Stepping back in time in style
A night with the Vivian Girls feels a bit like stepping back in time; and not just because of the band's deliciously scuzzy, fuzzbox-retro sound. On stage, the three bandmates giggle like schoolgirls at a sorority party and the sense of fun is infectious. Were it not for support Cuddly Shark plugging their iTunes-downloadable electronic wares, I could almost have been reliving my teenage riot punk dreams.
"If you can make out what I'm saying, there's not enough reverb," laughs bassist Kickball Katy before the three launch into another two-minute powerpop wonder.
Playing their first-ever Glasgow show, the band are quick to profess their love for the city (with a special mention to Monorail Music) between frenetic renditions of album cuts such as "All The Time' and "Wild Eyes". There's barely elbow room to dance in the Captain's Rest's tiny basement, but the intimate surroundings only serve to make it feel more like a noisy slumber party. The girls joke between themselves and with the crowd, and a quick demonstration of their "psychic powers" gets one of the biggest laughs of the evening.
Despite the addition of a near-unrecognisable Beach Boys cover and a couple of new songs the set is unnecessarily brief. Still, as "I Have No Fun" is introduced as "the opposite of what tonight has been!" we can't help feeling as if we have witnessed the start of something great.