The Courier & Advertiser (Fife Edition)
Basement’ s stage is set to rock with gig return
Fans of sonic offerings of an uncompromising and edgy variety are set for a boost with the impending return of gigs to Conroy’s Basement.
Live activities at the Meadowside venue have been thin on the ground in recent weeks.
But the subterranean nightspot resumes its diet of the latest in under-theradar and no-nonsense breaking outfits with a triple-pronged aural assault next Friday.
The three-band session is being headed up by longtime Conroy’s favourites Seas, Starry, who’ll be joined by Goth GF and Yung Drop.
Make-That-A-Take Records (MTAT) chief Derrick Johnston, who’s put the line-up together, says gig-goers can expect innovation in spades with the arrival of the Aberdeenshire-based progressive post-rock headliners.
“One of the east coast punk scene’s most explorative entities, their latest Anatomy EP is an incredible experiment in collaboration in isolation,” he said. “It was written, recorded and released in the spirit of co-operation between the band, MTAT and Ripcord Records.
“This will be their first ‘full-length’ basement performance since closing out the last night of Dundee Women’s Festival at our final show in March 2020, before the floor collapsed. It could do again.”
It’ll be a Conroy’s debut for Glasgow three-piece Goth GF, and Derrick admitted to being “very excited” at the prospect.
He said punters can expect “vegan anarchist doom punks (to) bring their 100% zero messin’ riot grrrl energy, patriarchy-burning manifesto and anti-capitalist petrol bomb punk rock riot for some maximum rock ‘n’ ruckus.”
The third outfit on Conroy’s May 13 bill is Dundee underground songsmith Yung Drop, who specialises in hardcoreinfused trip-hop and rap.
Also in Dundee, Church welcomes indie rockers Sea Girls tomorrow in a show put together by the city’s Assai Records.
The London-formed noiseniks released their debut single Call Me Out in 2017, with their debut album Open Up Your Head dropping in 2020.
Both it and this year’s follow-up Homesick saw Henry Camamile, Rory Young, Andrew Dawson and Oli Khan reach number three on the UK charts.
It looks like being a busy day for Assai tomorrow, with Glasgow-formed chamber popsters Belle And Sebastian due to make an in-store appearance at the firm’s Union Street premises to promote their 11th studio album A Bit Of Previous, which comes out today.
Fans are being advised that pre-ordering the album will guarantee them priority entry to the signing event, which runs from noon until 1pm.
Separately, Scots folk legend Rab Noakes and American guitar maestro Brooks Williams are playing the Masonic Hall in Broughty Ferry next Friday.
This is ahead of an appearance the following night at Lodge At Lochside – not a freemasonry venue despite the name – at Lintrathen, by Kirriemuir, in the latest Hypercoaster Music offering.
Elsewhere, alt-rock veterans Diesel Park West play the Backstage platform at the Green Hotel in Kinross on Thursday.
The Leicester outfit released their debut album Shakespeare Alabama on ex-Teardrop Explodes eccentric David Balfe’s Food Records in 1988.
They scored a series of minor hits with such radiofriendly singles as Like Princes Do and Fall To Love, until they faded from the scene in 1993.
Led by John Butler, who also performs as part of Crosby, Stills, Nash and Young tribute Marrakesh Express, the four-piece are due to release their 10th album Not Quite The American Dream in July.
Meanwhile, in Fife, it’s ever-popular Fleetwood Mac tribute McFleetwood at PJ Molloys – remarkably, the seventh occasion on which they’ve headlined at the Dunfermline venue.
Renowned for their faithful recreation of the finger-picking style of The Mac’s guitar legend Lindsey Buckingham – not to mention Stevie Nicks’ smoky vocals and Messrs Fleetwood and McVie’s solid grooves – the Scottish outfit perform all the Anglo-American legends’ classic hits.
Also in gig news, Perth Theatre hosts Highland prog folksters Elephant Sessions next Friday.