Gig review: Acoustic Ladyland

Published on Wednesday 24 June 2009 19:43

ACOUSTIC LADYLAND **** KING TUT'S, GLASGOW

IT'S all change in the Acoustic Ladyland camp again, as this magnificent, mercurial outfit continue the push into new territories. The core of the band remains the same – feral saxophonist Pete Wareham and shock-haired drumming sensation Seb Rochford could hotwire any group; together, they are a fearsome ticket. Rocking Ruth Goller on bass is a heavy duty force to be reckoned with and is now a trenchant part of the team.

But keyboard player Tom Cawley has departed, leaving a gap for another brave virtuoso to fight their corner in this jazz-punk powerhouse. At present, new guitarist Chris Sharkey is not that player. Having made it this far without recourse to six strings, it would take quite a squall to shake up their already tempestuous sound; Sharkey, facing the thankless task of keeping up with three superlative musicians, just looked happy to be invited along for the ride. His most distinctive contribution sounded like the work of Chili Peppers' guitarist John Frusciante. But Acoustic Ladyland already punch harder than any rock band. They certainly don't need to turn into one.

Instead, the standout feature of their new material is Wareham's melodic sax lines. The Mighty Q, dedicated to Wareham's baby son Quincy, was a heavy, hypnotic meditation. Sport Mode boasts one of their most demented, squealing hooks to date. And Not So was a thrilling race to the finish line where they ended, as always, way ahead of the pack.