New Year’s Revolution: Beta Waves

King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut, Glasgow

JJJ

By now, in its tenth year, such a well established element of January’s gig programming in Glasgow that other promoters are following suit with similar ventures, King Tut’s New Year’s Revolution remains a simple idea – pack most dates with multi-band local bills in which each group brings enough mates that the venue is full during this leanest of months.

For Friday night’s first of 17 gigs, during which a total of 68 bands will perform, the juxtaposition of those chosen wasn’t so jarring that audiences didn’t cross over between each. The moody synthpop of Glasgow-based openers Talker bore the greatest resemblance to the evening’s headliners Beta Waves, but amid those groups two, shall we say, traditionalist representatives of the old-school were heard.

First came Airdrie’s Hazeydays, a laddish quintet with a Burberry-shirted lead singer in Ronan Alexander who elevates a spiky sound which is reminiscent of early Blur through his restless energy and staccato dancing, particularly on the ska-like closer We Like to Party.

After them, Glasgow quartet Kardo sounded slightly more cultured, albeit they’re in such obvious hock to Arctic Monkeys

that they even turned out a strong cover of I Bet You Look Good on the Dancefloor. Their song On it, meanwhile, sounded like a fusion of Kula Shaker’s Hush and Kasabian’s Fire.

Dundonian duo Beta Waves’ headline slot wasn’t just earned by their greater experience or longevity; Dale Easson and Harry Crossan proved to be the best of a decent enough bunch by some margin, with their set of synthpop anthems – slick and somewhat overproduced on record – sounding elevated onstage to emphasise both the icy drama of their composition and the pair’s way with a great pop chorus. If they could somehow bottle and sell their live sound, things would surely happen fast for them.