Attic Lights – Koko, London 12/09/08

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Photographs by Sonny Malhotra

The dance floor at Koko seems rather empty tonight, but as the giant white screen in front of the stage begins to lift, more and more people emerge from the bar sides to hear the latest Glaswegian alt rock offering. Following a successful performance at T in the Park last year, Attic Lights struck up a five album deal with Island Records the first of which will be out on the 13th of October.

Attic Lights take to the stage with an air of drunken confidence. When they launch into their first single ‘God’ it sounds as though the rattling guitar harmonies of 1960s California and all the surfing melodies of the Beach Boys have been filtered through a more modern, gloomy world view. At first lead vocalist Kevin Sherry’s vocals seem somewhat strained, but he settles into the music pretty quickly giving a rousing version of album opener ‘Never Get Sick of the Sea.’ The guitar is as energetic and catchy as the songs hook, with harmonised vocals from bassist Colin McArdle, guitarist Jamie Houston and drummer Noel O’Donell singing “bah-bah-bah-dah.”

After this Kevin asks the crowd “How many of you are drunk? And how many of you are horny?” and is answered by enthusiastic and drunken cries of “Hell yeah!” The Attic Lights then dedicate their song ‘Walkie Talkie’ to “all the drunken horny people!” Kevin then proceeds to moon walk across the stage without any shoes on.

It is perhaps fitting that that Teenage Fanclub’s sometime drummer, Francis MacDonald, discovered and nurtured the bands talent as it is easy to hear the influence of 1991 vintage Teenage Fanclub. But the Attic Lights own brand of jangly Scottish alternative rock is by no means a cheap knock-off.

Attic Lights on MySpace