Date:

Sun, 2007/11/18

Venue:

ABC, Glasgow

Tom Brogan brings us this report from the Glasgow ABC, where the New Pornographers are making their comeback. But will the Canadians understand Glaswegian heckling? And more to the point, can they still cut it live?

Now onto their fourth album with ‘Challengers’, Canadian ‘supergroup’ The New Pornographers hit Glasgow for the third time in as many years. Touring, as they always seem to in Europe, without studio members Neko Case and Destroyer’s Dan Bejar, they run through a good selection of tunes from all studio four of their albums.

the crowd love old favourites like ‘Slow Descent into Alcoholism’ and 'Sing Me Spanish Techno'...

With six members on stage, The New Pornos seem to have too much going on soundwise for the small room. Kathryn Calder, now a full-time member of the band, is an able replacement for Case’s vocals on songs such as the classic ‘Letter From an Occupant’. However, although they are an enjoyable live band, their sound is undoubtedly more at home in the studio. Carl Newman banters ably with the audience, although he frequently insists that he can’t understand what the Glaswegian crowd is saying to him. Meanwhile, the standouts here from the new album are ‘Unguided’ and ‘Spirit of Giving’ and the crowd love old favourites like ‘Slow Descent into Alcoholism’, ‘Bleeding Heart Show’ and ‘Sing Me Spanish Techno’. The New Pornographers are certainly worth checking out live, but you’d be better off rooting through their first three albums.

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