Ole ole ole ole ole
The Scottish crowd are not usually slow to voice their opinions about a set but clearly some of the revellers in the Soco Smash tent were unveiling the Spanish and Italian crowd way of voicing their approval. The oles and Seven Nation Army were fighting with the local colloquiums to praise the band but it may not have been down to foreign festival goers, it may have been due to the location of the gig. The Soco Smash tent was a highlight throughout the weekend with pitchers of Soco cocktails but it wasn’t a traditional venue, not that anyone in attendance seemed to care. At times, the impromptu dance routines in the crowd were more entertaining than the shapes the band were shifting and its probably fair to say that many of the crowd were fuelled by substances stronger than Southern Comfort.
Although blending the worlds of indie rock and dance like Hot Chip, the Filthy Dukes are a far more ferocious band, seemingly going further in their desire to have a good time and pushing the boundaries of rhythm and energy. The album has a few slower tracks on it which manages to showcase the broad spectrum of the bands musical output but when it comes to the live performance, the music is left in the hands of the more vigorous moments, of which there are many. There is the same commercial edge that has propelled LCD Soundsystem to a wider audience and with the right time and place; Filthy Dukes could easily end the summer as a major act in the genre splitting stakes.
Lynx may have tried to reclaim the maracas but with bands like this, shaking the percussion instrument for all their worth will always carry the real infectious vibe, but it makes it hard to capture the essence of a Filthy Dukes gig. Its one thing trying to stand apart from the show and dissect it in a way that will lead to a good review but in all honesty, it was all too easy to be swept up in the pulsating and slightly chaotic drive of the set. The more laid back venue definitely played a large part in propelling the band and crowd together but the set was easily a high-point of the weekend and those that crammed their way into the Soco Smash tent will be recalling this show for a long time to come.