@ King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut, Glasgow, on Sat 16 Apr 2016
The evening that The Rainband play the stage of Glasgow’s famous King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut is an evening that football fever bounces through Glasgow, banging on the sides of buses and intimidating tourists. For £10 a ticket, punters could escape from the madness into the warm, sweaty arms of the city’s most revered small venue.
Kicking off the night are Kilmarnock four-piece The Cairds. Their material is upbeat and instantly likeable, despite a slightly cringe-worthy slagging of Kings of Leon‘s later material, before the inevitable cover of said band’s work. You can catch them next at The Hug and Pint on 11 May.
A strong start to the second half begins with The Hazy Shades, who bring a touch of experience to the event with their 70s swagger, chirpy banter and a sound like a shuffling marriage between The Streets and The Fratellis. Fans based in Auld Reekie can see them at Sneaky Pete’s on 25 June.
Always the support band, never the headliner – The Rainband have an impressive string of support slots behind them with acts such as The Charlatans, Simple Minds, and King Tut’s own poster boy Paolo Nutini. The release of the Manchester five-piece’s debut album Satellite Sunrise presents a rare opportunity to be centre stage. Frontman Martin Finnigan forms a strong connection with the audience instantly with his Manc banter, a strong live vocal, and the expected rubbing of the Glaswegian audience ego. (You know the one – ‘Glasgow, you’re our favourite!’ Always wonder what the replacement line for that is in Milton Keynes.)
A high energy cover of Paint It Black by The Rolling Stones elates their audience, but, as covers often do, instantly draws a comparison of material between the two. Despite The Rainband being musically tight and great performers, their songs to date and the tendency towards cliché in their lyrics let them down. A drop in energy later on in the show reflects the audience’s disappointment in not hearing material that matched the vibrancy, personality and musicality of the guys themselves. At the end of the day, this is an okay début for the Manchester lads, but hopefully they will show more promise next season.