Teenage Fanclub play Nostalgic show at Commodore
written by Scotty Evil
images from Red Lenses Photography
Hard to believe that 1989 was 30 years ago! The pop rockers from Scotland, Teenage Fanclub did their best to strip away the decades to an appreciative crowd.
Local psychedelic rock act The Orange Kyte opened the night at eight-thirty sharp to a sparse crowd that slowly wandered in. The early arrivals pricked their ears at the mesmerizing sounds from this versatile foursome. Their drummer pounds the skins like a madman, backing a layer sound that was sexed up with wistful saxophone and that great 60’s keyboard sound. The cheers grew louder as the set went on. The early Pink Floyd influences were strong and groovy.
By the time their set ended, the floor area had filled up. Teenage Fanclub took to the stage all smiles. And this was truly the theme of the night; despite the infrequent lineup changes it was clear these guys were playing for the sheer fun of it. The upbeat setlist reflected this happy energy that came straight from the nineties.
The jangly guitar and harmonies kicked in right right away with 1995’s “About You” and set the pace fro the rest of the night. Norman Blake’s Scottish brogue is still thick despite having lived in Canada for sometime so it was difficult to make out some of his banter between songs…something about having to go to Long and McQuade for a guitar and another quip about getting back to Canada and using his PC Optimum points for shopping. The talk was sparse as the band marched through their 3 decades of charting singles, Raymond McGinley trading vocal duties with Blake.
With the title track from “Catholic Education” in the middle of the set, the was where the band shone; the upbeat fast-paced fuzzy rockers with that distinct UK tone coming out of the VOX amps. At this point they seemed to hit their stride with the diverse catalog.
Familiar yet new member Euros Childs manned the keys and provided backup vocals taking the place of Dave McGowan who had moved to bass, taking the place of Gerard Love who wasn’t up for the extensive touring.
Despite the sheer number of middle-aged white guys in attendance, there were more than a few hip young ladies dancing up a storm in their Keds and mom-jeans off to the side, whipping their pixie cuts at the boppy up-tempo tracks. The vibe was infectious, with fans yelling out requests…but the band stuck to the setlist.
The two-song encore ended with the first track off Bandwagonesque, “The Concept”. The melancholy outro was poignant; the fans sang along heartily yet wanting more, but with a polite wave and a thank you, that was it for the boys.
Much like their career, the show was rock solid and steady. The musical pedigree shows for a band that has shared the stage with many acts and has as many accolades from fellow musicians. Teenage Fanclub are worth catching anytime.
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written by Scotty Evil
images by Red Lenses Photography
