It's a great line-up and the Eagle Inn is filling up rapidly for the launch of Weimar's debut single. First up is Salford Star Best Act Award winner Dominic Carlton Jones. He delivers a perfect set; diverse, skilful and passionate, and features tracks from the great Salford Punk Poetry Sadness Death New Life album. Once Dominic has finished, he is presented with his Salford Star Award and is also given one of our iconic t-shirts. It's a nice moment and the positive energy continues...
Genevieve L. Walsh is next up and delivers classy and smart poems. She's highly likable and conveys her gothic bittersweet poems with a knowing wit. The mood is fully embraced by Sticky Pearls and they grow into a set jammed with vampish tunes. The audience respond well to a performance that we all felt could have been a little longer.
The lads from Weimar are welcomed on stage to rapturous applause. There is a real community feel about the gig, and in the audience are members of other top local bands, including musicians from Factory Acts, Four Candles, Matthew Hopkins and Bobby Peru. The tunes live up to their billing and go down well. A highlight of the night is the appearance of Rose Niland (Rose and the Diamond Hand) to duet on two tracks. It's spellbinding stuff; and if there is better voice on the scene, I haven't heard it!
The release of Weimar's double A-side John Doe/Curse the Songs is the reason for the event. John Doe is a shimmering guitar-pop tune. It has a moody vocal worthy of Nick Cave and an upbeat backing track reminiscent of classic Northern Soul. Curse the Songs is very much the other side of the coin. It highlights another aspect of Weimar and sounds wonderfully spontaneous, like it could come off the rails at any moment.*
All in all, the night has been a great success for all involved: a typically upbeat Salfordian evening full of talent, spirit and warmth.
* To hear the new Weimar tracks click here...
https://germanshepherdrecords.bandcamp.com/album/john-doe-curse-the-songs
Words by Ian Leslie