£12 doesn’t get you much on a wet April night in Glasgow these days. Unless, that is, you’re a fan of a certain type of heavy music. If so, then this past Thursday for that ridiculously low price you could have got yourself a tasty line-up that included three of the finest bands the UK has to offer at the moment.
There’s nothing better than when you discover a great band for the first time. You know the feeling: when you go to a gig and hear a band you’ve never heard before and instantly just love everything about them. That was the case for me with the night’s opener Teleost.
Before the pair unassumingly took to the stage to begin their set, I’d never heard a note from them, but as soon as they began their set, I was blown away and fully sold on it all. The drummer and guitarist duo make a doom/drone type music that exists in the same world as Sunn O))) and Earth but is entirely its own thing. Their set was big slabs of riff and guitar tones—I’m not sure how they’re getting them—ethereal, almost chant-like vocals, and slow-motion drumming that threatened to bring the place down and not let anyone else play. They really did set the bar from the start, and it was good to see a decent crowd had got down early to see them. I’ll certainly be keeping up with these guys.
Next up was Glasgow band The Rhubarb, whose 30-minute set was a blast through a blend of stonery-doom type psychedelia. The dual vocals from Sean Maguire and Hannah White bring a real unique feel to the music; I can’t think of many similar bands with a similar set-up. When working together, the pair bring an eerie harmony over the top of heavy riffs, some nice guitar soloing, and sludgy rhythm. Their music obviously draws from the school of Sabbath, and there was something quite fun about what they were doing. They seemed to be enjoying themselves and the crowd was as well, which set us up nicely for the main event.
If you like what we do, consider joining us on Patreon for as little as £1 per month!
Sugar Horse are currently out on the road celebrating the release of their latest—and in my humble opinion, career highlight—album, Not A Sound In Heaven. Less than a week after its release, and after heavy rotation in that time, I was looking forward to seeing these songs up close. To do that old cliché, I think they were made for the live environment.
Kicking off with the album opener “Fire Graphics”, which wasn’t even a week old by the time they launched into it on stage at Sleazy’s but already sounded like a classic and fit right into the set as a great opener. The band have always seemed to defy genre; I’d say they were post-everything, and over the course of their set they indeed hit everything—from emo to doom to shoegaze. No band has the same ability to go from earth-shatteringly loud and abrasive to delicate and heartfelt in such a short space of time.
The majority of the new album got time to shine, and it just reinforced my opinion that it’s their best yet. Not to say their other stuff isn’t great as well; the set pulled from all their albums and “Shouting Judas at Bob Dylan” is always a treat to hear live. The only negative for me was that the set wasn’t long enough; it felt like it was over just as it began. Hopefully they’re back in Glasgow soon so we get to see some more. They are one of the best all-round bands in the UK at the moment, and deserve a lot of success. They should have more ears on them, so make sure you check out their new record and see them live if you get the chance.
Don’t fancy Patreon? Buy us a one-off beverage!
Sugar Horse: facebook | twitter | instagram | spotify | youtube
