“Unable to get to any of the remaining gigs on their farewell tour, so, in common with likely many present tonight, for me The Spook School’s Indietracks valedictory performance really was a goodbye.
A heartfelt thank you to one of the most important bands our little world has ever unearthed, tackling all matters transgender, gender binary, toxic masculinity, homophobia and so on unflinchingly, yet with a hugely relatable vulnerability”.
The words I shared on Facebook back on July 27th, 2019, for what to this day remains tied equal as one of my favourite four or five gigs of all time. An emotionally charged, hopeful, angry, defiant, poignant, funny, life-affirming, vital set from a band which lived and breathed all of those attributes every day of its existence.
A few further gigs followed up to the first week of September that year, and that – save for the briefest of returns in 2023 to mark the tenth anniversary of their Dress Up debut – appeared to be that.
Until, with little to no warning, a quick “We’re back” message appeared on their Facebook presence on Tuesday morning of last week.
It’s stating the obvious that all of the issues which most exercised the Glasgow four-piece first time around are very much still prominent in the public discourse seven and a bit years on, if not more so.
In particular, interviews for Clashmusic and God is in the TV since the announced return have devoted attention to the ever more depressing trend to talk about trans rights around rather than with transgender people, and usually in pejorative, ignorant and judgmental terms.
With the hopes that the content of their older material would have become quaint and outdated by now clearly dashed, but acknowledging that they didn’t especially want to play just the back catalogue if returning, the time was right for the band to take once more to the studio, and to come out swinging.
Hence Falling, the blast of energy also released into the wild last Tuesday. As a statement of intent musically and lyrically, it does its job with rare aplomb, and the January release date of the parent album Like A Heartbeat already feels like the first genuine highlight of 2027 to which to look forward.
gc
Jeremy Grayson. Son of immigrant. Adoptive father of two. Metadata librarian. Freelance point-to-point / horse racing writer, analyst and commentator wonk. Loves music, buses, cats, the BBC Micro, ale. Advocate of CBT, PACE and therapeutic parenting. Aspergers.