Contenders for hardest working band of the year, Shredd open this Cutty’s Gym EP launch at The Hug and Pint.
Shredd seem to get better every gig, what happens if you improve exponentially are these guys in danger of exploding in a puff of smoke!
Wearing their guitars higher than Simon Cowell’s trousers and with Chris Harvie pointing his like a rifle the three-piece seem ideally suited for The Hug and Pint.
The sound is great, and they take the opportunity to introduce us to a new song ‘In My Head’, which sounds a cracker and due to be launched on June 18.
With Mark McDonald a whirlwind on the bass (he makes it look so easy), Calum Wilson so strong on the drums and Harvie’s brilliant fuzzy guitar you must catch these guys live, if only to see if Harvie finally shakes his head off his shoulders.
They are one of the strongest live bands around especially if you like your garage rock fast and furious.
The small stage at The Hug and Pint is a whole new challenge for Objectifed with their seven members and their instruments of choice, however they all squeeze in and make it work.
In fact, they make the most of what seems to be a new lighting rig complete with Disco Ball and occasional smoke; seems the lighting guy might be on their payroll.
This all adds to the atmosphere of their haunting tunes.
Objectifed are a unique combination with members of various acts, drums, drum machine, trumpet, synth, guitars and various members taking up vocal duties whilst making a sound like no other.
Without a setlist, which appears to be their norm, they blast their way through the best of the tracks from their recent self-produced album, Taken.
Strong infectious rhythm, screaming guitars, diverse vocals and of course the trumpet work so well together with highlights being ‘The Slave Can Sing’; flowing straight in to ‘El Patròn’ and the strongest track from the album ‘Behave Tony’; they can do no wrong.
With a mild mannered looking (but for the Freddie Mercury moustache) Philip Differ setting up the mike on the stage you would be forgiven for believing him to be just another member of the audience.
With a familiar looking Ian Stewart taking the stage with guitarists Craig McIntyre and Marco Panagopoulos the wall of sound from Cutty’s Gym hits you square in the face like a cannonball, and well, it seems understated to say it was unexpected.
In fact, moving out of the PA’s firing line was required in order to preserve the eardrums.
What follows is a powerful, explosive, punk performance where Differ’s aggressive vocals are exhausting to watch.
Wild musicianship from this four-piece (previously a duo with Stewart and McIntyre) is full on and again energy levels are through the roof.
The big full on sound seems too big for the venue and Differ leaves the stage to strut about menacingly amongst the audience.
Cutty’s Gym, despite their loud aggressive sound, seem to have a low profile on the Glasgow scene but on this showing and the launch of their new EP, Zante, they’ve come out from under their rock and won’t (and shouldn’t) be ignored.
Words/Photos: Derek McCutcheon
Rave Child 