Gig Review: SKAM Power It Up With BLACK KING COBRA At The Audio, Glasgow

Skam return to Scotland with a mini tour and a fantastic local band. With this being my birthday weekend and the start of four days of gigs it was going to get messy with a few Surprises.

Black King Cobra

Black King Cobra were signed on to support for all three Scottish dates and they chose the right band to get the party started. There were plenty of BKC t-shirts on display and more importantly a new drummer on that stage.

I have heard from a very reliable source that new boy Lloyd Griffiths is actually Sid the Sloth but that aside he is a hell of a drummer especially when he was called in to jam when Ross’s string broke(imagine that, technical issues at a BKC gig).

The boys opened with “Blood Rush” and an imposter takes to the stage with a slight similarity to singer Callum Moran…minus the mop of hair.

It may not have been too long since I last saw the boys but already they have added three new tracks to the set in “Bad Man”, “Parts of Me(Grounded)” and the seriously impressive “Lie Through my Teeth”. There is definitely a story behind the latter song but I love that BKC never stop, they never slow down and they are constantly writing, so much so that a new EP or full length album cannot be far away.

In amongst all the grooves the show was stopped and I was asked onto the stage as Black King Cobra’s death metal fan Craig appeared out of the huge side stage room carrying a cake in the shape of a viking’s helmet. I was totally taken aback and have to thank my good lady Karena and the boys for the love shown. The birthday celebrations had kicked off in style.

They followed that up with a dedication to me of the outstanding “Undesirable”, a song that is just waiting to break this band when recorded. They then finished up with double punch of “Wrack’n’Ruin” and “Quake” and proved once again that they are one of the best bands from Glasgow just waiting for the doors to open to stardom.

Skam

Three piece bands are making a serious comeback at the moment and the hardest working and most solid must be Skam. Throw in some powering riffs, some serious bass lines and spitfire like drumming and you have a band, throw in a military concept and you have Skam.

I caught the boys for the first time last year and they have definitely upped the game. I have had a good chance to get accustomed to he latest album “The Amazing memoirs of Geoffrey Goddard” and it just grows on me every time. I Love the bass lines throughout, the sometimes similarities to Maiden and the fact that they have went for a concept album as they are few and far between these days.

Songs like “Iron Cross” and “Fading Before the Sun” are as catchy as hell whilst still being as heavy as hell. Older tracks like “No Lies” and “The Wire” tell a story of a bands past with a totally different feel, way more laid back and a bit trippy.

These boys have been about for a while now and they are finally getting some recognition and for the fact they took a chance on doing a Scottish tour I have to applaud them and I for one will continue to support the band and wish them all the best in the future.

Images and words Ritchie Birnie

Originally posted on Jace Media