We are excited to be bringing two legends of the independent music scene in Scotland to FRETS this Friday 7th Oct. BMX Bandits and The Pearlfishers will be performing at at a joint headliner concert in the Strathaven Hotel, alongwith opening support, The Hungry Beat Group..
Both groups are long established members of the Scottish independent music firmament. BMX Bandits came to the fore during the C86 period with releases on Stephen Pastel’s 53rd and 3rd label. The group were also signed to Creation Records, and are now releasing their music on Last Night From Glasgow. The Pearlfishers have enjoyed a long relationship with the Marina label and are currently finishing off a new album.
The Bandits’ Duglas T. Stewart and Pearlies leader David Scott are brothers in pop, bonding over a shared love of the Beach Boys and Todd Rundgren, and other outlier pop producers. Their concert at FRETS promises to be a special pop moment.
Tickets are available at this link https://www.wegottickets.com/event/552735
Approx timings
7pm – Doors
7.15 – THE HUNGRY BEAT GROUP
8pm – BMX BANDITS
9.10 – THE PEARLFISHERS
Some of you may be aware I’m involved in a newly published book, Hungry Beat, which is an oral history of the two independent labels that set post-punk Scotland alight – Fast Product (Edinburgh) and Postcard Records (Glasgow). Fast released the first records by The Mekons; The Human League; Gang of Four; Scars; Fire Engines; whilst Postcard released singles by Orange Juice; Josef K; The Go-Betweens; Aztec Camera.
Here is a recent interview I did with The Herald.
We have had successful book launches in Edinburgh, Glasgow and London, and will be discussing the book and performing a set of songs (as The Hungry Beat Group) by some of the aforementioned groups signed to Fast Product and Postcard as the opening support to BMX Bandits and The Pearlfishers on Friday 7th Oct at the Strathaven Hotel. Apt in many ways, as the first release on Postcard (the Falling and Laughing single by Orange Juice) was recorded in Strathaven at Emblem Sound studio. Similarly the first release (We Can Send Letters) by Aztec Camera was recorded at the same studio and released on the Rough Trade/NME cassette, C81.
The Hungry Beat Group consists of Ken McCluskey – vocals (The Bluebells), Malcolm Ross – electric guitar (Josef K/Orange Juice), Campbell Owens – bass (Aztec Camera), and myself on 12-string acoustic guitar. We’ll be chatting a wee bit about the book and playing some songs by Orange Juice / Aztec Camera etc.
Douglas MacIntyre
Fretsconcerts.com 