Wednesday, June 08, 2022

Great Scots

Today brought the entirely unexpected news that 17 years since their last show, the Delgados - the criminally underrated Glaswegian band behind superb albums The Great Eastern and Hate (and more), as well as Chemikal Underground, the label that first gave us Mogwai and Arab Strap among others - have reformed.

It's a major regret of mine that the one time I saw them, at Mogwai's ATP in 2000, I was unfamiliar with their music and maintained only a passing interest, so the possibility of making amends is very welcome. The few dates announced thus far are nowhere near Cardiff - but they wouldn't reunite just for five gigs, would they?

It seems thanks are due to Mogwai's Stuart Braithwaite for inviting the four members to his nuptials. Reassembled for the first time in ages en route to the wedding, they found their connection "effortless, simple" - enough to convince them that "it might be good to play together once again".

I wonder whether Braithwaite also had a hand in Blanck Mass joining Editors as a permanent member, news that had completely passed me by until today, when it caused a proper WTF?! reaction. After all, he's friends with Benjamin John Power (close enough for Power to grant permission for the use of that sleeptalk sample at the start of 'To The Bin My Friend, Tonight We Vacate Earth') and has played with Editors' Justin Lockey in Minor Victories, so maybe connected the two.

The first fruits of their full-time union, 'Heart Attack', definitely carries the DNA of Editors of old, but also possesses a bit of edge and impact that can safely be chalked up to Power's involvement. Sadly, it also makes the likelihood of Fuck Buttons returning all the more remote.

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