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Tuesday 20 March 2018

Ryan Hamilton & The Traitors - The Main Grains (Stereo - Glasgow 18/03/18)


Last year it was The Main Grains with the Drama Club Rejects that rolled into town. Between them they tattooed an indelible memory in my head.
And now on this outing they are back to open for another band that similarly impressed when I seen them on the Edinburgh date of their Heavy Heart tour in 2017. They would be the mighty Ryan Hamilton and his Traitors.

It was a cold day in Glasgow, but these two acts could easily heat up a cold day in hell on a solo jaunt, so we gleefully went in with high expectations for the show they were doing together, and we were not disappointed.

The Main Grains.

The Main Grains are heavily tapping into something that gets the primal blood pumping hot and fast through the veins.
It's difficult to put your finger on what it is though. When you break things down you might find yourself with all the parts, but in the process lose sight of why it all works so well.
The best bands, or the best in my opinion, all had this sum of its parts element. The Ramones, The Cramps, The Damned, AC/DC, The Rolling Stones, Motorhead, The Stooges etcetera.
You don't look too closely at it what's going on with them. Instead you simply stand back and let yourself be swept away with what they can do.
Thrashing drums, guitars chugging, or howling away, the bass underpinning it all. They are all creators of an aural drug that is highly addictive. And now so are The Main Grains.

Guitar rock and roll crack anybody?

What do we want to call it though? Good time rock and roll?
Is that enough?
I suppose it will have to do. It falls short, underplays the power, the passion, but what else fits?
They can certainly offer the soundtrack for a party. Not a cheese and wine gathering. The sort of party where casual nudity and vomiting in the bathtub will probably feature, or in short the best sort of parties that we all remember from misspent youth years.
It’s not a stretch to say that as a whole the band have positioned themselves to be ready to accept the baton from legends such as The Ramones, Stiff Little Fingers, and such and run with it.
Not a bad place to be really.
This is the third Main Grains show I've attended, and the best. They aren't content with getting incrementally better. They want to, need to, make the huge leaps, and they are doing just that with style.
My only concern is that with a tour of the UK and Australia coming up for Danny with The Wildhearts that it will possibly slow the momentum that the Main Grains are garnering, but apparently there are plans afoot to ensure that we don't forget about them.
I'm looking forward to these plans being revealed.



Ryan Hamilton & The Traitors.

Last year Ryan Hamilton rocketed to the top of my "new favourite artist" list, and then stayed there.
Late to the party I might have been, but damn I'm enjoying playing catch up.
From his solo releases, to that with The Traitors, to his recent country collaboration with Tony Wright of Terrorvision, I don't think there's been one misstep made.
In fact I'd go as far as to say that I've yet to hear one song from him that I would consider falls below a quality bar that he has set very high for himself.
How many artists could you say that about? Not one weak song!
Even his podcast "Lost the plotcast" is in my opinion essential listening.
You just have to get on board with everything he is doing.

On stage is where everything Ryan does makes complete sense though.
He, and his band, are born to perform. The live environment is where it's at.
There's something familial about the experience. We are all in it together from the first note to the last, and that's a good feeling to spread about.
It's the sort of foundation that great things can be built on. You could imagine him a few years down the line playing a larger venue and reminiscing about playing club venues in Glasgow, and pretty much everyone who was there in Stereo would be standing front and centre and reliving the memory with him.
Like the Marines, Ryan probably isn't going to leave anyone behind.
There's something special about that, but I guess you had to be there to understand what I’m trying to convey.

Thankfully the upside is that you can be the next time he is in town.
It's not an exclusive party. Everyone is invited. So if you like your rock with a country twang, like your power pop bands too, then Ryan has his pen in hand and will tick all those boxes for you.

Highlight of the set wasn’t actually one of his songs, but a cover of Tom Petty that ended the night on a high. Similar to what was said about the Main Grains being positioned to take ownership of a baton Ryan is equally standing there with his hand out and ready to run too.

If you want to get in early and be able to crow about seeing these guys in clubs before everyone else picks up on them then now is the time.



Previous interviews with The Main Grains and Ryan Hamilton & The Traitors.
Ryan Hamilton & The Traitors.
The Main Grains. 


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