Down in the city

July in Belfast is a month best spent somewhere else. Somewhere in a different time zone. It’s the time of year when the town becomes a bad Stars In Their Eyes version of itself – sometimes taking on a wholly unwelcome ’70s theme. And, judging by the deserted streets, empty buses and closed restaurants, it’s a state of affairs that – despite what you might believe – its citizenry have little time for.

An obvious side effect of this temporary evacuation is that, during a five-week spell of prime mid-summer, there’s barely a decent night out to be found, while, on top of this, lots of people worth talking to also decide that the best option is to head for more welcoming hills. Hit The North takes to its bed in July. With nothing but tea, madelines, and recent memories to keep it company. Mostly good ones, but some it wished it could forget.

Oasis brought their lumbering ‘Maintenance 2002’ tour to Belfast in June with unsavoury results. Not so much a rock concert, as an opportunity for the North and East Belfast face-offs to relocate somewhere with a roof and expensive PA, it’s a sad indication of how far the Gallagher star has fallen that, over two nights, the frequent (Matrix-style) punter-rucks proved more diverting than the disinterested, complacent posturing going on onstage.

If Oasis are now essentially a stadium rock band – and if their last three LPs are anything to go by, you’d be hard pressed arguing that it was musical curiosity propelling them along – then they’d better start acting like one. Because, frankly, sitting through Simple Minds at their lighter-waving pomp-rock worst would be a more appetising prospect than having to go the full fifteen rounds watching Liam Gallagher singing sub-Weller tosh with his hands in his pockets. Most depressing of all, though, was the (entirely predictable) sight of so many Union Jacks and Tricolours amongst the crowd. With loads of bulls in the audience, those rags were the last things you wanted waved.

Much more genteel and enjoyable was the Amazing Pilot’s show at Joe Tomelty’s old haunt, The Group Theatre. The Pilots are a winsome, melancholic band and one blessed with a placating on-stage assurance honed by sporadic spins on the London gig merry-go-round. Their stint as backing band to Christian rocker Brian Houston may also explain how they came in possession of such an oddly polite (and sizeable) audience.As for the venue, a cross between an old style music hall and somewhere James Mason could have hidden out in Odd Man Out, it has an intimacy and old-world aura much in keeping with the group’s quieter material.

You’re more likely to see a punch-up at a Low show than have to dodge any glasses at an Amazing Pilot’s gig. If thoughtful, melodic pop is your bag, next time they drag themselves away from the manifold delights of Eastbourne, make sure you nip along. And any bands or promoters out there looking for a personality-filled venue that wears its history well, should take a trip to the Group.

It would make a perfect venue for The Reindeer Section, even if, after decades of experience hosting community drama, it would probably never have been invaded by a cast with so many members. This, of course, is assuming that Lightbody and chums would want to come play. The Scotch-based collective have enjoyed a fraught relationship with Belfast gig-goers on the two occasions they’ve performed here; with Gary engaging in (verbal) battles he’d have been better off ignoring. But Son Of Evil Reindeer is – even just a number of weeks after its release – proving to be such a special, wonderful record that it would be a shame if we didn’t get to see the band up close. Reports from Witnness claim that the Section show – flavoured by the presence of Eugene Kelly and Norman Blake – was one of the highlights of the weekend.

Belfast label Bright Star, the band’s home, is on the verge of releasing Dry Land, the second album from The Last Post, while the debut LP from Corrigan will be out in the autumn. A gig with the Section hordes would be a perfect way to give all involved a pat on the back.

It’s August now, we can start thinking about these kinds of things again. Is it time to get up yet?