Bwani, King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut, Glasgow
Jonathan Geddes
Two stars
Formerly Charlotte Brimner, the songstress now known as Be Charlotte was at a disadvantage here, given her backing band were playing another festival. Thus, the Dundonian flew solo, and there was certainly rawness to her material. However she has a impressive quicksilver vocal and a lyrical sharpness that displayed promise.
Whispery Club announced early on this was their last gig, and it didn’t take long to establish this is probably the right idea. Most songs, save a lone, subpar, 1975 imitation, had solid foundations but lacked anything to distinguish themselves from the hordes of Twin Atlantic copycats. It was all chest-beating rock but only their finale proved genuinely rousing, at least ending on a decent note.
In contrast, Barbary Coast cannot be accused of copying current trends. The Glasgow foursome’s super smooth polished funk was indebted to the likes of Simply Red and Jamiroquai, including a dedication to “the ladies”, song titles like Make The First Move and a tightness that belied the fact they’ve got a new drummer. The problem is that this means they sound like Simply Red and Jamiroquai, a prospect as appetising as hearing that the Earth is set to drop into the sun. Some will love them, though.
Headliners Bwani are one of the most established bands in the whole Summer Nights line-up, and there were certainly things to enjoy in a set of fluid guitar pop with a world music coating, including an effective late set ballad that was truly towering. The Edinburgh foursome enjoy a jittery, jumpy tune, and the likes of Stand Up impressed, so it’s a shame that the first half of the set had proved mild-mannered, with too many numbers missing any genuine spark.
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