On a particularly packed Sunday night of live music in Glasgow I chose the 13th Note for the album launch of an act who’s been one of the most interesting yet prolific acts in the city over then last year.
This the full album launch following on from a successful soft launch a few weeks prior in, the man behind the December ’91 moniker, Craig Ferrie’s own flat.
Proceedings are opened by Wull Swailes, playing under his Wullie Mammoth alias, and he quickly get the crowd on his side with some charmingly delivered lo-fi pop.
Wull may have not yet have put any of his solo material to record, but he certainly proves himself an accomplished enough songwriter, both tonight and in previous acts, that should those recordings come they will be well worth checking out.
Polarnecks are up next and the alt rock trio notch the volume up considerably producing the kind of loud, powerful performance that this basement has thrived on over the years.
The band who recently put out a stripped back set of demos, before their Gold Mold released EP comes out mid March, don’t touch upon those quieter recording, instead blasting the audience with a potent show that draws from some classic 90s American alt indie influences; definitely a band worth checking out.
December ’91 as a live experience has been growing steadily in presence since his Quebec album came to our awareness last year and his heart-on-sleeve lyrics and performances give him quite the compelling aura.
Backed by bass and drums, Ferrie, himself on electro acoustic guitar, delivers charming insights into his life via music that channels the likes of Neutral Milk Hotel in the most DIY punk ethos possible.
Despite the personal and often dark tones to Ferrie’s lyrics he manages to maintain a chirpy presence in a live setting, and while song’s like ‘Mindrot’ cause odd stirs in the audience to the line “I escape into another man’s penis”, the set flows in captivating fashion.
The three piece are joined by, another engaging DIY songwriter, Jason Riddell on keys towards the end of the set, adding a new dimension to the band’s sound, and as Ferrie closes the set solo we get to experience the raw brilliance that is December ’91 at its essence.
A truly engaging performance from an act I like more and more every time I see him play.
Words: Iain Dawson
