Once more dear friends into the dark dank dungeon that is Barfly in Glasgow. Once more we suffer the indignity of Guinness in a plastic glass. Once more we bring good news that live music of quality and distinction survives. Tonight's bill features Aberdeen's the Hijacks, Edinburgh's Taking Chase and Glasgow's own Amphetameanies.
As Bluesbunny enters the room, the Hijacks are already on stage. Young and full of energy, they bring a riotous good humour to the proceeding. Their ska sound brought back fond memories of the Selecter and the Specials. The horn section (all 2 of them) really brought things to life and easily punched through the usual muddy Barfly sound. The band finish with a manic version of "Rapunzel" making for a damn fine start to the evening. This being the first time that Bluesbunny had encountered the Hijacks and our curiosity aroused, we later checked out their MySpace page and found the lyrics to their songs. Sharp and perceptive, this band has intelligence as well as a boisterous sense of fun.
Next on stage are Taking Chase. On reflection, they seem a bit out of place as their sound sits somewhere between punk and good old fashioned hard rock rather than ska. They launch into their set with furious energy and Mikey's pounding drums shake the room. Whilst skilfully avoiding musical clichés, they throw in plenty of power chords and even a guitar solo or two. Once he gets warmed up, lead singer Kevin starts to remind us of Henry Rollins - there is more than a bit of drama about his stage performance. They are shaping up nicely however and throw in the odd curved ball in the shape of some weedy, even arty, organ work. Well, they are from Edinburgh, after all. They don't get a particularly enthusiastic response from the crowd and even get invited to "leave the stage" (not the exact phrase used, of course) by a member of the audience whose manners appeared to have been shaved off with his hair. An interesting band nonetheless for those who like it loud but quirky. Bluesbunny would certainly like to hear more from them.
The headliners for tonight are the Amphetameanies. One of the finest live bands playing the Glasgow circuit, they know how to please the crowd and it is with some pleasure that we can at last report that there actually was a fair sized crowd in Barfly tonight. They get a warm welcome that proves to be well deserved. Jane and Stan's vocals work well and instil a party atmosphere in all their songs. Particularly impressive is the keyboard work (by Helen, it would appear) that gives each song its irrepressible, jaunty rhythm. "Say Something Special" puts a spring in the audience's step. Inviting the audience closer to the stage, the Amphetameanies tear their way through "60 Hours in Albuquerque". As a band, they are tighter than the duck's proverbial and this is truly perfect party music. They, too, suffer from the indifferent sound but they kept the pace right up until they slammed against the venue curfew. You just know that they could have kept going all night. If you get the chance, don't miss out as they work hard for your money. Quality!