Photo: wenn
That this year’s Triptych Festival will be the last is a bit of a blow to music fans in Glasgow, Aberdeen and Edinburgh. Since 2001 it’s been a strong fixture in the three cities, compiling genuinely exciting bills and bringing rare acts in for intimate shows. But saying goodbye is made that bit easier with today’s fine bill – topped off by Glasgow’s noisiest, Mogwai, who’ve been regulars at the festival over the years.
Everything kicks off with RememberRemember – also known as former Multiplies member, Graeme Ronald and friends – one of several of today’s acts on the Rock Action roster. Using everything from bubblewrap to handclaps and a toy xylophone alongside a supporting violin and saxophone, Ronald builds up beautiful layers of sound into sweet and haunting melodies. Mix with this some cute touches – a speech-bubble shaped sign with “thank you!” written in it – and the day is off to a splendid start.
Next up are Correcto, who are missing their fourth member Paul Thomson, presumably tied up in his day job in Franz Ferdinand. Unfortunately the room’s almost empty but the band doesn’t seem to mind too much and just get on with things. Correcto are an easy band to enjoy – particularly if you’re a fan of the Buzzcocks-style punk vein they’re mining - and their stripped down sound means you don’t really miss that second guitar. Things seem to be happening for Frightened Rabbit these days. Through an almost constant touring schedule over the past year, they’ve developed a real confidence on stage. Songs from their new album, The Midnight Organ Fight, are well received and some quite wonderful sing-a-long lyrics regarding love, sex and ladies (to put it politely) leave the audience very happy bunnies indeed.
Out in the venue’s garden, the crowds are enjoying the sunshine while back in the dark it’s hard to tell at first whether Magik Markers have started playing or are just having an extra soundcheck – but no, it’s the band. With just the heavy drone from guitarist Elisa Ambrogio, stalking around in her high heels, and drums from Pete Nolan, they manage to make a huge amount of quite fantastic noise, but before it gets a bit too confusing they remember they do know what a tune is and treat the audience to it. But Magik Markers are warned off by the stage manager as their much-extended feedback threatens to overrun the strictly monitored time slot – and so with a cry of “We would have liked to play more songs for you, but we weren’t allowed”, Ambrogio throws her guitar down and stamps away.
Errors work the club-like venue to their advantage, squeezing in a hefty amount of good tunes into their half-hour slot and manage to preview bits and pieces from their debut album, due out in June, alongside older numbers. Judging by the cheers and dancing their set provokes, it’s helped win a few more fans. Dirty Projectors frontman Dave Longstreth looks like he’s having a great time up there – and certainly says as much several times. Having rewritten and recorded his favourite Black Flag album, ‘Damaged’, in last year’s Rise Above, he’s certainly got some interesting material to work with, and the band’s harmonies and borderline-funky bass make a refreshing change in the day’s lineup.
The best reception of the day so far comes for Ex-Arab Strap man Malcolm Middleton. Instead of his usual band he’s accompanied by just regular violinist Jenny Reeve and Stevie Jones on double bass, which means there’s a change to songs like Christmas single ‘We’re All Going to Die’. Notable in the set are songs from his recent Sleight of Heart – including Madonna cover ‘Stay’ and ‘Blue Plastic Bags’. The audience joins in the latter after a bit of cajoling from Middleton to “sing along with the sad song” which actually, for once, makes Malky smile.
Clinic’s trademark face masks must be a bit of a bother considering how hot it’s gotten inside the venue – but they troop on regardless and tonight they’re definite crowd pleasers, setting the scene by entering to the sounds of ‘You’ll Never Walk Alone’. Trooping through all sorts of styles seems to be the Clinic way - sounding one minute almost boogie-woogie through fast songs and the next surprising with their array of weird noises and instruments. Ending in a cacophony of guitars and what sounds like ice-cream van chimes, they leave to big smiles and big cheers – but the crowd has been kept waiting long enough for the main event.
Despite the quality of the other bands, there’s a slight air of impatience so when Mogwai finally take the stage they’re greeted with a roar of applause in the packed, sweaty hall.
They smatter their set with new songs – with opener ‘The Precipice’, a gentle piece introduced as “our new single, Batcat” by Stuart Braithwaite, and the stormingly loud and very exciting ‘Scotland’s Shame’ among them – all of which will raise hopes sky-high about the band’s new album. But it’s the oldies which really get things going. An ear-shattering ‘Like Herod’ blasts from the amps, so that you can actually feel the sound coming out, while a beautiful rendition of ‘2 Rights Make 1 Wrong’ gets a massive cheer from the crowd when it’s pulled out in the final part of the set.
Finishing in a massive wave of feedback after ‘We’re No Here’, the band saunters off. The gathered masses wait respectfully until a roadie rushes in to turn off all of the pedals and kill the huge sound they’ve left behind. And then they cheer their heroes for what’s been a perfectly loud goodbye to what was a glorious festival.
