Well for the first time since I had to still be chaperoned to gigs with my mother I can safely say I was almost certainly the youngest person in the audience for a date with a living legend, the one, the only EDWYN COLLINS at the elegant Philharmonic. He also used it as a cheeky promotional tour for his new independent label Analogue Enhanced Digital.
First on the nights bill was the understated GARY McCLURE and his pretty big backing band (they seemed to barely fit on, which is something of an achievement given how big the stage is there). Although shaky, static and a little awkward on stage at first, when they finally got their mojo going their delicate, airy songs really suited the venue’s vibe, although sadly half their songs sounded like they’d mashed several stodgy, formulaic songs together in an effort to go a bit William Burroughs with the lyrics – a shame it didn’t work.
Boy how THE HEARTBREAKS have changed, gone are the indie-lad tracks of 2010. These Morecambe lads are gunning for the big time (well, they are ‘big in Japan already’, so they’re halfway there). Despite there being only four of ‘em on stage, the Clash-aping poses on stage made the stage seem way more full than Gary McClure managed to. The songs and song writing also show the mark of Mr. Collins’ old band Orange Juice, especially on tracks like ‘Bittersweet’ and ‘Hey Lover’. Their other major love seems to be mid-00’s indie... is it too early to get nostalgic for the halcyon days of my youth? Nahhh, it definitely isn’t.
You could sense the anticipation in the room as EDWYN COLLINS took to the stage, and it’s impossible not to remark on how much he has visibly improved since his stroke. I am also pleased to say his silken Glaswegian singing voice has not changed at all over the last 30 years. The classic jangle-pop of ‘Dying Day’ and ‘Falling and Laughing’ and squelchy-disco of lone OJ hit single ‘Rip it Up’ have managed the remarkable feat of sounding as current now as when Orange Juice released it as their debut single way back in 1980, something not many of his contemporaries can boast. From this point onwards I really wish I wasn’t seated as every single song was... well ridiculously funky, no matter what the dude on guitar who looked like a Meatloaf tribute act tried to ‘rock it up’ a bit. And what can I say about his Iggy Pop tribute and über-hit ‘A Girl Like You’? Nothing except that it’s still freakin’ brilliant, and there was not a single person who wasn’t out of their seats dancing. Tonight’s tour de force has shown he has very much done his bit to ensure his musical DNA will remain in indie’s blood-stream for years to come.
