It's worth noting that the curse of the struggling bands was again present on this mild Friday night in Glasgow, when an expectedly bustling Nice 'n' Sleazys played host to Black Alley Screens, The Shoegazers, and Beaches of the Proud.
After much delay and confusion, Dave Webster - alias Beaches of The Proud - came to the stage. Creating layers of sound through the sampling of live instruments and sequencing, there was no denying Webster's innovative inclination, and desire to deliver something different. Too bad it just wasn't particularly interesting. If people want to hear DIY electro-rock, they can order up the latest Jenna Jameson flick, though the music may well be lost on them. Webster is a talented and intelligent individual, but the live circuit is hardly the place to further his career with his current sound. People don't pay to watch architects build houses.
The next disappointment came in the form of The Shoegazers. Or, being more accurate, three-fifths of them. In a sporting display of determination, the band - two guitarists and a singer - chose to saunter ahead with their intended performance. Even if the absent members had been present, I doubt they would have added much to a largely insipid and lackadaisical set, which served as a potent reminder - as if one were needed - that "shoegazing", as this band would come to be described, was not a commercially successful musical genre. And to name a band after it, well perhaps that's not very bright either.
Thankfully, the Black Alley Screens offered something with a little more enthusiasm. The latest in the line of bands who, inexplicably, sound as if they're from Sheffield, the Black Alley Screens did the impossible - and managed to get a disinterested crowd on their feet. "Wrong Place at the Wrong Time" was a helping of angst-strewn indie-punk. Credit to the band though as they are clearly passionate about their music and did their bit to deliver a promising set. "Sex Cells" was, again, flowing through the same stop/start indie vein that typeifies their sound. They didn't have much to live up to but their performance was a welcome remedy to the support acts.
Changes to the bill are to be expected with such low-key shows. Too bad for this evening, which saw three very different acts who didn't really compliment each other. Black Alley Screens thrive on delivering energetic live performances, and that is ultimately what will see them leave the others behind.