GOG’s Gigs (Week Beginning 17/02/14)

A stylish start to the week as Of Montreal hit the newly reopened Art School, because come on, where else is suitable for this band? Led by the inexhaustible talent that is Kevin Barnes, the band has had a long and varied history, starting out as part of the wider Elephant 6 collective, they soon displayed a desire to move away from the retro-feteshistic sounds of the rest of that scene to try something new. This all led to what is arguably their greatest musical statement, 2007’s “Hissing Fauna, Are You The Destroyer?”, the greatest album Prince never released. Matching bombastic pop with dark lyrical explorations of Barnes’ battle with depression, that record set the pace for the next couple of albums, including the complex and fragmentary “Skeletal Lamping” and the more straight-up funk of “False Priest” (as well as a series of collaborations with Janelle Monae). Now Barnes and company have taken a step back towards their roots with new album “Lousy with Sylvianbriar”, a retro-leaning album of psychedelic rock. No matter where their musical leanings lie, though, their live shows have always been something special, often consisting of complex, narratively driven routines featuring more costume changes than your average blockbuster pop star show. One time Barnes came on stage riding a white horse. What’s not to love about that?

Talking of blockbuster pop stars, the only person that could possibly out-glam Kevin Barnes this week is Mrs. Carter herself. That’s right, bona fide global superstar Beyonce is visiting our fair city, taking to the stage at The Hydro (a venue which was practically custom built for her) on Thursday and Friday. Having just broken the internet by unexpectedly dropping a new album simply titled “Beyonce”, her Mrs. Carter tour has been met with almost universal acclaim. Where the tour started way back in the ancient past that was 2013, expect an updated set this time incorporating material from the new album. The show should hopefully give The Hydro a bit of a boost after its recent run of bad press. I’d probably stay away from the burgers anyway though, just to be on the safe side.

Finally this week also sees the launch of the Glasgow Music and Film Festival. Part of the larger Glasgow Film Festival, the bill has been co-curated by The Arches, and includes a number of highlights. My pick would be the intriguing “Metalhead”, the story of a young woman who adopts her older brother’s metal fandom as a way of dealing with her grief after he dies. There are also a whole host of film screenings featuring live accompaniments. This week sees a screening of Chilean film “Patir to Live” featuring a live accompaniment from Dutch minimalist composer Josef van Wissem. That’s on Friday, while on Saturday you can check out a screening of Harold Loyd’s final silent film “Speedy”, featuring live music courtesy of a good old-fashioned Wurlitzer organ. Check out the full line-up on the official website.

Full Glasgow Gig Listings

Who are you going to see this week? Are there any must-sees which haven’t made it onto our listings? Let us know in the comments below!

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