THE BRAVERY Barfly, Glasgow. Sun 28 Nov 0000.
THE BETA BAND Liquid Room. Edinburgh. Sun 5 Dec 0000
BALLBOY Bongo Club. Edinburgh Thu 16 Dec: 92, Glasgow. Sat 18 Dec
If Time Out New York is to be believed, then it‘s no small miracle that erudite Edinburgh indie-popsters ballboy were around to produce their latest long player The Royal Theatre. In an apparent misunderstanding of singer/songwriter Gordon Maclntyre's penchant for wittingly excessive gloom, it declared that he was such a suicidally ‘miserable bastard' he‘d probably not survive to make another album.
. .. .. . . . .. Never one to let inspiration for an astute lyrical broadside go to waste.
iii-m- " " 2 ' : 2' it‘s perhaps unsurprising that a song (bearing the same title as the said
Ego. Edinburgh, Thu 25 NOV .... .' z ' " I' '1 :- v' " publication) should have proved the medium for Maclntyre‘s retort — one
"' ~ ' ‘ ' ' ' ' ‘ among many highlights on the new album.
Ten songs primarily about different kinds of love, The Royal Theatre sees Maclntyre‘s flair for musical storytelling at its witty and creative best. lts inception wasn‘t necessarily unproblematic. With the restraints of personal commitments and the departure of keyboardist Katie Griffiths, it was only in an acoustic format, both live and on record via the stripped down album The Sash My Father Wore, that ballboy could grace the last year. Despite being a choice as much as a necessity. it still fostered inevitable frustration for the band. Yet, with a return to full strength thanks to the recruitment of new keys player Alexa Morrison, a subsequent backlog of ready written material allowed for a swift recording process and long awaited live rejuvenation in the full band format. Far from having succumbed to a glum hara-kiri, ballboy remain as alive and well as ever. (Malcolm Jack)
In a music scene of fashion-obsessed fame seekers. melodic guitar pop merchants Poor Old Ben are on a crusade to make classic songwriting cool again. How are they going to manage that then? lain Morrison (vox/guitar) explains . . .
An admirable goal. With this year‘s packed out gigs and triumphant T in the Park performance you're certainly well on your way to achieving it. . .
Putting out a single on Electric Honey (known for launching bands like Belle and Sebastian. Snow Patrol and Biffy Clyro) can‘t have done you any harm either?
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