Triptych festival with Pan
Sonic, Liars, and Wire Tramway, Glasgow Triptych is a great Scottish festival that straddles three cities (Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow) over a week or so with an eclectic selection of inspiring and innovative music. There was so much to catch at the Mute showcase but you can only be in one hall at a time, and as a result we missed a lot, and were especially miffed at missing Carter Tutti, even though it was only a DJ set. ![]() There's an extrovert showman in Angus Andrew, frontman of US guitar-funk outfit Liars. How else can you explain the dress and tiger's tail he's wearing tonight. Perhaps they're wardrobe discards from girlfriend Karen O, lead singer of hipper-than-hip outfit the Yeah Yeah Yeahs. Liars make great avant-funk-noise. They Threw Me In A Trench and Stuck A Monument On Top was certainly one of the highlights of last year from the current crop of US guitar bands. The way Andrew prowls the stage with his craggy features and straggly hair are reminiscent of Nick Cave fronting the Birthday Party and Gibby Haynes from the Butthole Surfers. Liars showcase their latest album They Were Wrong So We Drowned, an experimental concept album based on the folklore of witches, encompassing folktales to witch trials, with atonal guitar, hyper rhythms and a general anything goes attitude. Where they go next is anyone's guess but their mixture of avant-funk-noise certainly enthralled a vast proportion of the Glasgow crowd. ![]() Wire's involvement in the Mute showcase is apparently only third excursion north of the border for Wire in their 25 year history. If true, it's a criminal oversight based on this evening's performance. ![]() Colin Newman's imparts snatches of disjointed lyrics in his London accented voice, and opts for some open chorded guitar playing during 'The Art of Stopping. The muscular frame of Graham Lewis maintains the Wire poise with solid bass throb. Bruce Gilbert lurks in the shadows, motionless, delivering precise and perfect guitar. Robert Gotobed propels the constant buzz with minimalist rhythm. After numerous art venue performances (London Orbital, Only Connect) I'm relieved to actually witness Wire up-close again and they remain a muscular tour de force. Days after my ears were still reeling. The fierce rendering of Send is so vibrant, and so powerful it more than justifies Wire's continued existence. They've an enviable back catalogue behind them that once could feel short-changed that it wasn't mined tonight. Only a handful of numbers from Pink Flag were resurrected, and the title track was revived for a much anticipated encore - but I'm happy for a complete overview of the Wire oeuvre to occur next time they venture north Key Resources: Liars - www.liarsliarsliars.com Pan Sonic - www.mute.com/pansonic/index.html Wire - www.posteverything.com Mute - www.mute.com Triptych - www.triptych04.com |