I'M ANNOYED AT MYSELF FOR THIS....

Back in March 2009 I went along to a gig celebrating the launch of You Can't Change The Boy, the debut LP from Glasgow indie-pop band Wake The President.  I had quite like from them what I'd heard prior to the gig which was being held in a great wee hall not that far from where I live, and Comrade Colin and myself decided to make a night of it.

Now I'm the type who likes to support these events through buying the album direct from the band on a night like this so the CD was purchased as I got into the hall, as well a couple of bits of vinyl that were on sale.  By the end of the gig though I was regretting my purchases as Wake The President were a major disappointment.  The live performance was limp and I'm sorry to say it had an adverse impact on my view of the CD. I went along anticipating coming home and raving about them but in the end stayed quiet as it's not my practice to put the boot into new and upcoming bands just because they're not to my taste.

The vinyl singles have also lain neglected and unloved in the cupboard but the other day I thought I'd give them a spin and see if my views had changed over the past two and a half years. One of the singles had Wake The President on one side and The Kingfishers on the other.  It came in a clear plastic sleeve with a sticker on to that acted as a seal....and my seal was unbroken.  So carefully peeling apart the sticker, I extracted the vinyl and thought I'd give The Kingfishers song a spin:-

mp3 : The Kingfishers - Make Me Sad

I listened.  I then played it again.  Then I began to slap myself around the head for being such an arse.  That I have had such a lovely piece of pop in the collection ignored for so long is a total disgrace.

Some of my blogging friends however, haven't been so daft. Here's what Drew said at his place away back in May 2009:-

While scouring the internet a couple of months ago for something a bit different, as is my want and much to L’s consternation I came across a review for a split 7″ single by 2 Scottish bands Wake The President and The Kingfishers neither of whom I had heard before.


On streaming the Wake The President track it became apparent that the band had been listening to a lot of post punk and Postcard in particular, not a bad thing.


The real find for me was the track on the other side, Make Me Sad. On listening to this I was transported back to the mid 80′s, it reminded me of Friends Again, especially Honey At The Core for some reason, although it sounds absolutely nothing like it. On further investigation it turns out that the song is a cover of a Vic Goddard song. Goddard’s band Subway Sect being a major influence on the Postcard bands. I played the track about 5 or 6 times and decided that the single had to be purchased.


This is when things start to get interesting. The single is on Aufgeladen und Bereit a German label out of Hamburg which seems to specialise in Scottish Indiepop with bands such as Found, Future Pilot AKA amongst others and is also Vic Goddard’s label. If Scottish indiepop is your bag then you should check the label out. There is a particularly good compilation album called Get While The Getting’s Good (another reference to Scottish pop as the title has been borrowed from the title of a track on The Orange Juice album) 19 tracks which cover everything from the afore mentioned indiepop to modern folk. I can vouch for the service as I got my 7″ within 4 days of ordering it, quicker than orders from down south at times.


This single was actually released in April last year and unfortunately is now sold out.

Like Drew, this was song that took me back to the mid 80s and got me all teary-eyed and nostalgic. It's exactly the sort of song this blog was invented for!!!

Thanks to the internet, I've tracked down a bit more info about the wonderful lead singer whose name is Sharon Martin:-

Sharon Martin is a full time singer/songwriter from Glasgow, UK.


She has been writing and performing for over 10 years as lead vocalist in bands including Handsome Dan, The Kingfishers and more recently as front-woman for Grammy winning record producer Stephen Lironi's latest project, ‘Flesh’.


Since late 2009 Sharon has been pursuing a solo career, forming her own band packed full of Scottish musical talent. It is with this band that Sharon regularly performs her self-penned tracks at venues around the UK. Her unique, edgy look and sound have led to recent coverage in The List, The Herald, the Daily Record and The Scotsman. Her own sound draws influence from respected acts such as The Rolling Stones,Tracy Chapman and The Killers. Sharon also modelled since age of 17 featuring in major newspapers, magazines and ad campaigns throughout the UK. In 2006 she was featured in the Guild of International Songwriters & Composer magazine after sending them her self-penned track ‘Too Late’ to be assessed by a leading panel of songwriters and A&R representatives – all cited the song as excellent and as a result, a follow up article was written stating that Sharon was a huge talent and one for the future.


From singing vocals for EMI, being a front runner for single of the week on BBC Radio 2 (The Kingfishers, ‘Make Me Sad’ in 2008) and recently working with a producer of Stephen Lironi’s calibre, Sharon has honed her craft over the past few years and will be one to watch for 2011. Look out for live dates! Band members: Greg Barnes (keys), John Carson (guitar), Paul Reece (guitar), Gordy Turner (drums).

(taken from a bio on Sharon's official site)

I've also tracked down footage of a great acoustic version of Make Me Sad which  recorded at the Scotia Bar in Glasgow, one of the oldest and most famous pubs in the city:-



The posting is good timing as I will tonight bump into Drew as we, along with a few hundred others, relive our youth and memories of the 80s at a Roddy Frame gig in Glasgow. I really can't wait....

But The review will be a wee while off as tomorrow at 6am I'm flying out of Glasgow for a few days. I've been invited to speak about my daytime job at a conference taking place in Rovinj, Croatia and I'm not back till the weekend. In the meantime, I will leave you all in the capable hands of my dear friend Mr John Greer who has penned a few guest pieces to entertain you over the coming days either side of the regular weekend features.

Happy Listening