Published: Wednesday, 1st July, 2009 2:33pm

Raising the roof!

by Elaine Birse

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UP-and-coming Scottish band Zoey Van Goey are backing the Alman Dramatic Club"s 'Raise the Roof" campaign.

The Glasgow-based three-piece made the announcement after they played at the Coach House Theatre in Alloa on Saturday.

It was at the gig that they heard of the drama club"s struggle to raise the £40,000 needed to repair the roof of the intimate venue.

In an effort to raise the cash, members of the public can sponsor a roof tile for the notional sum of £50 each.

Now drummer Matt Brennan has called on local people to not let the venue fall further into disrepair.

He told the Advertiser, 'We had a great time. It was definitely one of the more unusual venues we"ve played but I mean that in a really complimentary way.

'We had been previously touring in England and played a bunch of shows at similar sized venues, but they were bars. It was really refreshing to play in such a beautiful theatre - it was very special. We"d absolutely love to come back and would recommend it to any of the bands we know.'

He added, 'It"s a real shame to see a venue that nice starting to fall into disrepair. I"d definitely encourage anyone to buy a slate and keep it going.'

The band - made up of Matt, Michael John McCarthy and Kim Moore, who hail from Canada, Ireland and England, respectively - formed in 2006 and released their critically-acclaimed debut album 'The cage was unlocked all along" in May this year.

Released on Left in the Dark Records, and produced by Paul Savage of the Delegados, the album has a touch of Belle and Sebastian about it with folksy pop feel. And with inventive lyrics about love, death, the end of the world and buried treasure you can"t help but smile.

After playing six festivals last summer, including nearby T in the Park, Zoey Van Goey are taking some time out to promote their debut album and write new material this summer.

Matt went on, 'We try and be as collaborative as possible (when coming up with songs). Sometimes it will be one of us who will come in and bring a song with lyrics written down. Eventually, through the process and recording, it changes a lot and usually for the better.'

At Saturday"s gig they were supported by Esperi, which came in the form of Chris Lee-marr, showcasing his wonderous musical talents, strumming his guitar whilst playing bells with his feet.

He was joined by his wife, Cat, on harp and xylophone. Then, at one stage, he created his own wall of sound, recording on various instruments (glockenspiels, xylophone and melodica among them) and looping the music until it built to a magical crescendo.

The gig marked the debut of musical promoters 'Friend of the Night". With a unique venue in the form of the Coach House Theatre and two fantastic acts, things can only get better for the promoters who plan further gigs in the autumn.

For more information on Friend of the Night, go online to www.myspace.com/afriendofthenight