Malcolm Ross plays the Boogaloo. He was once in the bands Josef K and Orange Juice, two favourites of mine, and tonight I’m delighted to see he still sings and plays guitar in that rather delicious and unique Postcard Records style. A cute geek croon over an effervescent, crunchy and zingy disco guitar. I feel Franz Ferdinand carry on at least one side of this tradition. Aesthetically too: like Alex Kapranos, Mr Ross still looks boyishly angular, with that David Byrne kind of mathematical cleanliness about him. Worth noting at a time when it’s rare to see men in bands who’ve even had a shave. He performs tracks from a new compilation of his solo stuff, ‘Wrong Place Wrong Time’, including a song that was written for the movie Chocolat.
In support is a rather impressively intense artist called Simon Breed, who vaguely resembles Howard Devoto. The Boogaloo actually shuts up and listens to him, so he clearly has something. Also on the bill is an immaculately-dressed keyboardist called Louis Vause, who plays a blissful lounge set. I’m told he also backs Graham Coxon.
Mr Ross’s musical cohort Edwyn Collins is rumoured to appear, but doesn’t. I presume he’s still on the mend from the dreaded haemorrhage.
The lady on the door looks for my name on the guest list:
Her: Oh, are you ‘Edwyn C’?
In my dreams.
