Stirling and its surrounding areas have always had an odd relationship with live music, at least that’s the impression I have. Take The Beatles for example. A 1963 show in nearby Bridge of Allan was apparently attended by “ninety-six drunk young farmers and four women”. It’s fair to say the Fab Four with their weird clothes and haircuts probably went down like a lead balloon. In the Seventies and Eighties, Stirling University was a regular touring stop off, playing host to the likes of Elton John, Pink Floyd, Queen, the 2-Tone Tour, The Cramps and New Order but not much since. Meanwhile, Orange Juice stopped off at the Mayfield Centre in 1982 and a few local bands such as A Curious Reign, The Fakes, These French Girls and 22 Beaches made a ripple on the alternative scene at the time. The Pogues to The Proclaimers have played the Albert Halls while Ocean Colour Scene and REM have blazed at the Castle but in short, while there have been related difficulties in staging events, there seems to have been a general apathy in the city to hosting bands and artists for sometime now.

 

Positively, Stirling has hosted the Scottish Album of the Year (SAY) Awards for the past couple of years and the introduction of the Summer Sessions has been a real coup with Tom Jones and Shania Twain bringing their sounds to the city. So it’s getting better – well done to those involved – and finally we may see a legacy or imprint that is badly needed. 

 

 

Sandwiched in between those Summer Sessions was a show headlined by Young Fathers and an array of support acts including Self Esteem. The venue was a field directly below the imposing Castle, equidistant between what is generally regarded as the independent/socialist leaning area of Raploch to the left and the more staunch Tory/Unionist leaning area of Kings Park to the right. Easy to imagine the velvet draped curtains of the latter twitching somewhat as the kids made their way along Dumbarton Road to the venue, the inhabitants within, tut tutting at this absolute inconvenience of a gig!!!   

 

So, to the music. Rebecca Lucy Taylor aka Self Esteem is a real tour de force. Clever lyrics and a great stage show were on offer, with three backing singers providing the ideal accompaniment to Taylor’s lead, their dance moves and vocals down to a tee. Prioritise Pleasure was an early highlight before the band launched in to what was a sensational take on Fucking Wizardry, a song I’ve seen them play live before which never tires. 

 

Taylor’s vocal was perfectly isolated on The 345, the backing response really stripped back while I Do This All The Time is delivered with a laid back feel that quickly shifted gear to provide a real edge around the spoken word elements. 

 

Arguably Young Fathers are the most vibrant and intense live band not only in Scotland but across the U.K. at the moment. But could they do it outdoors on a summer night in Stirling? Of course they could, from the moment they kicked off with Queen Is Dead to the closing Toy, the crowd were enthralled by a powerful sonic blast of music I doubt Stirling has heard in many a year. Or ever. 

 

 

So what makes Young Fathers such a live force? The music obviously plays a part but there is so much more going on. Chemistry for one. The interactions between Alloysious, Kayus and Graham “G” seemed to happen organically but the additional musicians and backing singer are equally as important, all cogs in a wheel that rarely dropped below breakneck speed, driven forward skillfully with a sense of daring, the crowd all along for the ride. Visually too, they capture one’s attention. There was no playing by numbers here, each song offered something new, something different. 

 

Long term collaborator Callum Easter emerged from behind his keyboards to lend guitar to Rice and it was a scintillating noise before suddenly crashing to a halt, magnificent. I Saw had an almost shamanic vibe, allowing the crowd to get lost in the moment. 

 

 

Towards the end “G” led the crowd in chants of Free Palestine and Fuck the Tories. At that point, I swear I could feel the force of ten thousand Kings Park windows closing. Good, fuck them and more power to Young Fathers.