Rock Therapy
The King Lot (w/ Anchor Lane & Twin Heart), Dreadnoughtrock, Bathgate, 12th Aug 2017 for Nordoff Robins Scotland
The King Lot (w/ Anchor Lane & Twin Heart), Dreadnoughtrock, Bathgate, 12th Aug 2017 for Nordoff Robins Scotland
Just as all sorts of music and genres can touch, move or inspire people, and form the tool from which Nordoff Robbins Music Therapy can do such wonderful work, it was three rock based but very different bands that helped support the third annual Nordoff Robbins Scotland fund-raising event at the Dreadnoughtrock in Bathgate (the longest running rock club in Scotland).
There’s many a time this Ayrshire based writer and reviewer has found himself highlighting or citing bands and artists hailing from a county fighting above its weight in terms of the number of acts, their quality and the genres covered (from singer songwriter to Scottish folk to the power-down presence of Biffy Clyro, Ayrshire’s most successful musical export since a bloke called Burns scribed a few ditties and put his poetic lyrics to them).
Suffice to say Twin Heart are another Ayrshire band with something to say, and in the most expressive of Emo and alt-rock terms.
The three piece outfit from Kilmarnock (and all ex of Mechanical Smile) deliver their brand of Emo rock across a wave of high-energy attacks from the guitar of singer Dawn Baxter and bassist Owen Burt while Dawn Baxter’s angst driven or plaintive vocals are backed or echoed by the throatier deliveries from Burt and drummer Murray Baxter.
But it’s far from all post-punk guitar attack and piledriving rhythms; with numbers built around ever-changing structures with progressive tendencies, contemplative passages and vocal shifts, the emotional hardcore rock of Twin Heart has a lot of melodic light and darker shade ('Ghosts' for example, a highlight of the band’s thirty minute set).
There’s many a time this Ayrshire based writer and reviewer has found himself highlighting or citing bands and artists hailing from a county fighting above its weight in terms of the number of acts, their quality and the genres covered (from singer songwriter to Scottish folk to the power-down presence of Biffy Clyro, Ayrshire’s most successful musical export since a bloke called Burns scribed a few ditties and put his poetic lyrics to them).
Suffice to say Twin Heart are another Ayrshire band with something to say, and in the most expressive of Emo and alt-rock terms.
The three piece outfit from Kilmarnock (and all ex of Mechanical Smile) deliver their brand of Emo rock across a wave of high-energy attacks from the guitar of singer Dawn Baxter and bassist Owen Burt while Dawn Baxter’s angst driven or plaintive vocals are backed or echoed by the throatier deliveries from Burt and drummer Murray Baxter.
But it’s far from all post-punk guitar attack and piledriving rhythms; with numbers built around ever-changing structures with progressive tendencies, contemplative passages and vocal shifts, the emotional hardcore rock of Twin Heart has a lot of melodic light and darker shade ('Ghosts' for example, a highlight of the band’s thirty minute set).
While Twin Heart were an unknown to around half the Dreadnoughtrock crowd in attendance, Anchor Lane are a band familiar to just about every Scottish gig going heavy rock fan.
The young four-piece – Conor Gaffney (vocals, guitar), Jack Nicol (guitars), Scott Hanlon (drums), Matthew Quigley (bass) –were only a week removed from an outstanding opening slot in support of Mason Hill at a packed out Garage in Glasgow but delivered a similarly impressive half-hour set in Bathgate, the only real difference being a slight change in song order.
The closing brace of 'Twenty Sixteen' and 'Finished For Twelve' (both from the band’s New Beginning EP) made for a double cement-slabbed whammy of a big riff and high-energy ending; the meaty riffs and swaggering rhythms of such songs were tempered by the inclusion of the slower paced but no less impacting 'Take Some Time' (a song that’s fast becoming a highlight of any Anchor Lane set).
Just as their heavy rocking Glasgow buddies Mason Hill are starting to make a real name for themselves (recently signing to Frontiers Records) Anchor Lane are, hopefully on a similar onward and upward trajectory.
They’re certainly intent on giving it their best shot, having recently laid down demos of many of their numbers in order to present them to prospective labels or distributors for what would make a very strong debut album indeed.
With Twin Heart and Anchor Lane having delivered two very different but equally expressive sets, the stage was made ready for the ear-wormery melodic hard rock and power-pop of The King Lot.
The young four-piece – Conor Gaffney (vocals, guitar), Jack Nicol (guitars), Scott Hanlon (drums), Matthew Quigley (bass) –were only a week removed from an outstanding opening slot in support of Mason Hill at a packed out Garage in Glasgow but delivered a similarly impressive half-hour set in Bathgate, the only real difference being a slight change in song order.
The closing brace of 'Twenty Sixteen' and 'Finished For Twelve' (both from the band’s New Beginning EP) made for a double cement-slabbed whammy of a big riff and high-energy ending; the meaty riffs and swaggering rhythms of such songs were tempered by the inclusion of the slower paced but no less impacting 'Take Some Time' (a song that’s fast becoming a highlight of any Anchor Lane set).
Just as their heavy rocking Glasgow buddies Mason Hill are starting to make a real name for themselves (recently signing to Frontiers Records) Anchor Lane are, hopefully on a similar onward and upward trajectory.
They’re certainly intent on giving it their best shot, having recently laid down demos of many of their numbers in order to present them to prospective labels or distributors for what would make a very strong debut album indeed.
With Twin Heart and Anchor Lane having delivered two very different but equally expressive sets, the stage was made ready for the ear-wormery melodic hard rock and power-pop of The King Lot.
A well-loved trio in these parts and much further afield The King Lot are another band who, given a fair wind and the right backing, could be on their way to bigger, better and melodically deserved things (thirty years ago The King Lot would have been mainstream and rock radio airplay shoe-ins with at least Gold selling status on the Billboard side of the pond).
Having debuted new guitarist Jay Moir in acoustic setting at the Dreadnoughtrock six weeks prior, this time around the band, completed by Jason Sweeny (lead vocals, bass) and Chris Gillon (drums, backing vocals), had a chance to show what young Mr Moir could do – which, on the instrumental 'Equilibrium' (showcasing his melodic note-holding tone and faster, finger-flexing credentials), proved he was hired for a (king) lot more than his facial hair (the "three beards band" is fast becoming part of The King Lot’s imagery and identity).
The hour long set also gave the band a chance to feature a stack of new numbers that will feature on their forthcoming second album A World Without Evil.
While familiar debut album songs such as the ridiculously infectious 'One of These Days' and 'Addicted' more than made their melodic mark, it was new material such as 'Hearts On Fire' (chosen to be the first single and a song screaming out for rock radio airplay), 'Save Me' and 'A World Without Evil' that stood out, emphasising and underlining that the band have stepped up and moved on from what was a pretty strong debut.
(The title track from the forthcoming album was particularly noteworthy, hinting at heavier, and lyrically weightier, things to come).
Having debuted new guitarist Jay Moir in acoustic setting at the Dreadnoughtrock six weeks prior, this time around the band, completed by Jason Sweeny (lead vocals, bass) and Chris Gillon (drums, backing vocals), had a chance to show what young Mr Moir could do – which, on the instrumental 'Equilibrium' (showcasing his melodic note-holding tone and faster, finger-flexing credentials), proved he was hired for a (king) lot more than his facial hair (the "three beards band" is fast becoming part of The King Lot’s imagery and identity).
The hour long set also gave the band a chance to feature a stack of new numbers that will feature on their forthcoming second album A World Without Evil.
While familiar debut album songs such as the ridiculously infectious 'One of These Days' and 'Addicted' more than made their melodic mark, it was new material such as 'Hearts On Fire' (chosen to be the first single and a song screaming out for rock radio airplay), 'Save Me' and 'A World Without Evil' that stood out, emphasising and underlining that the band have stepped up and moved on from what was a pretty strong debut.
(The title track from the forthcoming album was particularly noteworthy, hinting at heavier, and lyrically weightier, things to come).
While all three bands played their part, and should be given an extra encore of applause for giving their time freely in support of Nordoff Robbins Scotland, it was that charitable body and the work it does that took centre stage.
Nordoff Robbins Therapy helps thousands of people with mental and physical impairments through the power, effectiveness and interactivity of music.
While the London based side of the operation, bolstered by its noted Silver Clef awards, can see donations totalled in the hundreds of thousands of pounds, the Scottish arm of Nordoff Robbins is in competition with a myriad of other excellent and desperately needed charities in a far smaller monetary environment, as was confirmed during a conversation I had with NRS Fundraising Director Carolyne Nurse.
All of which makes events such as this one very important.
It was a pleasure to be in the company of someone like Carolyne, who is genuinely enthused and moved by seeing what a change music can make to an individual.
Those emotions were reinforced when I chatted to Lesley Gould, the mother of five-year-old Hannah who, because of a rare and challenging genetic disorder, struggles with speech and engagement.
Lesley and husband Justin have seen a quite remarkable transformation in their daughter in terms of self-expression and engaging when in music therapy.
One anecdote shared by Lesley was that Hannah, when taught the nursery rhyme 'The Wheels on the Bus,' "didn’t just sing it back, copying what she had heard, she used her own words, about what she did that day or going to meet her teacher. It was incredible."
"That hour on a Friday when she is in music therapy is our happiest hour of the week."
Nordoff Robbins Therapy helps thousands of people with mental and physical impairments through the power, effectiveness and interactivity of music.
While the London based side of the operation, bolstered by its noted Silver Clef awards, can see donations totalled in the hundreds of thousands of pounds, the Scottish arm of Nordoff Robbins is in competition with a myriad of other excellent and desperately needed charities in a far smaller monetary environment, as was confirmed during a conversation I had with NRS Fundraising Director Carolyne Nurse.
All of which makes events such as this one very important.
It was a pleasure to be in the company of someone like Carolyne, who is genuinely enthused and moved by seeing what a change music can make to an individual.
Those emotions were reinforced when I chatted to Lesley Gould, the mother of five-year-old Hannah who, because of a rare and challenging genetic disorder, struggles with speech and engagement.
Lesley and husband Justin have seen a quite remarkable transformation in their daughter in terms of self-expression and engaging when in music therapy.
One anecdote shared by Lesley was that Hannah, when taught the nursery rhyme 'The Wheels on the Bus,' "didn’t just sing it back, copying what she had heard, she used her own words, about what she did that day or going to meet her teacher. It was incredible."
"That hour on a Friday when she is in music therapy is our happiest hour of the week."
Think about how important music is to you or the impact it makes in your life.
Now change that love of music to a dependency on music and double it; in fact triple it.
Actually, better make it ten-fold.
That’s Nordoff Robbins and the people they help. And you can help too, by heading to the donations page.
https://www.justgiving.com/nrmt
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ
Special FabricationsHQ nod to John McIntyre, his band of helpers and all the Dreadnoughtrockers who helped ensure over £1100 was made on the night for Nordoff Robbins Scotland.
Photo credit (all bands): Cyndi McMillan
Now change that love of music to a dependency on music and double it; in fact triple it.
Actually, better make it ten-fold.
That’s Nordoff Robbins and the people they help. And you can help too, by heading to the donations page.
https://www.justgiving.com/nrmt
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ
Special FabricationsHQ nod to John McIntyre, his band of helpers and all the Dreadnoughtrockers who helped ensure over £1100 was made on the night for Nordoff Robbins Scotland.
Photo credit (all bands): Cyndi McMillan