Sometimes a support band just get under your skin. Opening tonight, St Deluxe are the sort of band who have far more fun onstage than they generate off it. I mean I’d be enjoying myself too if I had a Marshall stack, a scuzzy guitar sound and twenty minutes to replicate Sonic Youth riffs, but that’s beside the point. The songs are dull and overlong and next band Funeral Party are welcomed with relief. The word dull certainly can’t be applied here and the energy, and indeed volume, are a welcome change of pace. The LA band rattle through a solid little set and leave a good impression on a half-full venue, although time constraints mean we don't get to see quite as much of them as we would like.
The amount of floor space can be attributed to the fact that tonight’s headliners are, as of yet, relative unknowns. Florida’s Surfer Blood, four guys and a percussionist that’s part Jarvis Cocker part Animal from the Muppets, seem way too young to be this assured. Debut single Swim is a fast paced, urgent track that has rightly earned the band many fans already. It’s a three minute, get in and get out, take the money and run sort of song that makes its point and doesn’t overstay its welcome. This breathless enthusiasm is Surfer Blood’s default setting and makes for an exciting set.
There’s a real mix of influences dripping together here but the line ‘now we need to redefine’ in Harmonix pretty much sums up the result. Songs switch between the reverb heavy riffs of Twin Freaks to the more meandering, experimental structures of Anchorage whilst somehow maintaining a uniform sound all of their own. The overall sound seems to be the focus and the combination of the two guitars is crucial, with wistful looks from singer to guitarist as they trade lines seeming to hint at the relationship that creates these songs.
The guitar lines are near perfect, simple and effective throughout. Just as Joey Santiago’s deft additions to Pixies records draws life and the colour from the most unlikely of places the songs on show tonight are given a certain edge by guitarist Thomas Fekete. Fast Jabroni centres on a four note riff which is made far more interesting than it has any right to be because of all that is going on around it. The faces might seem youthful but there’s a poise and maturity in the writing here that sets them apart. When a band proclaims ‘this is a new song’ and proceeds to play something that was better than anything else on show then it’s a fair bet that they’ll be one to watch out for. Surfer Blood do just that and leave Glasgow with a lasting impression – the album can’t come soon enough.
Pics: Alan Dunlop
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