Gig review: Remember Remember

EVEN at risk of unintentional bad punnage, to describe this show in the grand surrounds of a Dennistoun church by Glaswegian instrumental ambient/post-rock ensemble Remember Remember as anything less than unforgettable would be to do it an injustice.

Glasgow threepiece Remember Remember put on an outstanding, unforgettable, atmospheric show. Picture: Contributed

Remember Remember - Dennistoun New Parish Church, Glasgow

*****

What a beautiful, triumphant, transcendent noise they made.

Based around multi-instrumentalist Graeme Ronald on guitar, glockenspiel and keys – with five further players surrounding him on combination of synths, drums, saxophone and more guitar, keys and glockenspiel – this was ostensibly a launch for the group’s third album, Forgetting The Present, as promoted by the East End Social. Though, in classic Glasgow indie style, copies of the record weren’t yet available to buy due to production hitches, so we all got a free two-track CD sampler to take home instead.

There was no ignoring Remember Remember’s likeness melodically and dynamically with Mogwai – upon whose label Rock Action Records they reside – and yet the way they layered and developed their atmospheric, looping compositions, weaving subtle themes and motifs throughout, was all their own. The shimmering, chiming One Happier was breathtakingly lovely. Magnets rose up, erupted then dispersed with all the bewildering majesty of a summer rainstorm. With no support on the bill, and all focus on the headliner sonically and in terms of staging, this was clinical and unmissable stuff from first note to last. More gigs ought to be like this.

Seen on 13.06.14