Glasgowbury 2011 - Girl's Names
Main Stage, 4.40pm
In A Tweet: Is this Glasgowbury Main Stage or Morrissey's garage?
What Happened: When Girls Names amble out onto the Main Stage all dressed in Robert Smyth's cast-off wardrobe, the first thing that springs to mind is how roasted they must be in the glorious summer sun. And while they mightn't be chafing in parts they care not to talk about, they certainly sound like they are: an uncomfortable, clunky dirge that's surely supposed to be a faux-disinterested homage to the bands they emulate. If you close your eyes you could be listening to Morrissey one moment, Ian Curtis the next, and to their credit Girls Names pay tribute to their influences pretty well. But as one song runs into the other without any distinctive markings as to the difference, the set gets lost in its own indifferent schtick and just wallows in mediocrity.
Goldstar: Ethereal Twin Peaks-esque strains surface in the opening track, and on occasion Girls Names sound like they could have lived on a diet of The Shadows and old 60s movie soundtracks in preparation for the gig. This sinister surf music for a generation that's never heard of Laura Palmer vibe is fantastic, if only there was more of it.
Lost at Sea: The sound quality is rubbish, and whether it's because Girls Names are deliberately trying to produce that particular brand of lo-fi dirge, or are victims of technical difficulties, remains a not-very-exciting mystery.
Rating: 4/10
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