Frankie Boy casts his eye on the 6th Summer Showcase which saw a debut, a return and a consolidation.
Thursday night’s opener was the Graham Brown fronted Midnight Glory. For those expecting an acoustic set from Graham they would have been pleasantly surprised by his debut with his new band. We were not the only ones to notice the similarity between the opening number and the Irish popsters Two Door Cinema Club. The set provided a catalogue of jaunty indie pop which also gave a nod to the likes of Vampire Weekend. This may not have been the route that some would have anticipated Graham’s musical career to take, but nonetheless this new chirpy sound will gather a lot of fans.
Second up were Kobi, creating from the very start of their set an intricate wall of sound, weaved throughout with pomp and no little pretension as they collected growing support from the crowd. A four piece who manage to produce their music on an epic scale it is not surprising that their list of admirers is growing. Kobi are just that bit different from most other bands in the Inverness music scene at the moment and, as they evolve following their seven year hiatus and their recent appearance on the Seedlings Stage at Belladrum, they are certainly an act to be keenly watched over the winter months.
Headlining were The Little Mill of Happiness, with Steve Obern’s grittily intense vocal and three guitars thrown in and sticking quite filthily to produce a deeply mesmeric sound that, for something which appears so dark below, positively glistens on the surface. The combined skills and experience of this much mentioned Inverness super group are creating a near perfect storm these days, and were a fitting end to the showcase before we set sail for home.
Frankie Boy
