As you walk along the streets of life you get to wondering what your next snack should be. Should it be, perhaps, biscuits or should it be oatcakes? The philosophers amongst you might well have pondered this conundrum for some time but the rest of us will simply assume that God makes road signs and the fact that The Lonely Oatcake were playing at the Admiral Bar along with St Andrews Fall and The Biscuit Factory was yet more evidence of Her exquisite plan.
So, onwards to the words and music of The Biscuit Factory. Two up and complete with bows, ironic bunnets and silver boots, this duo specialised in songs of low key melancholy in the true Glasgow acoustic tradition with enough in the way of references to the rain and between song banter about real biscuit factories to make it all seem charmingly real. You never know, but one of these days those silver boots might be walking right over you on their way to success.
Keeping the night in the low key gear was The Lonely Oatcake. Three up and thoroughly infused with both the lyrical bleakness that you would expect of the purer forms of country music and a generous measure of self-deprecating humour, this trio diverted themselves through the didactic minimalism of “Beans” in search of a more poetic world where reality and sunshine can co-exist and duly provided proof that you can be all round nice without being simultaneously saccharine.
Last on and four up were St Andrews Fall, Apparently playing their first live gig, this quartet made some convincing noise in the tradition of reverb laden, guitar driven, indie rock tradition so beloved of bands in this part of the world before, two songs from the end of their frenetic set, finding a rather more deadly focus and turning themselves into a Tomahawk tactical nuke in search of audience domination.
With God’s plan now clear, what else can a man do? Beans, beans, beans, I’m looking for a good pie…