CVCI usually arrange my schedule to avoid two things at FRF. One, the Red Marquee. Two, British bands. These guys slipped past my radar because they’re more Scottish than British. And I quite liked the idea of their “retro sound” as Jeff made note in his preview.

I usually avoid the Red because it’s the only stage that gets uncomfortably crowded. That’s fine if you want to mosh, but a right pain for taking notes and paying attention if you need to review. Not so this afternoon, we’re only about a quarter full for today’s CVC show.

I like the sound of brass instruments in pop & rock music. The saxophone & trumpet here do give more of a big band edge to their sound. I haven’t listened to their album, but the retro I heard was more homage to songs of the 80s such as Echo & The Bunnyman’s Killing moon than truly harking back to the big band era.

It’s a shame that this collective of musicians have announced they will go their separate ways after this current tour. For me it’s Lou Hickey’s powerful voice that sets these buys apart, overshadowing Jon Lawler’s on tracks like Vanity Kills. Tracks where she sings the lead are the highlight of the set for me. The rest are a bit ho-hum. That’s not to say not good because they are, but for me at least it seems something’s missing without Hickey in the mix.

Lawler tells us that this is actually the last ever Codeine Velvet Club gig towards the end. I’m glad I got the chance to catch them today. I Would Send You Roses seems a good cynical choice to see out this interesting band.