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Though their accent gives away their Scottish roots, there's something about The Dykeenies sound that suggests they'll transcend national borders. All but guaranteed a strong reception at this homecoming support slot, the Glasgow five-piece are quick off the mark with their epic, bouncy pop. It's a sound fit for radios up and down the country, with regular doses of synths pumped in over typical indie and new wave riffs. There's a ring of truth to those Killers comparisons, with several massive choruses being bellowed out, and a cheery summer's coming, let's enjoy it feel to forthcoming single ‘New Ideas’. There's no mistaking the slickness and polish the band have, with nearly every song written as if designed to be played in stadiums.
Yet The Dykeenies are perhaps too slick for their own good. Everything is so polished it comes across mechanical and while you can admire them for penning some fairly catchy tunes, there's not much that really inspires here. The closest is the surging 'Waiting For Go' but the most part this is strictly average stuff. A string of truly lousy jokes by vocalist Brian Henderson doesn't help matters, especially as they're met with a stony silence. Nearly every song features lots of handclaps, a slowish start and the inevitable huge anthem clattering in like a runaway train. But after a while, you start to want something a bit more, a bit different. Instead all that's served up is more of the same, meaning that while The Dykeenies will surely conquer the airwaves they may find it more difficult to conquer people's hearts.
Fountains of Wayne are the opposite. The impossible to avoid 'Stacy's Mom' aside they've never really cracked the mainstream, yet they have clearly got a hardcore following devoted to them. On this showing, it was easy to see why, with track after track of perfectly placed oddball power pop being blasted out. A laid back, chilled out atmosphere is in the air, with most of the crowd content to simply watch in appreciation. That's matched by the band too, who appear to be content to play in a leisurely manner. Perhaps that's a sign of the band's advancing years, with some members now around 40. Still, despite this, they've still got a knack for producing catchy as hell slices of dreamy, quirky pop with new tracks 'Yolanda Hayes' and 'Traffic and Weather' standing out.
They also dip into their back catalogue, producing the slow paced acoustic 'Hackensack', the inevitable 'Stacy's Mom' and the bubbly, irresistible charm of 'Leave The Biker', a track that despite the longing in its lyrics, simply oozes perkiness. While the band's lyrics may often be either sarcastic, concerned with mundane issues or devoted to the quirks of suburban life, there's a merry nature to most of the tracks, alongside the expected wit and humour. There's even some audience participation, with crowd members dragged out to provide extra percussion at one point and the group suddenly changing the setlist as well. The only real flaw is vocalist's Chris Collingwood's voice, which grates after a while, veering close to an irritating whine. It isn't too bad and doesn't affect the performance that much, though it does annoy. The gig is also hampered by a dirge like cover of Aztec Camera's 'Killermont Street' ( which is located quite near the venue). A nice idea in practice but one that never takes off live.
Luckily, there's an emphatic spark to oldies 'Radiation Vibe' and 'Sink To The Bottom' that ensure a satisfying close. While Fountains of Wayne weren't perfect, there was enough in the way of variety and curveballs that meant they were always entertaining and that's perhaps something the more plodding Dykeenies could take notice of.
