Among the 2,200 international bands playing this year’s South by South West,
it was a band from the festival’s Austin base that emerged as one of the
biggest successes. The New York Times and NME were just two
taste-makers championing White Denim, and at the first night of a string of
UK dates we have the chance to see what the fuss is about.
It’s not been a good couple of years for Essex/London-based Redjetson. Dropped
by their label Drowned in Sound after releasing their 2005 debut album, in
the midst of recording their follow-up this past year, one of their six
members left. “It’s been about 12 months since we played a show,” singer
Clive Kentish states.
“It means a lot you came out tonight. We don’t expect it, a small band from
Glasgow. We’ve been down a few times and you didn’t come then,” The Twilight
Sad’s singer James Graham says wryly. Perhaps it’s the former Arab Strap
Malcolm Middleton’s recent endorsements of the band that have lured the
sizeable crowd.