BLUE AEROPLANES / CATLOW /
GERARD STARKIE / SATURATION POINT
Glasgow, King Tut's - Sunday 9th April 2006
One of rock and roll’s great, if more than welcome, mysteries in 2006 is surely how the Blue Aeroplanes came to be signed to a major again. In an era which demands short term success, the Aeroplanes hardly look an obvious choice because, let’s face it, in their 20 odd years career, they’ve never really been known for selling bucketloads of records, have they?
Still it’s undeniably something worth celebrating. Not only does it give them support for a proper UK tour, it should also give them once again a chance to reach more people.
However there’s clearly a bit of work to be done in the promotion department because the turnout at this show isn’t great- I'd estimate Tut's is less than half full. Given that they would be playing venues like Tut’s at the height of their popularity this isn’t perhaps surprising after a lengthy absence.
But if the crowd lacks something in numbers then they more than make up for that in enthusiasm. All support acts are well received and the main attraction inspires a fair amount of (largely middle-aged) dancing and a rapturous reception. Compared to the young Hope of the States audience at the same venue 10 days previously, this lot are mad!
Anyhow back to the headliners later because there’s a lot to get through before then. There are no fewer than four acts on stage in the three hours of the gig with the stage being empty for less than 20 minutes. And the evening proves not only to be good value but also of high quality.
First up just as the doors open are Saturation Point. The name promises a jazz trio but instead what we get is most certainly a trio (three moonlighting Aeroplanes in fact) playing a half hour instrumental set comprising just 4 songs. OK, I concede that that doesn't rule out jazz but my nearest reference would be Will Sergeant’s Glide project and Saturation Point are at the rockier end of that spectrum. They’re rather good and go down very well with the small crowd.
SP are followed by new Aeroplane(?) Gerard Starkie who plays a short, acoustic set. One man with an acoustic guitar isn’t my format of choice but with a good voice which has hints of Grant Hart Gerard gives us a pleasant 15 minutes.
Another very quick changeover and four piece Catlow are on stage. Expectations of another Aeroplanes side project are blown away when the female singer announces that they’re from Vancouver. Not that close to Bristol then.
Apparently Catlow are essentially a solo project for singer Natasha, who takes the stage in a most undignified manner as she is on crutches and wearing a brace on her left leg. She plays the set standing up though and Catlow are pretty good too. Although they start with a lap steel in the line-up for the first song, that is replaced by a guitar from song two giving a conventional two guitars, bass and drums line-up. Compared online to the Breeders and Throwing Muses, on this evidence they’re more straightforward than those bands and quite melodic, albeit retaining an edge. The songs on their Myspace site are a good example of what they’re like. As is this.
After Catlow expectation builds during a “lengthy” 15 minute delay before the Aeroplanes take to the stage.
The biggest shock for me is actually how few songs I know, given that I own the 5 LPs preceding ‘Altitude’. Re-listening to the show it transpires there are 2 main reasons for this. The first is forgivable, namely unfamiliarity with the not yet purchased new LP which features quite heavily. The second is less so namely that I’m not as familiar with the LPs that I DO own as I should be, although there are also a couple of relative obscurities included in the set as well. In my own defence I offer up the dismal sound with the vocals well down in the mix for missing some vocal cues!
Even now the Fire Records era retains a presence in the career spanning set with Warhol’s Fifteen played early on as is Spitting Out Miracles. I confess too that their final ‘90s LP ‘Rough Music’ didn’t get too many plays so encore Detective Song is a bit of an unexpected treat. In fact my lack of familiarity with the material is emphasized by the fact that Cavaliers 9 from the oft forgotten Cavaliers album is only the second song I immediately recognize ten songs in!
All in all it’s a set with an emphasis on the band's rock side. Most of the songs that I don’t know are fairly easy to get a handle on which is just as well because, as previously mentioned, Gerard’s vocals are lost in the mix, despite brother John’s efforts to have them pushed up all night. Actually the sound's not that great, dare I say it, it's a bit loud. For about the first time ever, I realise that my ears are ringing during a gig.
The new material off 'Altitude' sounds quite promising, particularly Up In A Down World and Beautiful Is (As Beautiful Does). The limited amount of stuff I know all sounds great, particularly a rocked up Yr Own World as main set closer. Jacket Hangs is just a classic - I surely don't need to tell anyone that (I wish).
On the down side the concentration on the heavier approach leads to a certain sameyness with only Starlings providing a respite from the constant guitar onslaught.
The encores inevitably are excellent … And Stones leads to almost as much manic dancing as Jacket Hangs did earlier on, whilst Detective Song is an unexpected gem. I’d always regarded it as the best song on 'Rough Music' but here it really benefits from being amped up several degrees.
Second encore is the same as it was 15 years ago – Breaking In My Heart - which is absolutely fantastic and there would be simply no way to follow it.
It rounds off an excellent evening which has since had me reappraising certain neglected LPs in the Aeroplanes' canon. And, yep, I've ordered the new LP as well. So a definite 'mission accomplished' then.
Gerard L about to bring the set down to its conclusion
No, not Tom Jones ....
Blue Aeroplanes set listRaise The Roof High
Up In A Down World
88 Out
Tree Full of Starlings
Warhol’s Fifteen
Days of 49
Jacket Hangs
Surreal Thing
Spitting Out Miracles
Cavaliers 9
10,000 Miles
Beautiful Is (As Beautiful Does)
The Applicant
Your Own World...And Stones
Detective SongBreaking In My Heart
The other Gerard ...
Natasha from Catlow
