Fangs – Glasgow O2 Academy
January 7th, 2010 by RBRFangs (Supporting Public Image Limited)
Glasgow O2 Academy
18th December 2009
Having never seen the band before, I wasn’t sure what to expect. Especially with them being the support to the eccentric John Lydon’s post Sex Pistols bandwagon, Public Image Limited.
Fangs, it seems are a hard working local band, who have previously released a single, S.I.C.K.O. on King Tuts recordings.
On first look at the stage set up I thought things were going to be interesting to say the least. A fairly small drum kit, a synth, a mic and a bass guitar. Too often I’ve seen a less than capable band supporting a big act and falling flat. Tonight, as it turned out, was not one of those nights. From the opening track, Panic Attack, it was blatantly obvious that this quartet had their shit together.
The band’s singer, going by the name, The Queen, was a more than capable front woman, working the stage and doing a top notch job on the vocals. Her voice at times, brought back memories of 80’s alt/punk singers Hazel O’Connor and Siouxsie. This is no bad thing though. The Queen was in no way trying to impersonate these singers, her singing style is definitely her own.
The electronic wizardry of Lloyd Alex laying the basis for the band took me back to the days of the less mainstream 80’s electropop. Whether it was intentional or not it was the first thing that came to my mind on hearing the industrial rooted sound. Mixing these elements with Jojo Doll’s uncomplicated drums and the electronically modified sounds of Marco Neins bass, made for a completely original sound.
On paper this mixture really shouldn’t work. On stage it definitely does. The Band can’t be faulted, putting in a professional, tight performance which they can be proud of. Given, in my opinion, the early 80’s roots of the synth sound, you could have been forgiven for expecting some 40 somethings trying to hang on to their youth. The fact that the band are all seem to be in their early 20’s gives their chosen sound a bit more credence. Fangs are a complete breath of fresh air to a busy music scene when most 20’s musicians want to be in a ‘rock’ band and end up being a parody of some other band.
Fangs look to have taken an 80’s avant garde synth pop sound and given it a shake, thrown in a live rhythm section and dragged it into the 2000’s, and look like taking it beyond if this showing was anything to go by. My own favourite track of the show was Fangs City Rockers, with which they brought their set to a close, and signaled a great show of appreciation from the almost full venue. Expect good things from Fangs in 2010.
Set list…..
PANIC ATTACK, N-Z FLESH, S.I.C.K.O., COS I SAID SO, I AM A DJ, STARS OF THE NEW AVANT GARDE, FANGS CITY ROCKERS
Words and pictures: Wullie Marr
Hey =]
Glad you enjoyed the show.
x
LA