RockScotland

WELL NO DICE RETURNED TO ZICOS LAST NIGHT TO A SMALLISH CROWD, POPULATED BY THE GREAT AND GOOD, AND SLIGHTLY OLDER HEATHERY STALWARTS, THE BAND AS USUAL PLAYED A GREAT SET OF COVERS ,WITH A FEW NEW SONGS FROM RAINBOW,THAT WENT DOWN WELL, TOOK THE CROWD A WEE WHILE TO GET GOING BUT WHEN SOME OF THE GIRLS GOT UP AND SHOOK THIER BOOTIES IT GOT BETTER, SOUND WAS A LITTLE BETTER, BUT AT TIMES NOT SO GOOD, IT MUST BE THE VENUE,AND AS USUAL THE DJ COULD NOT WAIT TO PUT HIS MUSIC ON, EVEN THOUGH THE CROWD AND THE BAND WANTED AN ENCORE, I THINK ZICOS NEEDS TO HAVE A ROCK NIGHT(AND THATS ALL NIGHT,} OH. I AM RELIABLY INFORMED THAT THE GREAT CHASER ARE FOR SURE MAKING A COMEBACK, GIGING FROM AROUND MAY THIS YEAR. BUDGE

You beat me to the review Budge!

I know that I am biased ‘cos my mate Paul plays drums with them but I have to say that last night was the first time I have seen No Dice and I thought they were an excellent band. Gregor’s vocals are superb – what a range the guy has – and Alec’s guitarwork was masterful. I know that they have had a few pelters on here because they are a covers band, but what a covers band they are. I noticed only one or two very minor errors in a set that lasted just under 2 hours. When you think that it was only £5 to get in, that works out at 15p per second of high quality, professional entertainment…not bad these days. And, by my fag packet reckoning, after the PA, Lights, Promoter, Trucking etc was deducted from the pot, the guys would have pocketed about £12.75 each for their night’s work. When you put it like that, they could have made more at McDonalds on the late shift. But hey, that’s the economics of rock’n’roll and if folk want a live music scene in Lanarkshire they need to turn out in numbers to support it. All in all I thought it was a great gig and so did the vast majority of the hundred or so folk who turned out to see them.

The only problem was the sound. Zicos is a difficult hall to get a sound in (I know!) but to be honest it was a stramash for most of the band’s set which is a shame. I’m no sound man so I don’t know what the problems were nor what the answers are. I know Wilson and Storm well and he’s a great guy but that mix did no-one any favours: band, audience or P.A. company. These are very accomplished musicians and it’s a pity when all of the work they have put in rehearsing, not to mention the work they put in on the night, is undone because you couldn’t hear it properly. Alec on guitar suffered particularly badly as you could clearly see him shredding away at times yet only hear one note in five. Paul had a new kick drum mike on his kit and it sounded like the opening barrage of Operation Desert Storm for the first five songs till it was turned down to a borderline acceptable level. Playing covers helps because your brain fills in the bits that are slightly muddy in the mix, but a clearer sound would have made an already good, tight, professional band a million times better.

I'll definitely be back to see them again.

everyone's a critic - not even critics are immune