Brand New / Straylight Run / Moneen

live in Glasgow (2004)

Mr_Ian

King Tut's Wah Wah Hut - stupid name, amazing venue. According to the BBC in fact, it's Britains best and I find it hard to disagree.

Moneen - stupid name, average band. Now, while I knew only two songs they played, which can affect how much I enjoy a performance (though I saw both Radio 4 and British Sea Power in this same venue without knowing a single song and loved both shows) Moneen didn't really have the songs to make us pay attention. Sure the songs had "interesting" bits where they slowed down and then got fast and had shouty bits, but it was just too formulaic for my tastes and the majority of the audience too (which, for an emo show in Glasgow actually had a large percentage of people who could actually legally purchase alcohol - probably has something to do with the NME really talking up Brand New). However, Moneen did have some ACE merchandise, unlike Brand New who had the worst T-shirts I have ever seen any band try to make us pay £15 for…yuck.

It's been said before, but I'll reiterate - Michelle Nolan is the hottest female in the 'alternative' scene right now, and she has a decent set of pipes on her too. She sang a tune in the set that I didnt recognise as it aint available for download on the Straylight Run site, but the whole audience was totally captivated by it. They opened with 'It's For The Best' and followed with the absolutely storming 'Mistakes We Knew We Were Making' which, if there's any justice in the world, will be a number one hit across the globe upon it's proper release. Angry without being preachy, accessible without being too poppy, this is what the radio should be playing. They finished their half hour set with 'Exitentialism on Prom Night' which is possibly my favourite sad song in the whole world right now, if you don't have it go to www.straylightrun.com and download it NOW. If you were to describe SR's music to anyone you'd likely say "piano and guitar based emo…but NOTHING like Something Corporate, seriously"

Finally our headliners Brand New arrived on stage, much to the delight of the crowd and immediately went into 'Okay I Believe You But My Tommy Gun Don't' which was very good but Jesse's voice strained a lot and got really, really whiny…almost irritatingly so. This was a problem throughout the gig, as well as the fact that Jesse had a look on his face the whole time like he really couldn't be arsed being there, regardless of his hollow "we're real excited to be in Scotland again." The crowd ate it up with a spoon however and the tracks off the much more intricate and slightly darker album Deja Entendu, like The Quiet Things…and The Boy Who Blocked His Own Shot all went down a treat. Tracks off of the much poppier (and vastly inferior) Your Favourite Weapon were not as well known bar the single 'Jude Law and a Semester Abroad'. They closed their mildly disappointing set with forthcoming single 'Sic Transit Gloria…Glory Fades.'

Before the show I was a massive Brand New fan but now, thanks to Jesse coming across as a complete tit I have to strike another band off of my 'worship' list (the other being Dashboard Confessional after Chris Carraba was an absolute wanker at a gig he played here last december). Straylight Run were worth the entrance fee alone though.