for some reason, it wasn’t untill this year I first set foot in the cramped underground cave-like venue that has played host to many an up-and-coming band on scotland’s live music circuit. And although I have my issues with the layout of cabaret voltaire, there is little doubt that even not-quite-sold-out gigs (such as this particular one) will create a seeting atmosphere (but forget trying to get to the bar for another drink – I guarantee it will be near-impossible to re-capture your spot at the front where it’s all happening and a drink just aint worth missing out on that atmosphere over!!)
so after handing in my final course assignment of the semester, I was ready for cabaret voltaire and for the latest american indie-influenced band to hit the airwaves of radio 1...
the opening act, the low miffs, were surprisingly good (but while we are at it, yes, I admit it, I always have shockingly low expectations of opening acts… it must the consequence of having seen we are scientists open twice and still thinking I have seen them headline – no opening act will ever be that great, therefore they must all be terrible, right? Nevermind, my logic barely makes sense to myself :P ) – semi-local (they are glaswegian…) and experimental with a fab rock/pop flavour, they definitely got the majority of the crowd on their side. One to watch if you ask me...
while waiting for the california-natives we were really there to see to take over, we were treated to one of those DJ sets/mixed tapes all too familiar to anyone who has been to any type of gig... pretty standard, pretty run-of-the-mill, pretty inoffensive… EXCEPT that they, on this occasion, chose to include robbie wiliams’ version of ‘freedom’ :S – scary, scary experience…
and thus, the blood arm took to the stage with a short story of 'quadruplets blah blah musical instruments blah blah blah here we are as a band' that I was a few pints short of finding amusing and interesting (points for effort though). They had a pretty hard act to follow and their first few tracks didn’t seem totally on point with the lead singer struggling to hit the right note. However, it didn’t take him long to relax and conjure his best julian casablancas, and ‘suspicious character’ soon helped cement the band’s credibility in terms of delivering top-of-the-line indie-chanting disco stompers. It’s as infectious live as it is on the radio and everybody loved it...
thinking back, I do believe this is the first american band I have seen that didn’t make me recall my high school years in the musical company of something corporate and fall out boy... the blood arm were rock but not emo-rock, they sing with emotion and passsion yet without misery and whining, and perhaps most important of all; they attracted an audience but not a single group of overzealous 16-year-olds were forming a wall of bad haircuts at the front of the stage…wow, that is surely some achievement...
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