Stepping back in time tonight for Joan Jett & The Blackhearts.
Originally billed as her only UK headline show of 2026, the show expanded into a tour when her support slot with Sammy Hagar fell apart after his shows were downsized and rescheduled.
So what did we get?
The Meffs, a punk duo, provided support and made a lot of riff-heavy noise, filling half an hour. I didn't hate them as much as I thought I would. Their Prodigy cover was an interesting punk take on Breathe.
This was followed by an old-school rock'n'roll show. Very retro, with nothing too fancy, just Joan on vocals and guitar, along with her band: bassist, drummer, and guitarist, playing rock music for an hour and twenty. The big screen showed mostly abstract animations, but the sound was clear, her vocals strong within her range, and it wasn't so loud as to require earplugs (at least not in the front balcony).
Half the setlist was unfamiliar to me, but most of the songs were short. She played a number of covers from her past bands, as well as songs she liked. Everyone was here to hear her play the hits, though. The classics didn't disappoint.
At sixty-seven, Joan is still in fine form. A rock icon.
Setlist:
(Intro music 1) Let's Have a Party (Wanda Jackson song)
(Intro music 2) Rebel Girl (Bikini Kill song)
Victim of Circumstance
Cherry Bomb (The Runaways cover)
Do You Wanna Touch Me (Oh Yeah) (Gary Glitter cover)
You Drive Me Wild (The Runaways cover)
Change the World
(I'm Gonna) Run Away
Light of Day (Bruce Springsteen cover)
(Make the Music Go) Boom
Fake Friends
Androgynous (The Replacements cover)
Oh Woe Is Me
Lie to Me
Love Is Pain
Long Time
If You're Blue
Everyday People (Sly & the Family Stone cover)
I Love Rock 'n' Roll (The Arrows cover)
Crimson & Clover (Tommy James & the Shondells cover)
I Hate Myself for Loving You
Bad Reputation (Joan Jett song)
Image of the setlist located on the mixing desk (#Robert Hutton)
We arrived just after 5 pm and still managed to snag a brilliant parking space on Corkerhill Road. By the time we'd walked to Bellahouston Park and gone through security, the first band, Lucia & the Best Boys, was already on stage. We listened as we wandered along past the food vendors in search of dinner. My sweet and sour chicken with noodles was vile, the watery sauce more akin to a soup.
Lucia and the Best Boys were down four members, playing acoustic as a duo, having been offered the opportunity to join the bill less than twenty-four hours earlier. Their songs sounded okay. No setlist listed on Setlist.fm.
Skunk Anansie were my main draw to this gig. The Gold Circle wasn't packed, so I had plenty of room to watch them. Skin is a force of nature, a creature of venom and honey. Her speaking voice can be shrill, but when she sings, the music penetrates my psyche and lifts my soul. I could listen to her all day. Today, she's dressed for summer in an outfit akin to that of a radical, old-school teacher, wearing a multi-layered black cape, cycling shorts and knee-length fluorescent pink socks. She's come to teach love and rage, and we are all her pupils.
Excuse the verbiage. The music was good. The music was loud. I was in my element: heavy rock.
Skunk Anansie Setlist:
Charlie Big Potato
Because of You
An Artist Is an Artist
God Loves Only You
Hedonism (Just Because You Feel Good)
Weak
Twisted (Everyday Hurts)
Lost and Found
I Can Dream
Tear the Place Up
Weak
I Can Dream
Wet Leg are a band I'd never seen live before. I like their offbeat music, with its striking riffs and stylised vocals. Singer Rhian Teadsale is one sexy frontwoman. Today, she's wearing glasses, shorts, a sheer top and a sweet smile. I have to remind myself there are other members in this band. It's difficult to take your eyes off her as she prowls the stage. The only thing more powerful than her is the drumkit's bass drum, which thumps the beat into my chest and vibrates my arm hairs. The band love their smoke machine, so the view is hazy but magnificent when the stage lights blast in full. The performance gets a thumbs up from me.
Wet Leg Setlist:
catch these fists
Oh No
Wet Dream
liquidize
jennifer's body
pond song
Being in Love
Ur Mum
davina mccall
pillow talk
Too Late Now
Angelica
Chaise Longue
CPR
mangetout
catch these fists
Angelica
Alanis Morissette is an unusual performer. Blessed with a strong voice, iconic songs, and a timeless look, she often races back and forth across the stage, rarely looking at or engaging with the audience. At times, my camera struggles to keep up with her because she was moving so fast. It's as if she's afraid to interact with us in case it disrupts the flow of the concert. This leaves the show slick, well-performed and beautifully sung, looking great on the screens, but, to me, it feels like she can't wait to wave goodbye and run offstage.
This lack of engagement leads some in the crowd to believe that it's chatty time - the "We'll get back to you when you sing something we recognise" mentality. And, boy, did they need to chat loudly to be heard over the band. I was in Scowlsville.
(That said, reviewing my photos, Alanis did sing many of the songs centre stage, anchored to a mic stand, so I'm not sure why my lasting impression is of her racing from side to side - maybe it was because she didn't talk to us very much, except to introduce her band at the designated times)
My phone died before the end of the concert, probably due to poor reception. Surprisingly, the rain stayed away, despite heavy, grey clouds overhead.
Overall, I enjoyed the gig. Alanis's hits are still bangers. Maybe next time, I'd enjoy it more if she sang all the songs towards the crowd, not the wings, and talked to us a bit more.
Alanis Morissette Setlist:
Hand in My Pocket
Right Through You
Reasons I Drink
A Man (segue)
Hands Clean
Can't Not (segue)
Lens
Sorry to Myself (segue)
Head Over Feet
Everything (segue)
You Learn
Would Not Come (segue)
Smiling
Rest
Mary Jane
Perfect
Ironic
Are You Still Mad (segue)
All I Really Want
Sympathetic Character (segue)
You Oughta Know
Encore:
Uninvited
Thank U
Hand in My Pocket
Ticket Price (presale): Gold Circle £95.00 x2 + Fees £28.92 + Handling Fee £3.25 Total £222.17 from Ticketmaster
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