Reviews: Soulwax, Rumble Strips, Make Model, Kate Nash, Wasp, Shack, Westlife, Jose Gonzalez, Scanners, Fionn Regan, And Dizzee Rascal

Nov 4 2007 Edited By Mickey Mcmonagle

Mailmusic

SOULWAX, CARLING ACADEMY, GLASGOW, OCTOBER 31

Great costumes on display in the crowd for this Radio Soulwax Halloween Party almost stole the show from the Belgian electro-rock band and their alter ego 2 Many DJs.

Highlights included a rock version of Ladytron's Seventeen and their extended techno version of The Gossip's Standing In The Way Of Control.

David Pollok

THE RUMBLE STRIPS *****

KING TUT'S, GLASGOW, OCTOBER 31

The London-based five-piece gave a performance of honesty and infectious energy. Dressed in ghoulish Halloween make-up, they set the tone with lively opener Cowboy and singer Charlie Waller's passion was clear on Oh Creole, Clouds and new single Time.

Andy Kerr

MAKE MODEL *****

CABARET VOLTAIRE, EDINBURGH, OCTOBER 30

The Glasgow band play likeable and catchy guitar-pop tracks and frontman Lewis Gale and singer Aimi dished out cheery banter. The band are as rich in texture as Arcade Fire and opener The LSB, Czech Neck stood out. David Pollock

KATE NASH *****

ORAN MOR, GLASGOW, OCTOBER 29

Kate Nash can pen a catchy tune and looks good - shame her petulant teenager image is so annoying.

Wearing what looked like the school uniform from Home And Away, she was at her best singing alone with her guitar, injecting real emotion into musings about everyday life on Birds and Nicest Thing. Steve Dinneen

WASP *****

GARAGE, GLASGOW, OCTOBER 29

Playing the Crimson Idol album from start to finish could have been boring but frontman Blackie Lawless gave a power-packed performance. The shock rockers later wheeled out hits such as L.O.V.E Machine and I Wanna Be Somebody summing up their overthe top dedication. Monty Archibald

SHACK *****

CLASSIC GRAND, GLASGOW, OCTOBER 29

Mick and John Head are criminally ignored by the record-buying public but there's no doubting their pop genius. Opener I Know You Well, Pull Together, Cup of Tea and X Hits the Spot went down well but the biggest cheer was for their biggest hit Comedy. Tony Gaughan

WESTLIFE *****

AECC, ABERDEEN, OCTOBER 28

This was a popfest extraordinaire, packed with an alternately screaming and singalong crowd. Big surprise of the night was The MacDonald Brothers whose storming set and rapturous reception showed there could be life after X-Factor. Westlife headlined with the usual slick and smooth selection of hits, including their current single, a cover of Michael Buble's Home. Joanna Mills

JOSE GONZALEZ *****

ABC, GLASGOW, OCTOBER 28

The Swedish-Argentinian singer has a soothing style but the best songs were covers. After five solo tracks, two singers/ percussionists joined him for songs such as Kylie's Hand On Your Heart and Massive Attack's Teardrop. David Pollock

SCANNERS *****

KING TUT'S GLASGOW, OCTOBER 30

The North London quartet's debut album Violence Is Golden isn't out yet but the venue was packed. The throbbing keyboards of Joy kicked off a storming set of electropop gems which ended with the driving beats of Raw. Graeme Lennox

FIONN REGAN *****

KING TUT'S, GLASGOW, OCTOBER 28

Regan is a folk favourite thanks to debut album The End Of History. The Irishman played to a revered silence from opener Hey Rabbit to encore Be Good Or Be Gone. Adam Andrews

DIZZEE RASCAL *****

ABC, GLASGOW, OCTOBER 31

He might be one of the most exciting hip-hop producers in Britain but Dizzee's show is underwhelming. It's also great fun but somehow we expect more from the Mercury-winning rapper than just a standard decks-and-two-MC show. It was telling that the crowd went wildest to Dizzee's DJ playing a medley of tracks by Arctic Monkeys, Nirvana, the White Stripes and Kaiser Chiefs. Dizzee didn't have to do much but egg the crowd on for the duration. Still, at least it came after a version of his excellent Arctic Monkeys collaboration, Temptation. Things brightened towards the end with Old Skool, Sirens and Flex. Fans were told there would be no encore, no matter how hard they screamed but a grand finale of Fix Up Look Sharp will still have left most of them happy. John Kelly

Dizzee or doesn't he deserve fans' love?