IDIOGRAM, THE CAVES, EDINBURGH, MARCH 22 2025

Stepping away from the Metal entirely, this time, with post-rock/prog quartet IDIOGRAM finally hosting the release show for their (very) long-awaited debut album, 'Reunion of Broken Parts'

Line-up:

SLY DIG: A twiddler of knobs, a maker of excellent hypnotic ambient electronic soundscapes. Mostly quiet, occasionally loud. Nice swirly visuals on the wall behind.

VIDEO:  https://youtu.be/pzEfcdZKxnU

MATILDA BROWN: Windswept folk/jazz/drone, visuals by Farhad Ahmed. Meatloaf/Streisand covers not included.

VIDEO:  https://youtu.be/n0XPTLZy3Es  https://www.facebook.com/matildabrown2

IDIOGRAM: Never been entirely sure how to neatly describe IDIOGRAM. They do instrumental, jazz-flavoured proggy post-rock. With bits of other stuff. Anyway, they're here to launch their 'new' album, an album which has been gestating since before Covid, at least six years, and tonight they're going to play it in full. And they do.

(Before I go on, I must relate a bizarre 'conversation' that occurred as I was waiting for Idiogram to come on. I was approached by an elderly man, who started the following exchange:

Old Man: Are you with the Drakes?

Me, baffled: Sorry, what?

O.M.: The Drakes. Are you with the Drakes?

Me, still baffled: I'm just a punter.

O.M. I'm just a punter too, but I don't want to get ripped off. Who owns all of this? (gestures around) Is it the London boys?

Me: Sorry, I have no idea.

O.M. I'll bet it's those London Boys. (wanders off)

Me: ???)

It's an impressive and ambitious show. The music is captivating, and the accompanying visuals - by SAM HEALY of BOARDGAME - fill the room with swirling, pulsating light. Idiogram look like a seasoned band who have been gigging for years, belying the truth that they've only played a handful of shows before. Also, I'd forgotten what a fine venue the Caves is. Great sound, great space. 

VIDEO: https://youtu.be/lWRQgKcWMWA   https://www.facebook.com/idiogram.band

THE FIERCE AND THE DEAD, SNEAKY PETE'S, EDINBURGH, OCTOBER 2024

It's been a while - twelve years, in fact - since I last saw these lads. About time for another look, I reckon...

Line-up: 

BIG HOGG: Glaswegian five-piece, a melange of styles and genres from the 70s including - but not limited to - prog, soul. jazz. blues, folk, r&b, funk and good ol' British rock. The last song of their set even features a driving space-rock-esque bass line that Hawkwind would have been comfortable with. Includes trombone and flute but, fortunately, manages to avoid the honking monstrosity that is the saxophone. Great fun.

VIDEO:  https://youtu.be/VFYWWMIw6Os    https://www.facebook.com/bighoggband

THE FIERCE AND THE DEAD: Like I said above, it's been 12 years since I saw these lads and, coincidentally, 12 years since they last played Edinburgh. That's not where I saw them, though. That was in Leeds. And they've not changed much. Or they've changed quite significantly, depending on how you look at it.

They still play a hard-to-classify blend of mathy post-rock, prog, and straight-up rawk, same as they always did, but they have now added vocals into the mix. Because why not? Guitarist Matt Stevens still throws some impressive rock shapes, but has lost the beard he had last time. Bassist Kevin Feazey now does the singy stuff, and has gained a few beard inches. There's a keyboard player now, too, at the back where nobody can see him. As you might expect for a band that has been together for 14 years, they seem supremely comfortable with each other, the banter comes easily and naturally, and it's all effortlessly entertaining. The new songs are received as enthusiastically as the old instrumental material, which is nice. Great stuff.

VIDEO:  https://youtu.be/x_Cu9t3-L4k    https://www.facebook.com/fierceandthedead

By the way, apologies for the lateness of this post, but I managed to delete the whole thing just as it was ready to go and I've had to redo it from the start.

DIRTY SOUND MAGNET, MASH HOUSE, EDINBURGH, SEPTEMBER 21 2024

Due to circumstances beyond his control, Duncan at RED CRUST PROMOTIONS found himself with two gigs in one night in Edinburgh. I decided to do both of them. Here's the first.

Regardless of what it says on the poster, there is no support tonight, so...

LINE-UP:

DIRTY SOUND MAGNET: Progressive/psychedelic rock trio from Switzerland playing a two hour set, not all of which I will see. Gets off to an awkward start with singer Stavros Dzodzos greeting the 'Glasgow' crowd, but he gets away with it. Have to leave halfway through for the other gig, but come back later. The show is sold out, which is nice.

VIDEO:   https://youtu.be/MpJEa2Ule2c   https://www.facebook.com/dirtysoundmagnet

RED CRUST FEST, VARIOUS VENUES, EDINBURGH, MARCH 2024 - PART 1

This year's RED CRUST metal extravaganza sprawls over four days - well, three and a half really - with the SLAVA UKRAINI Fundraiser being incorporated into the proceedings. So, let's start the coverage right there in BANNERMAN'S.

Line-up:

MAROBAKI: Remember OPHANIM? Well, blackened thrash/groove/etc metallers Marobaki feature their former guitarist/singer Ewen Marr. He was supposed to be just singing, but their bass player became unavailable for reasons I have forgotten, so he gets to do that now too. And a pretty decent job he does too.

Also featuring, it seems, Harry Hill on guitar.

VIDEO: https://youtu.be/nCQ3D9HVDus  https://www.facebook.com/Marobakiband

DREKAVAC: Mysteriously masked death metallers from 'The North, presumably Aberdeen. Possibly named after a carpet cleaning powder. But probably not.

VIDEO: https://youtu.be/rxtIHKHkynY   https://www.facebook.com/Drekavacmusic

NASSAU: Techy/proggy metal from tall skinny locals

VIDEO: https://youtu.be/y_EkYS_om9Q  https://www.facebook.com/bandnassau  

VLKA: 'Viking' metal from Manchester, although I doubt REAL Vikings would ever admit to coming from Manchester. Niflheim, perhaps, or Valhalla, or somewhere else suitably frozen and mountainous. But not Manchester.  

VIDEO: https://youtu.be/lDzzb5aSybg  https://www.facebook.com/vlkaofficial

So, that was the first day of RED CRUST 24. Metal was done, money was raised, and I won a BRAINBATH CD in the raffle. Credit to Alina for running the show, and Fuck Putin.