Posted on September 21, 2009 - by Mark Zonda

Weegie Charlotte

- I think I’ll sing all “SUMMER” long…
- “BEHAVE”!

I know I should never discourage young bands with tough critics and hard words. That’s why – being free to chose – I’d prefer fast forwarding on the first band who opened for Charlotte Hatherley at Glaswegian prestigious “King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut” club pausing on the second guest band: the Weegies “Futuristic Retro Champions”.

Meanwhile the fist band made me pondering on how’s a futile a genre like blues could lead young gents to take their chance in the World of Music fouling around on the wrong direction on a cul-de-sac, “Futuristic Retro Champions” was a real unexpected and pleasurable surprise! Since the blond singer and the little keyboard player (Sita Pee and Casio Carla) stepped right on the stage of King Tut’s, with their vintage clothes and a smooth smile on their face, I knew that something special was about to start. And I was right! The audience started to step on toward the stage, and the hall began to get crowded, as the cleaver and contagious electro indie pop of FRC began to spread through upstair the venue. Nice and catchy tunes, brilliant choirs with well organized and consistent parts, a guitar player who could be easily taken for the right Sean Lennon from a good version parallel sci-fi universe, the band had all the right stuff for the best live pop show recipe!

I’m forced to admit that the hall was even more crowded than for the main attraction of the show, especially due to the fact that FRC were playing at home, and a lot of passionate fan came in from all over the city. Sita, the blonde singer in the vintage clothes, was top! So cute and with such a naive and spontaneous energy!

Best moment of the show was when the most faithful part of the audience invited Sita to bring all here humor and energy out, Sita was doing something strange as reaction (from funny faces to strange ritual dances to bring power to their mate musicians) and the little Casio Carla at her back couldn’t help but let that smile come out forgetting for a moment her professional look and charm. (she didn’t feel quite well, telling the truth, and the only chance to know her better is bringing “Futuristic Retro Champions”playing to Italy, so move your ass and be kind, you venue owners…)

So here she came, right from her last gig somewhere in UK with pheraps only few hours of difference, after a summer spent in the moonlighting as “Bat For Lashes” guitar on live shows, tv specials and radios all over America, dressed just like on her last “White” reverse video, facing the stage from outside peeking from the emergency exit, with her long experience with Ash at her back and two years already planned minute by minute in front. Charlotte Hatherley is sure one of those persons who can make a room vibe with the strength of her alien and charming presence since her first step into it.  She takes a not too deep breath and sais:“Ok. Let’s do this thing…”.

And I was SO CLOSE. I mean… so close that she had to set the staff of the microphone in order not to hit me by mistake. Her eyes was so big and blue I frequently put my sight out of her direction to avoid not looking like a traffic light in the most hated moments of the day or just an idiot, probably failing.

Charlotte is touring to promote her last album “New Worlds”, (you could get a copy at the show). I already listened to it. It’s more poppy, rock and full of energy compared to the previous works. More direct, less choirs, everything is aimed to be simple, classy, cleaver, with creative rhythms and interesting bass lines and guitar riffs. This fresh solidity was brought to the show, with just Charlotte, a drummer and a über-skilled bass player restless than a wild version of Prince with the dance moves skills enabled. Just few songs from the past, and no “Bastardo” at all. A enchanting version of “Wounded Sky”, a quite reggie and groovie “Behave”, was an appreciated quick breath after an hypnotic “White”, a very wild “Alexander”, and all the new tracks with Charlotte wilder than Hendrix!

Let’s admitt it… we on the first line… we cheated! Everyone saw the playlist, we all knew that – at a certain point of the show – Carlotta was gonna blast the beloved “Summer” off! You would have felt the tension and the expectation quickly rising on the show, while skins began to shiver and lungs were holding breath to shoot:”SUMMER’S COMING AND IIIIIIII KNOW IIIII FEEEEEEL…”.

The problem was Charlotte knew it too, and decided just to simply… skip the song! It fortunately came back after “Kim Wilde”, left for the gran finale, as part of a biss. That way it turned out as a real surprised, and no singers got killed that night!

If you stayed in Glasgow just the time to spend another time in there staying away from chicken vindaloo, you couldn’t have missed the fist of the “Crufts” saturday night on the hot indie overcrowded wild “Nice n’ Sleazy“.

“Findo Gask“ are kind of residents in there. Don’t know if you could get bore of ‘em, but with their great voices, good choirs and their musical skills they sure deserve at least one chance.

A good mix between Weezers and Cornelius shaked’n'melt together in the most obscure pages of the 80’s, on one of the best and popular venues an indie fan can’t risk to miss.

Charlotte Hatherley -”Wrong Note” (excerpt)

Futuristic Retro Champions – “Pulling Box Shapes”

More Glaswegian Pics

Futuristic Retro Champions – Live Clips Pt.1
Futuristic Retro Champions – Live Clips Pt.2
Charlotte Hatherley – Live Clips Pt.1
Charlotte Hatherley – Live Clips Pt.2
Charlotte Hatherley – Live Clips Pt.3

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