Gig review: (I Can’t Get No) Stevie Jackson - King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut, Glasgow

IF BELLE & Sebastian’s urbane guitarist and resident retro pop culture expert Stevie Jackson felt under any pressure in taking the centre stage in front of an audience of his bandmates, peers and friends at this homecoming showcase, it wasn’t obvious from his amiable stage presence or the assured way he blasted through material from his debut solo album, (I Can’t Get No) Stevie Jackson.

This was a mostly upbeat, eclectic set, ranging from the indie punk thrash of Try Me, through the jaunty whimsy of Kurosawa, to the mischievous slinky funk of Just, Just So To The Point, which conveyed both his melodic dexterity and sense of fun as a songwriter and arranger, not to mention a refreshing array of subject matter, including childhood friendships, the perils of modern communication, housing schemes and pigeons.

Considerable credit must go to support band The Wellgreen, doubling up as Jackson’s backing band beside Belle & Sebastian’s Bob Kildea on guitar, allowing for a rich realisation of his sound and high, tight backing harmonies.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Caps were doffed to George Harrison with a cover of his Old Brown Shoe, and a brief solo spot in the encore elicited a call for an old Jackson party piece – You Are My Sunshine, sung in the spookily accurate style of Elvis Costello – plus former Belle & Sebastian single Jonathan David, before a rambunctious garage finish with Daddy Was A Mod In The RAF, a new single by the collaboration going by the name The Store Keys.

Rating: ****

Related topics: