CHINA CRISIS AVERTED

Some people think it's fun to entertain...

Always good to have a little bit of reflection come December time. There are a few things I need to work on next year in terms of work and personal growth, without trying to sound too highfalutin. Main thing is to cut down on the alcohol front a bit and, more innocently - stop drinking coffee. Sends me a little bit loopy and is basically unrequired, more often than not. Now and again only. New rule. Taken me 30+ years to realise this. Just goes to show you are never too old to learn new things.

I’m also planning to start writing a bit more, after a year of not doing it quite so much. This Substack’s getting a little bit dusty - and that’s not a euphemism. Strange combination of busy-ness and laziness proving the perfect storm on the spare time writing front for most of 2024.

Gig reviews seem a good place to start for the renewed forthcoming focus. Here goes…

Went to see a band last night who are quite possibly the most criminally under-rated group of all time for me. Definitely Top 5. The fact they’re not lauded like many of their hugely talented and comparably accomplished, unconventional, left-of-centre 80s “new wave” pop counterparts baffles me. ‘Best Kept Secret’ is about right. It was the final leg of their current UK tour. 42 years after the release of their debut album.

CHINA CRISIS

When I first moved back to Glasgow in April 2022, I had some disposable money and therefore, of course, had a spate of buying loads of records. First purchase was their album, Flaunt The Imperfection - heavily soundtracking new beginnings in my new stomping ground. Solid album title. Solid life mantra.

Was into them a little bit prior to that. Had Black Man Ray 12” in the collection for years and was familiar with the likes of the well-known Wishful Thinking and the lesser-known Jean Walks In Fresh Fields (courtesy of a Moonboots introduction, I think, Richard?). Only issue with that latter track is it is nowhere near long enough. Could happily add 6 or 7 minutes if any budding edit maestros are twiddling their thumbs in the coming weeks…

I can’t remember exactly how I stumbled on it, quite possibly the song title caught my attention… but discovered the song, King In A Catholic Style, a few months prior to the move and must’ve had it on constant rotation from then for at least 6 months. Once purchased, rotating between spinning the album version, the extended 12” version (also bagged in same period), plus streaming it and watching the video on YouTube. One of the best and whackiest promo videos ever - quality.

All alongside bingeing the rest of that impeccable album. The title also very much chimed with my mindset, then and now. No-one’s perfect, we’re all flawed and not without our foibles, failings, quirks and shortcomings. And that is often something to celebrate. Imperfection, in a way, is actually what makes life, people, things really, truly great and exciting. Sometimes. They’ve been among most played artists round my way ever since.

At the same time I was beginning to plan my now monthly radio show, Spicy Crisis. The name of which is in part a nod to China Crisis, in part a nod to variety being the spice of life (esp. when it comes to music) and in part an in-joke with a bunch of mates who helped me survive lockdown with a Facebook group chat and the daily discussions on random subjects and the typos contained therein. Spicy crisps was what I meant to type. Plus Spicy Crisis just sounds good.

Played the extended 12” version of “King” on the inaugural show on Clyde Built Radio back in May 2022. And big thanks to mate Paul Benedict Henderson for getting me the 7” for my 40th birthday. 💚 Just need cassette tape now to complete the haul of fame.

As the intervening 2.5 years have rolled on, the obsession and connection has evolved and deepened quite a bit, to say the least. Without trying to sound like a half-baked, spiritual guru, I think the concept of “connection”, making connections and creating, exploring, building, improving and deepening your connections to things; whether that be friends, family, loved ones and/or the interests you have and things you are into, enjoy and care about could well be the meaning of life.

Anyway, enough of the pre-amble nonsense… seen them live last night for the first time, at Oran Mor in Glasgow, having missed them a few times over last two years. Finger not as on the pulse as it once was, and not uncommon for me to completely miss gigs that I should really have been attending. Maybe another pointer for 2025 that… If someone could remind me later… or even the night before.

Gig was outstanding. Tunes deep, multi-layered and mesmerising. Even if there hadn’t been any music to be heard, it might have been in my top 5 gigs of the year… and you can’t say that very often. Very, very funny (actual lol-ing loads throughout, as were the 500-600 fellow fans in attendance).

Amazingly hilarious and high calibre reparté from front man Gary Daly in particular. The man could quite easily be a stand-up comedian, and would be better than any I can think of doing it at the moment. Demanding the Glasgow audience did not let them down was most humorous quip-age. “We’re relying on you guys…” It’s a cool west end venue as well. Hadn’t been in ages. Decent sound, atmosphere, vibe, crowd and of course, first class tuneage.

The tunes speak for themselves - proper deft songwriters with tremendously innovative and original (while also accessible) melodies and hooks with odd, eccentric, clever and sometimes cutting lyrics. Avant garde sounds pretentious but their material is fashioned and built within an accessible pop realm of that broad and over-used term. Shame we don’t see so much of that in working class pop music any more.

To be able to knock out those amazing tunes in a relatively stripped back format versus the nature of the more expansive production of their stand-out recorded material was the first and most enduring stand-out aspect of the gig. Worked a treat. Sounded ace.

They played most of my top 5 - King In A Catholic Style, Arizona Sky… and lots of their other best and big ones, with some excellent old album cuts and new stuff in the mixing bowl too. A cover of Last Christmas also hit the spot perfectly.

Their debut album title - ‘Difficult Shapes & Passive Rhythms, Some People Think It's Fun to Entertain’ - pretty much sums up their music and that performance. Massively fun, entertaining and memorable musical evening. Couldn’t really ask for more.

Only minor disappointment for me was I didn’t get to hear the super-rare, up till recently very hard to come by, lesser known, instrumental demo version of Bigger The Punch I’m Feeling. C’mon lads - know your crowd. Haha…

I’m pretty sure the god-like Walter Becker, of Steely Dan fame and notoriety, who produced Flaunt The Imperfection, was looking down fondly and favourably while making a new year’s resolution to tune into more gigs ‘Down Here On Earth’ next year too. Wonder if he’s given up the coffee yet…

All in all, really first class stuff. If you aren’t familiar, do yourself a favour and dive in sometime. Start with Flaunt The Imperfection and work your way out from there. Then get to a gig if you ever get the chance, looks like they have lots lined up.

Cheers Harri and PJ for joining me. And Kim for the intro, lovely chat and cracking new T Shirt.

Very glad I finally got to see them. China Crisis averted. Ta-ra for now.

Personal best of here: