Unsigned, sealed, delivered...
Jiezuberband & Preacher (with Sonic Templars) - O2 ABC Glasgow, 27th April 2013
The O2 ABC in Glasgow has played host to many a famous or established pop and rock artist, but on the 27th April 2013 it helped make a piece of history when Jiezuberband and Preacher became the first unsigned acts to (co)headline.
Special guests and support on the night were the Sonic Templars.
The Glasgow based alternative rockers have their own feisty vibe but with a musical energy not dissimilar to Pearl Jam or Nirvana.
The four-piece also have their melodic or introspective moments (‘Sun Catcher’ from their 2012 EP Breaking Silence is a great example) and some of their material carries just a hint of Big Country/ Celtic melody-lines.
The band’s harder-edged sound is countered and complimented by quieter musical passages but that light and shade and their short, sharp thirty-minute set was nearly scuppered by poor sound that was initially too loud and carried a little distortion.
Suffering the most were singer/ guitarist Stewart Bryden’s vocals and drums that sounded like they were being played underwater.
Fortunately the sound became more balanced and crisper and the latter half of the set benefited from the improvement.
Song-wise, the newer numbers performed proved the Sonic Templars are heading in the right direction, perhaps best exemplified by ‘Sweet Deceit’ from the band’s forthcoming EP Minds in Transit.
Ayrshire’s melodic progressives Preacher presented a set that worked as an album launch for Signals, showcasing that debut release; on the night the five Preachers were augmented by a trio of female backing singers and two additional musicians on acoustic guitars.
Those extra musical layers helped produce an accomplished, full album sound and the ever-changing images projected on to the above-stage video screen – featuring a myriad of images including crop circles, Margaret Thatcher and beings from another dimension (do your own jokes) – made for a very Floyd-esque show.
But then the band’s own brand of atmospheric prog, led by the voice of Martin Murphy, the keyboard textures of Arnie Burgoyne and the melodic guitar lines and solos from young Greg Murphy (whose remarkable self-taught ability belies his age) is very visual and takes its musical lead from the soundscapes of Pink Floyd, underpinned by a bluesy based rock structure.
Not obvious musical bedfellows but Preacher makes it work extremely well, the two styles merged into a cohesive, sometimes truly captivating sound by the band’s musicianship and Martin Murphy’s songwriting skills (aided lately in composition by Burgoyne).
Vocally, Martin Murphy is akin to a smooth, gravel-free variant of Joe Cocker with David Bowie styled phrasing and nuances, but his distinct timbre and lyrics give perfect ‘voice’ to the band’s musicality.
Showcasing an entire, relatively unheard album can be a dangerous, foolish or brave thing to do, dependent on quality of product and crowd-base, but Preacher were on safe musical ground from the introduction of ‘Time’ to the big finish of ‘I’ll be There,’ which open and close the album respectively.
However those not overly familiar with Preacher would have been better served with a forty-five minute introductory set as opposed to the one hour production (less being more for the uninitiated) and it was interesting to note the drop in interest from sections of the audience for the final fifteen minutes of the band’s performance.
But there were highlights throughout the entire sixty minutes including the slow building title track, the punchy and rhythmic ‘Friends of my Dreams’ (which also carried Middle Eastern musical cadences) and the semi-anthemic ‘Destiny.’
I can only hope Preacher and Signals get the critical review and recognition they both deserve.
Jiezuberband too were showcasing new material, from what will be their second album The Five of Pentacles (the Tarot Card for adversity or economic hardship – this band are nothing if not topical).
While I applaud that decision mixing in and including tracks from Sound of the Sun, the band’s 2012 debut album, would have been a more user friendly introduction to the band and encouraged sales of that particular CD (available on the night as was Signals).
But Jiezuberband know their audience, the majority of the audience already knew Jiezuberband and it was an audience that were there to both support and hear the new material (which has been played before, but never as refined or on such a large stage).
Jiezuberband were also enhanced, personnel wise, on the night.
Keyboard player Mikey Grant had written parts for the four-piece string quartet that featured on many numbers and a five-piece vocal ensemble were also on hand to add vocal backing to front man John Strachan and singer Claire Gibson.
The new material itself hearkened back to the band’s earliest pre-Sound of the Sun days – intense, heavy, rhythmically Celtic in places and more in the realms of fast-paced progressive metal-tinged heavy rock than the mix of styles apparent on the debut album.
The opener, Did You Hear? covered all the aforementioned bases.
While the band’s earliest material was decidedly hit and miss, the Pentacles numbers present the heavier side of where Jiezuberband is now – more mature, more cohesive and far stronger in songwriting terms. The symphonic bombast of ‘Come Back to Me,’ complete with string quartet in full flow and some great lead work from guitarist Scott Coulter, was a particularly strong and heavy statement.
The seven song Pentacles set (plus an impromptu encore of the older 'Phoenix Rising') may not have been as instantly accessible as Preacher’s Signals (and suffered from some sound issues), but the former will benefit from repeat plays once the album is released and the subtleties of the band’s latest work can be appreciated.
The O2 ABC is one of the more well-known, large hall venues in Glasgow and while kudos is due to Jiezuberband and Preacher for being the first unsigned bands to co-headline the venue, the obvious future benchmark of progress would be to return independently and play to a full house.
Here’s hoping the forthcoming The Five of Pentacles and the release of Signals help to do just that.
Ross Muir
April 2013
Jiezuberband & Preacher (with Sonic Templars) - O2 ABC Glasgow, 27th April 2013
The O2 ABC in Glasgow has played host to many a famous or established pop and rock artist, but on the 27th April 2013 it helped make a piece of history when Jiezuberband and Preacher became the first unsigned acts to (co)headline.
Special guests and support on the night were the Sonic Templars.
The Glasgow based alternative rockers have their own feisty vibe but with a musical energy not dissimilar to Pearl Jam or Nirvana.
The four-piece also have their melodic or introspective moments (‘Sun Catcher’ from their 2012 EP Breaking Silence is a great example) and some of their material carries just a hint of Big Country/ Celtic melody-lines.
The band’s harder-edged sound is countered and complimented by quieter musical passages but that light and shade and their short, sharp thirty-minute set was nearly scuppered by poor sound that was initially too loud and carried a little distortion.
Suffering the most were singer/ guitarist Stewart Bryden’s vocals and drums that sounded like they were being played underwater.
Fortunately the sound became more balanced and crisper and the latter half of the set benefited from the improvement.
Song-wise, the newer numbers performed proved the Sonic Templars are heading in the right direction, perhaps best exemplified by ‘Sweet Deceit’ from the band’s forthcoming EP Minds in Transit.
Ayrshire’s melodic progressives Preacher presented a set that worked as an album launch for Signals, showcasing that debut release; on the night the five Preachers were augmented by a trio of female backing singers and two additional musicians on acoustic guitars.
Those extra musical layers helped produce an accomplished, full album sound and the ever-changing images projected on to the above-stage video screen – featuring a myriad of images including crop circles, Margaret Thatcher and beings from another dimension (do your own jokes) – made for a very Floyd-esque show.
But then the band’s own brand of atmospheric prog, led by the voice of Martin Murphy, the keyboard textures of Arnie Burgoyne and the melodic guitar lines and solos from young Greg Murphy (whose remarkable self-taught ability belies his age) is very visual and takes its musical lead from the soundscapes of Pink Floyd, underpinned by a bluesy based rock structure.
Not obvious musical bedfellows but Preacher makes it work extremely well, the two styles merged into a cohesive, sometimes truly captivating sound by the band’s musicianship and Martin Murphy’s songwriting skills (aided lately in composition by Burgoyne).
Vocally, Martin Murphy is akin to a smooth, gravel-free variant of Joe Cocker with David Bowie styled phrasing and nuances, but his distinct timbre and lyrics give perfect ‘voice’ to the band’s musicality.
Showcasing an entire, relatively unheard album can be a dangerous, foolish or brave thing to do, dependent on quality of product and crowd-base, but Preacher were on safe musical ground from the introduction of ‘Time’ to the big finish of ‘I’ll be There,’ which open and close the album respectively.
However those not overly familiar with Preacher would have been better served with a forty-five minute introductory set as opposed to the one hour production (less being more for the uninitiated) and it was interesting to note the drop in interest from sections of the audience for the final fifteen minutes of the band’s performance.
But there were highlights throughout the entire sixty minutes including the slow building title track, the punchy and rhythmic ‘Friends of my Dreams’ (which also carried Middle Eastern musical cadences) and the semi-anthemic ‘Destiny.’
I can only hope Preacher and Signals get the critical review and recognition they both deserve.
Jiezuberband too were showcasing new material, from what will be their second album The Five of Pentacles (the Tarot Card for adversity or economic hardship – this band are nothing if not topical).
While I applaud that decision mixing in and including tracks from Sound of the Sun, the band’s 2012 debut album, would have been a more user friendly introduction to the band and encouraged sales of that particular CD (available on the night as was Signals).
But Jiezuberband know their audience, the majority of the audience already knew Jiezuberband and it was an audience that were there to both support and hear the new material (which has been played before, but never as refined or on such a large stage).
Jiezuberband were also enhanced, personnel wise, on the night.
Keyboard player Mikey Grant had written parts for the four-piece string quartet that featured on many numbers and a five-piece vocal ensemble were also on hand to add vocal backing to front man John Strachan and singer Claire Gibson.
The new material itself hearkened back to the band’s earliest pre-Sound of the Sun days – intense, heavy, rhythmically Celtic in places and more in the realms of fast-paced progressive metal-tinged heavy rock than the mix of styles apparent on the debut album.
The opener, Did You Hear? covered all the aforementioned bases.
While the band’s earliest material was decidedly hit and miss, the Pentacles numbers present the heavier side of where Jiezuberband is now – more mature, more cohesive and far stronger in songwriting terms. The symphonic bombast of ‘Come Back to Me,’ complete with string quartet in full flow and some great lead work from guitarist Scott Coulter, was a particularly strong and heavy statement.
The seven song Pentacles set (plus an impromptu encore of the older 'Phoenix Rising') may not have been as instantly accessible as Preacher’s Signals (and suffered from some sound issues), but the former will benefit from repeat plays once the album is released and the subtleties of the band’s latest work can be appreciated.
The O2 ABC is one of the more well-known, large hall venues in Glasgow and while kudos is due to Jiezuberband and Preacher for being the first unsigned bands to co-headline the venue, the obvious future benchmark of progress would be to return independently and play to a full house.
Here’s hoping the forthcoming The Five of Pentacles and the release of Signals help to do just that.
Ross Muir
April 2013
