Before the review, invernessGiGs would really thank Frankie Boy for taking the time to review this gig
British Sea Power supported by The Little Mill of Happiness
Ironworks, Monday 27 September
Monday night brought together a small (around 200) but approving crowd to the Ironworks to witness the arrival in town of British Sea Power who were more than ably aided and abetted by local “super-group” The Little Mill of Happiness, a band made up of members of The Lush Rollers, Shutter and Lowtide Revelry.
My ability to arrive fashionably late meant, not unpredictably, that I only saw half of The Little Mill of Happiness’s set. By the time that I had joined the 200 odd souls that had popped into the Ironworks, the darker side of the Inverness music scene were being well received by the small but enthusiastic gathering. The LMoH sound has shades of Nick Cave and the Bad Seeds, Interpol and even a smattering of the Editors to name but three. The brooding vocals and soaring soundscapes were delivered with assurance throughout up until their set ended on a high with a robust justification of the merits of Philip Larkin and “Cold Blooded Reverie at Whitson”. I look forward to seeing this group again and, hopefully, a full set next time! Shame on me….
Whereas The Little Mill of Happiness were in a venue that was quietly busy, the Ironworks was more of an unhealthy quiet for a headline of the status of British Sea Power. For a band that has packed out the Hothouse Stage when headlining at Belladrum just over 12 months ago, and only days before hosted a chaotic night on Mull, this must have been an anti-climax in comparison.
The Brighton based band battled against this lack of numbers with a stirring set of rousing anthems, with the Wilkinson brothers sharing vocal duties and bringing to the table their new EP Zeus, and also the not so new including my personal favourite “It Ended on an Oily Stage”. Overall BSP put together a set which drew the small crowd into their world of expansive guitars and beefy drums and in doing so did their best to fight against the emptiness. In a perfect world this would have been played out on a sweaty Thursday night in the Raigmore, with the crowd swaying and the beer swilling, and not in the void that the Ironworks can become. Maybe, just maybe, I was expecting a little too much on a Monday night in Inverness.
And what ever happened to the Hazey Janes? (ed. Hazey Janes were identified as support in the Highland News on the 22nd, no idea where they went!!)
From Frankie Boy
