Located on Dundee’s Ward Road, Church is a music venue that has recently laid claim to hosting some of the country’s biggest names such as Snow Patrol, Kyle Falconer and also John Lydon’s Public Image Ltd. Whilst being custom to bringing in well renowned names to the city over the years, the venue also consistently plays a vital role in presenting up and coming artists in amongst the Scottish and local music scene.
The upcoming gig for The Vignettes on Saturday 8th September is no exception to this. Based in Glasgow, the four-piece have been branded “the missing link between New York and Glasgow” by Turn Up the Volume and relish delivering high energy performances that their audiences will not forget. Drawing on influences such as The Velvet Underground, David Bowie, Talking Heads and the more recent Franz Ferdinand, upon listening to the band’s recorded material currently available on Spotify, immediately I can draw on different aspects from their influences they have incorporated into their work to create an amalgamation of sound that delivers a modern twist to rock ‘n roll music.
In particular, ‘Young Bohemians’ displays a vocal trait very similar to that of Alex Kapranos of Franz Ferdinand alongside a catchy guitar riff and pop-based drum beat that is sure to have audiences’ heads grooving. The Vignettes’ second released track ‘Jacqueline’ draws a lot more on the band’s older musical influences such as The Velvet Underground. The band pull this off with a very 60’s rock ‘n roll guitar tone similar to that of the track ‘I’m Waiting for The Man’ featured on VU’s debut album alongside a David Byrne influenced vocal performance similar to that of the Talking Heads track ‘Psycho Killer’.
With several performances at popular Scottish music venues already under their belts such as King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut in Glasgow and Drummond’s in Aberdeen, the band are quickly making ground in the country’s music scene and are definitely worth keeping a close eye on for more throughout the remainder of the year.
Opening the proceedings on the night will be Scott Wallace – a 20-year-old singer-songwriter from Aberdeen who has performed with The Vignettes in the past. His debut EP ‘Here Goes Nothing’ was released in October last year and blends classic blues stylings with more contemporary, pop styled song structures. For those who are fans of John Mayer and Jeff Buckley, the Scottish singer-songwriter’s EP is certainly worth checking out as it has already earned him airtime on BBC Radio Scotland and a host of performances at renowned venues across the country such as Sneaky Pete’s and Aberdeen’s AECC. Be sure to get down early to catch Scott in action.
Also featured on the bill are Dundee band PLASMAS who I have personally had the pleasure of playing alongside several times this past year. Their debut single ‘Overblown’ is a firm fan-favourite and with recent addition, Rory Strathie, on synth, the journey is only beginning for the local band. PLASMAS draw on influences such as Tame Impala and some of The Beatles’ work post Sgt Pepper to conjure up a jangly, reverb driven sound that offers audiences a glimpse of a vibrant, refreshingly different musical aesthetic in amongst Dundee’s music scene at the moment. In addition, the band are also currently working on new material which may be released before the year is out which is sure to set the five-piece in good stead for imminently capturing audiences on a wider scale across the country. PLASMAS are ones not to be missed.
Finally, the third support offering comes in the form of Saint-Louie. Also from Dundee, the band have recently played alongside the likes of Alabama 3, Tom Hingley (Inspiral Carpets) and the current hotly tipped Scottish band The Snuts. Personally, in July this year I had the chance to review the band’s debut double A-side release Silver Spoon / Devil Inside which you can view in full here. Saint-Louie deliver old school bluesy rock ‘n roll vibes with a fresh kick proving that rock ‘n roll has never died and is still sounding as fresh as ever in 2018. With a nationwide tour recently announced and a debut EP lined up, the scale of Saint-Louie’s successes so far in such a short time-scale proves that the band are one of Dundee’s most exciting bands at the moment and will undoubtedly provide an attention grabbing, lively and exhilarating performance come September 8th.
Doors are at 19:30 on the night. Tickets are available from the following link: https://thevignettesglasgow.bigcartel.com/product/the-vignettes-dundee-8-9-18
Scott Wallace - https://www.facebook.com/scottwallacemusic/
PLASMAS - https://open.spotify.com/artist/6GFn0qLP4tPEbhqCNJINLH?si=i7-spYQ4Ry2VGUn6aGcK8Q , https://www.facebook.com/PLASMASBAND/
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