I’ve been a bit of a home body lately. Dare I say that at times the weather has been too warm, even for Glasgow, which usually has maximum temperates several degrees lower than what is experienced in England, especially southern England. And when the sun isn’t out in Glasgow, it’s dreich. There are only really two modes of weather here.
I can’t blame it all on the weather though. I fall into slumps and when that happens I have to claw my way out. On Saturday I had to will myself to go into the city to Assai Records in time to see the album launch set that Lucia and the Best Boys (well, it was really just Lucia and one of her “boys”) were performing. At times I told myself I wasn’t that bothered. That I’ll pick my copy of the CD up during the week. But then I knew that there would be a signing taking place after the performance. Then I’d think ‘well, I’ll just go in for the signing’ and decide that if I was going to make the effort for that, why not make sure I was there for the performance too? On and on it went for a few days prior right up to waking on Saturday morning.
I am glad that I made the effort in willing myself to go. I caught the earlier train in so I allowed myself plenty of time to meander down Sauchiehall Street. First, I took a wee detour to the Buchanan Galleries. There seemed to be plenty of Commonwealth Games athletes walking about the city. I stopped in to The Works for a quick look about. An excuse to squander a bit of time. From there I had a look in Flying Tiger. As I left the store who should walk past me? Simple Minds’ tour manager James Monkman, already in town, obviously. Perhaps the band were too? Who knows?
I arrived at Assai around 11.30am. I joined an already forming queue that was just a few people deep. I was concerned the weather would take a turn while standing in the queue along Blythswood Street as it had given a few little flutters of drizzle as I made my way down to the store. Mercifuly it stayed dry and at times the sun even made an appearance.
The Assai staff are starting to turn these events into a finely tuned operation. Get the patrons attending to form a queue outside. Tick them off the list of attendees at the door. Have another member of staff fulfill their order. Then allow them into the store proper to take their place in front of the makeshift stage. All very prompt and efficient.
Lucia and her ‘Best Boy’ arrived on stage a short time after. They performed several songs from the album, including ‘Wolf Cry’, ‘Better for the Worse’, ‘Lonely Girl’ and (as instructed by Lucia with an emphatic “no getting out of it” remit) a song-a-long chorus from the small crowd for ‘You Look Like Somebody in Love.’
Hands up to an admission that while I had been seeing their name around in the music circles in Glasgow and had seen them getting numerous airplay and being on the bill for gigs around the city, it was my first time experiencing them live and truly listening to any of their music. And I love being able to do that! To just go in with no previous exposure to a band or artist, and no expectations of what to expect or look for.
I thoroughly enjoyed the set. Lucia has a very powerful voice and all the tracks performed offered something compelling, be they on the more pop side of the musical spectrum, or at the rockier, progier, folkier end of the spectrum.
There was a signing session afterwards and Lucia was kind enough to personalise my copy of the CD, which had a gatefold cover that provided ample space for a lovely dedication inside. Thanks, Lucia!
The band play a headline show at the Barrowland Ballroom on October 23rd, as well as shows in Manchester and London the following week. You can book tickets HERE
All that’s now left for me to do is take a listen to the album. If the launch was anything to go by, I will really enjoy Picking Petals and from what I’ve spied so far from the reviews in the music press, it’s been getting some high praise.
