This promised to be a tasty double-header in a venue not recently used for full-on gigs, and it delivered in spades.<\/p>\n
There isn\u2019t really a stage in the Vic Bar but things had been cleared to provide a wide area against the backwall, with a full sound rig and lighting. BM had never actually seen \u201cveterans\u201d of the scene James King and the Lonewolves play before, either in their initial heyday or in the rebooted version that now plays sporadically and has most recently (2024) made an album on Last Night From Glasgow, their first in shall we say quite some years, well actually just 10 or 11.<\/p>\n
Stepping in for the The Milltown Brothers at quite short notice the five-piece certainly rose to the occasion, with James and maybe one other being the only survivors of the original 1980s incarnation and the drummer moonlighting from his regular gig with The Tenementals. A lot of the set came from \u2018The Mortality Parade\u2019 album, including a blistering \u2018My Queen Has Lost His Crown\u2019. James\u2019 slightly quavering baritone came across a bit Elvis, a bit Johnny Cash, while the band mixed crunching guitars with the attitude of The Velvet Underground (they did record an album with John Cale which remains unreleased) if they\u2019d come from The Deep South rather than New York.<\/p>\n
There were also some searing Television-esque guitar riffs. The rest of the set was culled mainly from the previous album, rather astonishingly their debut album \u2018Lost Songs Of The Confederacy\u2019 (deep South, you see!) although there was at least one (\u2018Chance I Can\u2019t Deny\u2019) from their debut EP way back in the 1980s. Their set was a whole lot of down and dirty rock \u2018n\u2019 roll with some real heart and soul, good to see they are still doing their thing and the audience was well impressed.<\/p>\n
In some ways Sister John might have had an uphill struggle, their vibe being somewhat more lowkey and subtle after all that noise, however they soon had the audience rapt. Using an additional keyboardist Eric (although Heather did play a bit as well, as well as bass and fiddle, one of the most multi-talented in the business!), they moved up through the gears as the set got more intense and Amanda\u2019s lead vocals grew more impassioned. Let BM also credit Sophie on drums, adaptable as ever to the range of tempos required.<\/p>\n
A lot of tracks were from their most recent album \u2018Don\u2019t Worry, It\u2019s Forever\u2019, the highlight for this reviewer being the sublime \u2018Me And Nevine\u2019, a playful but emotional recollection of past memories which allows Jonathan\u2019s plangent guitar lines some space, plus the rest of the band put in some effort to back Amanda\u2019s delicious vocal flourishes. Shades of the VU (inevitably, but in a good way) plus The Band, Neil Young and maybe even the late lamented Dolly Parton. While this was the stand-out (there\u2019s always one, but BM has seen SJ quite a few times!), other highlights were the evocative \u2018You\u2019re A Big Girl Now\u2019 and the pleading \u2018I\u2019m Not What I Used To Be\u2019.<\/p>\n
There was also space in the set for a couple of oldies from the (checks notes) crumbs previous three albums, scary how time passes, and BM has loved each of them as well). This is a band who are aware that sometimes less is more, yes there are a couple of \u201crocking out\u201d moments but the devastatingly subtle moments are what makes them truly special. To be fair some sherbets had been consumed by the end of the set but think they played out with \u2018Glasgow Is A Rainbow\u2019, giving good vibes to a very appreciate audience. Till next time guys, and thanks so much for a great night.<\/p>\n
(Also big respect to Cecilia on sound, who was all over the place, standing on chairs etc to ensure levels were correct, and Graeme and team on the door, plus the GSA bar staff. It takes a lot to do this \u2013 and of course LNFG Records for bothering to take the risk in the first place, and being promoter of last resort!)<\/p>\n