Heavens Basement + Wired Desire + Peep Show
Edinburgh Hive, 12th December 2008
Bummer. Not only is the Hive (with a silent D) a cold smelly cellar with manky toilets, but we arrive on the dot at 8pm to discover the lovely Peep Show winding up their final song. (It was 'Promised Land', if you're interested.) Denied one third of our bill of guy candy!
To temper our disappointment, however, we do have Scotland's other great hope for rock'n'roll, Wired Desire – perhaps not looking as Pantene groomed as usual but sounding great, belting out their trademark mix of driving riffs, squealing lixx and dirty vocals. The ubiquitous AC/DC T-shirts are like signposts directing you to their rock roots, a bluesy old school sound served up with a raunchy attitude reminiscent of pre-bloated bonkersness GN'R (you know, back when they were actually cool…). Highlights of the set have to be the infectiously groovy 'Hard Stuff', heartfelt 'Without You' and the raucous MySpace hit 'No One Sleeps' – all they need now is a power ballad and world domination awaits.
And then we have Heavens Basement. And kudos to lead vocalist Richie Hevanz, who somehow manages to overlook the fact that he's playing a bunker that smells of sweaty trousers and gives it his all like he's playing Wembley Stadium. Just a shame the poor guy doesn't seem to realise that over here on the East Coast we're somewhat reserved, and that polite clapping from an Edinburgh audience is the equivalent of a standing ovation in Glasgow. Nevertheless, this UK five-piece treat us, ungrateful sods that we are, to an ass-kicking set of sleazy, melodic rock that wouldn't sound out of place on the Sunset Strip circa 1985.
Like Wired Desire, Heavens Basement are a band that, given the breaks, could go far – or at least as far as the likes of Airbourne and Black Stone Cherry. But in the meantime, if these three bands alone represented the future of rock, I'd be content. If only due to the tight trousers...
Wired Desire + Heavens Basement + Lycanthrope, 13th July 2008
Peep Show, 6th April 2008
Wired Desire + Peep Show + Dirty Angels + JMC, 27th February 2007
Tattooed Millionaires + Dirty Angels + Peep Show, 12th December 2006
Kid Ego + Majik + Peep Show, 14th September 2006
