Gig review: The Phantom Band

Published on Thursday 24 September 2009 20:59

THE PHANTOM BAND **** ORAN MOR, GLASGOW

"IS THAT sample still playing?" asked one Phantom Bandee of the guy on the sound desk. "Maybe we should just record the whole song as a sample and hit play," rejoined singer Rick Anthony. Throwaway flippancy in anyone else's book, but probably something the Glasgow-based, Chemikal Underground-signed sextet are now looking into. They give the impression they've tried just about everything else in the studio to get to this point.

For such a visually nondescript band (they wear beanie hats and comfy shirts and jumpers, as if they're still lounging about in the studio), this group make music which is vividly memorable simply for the amount of classic artists it calls to mind. Their extended instrumental Crocodile is influenced by the psych-rock of Can; the pastoral pop of Folk Song Oblivion reflects Super Furry Animals and the Byrds; odd percussive devices and a tendency towards electronic backing make them seem like a reincarnated Beta Band.

At Oran Mor, this desire to cram all psychedelic rock's back pages into one set was executed with a keen ear for songs and sounds that work well alongside one another. This was no hoary attempt to excavate or just plain rip off an out-of-fashion style, more an honest effort to update it. That's why the Phantom Band will hopefully continue to draw new fans of all generations.