Come On Gang! -‘Strike A Match’ (self-released)
‘If this is being young, it isn’t easy,’ sings Sarah Tenet-Jones on ‘Fortune Favours The Brave.’ She’s right, it’s not, and the sad thing even if you’re in your mid-thirties is that Come On Gang! are calling it a day, just as they release their debut album.
Shame. Because this is a debut album that feels fresh and plays like a manifesto, it’s just that knowing they will have split by the time it comes out feels bittersweet. What can I say about Edinburgh’s Come On Gang!? They wrote great pop ditties, which is a start. there were three of them, which is always cool. And their singer was also also a lass who sang from her drumkit. That’s cooler, and far more rare. Oh…and they’re leaving us with a debut packed with ace tunes like ‘Red thread’ ‘Wheels’ and ‘Coffee Shop.’ I think ‘Fortune Favours The Brave’ is always going to be my favourite, though.
It’s a pity that Come On gang! didn’t get more recognition in their time together, but then twenty years ago the same was true of the Vaselines.
…and we all know what happened next.
****
Strike a Match is released on February 14.
Come On Gang! play their final gig with support from Cancel The Astronauts, Hailey Beavis and Over The Wall at Pilrig St Paul’s Church on Leith Walk in Edinburgh on February 12. Scots bloggers Peenko and Aye Tunes supply the tunes.
