First up, the Scottish winners in Feeders support slot competition The Xcerts, bring their take on contemporary Scottish rock to Glasgow. Hailing form Aberdeen and Exeter, Murray MacLeod, Jordan Smith and Tom Heron, are a paradoxical trio of angry, young, and charming lads. In between songs they seem polite, gracious and well rounded.
During their songs they appear to be bi-polar madmen. Hyper-quiet, hyper-loud dynamics, strong hooks, a powerful stage presence and enough false finishes to have the audience applaud their every motion. Stand out tracks from their set include the anthemic 'Just Go Home' and, 'Listen. Don't Panic', with it's cute-as-hell synthesized glockenspiel part, both come across strong, getting these young hopefuls over with the more 'rock'-friendly members of the crowd.
After some god-awful techno and some Ninja Tune-sounding trip-hop, Feeder decide to grace the stage to a tremendous ovation. Led by Mr Nichols, they proceed to burst into, 'Feeling The Moment'. Having seen Feeder play this track at Loch Lomond supporting REM, where it swished and swirled round the bowl-like festival area incoherently, I was more than surprised by it's force and power. The thickening of the sound via session players has done no little wonder to Feeder's live sound.
The extra guitar and synths add the textures from the album version that would be otherwise lacking. New track 'Shatter' has a couple of twists on the Feeder formula, such as the pre-programmed drum fill leading to the chorus, but never strays too far away as to discomfort hardcore fans. Being the melody lead, pop-rock that Feeder excel at, how can it?
They tear into new song, 'Miss You', and suddenly a screen, behind the band, showing a monochrome three dimensional journey through Eschers' worst nightmare flickers to life. It is probably, the single most expensive stage prop ever seen between these walls. The song itself is a return to a sound not heard from this band since, 'Polythene'. Quick as a hiccup, it pounds like the proverbial jackhammer.
Bearing raw guitars that remind, at least myself, of Nirvana's guitar sound on 'In Utero', and a floating synth residing next door to the vocals, create a searing, swimming, rock-a-thon. Recent addition to the XFM playlist and upcoming single, 'We Are The People', is Nichols' song of, "...change and unity...". With it's dreamy guitars, reverb drenched vocals, and ethereal synthesizers, its also coupled with a montage of interstellar travelling. It is a song that Nichols obviously believes in. He appears comfortably lost inside the absolutely massive cushion of distortion and Richardson's epic drums, whilst Hirose bounds around like Billie Joe Armstrong's long lost cousin, in his black shirt and red tie. This stadium-filler of a song will be Feeder fans favourite track this year, and if it dominates the radio, like it probably should, it will be T In The Parks' Friday night highlight.
Going to the loo around this point, I find a skinhead gentleman wearing a 'Headbangers Ball' t-shirt, speaking on his phone to an absent, sceptical, friend. "Seriously mate, I know what you're trying to say but to be honest- it's been really, really good so far..." practically yelling down the line. Suffice to say that when I left the toilet, he was still trying to convince his friend of the quality of tonight's entertainment.
When it is encore time, the crowd welcome the band back onstage by singing the "doo-doos" from 'Just A Day'. Instead of complying immediately, they begin to play 'High'. With it's simple innocence, it satiates within me, some kind of lacking teenage vindication I never knew I missed. Teasing the crowd before 'Just A Day' (who are likely to riot, if said song is not played), Nichols says, "You're very persuasive!" turns to Richardson and knocks out the first three chords of 'Smells Like Teen Spirit' , they all share a giggle, then dive into it, headlong. 'Barmy', being the operative term for the crowds reaction. With a satisfied two hundred plus punters leaving the hall, Feeder can place another notch in their 'Bloody great shows' belt. Just like the lavatory man, however, telling my muso friends just how good the show was may be a task for the ages. Welcome back Feeder, 'Buck Rogers' has been forgiven.
Set list:
Feeling The Moment
Shatter
Miss You
We Are The People
Come Back Around
Tracing Lines
Guided By A Voice
Just The Way I'm Feeling
Sonorous
Pushing The Senses
My Perfect Day
Fires
Yesterday Went Too Soon
Lost And Found
High
Just A Day
article by: Ross Gilchrist
photos by: Louise Henderson
published: 27/05/2008 15:52
FUTURE GIGS
sorry, we currently have no gigs listed for this act.