One man applauds as Peter Cat takes to the stage but more should have and perhaps they would have if they had been there. For tonight, Peter Cat pulled off the one man and an electric guitar trick. It might not sound like much of a challenge but one man and an electric guitar is rarely the recipe for musical success but, infused with a level of lyrical ennui that Morrissey would have approved of, he readily proved himself up to the task.
Uzuruzu have only one song. I know because they told me so. It seems only fair therefore that I give them only one sentence. Here it is. An alternately caterwauling and melodious guitar leads the band on a sometimes slow motion journey towards the land of doomcore even if they appear unsure as to whether they really want to go there.
On to Tangles or at least the spectre of Ricky Egan who haunts the name. Another proponent of the one man and an electric guitar approach, he hid behind the speakers on stage and then let loose his initially aggressive but ultimately introverted instrumental noodlings. He ended his set in darkness which probably had some deeper meaning that was, perhaps fortunately, lost on me.
So to the main event. How Garbo Died have an EP going by the name of "Batch 4: Kai Su Teknonto" to launch and that is what they did. For those unfamiliar with their oeuvre, this duo practises a dark over emoted electronica groove joined together with poetry of a sort that might best be classified as urban discontent. Curiously though, they seemed restrained tonight. Perhaps it was the unusually appreciative audience but Kevin Gilday's combative approach to recalcitrant listeners was missed. How Garbo Died are never going to be the kind of band that makes friends easily and, given the challenging nature of their songs, they really need opposition to be seen at their best.
Time to step back into reality. Time to step back out into the alleyway outside Stereo and enjoy the unmistakeable aroma of fresh pish. God has a plan for Glasgow and it involves disinfectant. Or at least I hope that it does.