Added on Saturday 8 May 2010

West End Volume 36

Despite my best efforts to leave the reviewing live music in Glasgow to someone else, I keep ending up in basements with a pen in my hand. Come to think of it, I even wrote a review on the back of a train ticket once. That's a sure sign that this writing thing is turning out to be something of a compulsion.

Of course, it was not really my fault this week. After reviewing the electro pop joys of Sugar Crisis, the Paraffins and Magic Box Mistress, I was in a good mood. That, of course, might have been related to the consumption of Guinness but when the barmaid offered to show me her "cranberries" should I return upon the Thursday night it seemed churlish to refuse. Being often guilty of wishful thinking, I assumed "cranberries" was Glasgow rhyming slang for something (ahem) fruity in a Frankie Howerd kind of way. Unfortunately, her "cranberries" turned out to be the sort of fruit that you can buy in Tesco. Not very impressive fruit at that - I had been hoping that they would be more like melons in size. Ho hum.

On the great CD player of life, a new contender has stepped up. Local band Fear the Fives have released a three track EP that sprinkles European influences over alt-pop to ear pleasing effect. It's good to hear a band that doesn't sound like their only musical trick is to make a lot of noise.

How many portions of fruit is it that we are supposed to take a day? Five, isn't it? Potatoes don't apparently count but I am sure that melons will.

• Fear the Fives - www.myspace.com/fearthefives
• Magic Box Mistress - www.myspace.com/magicboxmistress
• Sugar Crisis - www.myspace.com/sugarcrisis