Thomas Bisset reviews and shoots the YMI Showcase at the Ironworks, Wednesday 15/08/12. It may be a little unsafe for work – you have been warned!
Three bands and free entry? Can’t really fault that can you? Well, in the next few hundred words I’m going to try my utmost to nitpick…
Things didn’t exactly start well – as far as my search for problems is concerned at least. Cactus And Cardigan kicked things off for us tonight in possibly the best way a punk band could – nearly an entire set list dedicated to bodily fluids. With songs such as “Wank Sock” and “George Michael Cums Cobwebs” it’s safe to say they’re not a band to take particularly seriously, but equally the Wick/Thurso band are impossible to ignore with such loud, brash delivery reminiscent of the Sex Pistols and another band from Moray…
Speaking of which, Cleavers didn’t really change the formula too much. Loud and in-your-face throughout, the guys from Elgin managed to draw the biggest crowd of the night and kept them rooted in the Ironworks for the duration of their short set. Also not afraid of making fun of themselves, a zimmer frame made an appearance during the last song of their rapid set – I felt it was possibly best not to ask.
Things began to go a little downhill by the time Purple Divide came on though, but the worst of it was that none of it was their fault. Having seen them twice previously and cited vocal problems, I’m pleased to report that barring an initial blip right at the start, things are significantly improved. The young Inverness band are slowly becoming more confident and getting much tighter in their execution.
The one, single problem with the night as far as I could find was with the slightly odd band choices. All three are deserving of sharing that stage, but Purple Divide were quite a departure from the frenetic pace and offensively loud nature of the other two bands, and I felt that they sounded out of place there. If you put another loud band on the bill that would match the intensity of the Cleavers / Cactus and Cardigan joint assault then things would have been more cohesive. Alternatively, keep Purple Divide and one of the other two, with a completely different act to give a little variety, a move which would have been preferable in my eyes – after all, the point of the night was to showcase what young musicians in the area are doing, right?
It was also quite strange to see so few people turn out, and for what was a free (and I repeat – FREE!) show. A few familiar faces were here tonight – mainly other musicians and a few friends of the band members – but it seemed no-one really knew what it was all in aid of. If the idea was to raise the profile of the bands in question, it was only a partial success at best.
But really, that’s a minor aside. I bet some of the other pubs in town were busier, but the patrons certainly didn’t have as good a time as we had.
Look at more YMI Showcase photos.
