This time last year a ticket to Shambolics Christmas fundraiser show in aid of Kirkcaldy Foodback , held in The Wheatsheaf , was one of the most coveted tickets in Fife and quite possibly Scotland – the event raised hundreds of pounds for what is a vital service for the local area. This year things are obviously fairly different but it’s amazing to see Fife’s finest are keeping up traditions with this years fundraiser being filmed from The Caves in Edinburgh where they are due to play as part of their Scottish tour in April (if wee sturgeon lets us out the house that is)
The now 5 piece (with new addition Scott(y paws) Williamson on synth) start the set with a fan favourite “My Time Is Now” it’s odd hearing this track without a classic shams crowd singing the words back but it was electric and filled with passion nonetheless , they followed with a new track “Council State Of Mind” a new personal favourite of mine filled with erratic sing speak from guitarist Darren Forbes with Lewis McDonald taking lead on a cracker of a lead guitar line – I hope it’s a track set for release soon. Followed was Sandra Speed another one of my favourite releases this time again with the added touch of luscious synths.
Next the boys were joined by James Allan of Glasvegas with a cover of Pale Blue Eyes by The Velvet Underground a much anticipated addition to the gigs line up and it did not disappoint. Following this were another pair of unreleased tracks “Living In Shadows” and “Dreams , Schemes, and Young Teams” – the former is a lot slower and chiller than a usual shams track but it was a welcome change harnessing their natural 4 part harmony , the latter however is definitely another classic anthem from the shams , a track that I think will resonate with a lot of folk and become an anthem for the YT for years to come.
Then came something I never knew I needed in life till now…. A shams / Kyle falconer collab covering one of my favourite songs ever written – Everywhere by Fleetwood Mac – again harnessing what I counted at one point in the cover 5!!! part harmony (we see you Mr Jake Bain in the back hitting the high notes) – proper magic stuff!
Next came “Chasing A Disaster” a live version of the debut release the group put out through Creation Records last year , a truly nostalgic track when considering how far we are from the normality of the world when it was released. They closed the night on the groups latest track “Love Collides” a re-release of a long time fan fav which features my favourite bass line of the year (a category that is massively underrated ) thanks to bassist Jordan Mchatton!
All in all it was a cracker of a gig and if anything has made me even more eager for the return of live music in it’s true form! You can catch Shambolics live next year as they embark on their Scottish tour you can catch tickets whilst you can here
The Music Files 