The Trashcan Sinatras swept back into town this week with a rocking homecoming gig at the Oran Mor. The Irvine boys had lost none of their swagger or style and wowed the 300 plus crowd at the jam-packed west end Venue with a mixed set of old hits and new songs. The Trashcan Sinatras have been together for almost a quarter century now, and the turnout was deserving of respect considering there never was any great swell of nationwide chart success or coverage, but who cares about the charts when you can go along and be pleasantly surprised at the quality of a band you were aware of but had never actually heard.
Promoting their Latest album, "In the Music", the Trashcan Sinatras had toured America and Japan before finding their way to home shores. From old favourites like "Hayfever", "Wild Mountainside" and "All The Dark Horses", through to the new single "People", and the touching tribute to the late great Syd Barrett "Apples and Oranges", the Trashcan Sinatras delivered their set to a clearly nostalgic crowd. "I Hung My Harp Upon The Willows" - a heart felt tale of Rabbie Burns' friendship with Richard Brown - was also worth special mention and this was particularly savoured as Scottish songstress Eddi Reader joined her brother on vocals.
This smooth and accomplished performance from the Irvine quintet shows, more than ever, that many goods bands can pass under the radar and still be worth the listen without being spoon fed to us through the radio waves.
The support was supplied by The Seventeenth Century and Jo Mango. The Seventeenth Century came equipped with trumpets, fiddles, trilby hats, waistcoats and chequered shirts and that was about as exciting as their set got. Yes, there were some nice harmonies and eclectic instrument choices but the undeniable similarity to the sound of the Fleet Foxes left me disappointed especially as I had heard a lot of good things about this band. A touch more charisma on stage and a perhaps a gig in their own right might change my mind however.
I thought Jo Mango were the sound testers until they quietly and unemphatically started into their set which sounded more akin to jewellery box music. Again, their presence on stage was uninspiring and, if not for some attempt at crowd interaction by Jo Mango herself, then I would have been left thinking they had sneaked on for a quick opportunist set without the organiser's knowledge.
Still, it was worth venturing out on this crisp November night to see the Trashcan Sinatras. I hope this is not the last I hear of them.