Declan Welsh and the Decadent West, 7/6/2017 – Review

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Declan Welsh and the Decadent West performing on BBC Rapal stage at XpoNorth 2017, at The Phoenix, Inverness.

Declan Welsh and the Decadent West are a pop-punk band from sunny East Kilbride that weave elements of The Clash and more recently the Arctic Monkeys with their own style of topical punk/lad rock and I now count myself as a new fan after their rousing performance at XPO North on Wednesday night.

Abrupt, passionate and more gripping than a Trump handshake, Declan and the gang packed up their unique brand of political and social commentary and headed to Inverness on the eve of yet another opportunity to finally get our civic house in order.

Welsh’s song-writing reeks of relevance and itches of integrity as he conveys ideas about the malaise of modern life and the social issues of the day. Welsh dabbles in spoken word on his days away from the band and his ability to bend words to his will to communicate complex thoughts and feelings in a punchy, palatable way is obvious for all to see. Surprisingly, he manages to preach his agenda without coming across as a massive, unlikeable twat – an ability which should be commended and certainly made for a transfixing set. The singer swaggers around the stage with a bravado that will disgust and enthral you in equal measure, but one feels this wee fella means every single syllable he hurls in the direction of his eager listeners.

Their signature track ‘No Pasaran’ was prefixed by a stirring monologue from the cocky frontman about the rise of the Right and our obligation to fight intolerance and hatred wherever we see it. You see, at that time, wee Marty was 4 pints deep into his night so I was absolutely, positively ready to start a revolution on the road to the post-gig chippy after Declan had finished his call to arms. The song itself is a catchy punk track with a chorus that will leave you screaming ‘No Pasaran’ at those bastard seagulls at 3am on the way home – dripping in chips and convinced you have made a difference to the fabric of society.

Every track offered by the band on the night was gobbled up by the crowd and I for one will be back to see them as soon as I can. You too can be part of the revolution for a night when they play Northern Roots. Well worth a look.

More content on XpoNorth 2017 can be found here.

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Martin Hardie
Martin Hardie
I’m best described as a part-time writer of words and a full-time fanny. I’m a keen advocate of the live experience when it comes to music and you will either find me creeping about the shadowy corners of that pub you don’t go into whilst listening to that band you’ve never heard of, or dancing (respectfully) with your auntie to her favourite 90’s indie sensation. I have an allergy to both fruit and mainstream music but give me something new, strange or unpronounceable and I’m all over it. In my ‘real’ life I’m a disposable fool at an I.T. company that shall not be named, so when I get the chance to actually enjoy my life I choose to hit as many gigs, festivals, and self-service checkouts as I can find. My only plan on this earth is to share my feelings with the world about what is good, bad and downright confusing and the only way I know how is either through writing it down or whispering at bewildered pigeons down the canal. Good luck to us all.

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