Gladboy, Floral Image & Hex Friends
Over 14 months since I last attended a gig, I am back at NAC. And, yeah, it’s weird. Everyone’s seated, there’s table service and a one way system but it is a GIG. A proper gig. Not a live stream but a proper gig with real live bands and dry ice and lights and volume and it is great.
To be honest, it could be anyone - however bad or good - playing and I’d be delighted. As it is, Hex Friends kick things off in fine style. It may be well over a year since they played live but there’s no rust here, well, except for a false start at the beginning of Joyland that is... Connor’s guitar mixes up J Mascis and the Mary Chain’s Reid brothers. Duncan powers it along on drums. Josie’s vocals are a mash up Ari Up and Poly Styrene but there’s a touch of Siouxsie in there I’d not noticed before.
Floral Image are a new one for me (although I’m sure I recognise several members from other bands). The five piece have a look that suggests a debt to the Stone Roses and Oasis but that is not reflected in the sound. Yes, there are hints of indie, baggy and britpop but the biggest influences - to these ears - come from psych and shoegaze. The opener is in the vein of the big indie rock of Iceland’s criminally under-rated Leaves (think early Coldplay but with fire, soul, passion and meaning) but the likes of Hawkwind, Ride and Love are added to the mix before the set closes with a wig out that Julie’s Haircut or Acid Mother’s Temple would be proud of.
I’ve seen Gladboy two or three times before - quite a while ago at that - and liked what I saw. Tonight, their first gig in 16 month, takes things to a new level and is, without a doubt, the best set I’ve seen them play. Like Floral Image, there’s a psych influence here but also a goodly dose of the new wave/post-punk likes of Jonathan Richman & The Modern Lovers and Talking Heads. The lead vocals are in the style of Heads’ David Byrne possessed by The Pop Group’s Mark Stewart and channelling a hellfire-and-damnation preacher, whilst the guitar hits a sweet spot between Television’s Richard Lloyd and Magazine’s John McGeoch.
Yes, tonight was different and strange but, all in all, a triumphant return to NAC. A massive thanks to everyone involved.
