Gallus Laces

Back last month, in a cave…

bruceonthefringe 2025, Edinburgh bands, Live bands in Edinburgh, Logan's Close, Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , Leave a comment

As promised last time, my musings on the LC gig, I just didn’t think it would take me so long to write it! I have no good reasons for my tardiness, only feeble excuses that even I’m not buying. I’ve signed up for a hypnotherapy course in an attempt to address things, we should be able to tell if its working in a couple of months. Anyhoo…

So 17th January was the fourth time I’ve seen Logan’s Close headline at The Caves, it is a rather fine venue, very Edinburgh. The first time was way back in November 2017 for the release of their single Girl; second time was for the release of Lost In You in February 2020; third time in May ’23, er, just because?? There had been several single releases in the previous months from the upcoming album Heart-shaped Jacuzzi, momentum? The Close have played in plenty of the music venues around town over the years,

Rather fitting that this headline show was at the start of a new year; setlists can gently morph through time, then wallop, a seismic shift, a new landscape, which in turn will bobble along awhile, yes indeed, this gig showed a new vista to the fans. The Heart-Shaped Jacuzzi songs are now beloved LC classics already, and the lads have a load of new stuff they want to play (yay), so, no Lost In You or Eleonara (fair enough, let her rest, she’s been very busy), and no I Want You! Hey, even as The Scat Rats, Marah and Rough have put Listen to your Mother and In the Morning on the shelf (I do hope they’ll get brought down and dusted off from time to time as both are pure gold). Fair do’s, we were treated to five newbies, eight HSJ toons, and one re-vamp, oh, and Carl doing a bit of crowd surfing!

Local bands Puppy Teeth and Bernstrum and the Men were the supports; I haven’t seen either band play but recognise their faces from Whistlebinkies the last couple of years. Of course, I was in Sneaky’s early on, so still haven’t seen the Pups but did catch BatM’s set, psychedelic garage rock, I think is the right description. The crowd loved them and were having great fun, I watched from up on the balcony taking in the whole dynamic. Whilst not really my bag, I certainly see their appeal, and there’s some interesting stuff going on, worth keeping an eye on, methinks. When the place cleared a tad as folk disappeared outside and to the bar, I mosied down to grab a spot near the front and middle (I’m usually to one side at gigs, not tonight) – no great lummoxes came and stood in front of me! Yay! And then it was time…

They sauntered on to rapturous applause, the atmosphere was electric, ooo, straight in with Hot Blondes In Your Area Tonight, no messing about! Interestingly, to me anyway, last time in this venue they ended with Hot Blondes and began with Lost In You which they’d finished with the previous time; I am rather good at seeing accidental patterns, you know. From blondes to babes, Babestation wove it’s seductive groove around the room, I love Carl’s singing on this, always gives me the chills; which is what the band literally gave us next. Chillz is a newby, and incidentally one that I’ve heard the Scat Rats playing in Whistlebinkies (I have clips of both, so watch out for something!)

Gav always looks chill

Scott was getting hot after Chillz so removed his jacket to exuberant hoots and cheers from the crowd, SeanKeys was in stitches playing through the intro to Dans Le Jardin until Scotty had sorted himself out (he did make rather a palaver of it). I couldn’t help wondering why there was a huge pot plant placed in front of Sean!? Didn’t stop me getting a great shot or two.

From lush loungeyness to the sparser intensity of Half & Half and on to the second new number Costume Changes, where the guitar break conjures up half-formed images of ott theatrics (okay, I have a clip of it that I’ve watched, a few times). Back again to HSJ and the brooding baroque majesty of Curious Terrain followed by some Gouching On The 33. Oh, my heartses!

Mind blown?!

The room was buzzing from euphoric bliss, riding high on the sounds and energy emanating from the stage, and boy, what an excellent spot I had to take it all in! (I would love to know how someone with synesthesia would experience an LC gig, epic or overload?)

As the band could do no wrong, time to bring out more new untested tunes, White Lies tripped poppily along, and by Femme Fatale Carl was feeling the need to bask in the waves washing over the room – the fans obliged and kept him high on a wee crowd surfing.

I think I let out an audible guffaw when Scott introduced the next “new” song, Gallus Laces, it’s been re-vamped from the previous pre-covid version, apparently. So not new to some of us, definitely not if you’ve heard their LimbicTV CD. I still have no idea what the song’s about but I love how it comes across both edgy and lackadaisical at the same time! Falling In Slow Motion completed the set, well, you know, the lads left the stage for a few minutes, as bands do, the crowd hoolers, stamps, claps…. and they’re back on.

After such a great gig, the encore had to be something big – it doesn’t get much bigger than the grand opus that is Mock Marble Linoleum a wild ride to raise everyone up for the final tune Heart-Shaped Jacuzzi. The room sang it’s hearts out, a bloody magnificent end to the evening ❤️

I didn’t go on anywhere afterwards, just took a slight meander home, in the dark, to savour the feelings of unadulterated bliss before they ebbed away. Oh, my heartses.

Driving with Elsie

bruceonthefringe 2022, Logan's Close, Music, Uncategorized, What makes you happy? Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , 1 Comment

Today has seen bright sunshine and blue skies over Edinburgh, very chilly with it, as the forecast predicted. Annoyingly they got it very wrong for yesterday morning! The forecast had promised snow from the early hours, some heavy, awoke all expectant and excited I did – bloody none! And I’d come back up on Thursday for it. Well, and also to avoid Eunice, that’s Storm Eunice (who came up with Eunice?! What sort of name is that for a storm?).

I was down in deepest, dampest Yorkshire again. Very damp indeed, not much time was spent out-of-doors, it was ‘orrible! The few hours of fine were spent wandering round Hebden Bridge, note to self, some shops are closed Tuesdays as well as Mondays. Still a tasty lunch was had and a few purchases made, I do like Hebden Bridge, and there’s usually a fine calibre of busker in the Square.

Naturally, my choice of travelling audio accompaniment included my new Logan’s Close Live CD, at 63 minutes its perfect for the last legs down and up. In the gathering dusk I hurtled across the moors to Scott letting rip on I Want You, followed by the classic Listen To Your Mother – that’s when the low fuel light started flashing (yeah, yeah, mother, make sure there’s plenty in the tank, I know); after that first, oh bugger, I reasoned there was actually around 40 miles worth left so no worries. On the homeward leg it takes about an hour to get from Abington services (junction 13 off the M74) to home, that is, without slowcoaches on the road; so perfect, with a second playing for Eleanora as I pulled up.

Eleanora is a bouncing upbeat babe of a tune, a catchy infectious earworm so it is! Everything a good Logan’s Close song should be, and also something slightly new, different but still undeniably LC. Sean Keys’ (that’s what he gets called, anyway) keyboards are at times reminiscent of Jon Lord on early Deep Purple, noticeably so on Mock Marble Linoleum. I’ll admit it’s taken me a while to get into this track, my original take was “fine but nothing special”, I’d like to update that, Mock Marble Linoleum is fine and dandy, like a mid 70s rock opus, swirling keyboards, grand majestic riffs, Scott going for it, yeah, it is pretty special.

Paralysed is a whirling dervish of a tune with Carl taking lead vocals this time. This lady who “reached inside and stripped you of your core” sounds like AC/DC’s Soul Stripper; two very different songs but the same female lineage (in my head, anyway). Gallus Laces is great, a lackadaisical swing and hook to it, love Scott and Carl’s vocals together on the chorus.

Probably (at least at time of writing this) my favourite track is Babestation, from the opening drumbeats, sultry keyboards, offhand guitar, and then Mr Marah plaintively narrates the girl’s nightlife; the spacious sleaziness and Carl’s vocals almost echoey, with added Scott on backing, omg, it’s like sliding into a hazy drug-addled dream state! I’ve also had the pleasure of hearing The Scat Rats take on this song a number of times ❤

Mind, Give It To Me is a very close second on this, right from Sean’s piano intro and Scott’s and Carl’s harmonies; the guitar sound, the space, more beautiful desolation from the lads. I Want You is always near the top spot at any gig but the competition is tough here, even with Sean back on the piano and Scott’s sublime vocals. It would be hard to place all fifteen tracks in an order of preference, really, after my top five I couldn’t separate the others. God, I love this CD! Will this recording, this moment in time, ever be made available to anyone else? I don’t know, but if it is, no self-respecting LC fan would be without it!

Toodle pip!

So Close so fine

bruceonthefringe 2021, Bands, Events online, Logan's Close, Music, Uncategorized Tags: , , , , , , , , , , , , 2 Comments

Last Saturday night was the best Saturday night in the last year, possibly the top night of all nights in the last year. Yes, the lads were rather good! Logan’s Close really knocked it out of the park. Two hours of music and banter all wrapped in a psychedelic haze – bloody excellent!

Hats off to LimbicTV, the set up and production were excellent (not that I know anything about these things). The layout looked good and there were lights and cameras galore to capture all the action then mix it up with trippy video effects (I really liked them!), and there’s Dave, the laidback but authoritative voice, great with the banter and keeping the Close on track and sounding awesome. Well, it all impressed me.

Should you choose to check out what has me still buzzing almost a week later (aren’t you curious?) that’s Logan’s Close on LimbicTV (Live from Aluhpasonics), not only will you hear great music, there’s chat on such diverse topics as Scott’s fashion choices, local cuisine (Dunbar fish suppers and Pizza Crunch) and liquor of the gods, well, fortified wine of some monks, Buckfast. Like Dave, I was also at Glastonbury in 1986, such a shame I didn’t bump into him and all that buckie!

Did I mention how good the music was? The band were clearly enjoying finally playing live together, Carl and Scott both had new guitars to have fun with and their vocal harmonising is none the worse for all the time away, I assume Ollie was having fun (dressed all in black including a black facemask in a darker bit of the studio) on his six string bass, Alex on drums was wearing his trademark hat, Sean not only had his own keyboard but the studio piano as well, making full use of both (to think I was initially a tad dubious about the addition of a keyboard player, he’s a perfect fit in their sound).

Fifteen tasty treats, yum, some old, some new, two borrowed, a smorgasbord of sound to feast on. For starters they served up Eleonara, a new one, fun, catchy, a delight. Second was a song I’ve heard them play live before, I thought it was called Never Blue, err, no, turns out it’s Never Bloom, well, you know how it can be at gigs! It’s a cracking rendition of it whatever the name, lots of space in it (something I really like about Logan’s Close, they don’t overcrowd their sound).

Next up were Worked A Treat and Girl. The visual effects are amazing, layering two members of the band over each other, add it a psychedelic swirl of colour, wow! Loved the kaleidoscopic bits during Girl, was Scott able to see them on one of the screens? Did it disturb his concentration or did he just forget the words? Yes, I noticed but he covered it well.

Song five was Gallus Laces which I do reckon I’ve heard before, or it could be that it reminds me of the ambience and lackadaisical sound of Fur, a band I saw in Sneaky Pete’s a couple of years ago. I actually just went because the Close were supporting them but happily made a fine new discovery. Fur were meant to be back up in March but have had reschedule the gig to November.

Next song Babe Station was sublime desolation! When Carl sang the first two lines it immediately took me back to when I first heard Rodriguez, that same plaintive bleak but beautiful sound. The Close should definitely put out this track, please, please, like this, nothing added nothing taken away. Another newby followed, one Mock Marble Linoleum, good solid, a vague early Deep Purple feel to it. Fine but nothing special. Almost an hour in now and the band played Paralysed a regular live number for them, the visual effects go nuts, strobe city! Intense.

Give It To Me had Sean over on the piano for the intro, he’s rather good, you know. This is one of those goosebump tracks, the deliciousness of the guitar break gets me every time. We’re on the home straight now, In The Morning, I Want You, Listen To Your Mother, all sheer class. Scott really let loose on I Want You, as Dave said after it “What I love about you, Scott – you’re prepared to testify” Indeed, amen to that.

Oo, I was so pleased they played Fantastic Man next. This is a cover of a song from the late 1970s by William Onyeabor, the Close did a lockdown video of it early last summer, it was such a ray of sunshine! Last year’s single Lost In You was the last song and blimey, I love this song anyway but this was astounding, I want this version. I defy them to ever play it better than that! What a finish. But, of course, this is the current version of a live gig, so one more tune was in order, but what? A good old classic that the lads regularly play Please Don’t Go, one to go all out on, they did and so did the visual effects!

Now if they could compile a CD from this gig – I’m sure I’m not the only one who’s wishing for this! I wonder what the band thought when they watched it later?! If you watch it, do let me know what you think. It’s late, time I bid you adieu.

Adieu, dear hearts 💛