Scouting For Girls at Scala
Scouting For Girls – Scala – 11 February 2010
Words by Jamie Reynolds / Photo’s by Justine Sutton
Upon entering the crammed downstairs area of the Scala and wedging myself in the crowd to find a decent spot to see, the first thing that grabs at me are the props littered everywhere on the stage. It’s decorated with applause and recording signs that light up as the band take to the stage and give the venue an authentic T.V. studio feel. It all looks rather eye catching but it’s only halfway through their set that I realise how fitting this all is to Scouting For Girls and their latest release ‘Everybody Wants To Be On TV. Yes, you can figure I am not the die hard fan that majority of the audience are but as Roy Stride whisks the crowd into motion with Elvis Ain’t Dead, I can’t help but add a steady thud to the beat with my foot. There are a lot of bands out there that make it big and in an instance seem to change. Scouting For Girls have undoubtably made it big, their debut album ranked in comfortably at the top of the charts, but it’s crystal to me after only one song that these guys are still loving what they do. Smiles are plastered on every member constantly and that joy shines out with every song they take the crowd through.
Songs that I could figure out due to the help of Roy and google were Little Miss Naughty, which really showcases how well Roy and Greg’s uniquely different voices work so well together. Glastonbury which apparently was the most requested song of the evening, the crowd go absolutely mental as Greg holds the final notes for as long as he can. The vibe changes a bit with the more dance infused Famous, closely followed by I Wish I was James Bond and an amazing cover of Paul McCartney and Wings ‘Live And Let Die. By this time everyone is in high spirits, arms are thrusting about as the night moves on.
Before coming out tonight I can honestly say I thought I only knew one song of theirs and when they played that song straight off the bat I was a little worried as to how they were going to fill the rest of the set and end it in such a way as to measure up against the start. They did this and more, there were at least 3 or 4 songs that I did know and when they closed the evening with She’s So Lovely, I felt like a bit of an idiot for doubting them in the first place. They really do have an amazing charm about them and I think that a great deal of that is owed to the fact that they still enjoy what they are doing and throw in just as much passion into it as they did their first show. It’s all cliche but really you have to see these guys, or else you will be missing out.
Setlist:
Elvis
Little Miss Naughty
It’s Not About You
Glastonbury
The Airplane Song
Famous
I Wish I Was James Bond
Live And Let Die
Michaela Strachan You Broke My Heart (When I Was 12)
Silly Song
Keep On Walking
Posh Girls
(This Ain’t A Love Song)
Heartbeat
(1+1 = 3)
The Mountains of Navaho/This Aint A Love Song
She’s So Lovely
February 19th, 2010
I have seen scouting for girls so many times now but this was by far the best show, your spot on about the guys, they really do know how to put on a great show.