Wednesday 19 March 2014

Sharply-dressed quintet, ‘Soldier On’, are ready to rock Glasgow reports the Evening Times


Ayrshire lads, Soldier On, are playing a charity gig at the O2 ABC in Glasgow on Friday as part of the March of the Mods events.

It follows quickly in the ­footsteps of last Saturday's Manchester gig.

The shows are aimed at raising cash for the Teenage Cancer Trust, and will feature several Mod bands playing on each night.

They're part of a busy month for five-piece Soldier On, who are also gearing up to release their first EP through online sites like Soundcloud at the end of March, too.

"This was the first time we gigged outside Glasgow or Ayrshire, which was big for us," says singer Jordan Bastock."

The sharp-dressed quintet are already getting known both Glasgow and their local Ayrshire with their rock 'n' roll sound that's inspired by classic Mod rockers like The Who and the Small Faces.

For their new EP, the band wanted to avoid any studio polish, and make it as rough as they could get.

"We recorded it at La Chunky Studio off Argyle Street and it's a very retro place to record," explains Jordan.

"There was a lot of original recording equipment and it was a laid back process, we just went in and got it done over a couple of days.

"We didn't mess about. It's rough and ready - it's not polished, it's not clean and it's not goody two shoes music."

Now they'll bringing that sound to the ABC on March 21, following from gigs around Glasgow venues like Broadcast and King Tut's in the past.

The group is looking forward to catching a few of the other acts on offer on the night too.

"It's the first time we're playing the ABC so it's onwards and upwards," adds Liam Lawrence, their bassist.

"It's a week after the Manchester gig so we'll be carrying on full swing and other bands like Esperanza and the Beat Movement are playing, so it'll be a good night.

"We've played other Mod gigs before and they're always a good laugh - it'll be an energetic night and we fit in with that."

The band clearly loves Mod culture, and reckon the movement is back in fashion among Scottish gig-goers, thanks to acts like Miles Kane, who's made it clear how he's been influenced by Mod greats of the past.

"Miles Kane is the guy behind a lot of it - the way he dresses and the style of his music as well, that's quite Beatles sounding," says Jordan.

"He just looks cool. There's always these resurgences in music, like in the late 70s.

"I think the Mod scene is bigger in the likes of Liverpool and Manchester but Glasgow is getting there."

Despite the group all loving the same type of music, it took time for them to get together and form the band, with a few encounters in a pub kicking things in motion.

"Ben and Stevie, our two guitarists, knew me more than I knew them - they both worked in a pub and I was forever in there being a nuisance and badly behaved," says Jordan.

"Liam and I had known each other for a couple of years and had been in another band, and we knew Ross [drummer] from around then too, so that was how we all met and came together as a band.

Now the group reckon they're on the right path - and they're happy to be helping out a good cause too with their upcoming shows.

"There's people I went to school with who've suffered from cancer and it's great to be helping out," says Jordan.

"Every March there's this unity and people coming together and that's what it's all about."

March of the Mods, O2 ABC, Friday, £11.50, 4pm

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