch for the future – their darkly humorous lyrics and use of synths give them an edge over the homogenous indie guitar rock that typifies so many up-and-coming bands in Glasgow. The band are clearly making waves in the British music scene - from working with famed LA music producer Paul Lani to persuading Mock the Week comedian Stewart Francis to appear in the music video for single Do You Remember? Special guest slots with pop acts such as JLS and Olly Murs suggest they may also be capable of becoming popular beyond rock and indie fans.   

Visit Gogobot online

Free Olympics gig in Glasgow

Glasgow’s George Square will host one of four free concerts to commemorate the visit of the Olympic Torch on Friday, 8^th June.

The gig, presented by Coca-Cola will feature Scottish-born Emile Sande, singer-songwriter Eliza Doolittle and indie rockers General Fiasco. The concert is part of a 66-day long celebration as the Olympic Torch tours the UK and Coca-Cola are encouraging Glaswegians to get involved and celebrate the Olympics with friends and family at the gig.

Playing in Glasgow will be particularly special for Emile Sande, who studied at Glasgow University. She said: “As a proud Scot I’m thrilled to be performing in Glasgow’s George Square and the prospect of entertaining a home crowd as part of the Olympic Torch Relay celebrations is incredibly inspiring. I can’t wait to share in the excitement and energy that the Olympic Flame will bring to Scotland.”

I think getting some of Britain’s most exciting young musical talent to help celebrate the 2012 Olympics is great. Hopefully the weather will stay nice and there will be a real carnival atmosphere that Friday when the Olympic Torch visits Glasgow. The only downside is that there won’t be more Scottish talent on display that day – in recent years we have seen home-grown talent such as KT Tunstall, Sandi Thom and Franz Ferdinand have success beyond Scotland and it would be nice to see more of our young and talented musicians given the chance to play in front of a massive crowd.  

Fans can apply via ballot for up to four tickets, with a proportion of the 16,000 allocation also being reserved for local residents.

Apply for up to four tickets via ballot

The Bay help out young talent

Glasgow has long been recognised as the epicentre of exciting new music in Scotland. Key to this has been music venues that give new artists a chance to cut their teeth in front of a live, and sometimes rowdy, audience. We’ve heard about the popularity and influence of the Barrowland Ballroom and King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut, but the city is also home to smaller venues that also open their doors to aspiring musicians.

One such place is The Bay, situated at 142 West Regent Street.  The venue is open to bands of all styles and do not charge the bands for playing so that any money made from ticket sales go straight to the band.

Anyone who visits The Bay will be in no doubt that this is a place in thrall to classic rock, with vintage posters paying homage to musical greats such as The Beatles and The Doors. I think the venue deserves a lot of credit for supporting Glasgow’s burgeoning music scene and giving bands the opportunities to develop their careers. 

Dirty Sally - Oceans

One such band, who has played there more than once, is Dirty Sally. Influenced by rock bands such as the Foo Fighters and Scotland’s own Frightened Rabbit, the band is made up of Mark McMillan on guitar and vocals, Scott McPartlan on bass and vocals, and  Andrew Black on drums. The band describes their sound as “edgy, searing guitar music with indie undertones and pop overtones” and anyone who has seen the band will see that as an apt description.

Songs like Is Everything to be Alright and Oceans see the band mine the same quiet/loud dynamic and soaring choruses that have seen Biffy Clyro become one of Scotland’s most successful bands. These songs fill out the tiny space that is The Bay with ease; it’s not hard to imagine these songs ringing out in much larger venues. Hopefully with the continued support of Glasgow’s music venues more bands like Dirty Sally will have the opportunity to reach their potential.

Visit The Bay on Facebook

Visit Dirty Sally on Facebook