It's always nice to see bands and musicians overlook their own desire for fame in order to help a worthy cause. In fact, it's always nice to see people forgoing that last bet, that last pint, to give to a worthy cause. Now, without further debating the merits of donating to the Burma Appeal, here's a salute to all those who performed at and attended the headline show by The Poems.
Mike and Solveig of folk vagabonds The Pendulums do not create the biggest of sound, but, unlike many, they are not boring. "Spiral" boasted a violin so mournful that I swear teardrops were running down the side of my glass. That's "plastic glasses" for you. There's no faulting the duo as far as thinking outside the box - when's the last time you saw someone play a strumstick? - and I'm positive that the twelve or so people who witnessed their performance will be keen to see them as part of a full band.
I can think of at least three people off the top of my head who won't hesitate to self-harm once they read what I have to say about the Ten to Five Project. If you're a fan of sweet pop music in the early Blondie mould, this could be your band. Their toying with a folk sound that seems all too trendy these days is perhaps to be discouraged but with a knack for simple pop songs and a singer who could melt carbon by singing to it, there's no real need to deviate from it! Five songs just didn't seem a long enough set from a band that promise so much.
Acoustic Butterfly weren't exactly acoustic but, by the time their set finished, that wasn't so much of a talking point. There was a definite flow to their set - the sign of a band that know how to play to their audience. This collective sound more sincere than the vast majority staking their claim in Glasgow's bustling folk scene and this, with time, will surely see them pass their contemporaries by.
And we come to the last act of the evening, The Poems. This band sounds like they've been locked in a room with Television for six month, only that their singer is somewhat more appealing than Tom Verlaine. While some work might be needed on adding some colour to their performance, there was little evidence tonight to suggest that this act aren't destined to follow Aztec Camera into indie-rock folklore.
And there we have it. If anyone ever tells you that there is nothing to be heard in Glasgow, tell them that Big Peter knows otherwise. They'll know what to do.