Trio of acts thrive under the influence

Cabaret Voltaire

TRACING the influences of any musician is tricky, but it's usually at least a bit of fun. The three Scottish acts at Cabaret Voltaire last night were all very definitely of the present, but occasionally, snippets and hints of their forebears peeked out from behind them.

Like an oral tradition, the influence can pass down the generations, so that the current musician might have no idea where it originated - but that makes it no less concrete.

Nineteen year old Katie Sutherland could have passed for 60s archetypal flower child, Melanie. Not just in appearance, but also in the way her voice could be gentle one moment and passionately fiery the next. Her songwriting was firmly rooted in the modern era, though.

She may be young and, as such, still have a lot of dues paying to do, but she's found her voice. What might appear to be quirky, charming affectations actually flow naturally from her and may well be the thing to separate her from the many other female singer songwriters out there.

That and a deft knack for good tunes like Because I Do or Lower Ground.

Popup were much harder to pin down: Michael Cross' prominent Scottish vocals had a distinctive flavour that was very addictive, and because his accent was consistent, there was no jarring when he switched to a Tom Waits style of spoken delivery. Overflowing with energy, the band were led from the front by Adrienne Giudici's superhuman "lead" drumming.

With a right foot that simply would not quit, her powerhouse percussion deserved at least one solo spot - even if they were an indie band, not a bunch of jazzers. Not just a thrasher, Giudici played with a sense of melody and dynamics that few drummers even bother with. They were a great band, surely destined for success, as long as they get a little more onstage discipline.

Emma Pollock, co-founder of Scottish legends The Delgados, was on cracking form. Neither offering, nor being asked to play any of the Delgados songs, she instead concentrated on new material and the crowd lapped it up. Whether conscious or not, she has a cinematic style of arranging, with often melancholic melodies reminiscent of Dead Can Dance. Haunting, pervasive lyrics and tunes weaved around the room, entrancing the audience.

Her songs are versatile - as fulfilling unplugged as they are with a full band, and for the most part, it was the latter format for the evening. Limbs was one song given the acoustic treatment and, in some ways, it was the best song of the set. Most of her arrangements gave the material plenty of room to breathe, but Limbs, with it's sinewy melody and spartan accompaniment, was a breath of oxygen.

The band needs to be careful not to over-rehearse the life out of the songs, but Pollock had more than enough natural energy to compensate in the meantime. Her easy smile and frequent laughter was key to the gig being as enjoyable as it was.

The Delgados may not have achieved the mainstream success they deserved, but there's no reason why Pollock shouldn't become a very major performer with songs and shows like this.