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WE LOVE PLAYING IN ABERDEEN

Scotland’s top indie-folk band reckon Aberdeen has one of the strongest music scenes in the UK.

Rick Webster is the lead singer of Glasgow-based five-piece Unkle Bob who are managed by Saul Davies, formerly of James.

“We love playing in Aberdeen and can’t wait to come up and play next week,” he said.

“Aberdeen has so much going for it in terms of a local music scene.

“There’s a university, so there are students from all over the country who like going to hear live music, and lots of great venues like Cafe Drummond and the Lemon Tree.”

And, of course, the Tunnels where Unkle Bob will be playing next Thursday.

As veterans of the gigging circuit, the band made it up for last year’s Go North – the annual festival that sees the Granite City flooded with musicians hoping to snag record deals.

“With events like that there is always an element of expectation from the bands that play,” said Rick.

“But even if no-one gets signed it’s a great experience to be a part of.

“There’s a real community feel and it’s a great way to network with other artists.”

Hailing from all around Britain, Unkle Bob formed in and around Glasgow University four years ago.

Their distinctive acoustic sound is a harmonious blend of guitars, pianos, mandolins and hand drums – set against a startling lead vocal.

Their contemporary-indie sound has drawn comparisons with Nick Drake, Tim Buckley and Van Morrison.

Last summer ‘the Bob’ enjoyed a seminal performance at T in the Park, while their cult following ensures sellout gigs across Britain.

July sees the release of single Too Many People through the band’s own record label Friendly Sounds.

Rick said: “At one stage we had a lot of record label interest and we were really close to getting signed a few times, but something always got in the way.

“Eventually we set up our own label on the internet and released an EP that way.

“Although we don’t actively shun big record labels, we’re happy working the way we are just now.

“I think bands are able to take things into their own hands nowadays. The Kaiser Chief’s pretty much made it themselves, and I’ve been following Sandi Thom’s recent success. I wouldn’t mind a chat with her actually.”

And with the help of a recently acquired management deal with Saul Davies, support for Unkle Bob is growing.

Rick said: “A friend of ours sent him some of our music without telling us, and he loved it.

“He’s really passionate about what we do and has this amazing creative vision. He works along with more business-minded people so together they are like an unstoppable force.”

M.C Jones

CAUGHT LIVE: UNKLE BOB
Unkle Bob King Tut’s, Glasgow, June 16
Paul English

HAVING built up a devoted following in their adopted Glasgow, there was something of a homecoming feel to Unkle Bob’s Tut’s turn.

After two years on the acoustic gig circuit, the band used this as a launchpad for new single Too Many People (out July 17), a precursor to their forthcoming debut album. Singer Rick Webster’s velvety vocal is -for now – one of the country’s best-kept secrets, and his bandmates’ harmonies remain tight and graceful.

Songs such as The Hit Parade, with its brilliant “I want to get laid, I want to get played, I want to walk down the hit parade” lyric, and the delicate ballad I Need A Car, were well received.

Unkle Bob write smart, catchy songs about broken hearts and chasing skirt – universal themes that might yet find a universal  audience.

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Unkle Bob – The Hit Parade

As is always the case with these things a little of what you might call an apology. A little while back these chaps (5 in total) sent along an album, turned out to be their debut. At the time it didn’t strike a chord and not being one to go off in print and lambast them I quietly passed on it. So imagine my face when this came through the post – eager I thought, and with the failing memories of that album though distant yet still to mind I pushed this to the middle of the pile.

Now imagine my surprise when early in the morning, as is the way of these things, I reach for something new to hear and up springs this four track affair. Oh well in for a penny in for a pound I thought. But hey! hell this is good I thought as the first 20 seconds of ‘Hit Parade’ fizzed into life, better skip to track two ? damn better still.

The first thing that strikes you about Unkle Bob are Rick Webster’s vocals, powerful yet fragile at times with a chorister charm at others possessing that same soft lost at sea keeper of life?s lonely observer post quality as attached to Nick Drake no more so is this evident than on the affectionately elegant ‘This Way’ where the shy intimate charm of Tugboat stars Pellumair meets the haunting solitude of ‘At the chime of the city clock’.

Each of these three originals are classically steeped in the thrill of sensitively romance laden acoustically honed bitter sweet pop, all accompanied by a sting in the tail and all matured, sophisticated and heavily tugging on the heartstrings.

The almost Church like ‘Swans’ is dressed seductively with the tender natured underpin of a full bodied orchestration that has the power to cut you to the quick while being perfectly treated to the lush sway of Morricone like sweeping strings. Strangely enough the lead cut ‘The Hit Parade’ is the weakest track here coming across as though the sparseness and hurt grace of the Red House Painters has been dynamically enhanced by the Dream Academy it also has the honour of being de-mixed by Creeping Bent (what ever happened to them) / Psychiatric all stars Colditz who impress their skills for the ‘A hard teeth PI’ retread and render the original almost unrecognisable and into the bargain somehow impart an, if possible, futuristic Silver Apples gloss to the proceedings. Gem like. Time to root out that album again methinks.

UNKLE BOB The Hit Parade EP
Friendly Sounds release 21.3.05

This largely acoustic release is flawless. The entire collection from this Glasgow based band has been produced with the aid of a grant through the Scottish Arts Council and released off their own backs. This first effort shows astonishing potential for songwriting that is genuinely moving. It’s beautiful, fragile and delicate from start to finish. It’s easy to understand why the international response to this track on my show has been so immense. I’d like to buy them all a pint when they get their deal which, to be honest, is inevitable.

Vic McGlynn (BBC 6 MUSIC)

Despite the bands original members all meeting in Glasgow’s West End hippy den / tea-shop Tchai Ovna, Unkle Bob singer and songwriter Rick Webster claims little allegiance to the Byres Road set that has spawned Belle and Sebastian and many others. “When i was a student”, he says “I did tend to live in a bubble around that area, but none of us are students anymore and i’m growing fond of the rest of Glasgow”.

Taking inspiration chiefly from Island Records of the early 1970s (Nick Drake, James Taylor, Carole King etc), Unkle Bob are certainly a welcome edition to any city’s scene. Using banjo, mandolin and piano, they invest a sweet melancholy to the indie-folk sound. Proof of the five piece’s ability is released later this month, with the appearence of the Hit Parade EP.

While Webster realises that many Scots bands incorporate this element at the moment, he also asserts they each have their own style. “If Aberfeldy are the happy folk”, he laughs, “and Sons and Daughters are the crazy folk, that must make us the miserable folk. But each great Scottish band at the moment sounds totally unique, no-one is jumping on any bandwagon – it just makes for such a healthy scene”.

Dave Pollock