Theatre review: Sunshine On Leith @ Festival Theatre, Edinburgh

How do you know if your band has made it? Like, really made it.

The defining endorsement of mainstream acceptance used to be finding your music on karaoke (younger readers, please substitute Singstar or Guitar Hero here) but now the ultimate achievement is getting your back catalogue turned into a musical.

Queen, The Beatles, Take That and, of course, ABBA have been brought to all-singing, all-dancing, all-screaming life on stage, so The Pop Cop was keen to find out how Scotland's very own heroes, THE PROCLAIMERS, would fare.

Sunshine On Leith tells the story of two returning soldiers adapting to life back in Leith. And although the local cast, with their colloquial humour and geographical namedropping, were more than competent singers and enthusiastic performers, none of their characters had sufficient emotional resonance to really move us.

As the show progressed we also realised that there was a major flaw in the entire concept - The Proclaimers just don't have very many bona fide hits. You've got 500 Miles (obviously), Letter From America, Sunshine On Leith, I'm On My Way... and then you hit a wall.

So having heard just one of the famous four before the intermission, the half-time chatter amongst the wrinklies (we stood out like a lighthouse between the grey-tops) was of how many numbers were unfamiliar to them.

Things eventually picked up. The live band, hidden away under the stage, suitably captured the energy of The Proclaimers' songs, with the original arrangements mercifully surviving pretty much intact.

But there was nowhere near enough fun or silliness to make up for an often disjointed plot (just watch Mamma Mia to see how raucously well that can be done) that asked the audience to follow the trials and tribulations of three pairs of love interests, which, frankly, is two too many for a 150-minute performance. When it comes to stage shows, you want Romeo & Juliet, not Friends.

There's no denying The Proclaimers are national treasures, but the likelihood is that you'll come out of Sunshine On Leith feeling entertained but not enthralled.

4 The Proclaimers - Letter From America
b up to January 3, Festival Theatre, Edinburgh (tickets)
b February 10-21, King's Theatre, Glasgow (tickets)

The best albums of 2008

10. Malcolm Middleton – Sleight Of Heart
Quite why the former Arab Strap man's fourth solo album slipped under most people's radar is a bit of mystery to us. Unlike A Brighter Beat, which came out in 2007, Sleight Of Heart is very much a stripped back affair. With acoustic guitar the predominant instrument of choice, Middleton's black-humour lyrics - by far his most recognisable trait - get a welcome place in the spotlight.
4 Follow Robin Down
9. The Cave Singers – Invitation Songs
We defy you to listen to opening track Seeds Of Night and not be utterly beguiled. The first thing that hits you is Pete Quirk's earthy voice, yearning and aching with character. The Cave Singers may be from Seattle but their bluegrass-rock sound is steeped in romantic, rural Americana. Invitation Songs is one of those appropriately obscure but accessible albums you'll put on at social gatherings to impress the music know-it-alls.
4 Seeds Of Night
8. Jack's Mannequin – The Glass Passenger
Seeing as Jack's Mannequin's 2005 debut album Everything In Transit is a work of perfection, its much-anticipated successor could never be good enough for us. Band leader Andrew McMahon opted to subtly change direction with more of an even split between piano and guitar-based rock, although The Glass Passenger is slightly too long at 14 tracks. But when it hits the mark (Crashing, Drop Out - The So Unknown, Caves, Miss California) it's simply irresistible.
4 Crashing and Miss California in The Best Songs of 2008
7. Pete & The Pirates – Little Death
Given that we had absolutely no expectations of Reading quintet Pete & The Pirates, their debut album Little Death probably counts as the most surprising record to have found its way into our top 10. Imagine the Pixies gone pop, or the thrill of the first time you heard Franz Ferdinand, and stir in a gallon of hooks, melodies and an endearing lack of pretension.
4 Knots 6. Coldplay – Viva La Vida or Death And All His Friends
It's a long, long time since it was last cool to like Coldplay, but that will never stop us giving credit where due. Like every Coldplay record it had the odd weak moment - namely Lost! and Yes - but you need only look at the heavyweights who released disappointing albums this year (The Killers, Snow Patrol, Razorlight, REM, Travis) to realise that form is temporary and class is permanent when it comes to songcraft.
4 Lovers In Japan and Death And All His Friends in The Best Songs of 2008
5. Vampire Weekend – Vampire Weekend
The recordings don't come close to capturing the energy of the Vampire Weekend live sound but how could you deny this album is anything other than pure, unbridled fun. If the New Yorkers didn't become as huge as they did this year we'd probably have given up on The Pop Cop and found a new hobby. Thankfully humankind appreciates Vampire Weekend every bit as much as we thought they ought to.
4 Mansard Roof
4. Hello Saferide – More Modern Short Stories From Hello Saferide
When we founded the Music Alliance Pact we were hoping our Swedish counterparts would introduce the incredible genius of Hello Saferide to the world. We're still waiting. Thankfully, Annika Norlin's second album gives us the perfect opportunity to let you know what you're missing out on - heavenly melodies, songwriting of rare wit and charm and three-minute pop classics. In short, the greatest music from Scandinavia since ABBA.
4 Travelling With HS
3. The Gaslight Anthem – The '59 Sound
Anyone who claims they saw this coming is a liar. The New Jersey rock group barely caused a ripple with their debut album Sink Or Swim, so the fact they returned just 15 months later with The '59 Sound makes their story even more incredible. It's the sort of record that begs the use of adjectives like classic and timeless. OK, so pretty much everybody these days is ripping off Bruce Springsteen, but even The Boss would be proud to have made an album as good as The '59 Sound.
4 The '59 Sound in The Best Songs of 2008
2. Frightened Rabbit – The Midnight Organ Fight
Nope, your eyes don't deceive you, it's not our No.1. But trust us, there wasn't much in it. The Midnight Organ Fight races the pulse and stirs emotions in ways that only the greatest pop music can. The album is just as much about growing up as it is about breaking up. From rough diamonds on the Glasgow circuit, Selkirk's Frightened Rabbit suddenly became the band everybody wanted to root for - and rightfully so. It was way back in August 2007 that Frightened Rabbit gave their first interview about the landmark album to The Pop Cop, before frontman Scott Hutchison revisited The Midnight Organ Fight in depth in February ahead of its release. Having Frightened Rabbit in our lives has made it immeasurably better.
4 I Feel Better and Fast Blood in The Best Songs of 2008
1. Sigur Rós – Með Suð í Eyrum Við Spilum Endalaust
Let's put into perspective just what Sigur Rós did here. They conjured up their most inventive, fascinating album after a career spanning 14 years and four previous studio records. Despite singing almost entirely in their native Icelandic tongue their words still manage to transcend the barriers of language, every syllable of emotion intact. Með Suð í Eyrum Við Spilum Endalaust transports you to an enchanting, extraordinary place in a way that the best books and films do. It captures the sound of euphoria, the innocence of youth, the magic of dreams.
4 Við Spilum Endalaust and Inní Mér Syngur Vitleysingur in The Best Songs of 2008
Með Suð í Eyrum Við Spilum Endalaust is a worthy successor to The National's Boxer as our best album of the year. Sigur Rós are notoriously media-shy but Jón Birgisson (vocals and guitar), Orri Páll Dýrason (drums), Georg Hólm (bass) and Kjartan Sveinsson (keyboards) were kind enough to take time out of their busy schedules to accept The Pop Cop's award for 2008 and have a brief chat with us.

THE POP COP: Hello Sigur Rós. We've picked Með Suð í Eyrum Við Spilum Endalaust as our Best Album of 2008. Here's your award.
JÓN: It's really nice! Thank-you.
[Jón shows plaque to Orri, Georg and Kjartan, who all make excited noises to each other in Icelandic]
JÓN: What's the new Mogwai album like? I haven't heard it yet.
THE POP COP: It's rubbish.
[Band agree to pose for a photo before Georg leaves the room to make a call on his mobile]
THE POP COP: You've made our favourite album of the year. Is it your favourite Sigur Rós album?
KJARTAN: We don’t really have a favourite. You just work on the album you’re working on.
THE POP COP: Do you like getting awards?
KJARTAN: Yes, of course. It’s nice for what we do to be appreciated.
THE POP COP: Do you read blogs or take an interest in what people write about you?
KJARTAN: No.
THE POP COP: Has the Icelandic financial crisis affected Sigur Rós directly?
KJARTAN: It affects everybody in a way.
ORRI: Not directly.
[This prompts a burst of debate among the band, possibly about somebody they know who has indeed been affected directly. They're speaking to each other in Icelandic... they could be talking about the Jonas Brothers for all we know]
THE POP COP: What are your thoughts on playing gigs in Scotland?
JÓN: There’s good people, a good energy.
KJARTAN: We really liked the Connect festival.
THE POP COP: Thanks for taking the time to talk to us.
JÓN: Good luck with your blog.

The best songs of 2008

We're not sure what this says about the average reader of The Pop Cop but, according to Google's number-crunching analytical machinery, the post that has consistently been one of the most popular in the past 12 months is our Best Songs of 2007 list. While flattered that so many folk want to adopt our own listening habits, it really is time to move on.

So it is with great pleasure (and after a lot of domestics) that today we give you The Pop Cop's best songs of 2008.

Like last year's collection we just can't bring ourselves to favouritise them, so what you have is a link to download the whole shebang of 21 tracks which fit EXACTLY onto an 80-minute CD-R for your ultimate playlist experience.

Do let us know which tunes you share our love for, or if you think there are any glaring omissions. Our top 10 albums (in order!) will be in the next post.

Jack's Mannequin - Crashing
(The Glass Passenger)
Mumford & Sons - Awake My Soul
(The Sun Never Sets On The Cool Kids EP)
Frightened Rabbit - I Feel Better
(The Midnight Organ Fight)
Sigur Rós - Við Spilum Endalaust
(Með Suð í Eyrum Við Spilum End)
Noah And The Whale - Jocasta
(Peaceful, The World Lays Me Down)
Coldplay - Lovers In Japan (Osaka Sun mix)
(Prospekt's March EP)
The Gaslight Anthem - The '59 Sound
(The '59 Sound)
Okkervil River - Lost Coastlines
(The Stand Ins)
British Sea Power - Lights Out For Darker Skies
(Do You Like Rock Music?)
Jack's Mannequin - Miss California
(The Glass Passenger)
Mumford & Sons - Little Lion Man
(Love Your Ground EP)
The Pigeon Detectives - This Is An Emergency
(Emergency)
Alphabeat - Fascination
(This Is Alphabeat)
Ryan Adams & The Cardinals - Crossed Out Name
(Cardinology)
Frightened Rabbit - Fast Blood
(The Midnight Organ Fight)
Dance Lazarus Dance - Faxing Me Faxing You
(Lies EP)
Sigur Rós - Inní Mér Syngur Vitleysingur
(Með Suð í Eyrum Við Spilum End)
Biffy Clyro - Mountains
(Mountains single)
Noah And The Whale - Rocks And Daggers
(Peaceful, The World Lays Me Down)
Florence And The Machine - Hospital Beds
(Kiss With A Fist single)
Coldplay - Death And All His Friends
(Viva La Vida or Death And All His Friends)

4 http://www.zshare.net/download/529671788bddf89a/

Best Scottish live music photo of 2008 competition

Bless me Father, for I have sinned. It's been four months since my last competition. Catholic humour, don't you just love it.

Yes, folks, it's competition time again here at The Pop Cop parish and we're looking to find the best Scottish live music photo of 2008.

The criteria for submission are exactly as it sounds.

The photo must have been taken in Scotland.
The photo must have been taken in a live environment.
The photo must have been taken in a music environment.
The photo must have been taken in 2008.

It doesn't matter whether you use a top-of-the-range Nikon or Aldi's own brand point 'n' click, we will judge the photo purely on its own merit, not on the size of your equipment (ahem).

What's the prize? We were kinda hoping the prestige of being chosen as the winner would be more than enough, but who are we kidding...

We will display the winning picture for an entire YEAR on the main page of The Pop Cop, plus we've also persuaded DF Concerts to offer the winner two tickets to see any gig they want in 2009 (as long as they are putting it on, obviously - see Gigs in Scotland) with the additional option of a photopass to take pictures on the night assuming the artist doesn't mind.

Now here's the tricky part. You can only enter ONE photo for the competition so choose wisely. Once you've done that just email it to thepopcop@gmail.com as a jpeg attachment, together with your full name, address and details of where and when you took your jaw-dropping snap.

If you don't think you've taken a prize-winning photo this year, fear not - 2008 isn't over yet... the closing date for entries is midnight on Monday, January 5 so you've still got time. We'll post the top 3 as selected by The Pop Cop later that week.

Good luck, and be sure to spread the word to any budding photographers you know.

4 Belle & Sebastian - Photo Jenny
4 Death Cab For Cutie - Photobooth

Music Alliance Pact - December 2008

It's Music Alliance Pact time again. If you're a regularish reader you should know the script by now. Our aim is to get one music blog from every country in the planet to share their favourite song of the month by an artist from that nation. All the text you see below the picture of the bonnie Scotsman is written by each individual blogger and then replicated on each site on the same day, give or take some intercontinental time differences.

Thanks to the additions of Brazil, Chile, Germany, New Zealand, Portugal, Singapore and South Korea, this month sees MAP membership rise to 21 (which is the same number of EU countries in NATO... seriously, The Pop Cop should be up for the Nobel Peace Prize at this rate) - just 174 more to find before ze vurld domination plan is complete. Mwah-ha-ha.

We're dead excited about this one for the simple fact that the blogosphere will now be introduced to Scotland's representative, Dotjr, the future king of pop...

SCOTLAND: The Pop Cop
4 Dotjr – More Than You Know
The Pop Cop only ‘discovered’ Dotjr last week and we were so bowled over there was no choice but to fast-track him into this month’s Music Alliance Pact. Dotjr (pronounced dot-jay-are) is the solo project of James Reeves, a 21-year-old native of the Isle of Lewis, and his joyous, soaring music has the kind of ambitious pop sound that radio DJs fall over themselves to play. More Than You Know is epic, swooning and Christmassy. Pretty much perfect then.

AMERICA: I Guess I'm Floating
4 Dent May & His Magnificent Ukulele - 26 Miles
Mississippi-based Dent May has been recording in various southern states since his formative years in high school. After going to college and refining his sound, he emerged with a new act that made use of his self-proclaimed magnificent ukulele. His pleasant pop arrangements, strong vocals and doo-wop-like vocal harmonies will appeal to anyone hoping to hear some happy music. His debut album is due out in February via Animal Collective’s Paw Tracks label. Never underestimate the ukulele.

ARGENTINA: Zonaindie
4Banda De Turistas - Todo Mío El Otoño
Mágico Corazón Radiofónico is the first album by Banda de Turistas and it turned out to be one of the biggest surprises of the year. With Mario Caldato Jr. (Beastie Boys) in charge of the mixing, this song reprises the beat sound of ancient Argentine rock bands like Los Gatos.

AUSTRALIA: Who The Bloody Hell Are They?
4 The Philadelphia Grand Jury – Going To The Casino (Tomorrow Night)
Three long-time Sydney musicians start the funnest band to come out of the city in the past year. You might have known them in previous lives as one part Berkfinger, two parts The Sweats. Combined, they channel an updated retro rock style that somehow manages to both pay homage to Elvis and sound incredibly cool. Not an easy feat, so respect where it is due.

BRAZIL:Meio Desligado
4 Macaco Bong – Bananas For You All
Macaco Bong is an instrumental trio from Cuiabá, considered one of the best live acts in the country. They sound like an original mix of post-rock, alternative metal and free jazz. Their guitarist doesn’t use any pedals or effects, playing his Fender online with overdrive from the amps he uses. The band is part of Espaço Cubo, a collective that works with culture and its social aspects, starting a revolution from the underground.

CANADA: I(Heart)Music
4 Black Hat Brigade – Swords
Their hiccupped vocals and apocalyptic-sounding music makes bringing up Wolf Parade almost inevitable, but Black Hat Brigade make a pretty convincing argument with their self-titled EP – and particularly with Swords – that they don’t necessarily come off any the worse in the comparison.

CHILE: Super 45
4 Fredi Michel – Enganamí (Comeme Remix II)
One of the weirdest and most original bands from Santiago, Fredi Michel are a mix between cumbia, dub and avant pop (via Broadcast). Even though they’ve been playing for years they have only recorded a few songs and some of their friends have made some remixes, such as the one featured here. Fredi Michel have announced they will finally release their debut album next year.

DENMARK: Pastries, Peppers And Canals
4 Oliver North Boy Choir – Tonight
Oliver North Boy Choir are the kind of band that Denmark does spectacularly well. Signed to Danish uber-indie label Crunchy Frog, Camilla Florentz, Mikkel Max Hansen and Ivan Petersen release pieces of ethereal beauty via download only. Oh, and they don’t play live either.

ENGLAND: The Daily Growl
4 Jay Jay Pistolet – Golden Age
You may not call it a ‘scene’, but there's only one degree of separation between many of London's young bands and artists. Jay Jay Pistolet, friend of Mumford & Sons, Derek Meins and no doubt plenty others, is no exception. Not that this is important. Let JJP, who often comes across as a young English version of M Ward, be judged for himself.

GERMANY: Blogpartei
4 Mio Myo – Switch
Switch is the latest single of the Nuremberg-based quad Mio Myo. It can be seen as a description of their sound – a bit ghosty and spheric, a diversity of electronic and analog instruments, and a voice reminiscent of Thom Yorke. Their songs always deserve a second hearing.

ICELAND: I Love Icelandic Music
4 Vicky – Alien
Vicky, previously called Vicky Pollard (named after the Little Britain character), is one of the coolest new Icelandic rock bands. The band started in November 2006 when they accidentally got together and started jamming in their hometown Hafnarfjörður. They produce a sort of poppy metal or heavy pop. In 2008, these four girls and male drummer recorded their debut album Pull Hard, which was released on the Töfrahellirinn label in October.

IRELAND: Nialler9
4 Sunken Foal – On Platinum Rays
The brilliantly titled Sunken Foal (think about it...) is also known as Dunk Murphy of Ambulance. After an appearance on BBC Radio 1’s Mary Ann Hobbs, his debut Fallen Arches has just been released on Planet Mu. The album is a textural, ambient, electronic-acoustic and, most of all, beguiling release of leftfield sounds.

ITALY: Polaroid
4 Scarlets – Every Waterloo
Young, talented and stylish, Scarlets play nervous and tight songs heavily influenced by new wave. They’ve just released an EP on Angle Records full of love for The Smiths, The Jam and the sharpest Brit sound. They’re definitely a name to keep an eye on in the coming months.

NEW ZEALAND: Counting The Beat
4 Bear Cat – Red Panda Blues
Bear Cat are one of a bunch of new New Zealand bands dabbling in folk influenced indie-pop. Apparently Bear Cat is a literal translation of the Latin word for panda, and as well as naming themselves after the endangered mammal, the band have chosen to make pandas the subject of many of their songs too. Bear Cat avoid the danger of this resulting in one-line-joke novelty songs by writing catchy and memorable tunes that have every chance of survival.

NORWAY: Eardrums
4 The Little Hands Of Asphalt – The Future
The Little Hands Of Asphalt is the solo project of Sjur Lyseid, the singer in the Norwegian indie-pop band Monzano. As TLHOA, he makes warm, sensitive folk-inspired songs, often performed with an acoustic guitar as the main instrument. Sjur Lyseid is a great storyteller and his lyrics are always worth listening to. The song we have for you is a Music Alliance Pact exclusive, taken from his forthcoming debut album Leap Years which will be released in March 2009.

PERU: SoTB
4 Pelo Madueño – Es Hora
After his successful debut album, Ciudad Naufragio, Pelo Madueño returned this year with No Te Salves, an intimate album full of emotions. Based in Spain, Pelo shines as a songwriter and gives us a real insight into the independent scene.

PORTUGAL: Posso Ouvrir Um Disco?
4 Nuno Rancho – Not For Sale
Unready Demo is Nuno Rancho’s first solo work and you can download the other tracks on the EP for free via a link on his MySpace. In 2002, he started playing music in a band called Wheelchair and two years later he formed Kyoto. Today, besides Kyoto, Nuno Rancho still finds time to play and write for TiMaria, an electro-pop trio which has a completely different sound from his other work.

SINGAPORE: I'm Waking Up To...
4 Leeson – Some Girls
Leeson are a five-piece indie-pop band from Singapore who play a revelling cocktail of poppy, dancey tunes that will have your feet tapping and singing along to their infectious melodies.

SOUTH KOREA: Indieful ROK
4 The Black Skirts – Dog
The Black Skirts is the name used by Castel Prayon and his live band when climbing the digital music charts of Korea. In November the band's first album, 201, was released. The first song up for promotion was Like Me and people soon heeded the title’s request. For somebody who usually isn't too keen on being poppy, Castel Prayon sure knew what he was doing when making those songs, and Dog is an excellent example of that.

SPAIN: El Blog De La Nadadora
4 Elurretan – Momo Alper Bat Da
Richar and Mikel are from Euskadi and sing in Euskera, their own language. Their songs are inspired by The Beach Boys, Burt Bacharach, Jonathan Richman, Mikel Laboa and C86. You can download their last album, Momo Eta Beste Izaki Batzu, from their website. Elurretan love music and want to share their songs with everyone who likes them. Is it possible? I think so.

SWEDEN: Swedesplease
4 Francis – Bad To The Bone
Francis take the strange blues of The Tallest Man On Earth and add a cabaret atmosphere. Debut single Bad To The Bone sounds like a transgender version of Stevie Ray Vaughn if he/she worked in a travelling eastern European circus and was channelling Tom Waits.

• If you want to download all 21 songs in one go, click here

Strictly come dancing

There are three essential elements that the perfect Hogmanay band should possess:

Songs you can dance to + Songs you can sing along to + Songs that are upbeat

It's a simple equation and the drunks won't settle for anything less. December 31 is no night for quiet, considered introspection. So in the spirit of the nation's current obsession for judging entertainment, we've decided to mark Scotland's al fresco Hogmanay 2008 acts with a mark out of 3 for each attribute using the scientific equation above.

Perfect = 9

EDINBURGH
b The Waverley Stage, £10 + postage (tickets)
Glasvegas: 1 + 2 + 1 = 4
The Complete Stone Roses: 2 + 3 + 2 = 7
Attic Lights: 1 + 1 + 3 = 5
Broken Records: 3 + 1 + 2 = 6

b West Princes Street Gardens, £40 + postage (tickets)
Groove Armada: 3 + 1 + 3 = 7
Paolo Nutini: 2 + 3 + 2 = 7
Friendly Fires: 2 + 1 + 2 = 5


INVERNESS
b Northern Meeting Park, free
The Magic Numbers: 2 + 2 + 3 = 7
Lowtide Revelry: 1 + 1 + 1 = 3
Shutter: 1 + 1 + 1 = 3


ABERDEEN
b Castlegate, free
Amy Macdonald: 1 + 3 + 2 = 6
Sandi Thom: 1 + 1 + 2 = 4


STIRLING
b Stirling Castle Esplanade, £27.50 + postage (tickets)
Deacon Blue: 2 + 3 + 3 = 8


GLASGOW
b George Square, £16.50 + postage (tickets)
Paolo Nutini: 2 + 3 + 2 = 7
Idlewild: 1 + 3 + 2 = 6
Bleachie: 2 + 3 + 2 = 7

The Glasgow bill will also include one of the following four local bands:
Grace Emilys
My Cousin I Bid You Farewell
This July
We Hung Your Leader

Now this is where you, comfortably seated reader of The Pop Cop, get to be judge and jury as the George Square organisers have set up an online vote to decide who plays. We suggest you download all four songs below, choose your favourite band and vote here before Thursday, December 18 at 5pm.

4 Grace Emilys - Falling Down The Stairs
4 My Cousin I Bid You Farewell - The Contented Hearts
4 This July - A Fools Week
4 We Hung Your Leader - Light Guides

'Twas the sh*te before Christmas

I fucking love Christmas but when did Christmas music start becoming so utterly loathsome? Let's blame Nick Hornby, who promoted the possibility of earning enough royalties to never have to work again by writing a festive hit in About A Boy.

So not only are we stuck with hearing the same nauseating 'classics' every December, but now undernourished indie chancers are popping up by the dozen shaking their bloody sleigh bells and systematically removing every last sinew of joy and innocence out of whatever song they decide to deflower.

If Christmas is about anything, it is about making your heart glow. Do yourself a favour, avoid the seasonal playlists (Fairytale Of New York aside) and just put on music that lifts your spirits at this time of year. Our suggestion? Dust down some JAMES records.

Belle & Sebastian frontman Stuart Murdoch claims that he listens to the early James tune What For every day. But for The Pop Cop, all it takes is the heavenly fivefold guitar strumming of Sometimes to tingle the emotions and make us wonder if it really is one of the finest songs ever written.

4 James - Sometimes
4 James - What For
b December 12, SECC, Glasgow (tickets)

Live review: The Gaslight Anthem @ The Garage, Glasgow

THE GASLIGHT ANTHEMwould have to do something miraculous to play another gig in Scotland as special as their first appearance here on Wednesday night.

For a rock band in the biblical sense the New Jersey natives have already achieved a remarkable feat - transcending genre snobbery to garner universal exaltation for their new album The '59 Sound. It's reassuring to know that the cream always rises to the top.

The Gaslight Anthem start off fast and furious, launching into Great Expectations and tearing through the next seven or eight songs non-stop without saying a word to a crowd made up of rockers, indie kids and folk who just know good music when they hear it.
When they finally pause for breath, frontman Brian Fallon is beaming the warmest smile. Humble and sincere, he is instantly likeable and the depth of feeling reciprocated by 600 people in a country his band have never set foot in before seems to take him by surprise.

Fallon grows ever more relaxed as the gigs goes on, high-fiving the front row, remarking on how Fergie from Black Eyed Peas looks better from a distance and inviting the audience to join them for a dance after the show, having noted the venue's alter-ego as a nightclub.

Their live performance adds a real edge to the band. The songs from their pre-fame debut album Sink Or Swim are reinvigorated with drive and energy, while there is little sign of Fallon's vocal similarity to Brandon Flowers on The '59 Sound album, an ironic comparison given The Gaslight Anthem's take on the sound of Americana is far more genuine than The Killers attempted with Sam's Town.
In a way, The Gaslight Anthem are sheep in wolves' clothing. The tattoos and rock shapes mask a remarkable gift for melody and classic songwriting. The influence of Bruce Springsteen is particularly prominent, infusing The '59 Sound's incredible title track with a fist-pumping zeal, and they pepper the set with the odd verse from What Becomes Of The Broken Hearted?, Stand By Me and Downtown Train.

Before the pre-encore finale of The Backseat, a gracious Fallon tries to sum up how best to articulate his own appreciation. "I'm going to call my mom and tell her about all the folks who came to see us in Scotland."

As the fans head to the exit, chattering excitedly about their favourite moments, The Pop Cop's own highlight is about to become evident. There waiting at the bottom of the stairs to greet everyone is none other than Fallon himself, having dashed from the stage to exchange warm handshakes, pose for photos and receive some thoroughly deserved pats on the back.

4 The Gaslight Anthem - Great Expectations
4 The Gaslight Anthem - Miles Davis & The Cool

The great Coldplay swindle

Why have we called this post 'The great Coldplay swindle'?

• Because all the COLDPLAY fans who bought tickets for their upcoming SECC concerts via Ticketmaster were told they would be refused entry unless they returned their tickets for new ones printed on a different type of paper?
Nope.

• Because Coldplay then screwed up the travel and accommodation bookings of people who were going to their Friday, December 5 show by rescheduling it to a new date four days later?
Nope.

• Because the band again snubbed their Scottish fans who don't live in Glasgow by announcing another gig in the city, at Hampden next year, and charging £55.45 for the privilege of being there?
Nope.

It's because we've just discovered that Life In Technicolor, the first song on their new Viva La Vida album, rips off up-and-coming Dundee band GRACE EMILYS.

Don't take our word for it. Judge for yourself by playing the embedded link below to hear a snippet of Life In Technicolor followed by the electric mandolin intro of Grace Emilys single Lipstick Blues.

How should Coldplay plead to The Pop Cop? Guilty or not guilty?



Coldplay
b December 6, SECC, Glasgow (sold out)
b December 9, SECC, Glasgow (sold out)
b September 16, Hampden Park, Glasgow (standing tickets / seated tickets)

4 Grace Emilys - Lipstick Blues
4 Grace Emilys - Still Getting Older
b December 10, Fat Sams, Dundee (supporting Frightened Rabbit) (tickets)
b December 12, Fat Sams, Dundee
b January 31, Cabaret Voltaire, Edinburgh