Rockabilly Jockrock.
With a new album recently released, Sons and Daughters wee never going to have any trouble in generating some excitement in their home town gig at Glasgows ABC but the early roar from the crowd that greeted the new songs must have been music to the ears of a band who were looking as though they may have been stuck in a rut.
Sons and Daughters came onto the scene with an almighty crash and their mini-lp was warmly received but when their debut album proper finally hit the market, its initial warm response soon fizzled away as the initial excitement wore off. Sons and Daughters are a band who hit you firmly between the eyes from the word go, which on record can lose its impact over time but in the live arena is where the act excels.
‘Gilt Complex’ was an early indication of this and as Adele Bethel prowled the stage, hollering like a Banshee in her short Ramones dress, there was no doubt it was going to be a good night. Bethel is a complex front-person for the group, at times her appearance and demeanour marks her out to as a fan of the early 1960s girl groups but in other songs, she is as capable of causing a commotion with the best of them.
Old favourite ‘Hunt’ was wheeled out to much applause and the track still showcases the venom and friction that the band has at their disposal.
The elements of quirkiness that has been a major part of the bands act still remains, Ailidh still plays the mandolin on certain songs, Adele likewise with the keyboard, Scott still has a quiff that defies gravity and the teachings of modern hair-care stylists and Dave sits at the back and gets on with things.
‘Johnny Cash’ was the main request from the audience and the band did not let them down as it’s rattling piano stabs and squealed vocal passages chugged along with its demonic rhythm and again showed the quality of the bands first release.
And as the band bade their farewells to the crowd, it was with some surprise that the house lights came up and denied the audience an encore. The band had powered through the set and with the gig venue hosting a club night that evening, it was looking like a close run thing for an encore but there was certainly some disappointment from the crowd involved.
Not that it really put a dampener on the evening as the band still maintain that ferocious element to their live shows but with an earlier stage time and better forward planning, perhaps the band could have had more time for some of the omitted songs and provided even more for the fans to enjoy.