Paul Heaton, OVO Hydro, Glasgow. Friday 30th October, 2026

How often can two people attend a top music gig at the Hydro for under £100, especially with added fees?  

Silly question, but one which Paul is keen to address. He sees no reason fans should be stiffed with exorbitant ticket prices, so he keeps them as low as possible. His fans come for the music, not for the show.

The drive in was smooth, with none of the holdups that had beset us yesterday. In fact, we arrived so early there was a feast of spaces available at our usual place. We waited in the car, then headed down after the doors opened. No queues at the security pod, and I got waved through without a frisk for the first time in forever. No queues at the doors either. Straight in, and up to our seats. This gig was a sellout, wasn't it?

The early view from our seats

By the time Lightning Seeds graced the stage, a small crowd had gathered, filling half the downstairs area. The band's sound was a bit echoey at first, but got better as the set progressed and more people arrived. Ian Broudie's voice isn't as strong as it used to be, and I noted him making musical choices when it came to setting the pitch. The band were nevertheless entertaining, and their set was packed with hits. A terrific support act.

Lightning Seeds Setlist

Lucky You

Change

Sense

Sugar Coated Iceberg

Perfect

You Showed Me (The Byrds cover)

Marvellous

The Life of Riley

Pure

My wife remarked that she had an empty seat beside her. I joked that it would be funny if it was filled by the same man who had irritated her so much at Kevin Bridges. She gave me an evil stare, but my prediction didn't come to pass. The chap who appeared had been with his girlfriend elsewhere on the balcony. Unfortunately, they hadn't been seated together. The drinkers arrived, too, filling the spaces in the front row. They were 'happy' people, toasting each other and having a laugh. One brought four pints with him in a cardboard carrier. He did share one of them.

Paul and his band took the stage a little before 9 pm, catching out a few who had disappeared to the loo in the interval; fortunately, none in our row. We were blessed with people with infinite bladders and no desire to refill them, so we had an undisturbed gig. Apart from the guy sitting beside me, who must have had elephant-sized testicles, given how wide he kept his knees apart, beyond the confines of his seat, while holding his pint glass in his crotch like an erection. Fortunately, he never got so excited that he spilt any. 

I have to say I am not a huge Paul Heaton fan. This gig was more for my wife than myself, but I do admire his songcraft and appreciate his hits. He is a modern poet, with a talent for identifying the mundane and elevating it into art. He looks like the kind of man whom you would find in the pub, having a laugh with his mates, not realising the talent behind those eyes.

The gig wasn't without its flaws. Paul had done his back in, so he was a lot less mobile than I'd expect; though, against doctor's orders, he did attempt the Happy Hour dance (then, a couple of songs later, nipped backstage to get his back sprayed by a roadie). He uses a monitor for his lyrics, so he needs to wear his glasses to read them. That also means he sings on one spot, rarely venturing far, his eyes constantly glancing down. I can accept this, though, because his songs are lyrically dense, beautiful and plentiful. He gave us twenty-six songs over the nearly two-hour-long set. 

Rianne Downey's voice is strong, but I find her a bit nasal. She's young, but her voice lacks the maturity of Paul's previous singing partner, Jacqui Abbott. Rianne does provide a bit of glamour to the stage in her sparkly green outfit and cape, compared to Paul's dull parka jacket. 

The explosion of yellow streamers during You Keep It All In took me by surprise, given the tight budget, with only a couple of smoke machines and some fancy lighting to enhance the show. The big screens were used well to show the performances and even display the lyrics for the final encore singalongs. 

It was a good night and great value. As Paul said, other bands would have stopped after a few songs if you compare ticket prices. 

A gig not without flaws but still good fun. 

Videos

Don't Marry Her

Happy Hour

You Keep It All In

Paul Heaton Setlist

Intro music - Flower of Scotland (Roy Williamson cover)

One Eye Open

Sitting on a Fence (The Housemartins song)

I Gotta Praise (Paul Heaton + Jacqui Abbott song)

Sheep (The Housemartins song)

I Want the Job

D.I.Y. (Paul Heaton + Jacqui Abbott song)

Five Get Over Excited (The Housemartins song)

I'll Sail This Ship Alone (The Beautiful South song)

Fish 'N' Chip Supper

A Son a Father

Song for Whoever (The Beautiful South song)

Me and the Farmer (The Housemartins song)

Favourite Kind of Idiot

A Little Time (The Beautiful South song)

Heatongrad (Paul Heaton + Jacqui Abbott song)

Don't Marry Her (The Beautiful South song)

Some Dancing to Do (Paul Heaton + Jacqui Abbott song)

Old Red Eyes Is Back (The Beautiful South song)

Happy Hour (The Housemartins song)

Perfect 10 (The Beautiful South song)

Good as Gold (Stupid as Mud) (The Beautiful South song)

Good for the Bees

Encore:

Rotterdam (Or Anywhere) (The Beautiful South song)

You Keep It All In (The Beautiful South song)

Encore 2:

Prettiest Eyes (The Beautiful South song)

Caravan of Love (Isley Jasper Isley cover) 

Ticket Price: OVO Customer Presale Ticket (enter via OVO door): £39.50 x 2 & Service Fee: £6.60 x 2 &Venue Facility Fee: £3.25 x 2 = Total £98.70 from Ticketmaster.

Rhys James "Chop Logic", The Glee Club, Glasgow. Thursday 29th October, 2026

I don't know how closely they follow this rule, but the Glee Club website stated that the last entry to this show was 7.15 pm. We left at 6.10 pm, thinking that was plenty of time to drive from Paisley to Glasgow. The M8 had other ideas. From Braehead onwards, I barely got out of second gear all the way to the Kingston Bridge. Even in the city centre, cars and buses had slowed to a crawl. With no parking spaces near the venue, we ended up using the Concert Hall car park and paying £5 for the pleasure. That parking choice meant we did make it to the venue for 7.05 pm. Thank goodness for allocated seating; otherwise, we would have been way at the back. 

Halloween bats decorate the sign

We made our way down to table C11. The view was good, close enough to meet the gaze of the comedian, but far enough away to feel protected. Neither comedian engaged with anyone in the audience, which helped. Bar service via a QR code meant the staff brought our drinks to the table. So much easier than going to the bar.

The Glee Club website listed Liam Whitnail as support, so it was a pleasant surprise to hear Marc Jennings being introduced. His set was well written and engaging, with some big laughs. The Clydebank comedian was far better than when I'd seen him previously. He seemed more relaxed, confident with his material. 

After the interval, Rhys delivered his set, gags flowing at a terrific pace. If one failed to land as he anticipated, he'd play with the audience, berating our sensibilities, mocking our older generation's faux poshness, not what he expected from Glasgow. It was nice to see him step away from the script, confident to riff. The set was full of clever ideas, like his plan to outdo money-saving expert Martin Lewis at his own game, so Martin would have to recommend him. I'd heard him perform a few of the gags before, but when there were so many, that didn't matter. He also seemed less judgmental and angry with us than when he played the O2 Academy, finding the middle ground between berating us and needing us to laugh. 

It's incredible how many callbacks he packed into the show, ending as he said he would: on a cliffhanger - blackout. 

Rhys is finding his stride now. He's a clever writer and assured performer, producing a huge amount of funny material. He deserves a bigger platform. I doubt he'll be playing small venues like the Glee Club much longer.

Ticket Price: 2 x £20.00 & Booking Fee £5.50 =  £45.50 from The Glee Club 

Press Launch info:

Rhys James Announces Brand-New Tour Chop Logic

Critically acclaimed comedian, writer and series regular on TLC’s hit recent reboot of Mock the Week, Rhys James, has announced his brand-new UK stand-up tour Chop Logic – a fast, forensic show of big ideas and gag-dense overthinking from one of the nation’s sharpest stand-ups.

With the show set to debut at this year’s Edinburgh Festival Fringe (announcement to follow), the ‘master of the lightning-paced, precision-delivered set’ (The Guardian) will then tour the show across the UK with a 40-date run from 10th September 2026 – 15th May 2027, including a big London stop-off at Soho Theatre Walthamstow (13th March 2027).

Rhys has made a discovery that could fix everything. It’s been staring him in the face the whole time, in a mirror held behind his head. If he can ignore his own problems for long enough, he might just be able to solve yours. 

A Play, A Pie and A Pint: Badhbh-Shith and the Storytellers, Oran Mor, Glasgow. Wednesday 28th October, 2026

You never know who might be lurking in a bothy…

Sorcha and Evander have a mountain to conquer, but when a Hebridean storm descends, they are forced to take shelter in a lonely bothy. They decide to pass the time telling grim stories from Scottish folklore.

But bothies are unusual places. You never, never know who else might be there…as the pair soon find out.

This year’s Halloween special, Badhbh-Shìth and the Storytellers, is a new folk horror by Kenny Boyle (Righ Iasgair: The Fisher King) that tells some of the most enduring stories from Scotland’s rich folklore, whilst weaving one of its own.

We arrived about ten minutes before the doors opened, and waited at the bar. There wasn't much of a queue. After we were allowed downstairs, we ordered our drinks, picked up our pies, and took our seats. We chose aisle seats in the fourth row because the ladies in front were small. The show was busy but not sold out, so we had plenty of room.

After the show started, I struggled to keep my eyes open thanks to too many late nights. The intermittent Gaelic dialogue threw me at first, making me question my hearing. The play seemed to be about stories and felt dry at first as we got to know the two characters. Evander, played by Kenny Boyle (also the play's author) had a bleeding cut on his forehead, which hadn't been explained (or I may have dozed through the explanation).

I forced myself to stay awake during the story about the badhbh-shith, since that's in the title. And I'm glad I did, as the play suddenly picked up speed. The plot twist was well managed, and the play ended with a wonderful cliffhanger. 

These short plays are a wonder and priced so keenly. The audience was quite mixed, from students to pensioners. I spotted one trick I hadn't noticed last time. Frequent attendees put their coats on their seats, then go get their drinks and food. But instead of returning to their seats, they use the tabled booths at the side to dine in comfort. Clever clogs. 

 Ticket Price: £17.50  x 2 & booking fee £4.36 = £39.36 from Universe 

Kevin Bridges "Here If You Need Me" Tour 2026, OVO Hydro, Glasgow. Tuesday 27th October, 2026

After seeing Kev do an open spot at The Stand earlier in the year, I was keen to see which material made the cut. 

The view from the front of section 203

Two support acts graced the stage in the first half of the show. Christopher MacArthur-Boyd performed a mostly familiar set, mentioning Scotrail and his Australian girlfriend, amongst other things. Christopher is 5'3" and was somewhat dwarfed by the stage and cavernous room.  Physically, he reminded me of Ronnie Corbett in the way he kept adjusting his dark-rimmed spectacles. 

Chris Kent, an Irish comic from Cork, came on second. The only thing I recall about him was that he said he was from Cork.

During the interval, my wife remarked that she had two empty seats beside her. Then, just before the lights went down, a couple arrived. The man sat beside my wife and reeked of fresh cigarette smoke and clutched a pint. Throughout the show, he kept coughing wheezily, dredging his chest for catarrh as if to recycle much-craved nicotine back into his mouth for oral absorption. The pair left before the end. Maybe they wanted to beat the queues, maybe he needed a fag. 

Kevin was on top form. Despite the huge room, he kept the atmosphere intimate, engaging with audience members to prompt his prepared material. His skill is in both the writing and the delivery. He had honed the bits he tested at The Stand, cutting away the chaff and leaving only the funny. I noted he often used football references, such as comparing our global political woes with Russia, Iran, and China to the group stages, where progression would lead to a knockout game against North Korea. He also used Ronaldo and Messi at the Kelpies as an example of AI internet scams.

I couldn't make out his facial expressions from the balcony, so I spent most of the show watching him on the screens. The sound in the room was terrific, volume perfect to avoid the echoeyness that affected the support acts.

I bought a programme (£10), but the content was basic: just an interview with him and tour production credits. The merch unit also had baseball caps and other stuff I wasn't interested in.

Front

Back

Afterwards, as we headed out of the venue, I watched the masses traipse across the footway bridge to the multi-storey car park, while others piled into the Moxy Hotel. I realised people would be better off sleeping overnight in their cars in the car park. At between £12-24/night, it might not be luxurious, but it is cost-effective. Elaborating, I considered whether people would choose their vehicle based on its comfort rating, asking the car salesman, "Do the seats fold out into a bed? Does this one come with blackout curtains? Is there any way to add a commode?" With EVs, you don't have to worry about exhaust fumes killing you while you sleep. You would also avoid the hour-long queue to get out of the car park after the show. So the council shouldn't approve building yet another hotel near the SEC; they should ramp up the car parks and rake in the cash. 

As Madness wouldn't sing: "I like sleeping in my chariot; it's not quite a Marriott." 

... I'll be waiting in the car.

Ticket Price: 2 x £45 + Service Fee: £6.10 x 2 + Venue Facility Fee: £2.50 x 2 + Handling Fee £2.50 = Total £109.70 (via Ticketmaster OVO Presale).

Brandon Flowers, O2 Academy, Glasgow. Friday 23rd October, 2026.

This was a hot ticket. The album presale early access sold out quickly, and the Gigs in Scotland Presale the next day did too. I couldn't get two seats together, so I plumped for two single seats in the rear balcony.  

A week or so before the gig, Ticketmaster notified me that the doors-open time had changed from 7 pm to 7.30 pm and said there would be no support act. Since we had seats, we headed over around 7 to find nearby parking, but waited in the car until we figured the queue would have cleared.

After a brief pat down, we made our way upstairs to our seats. On the balcony, a security supervisor asked if we knew where our seats were. We explained we were in different rows, and he asked if we would like to sit together. We nodded, and he led us to two spare aisle seats in row D. Result! Great view, until the two youngsters in front arrived. Still, I had no one directly behind me, so I could make use of the space between me and the aisle.  

The crowd downstairs was already heaving by the time we sat down. I was so glad we had seats, as Brandon wasn't due on stage till 9 pm. Then, from 9 pm onward, every time a pre-show track ended, the crowd would cheer, only to be disappointed when another track started. He came on at 9.07 pm and played till close to 11 pm.

The stage didn't seem big enough to accommodate Brandon and his bandmates, all ten of them. Having seen him own the huge stage at the Hydro, he seemed diminished at first by the smaller stage, trapped in the available space. But not for long. Soon, he was climbing on top of the monitors and busting his moves, encouraging the crowd to sing along. A masterful performance.

Some of his material was unfamiliar to me, and to some in the crowd, as the trips to the bar and toilet showed. The downside of an aisle seat, having to rise to allow the drinkers out. The girl in front, with long brown hair, kept leaning forward and flicking it over her shoulder. Her head often obscured my view of the right side of the stage, but I tried not to let it bother me. Then, as I started videoing one song, she stood up, her bulk turning my screen black. Fortunately, the stage lighting was predominantly blue, so my camera wouldn't have made a good recording anyway. I made sure I stood up to record any future videos. 

When You Were Young 

Read My Mind

Although I filmed Read My Mind, I couldn't capture All These Things That I've Done intact because the crowd went wild. Everyone was on their feet, arms waving, singing at the top of their voices. It made me yearn for The Killers. While I like Brandon and his new album, I find his other solo stuff less engaging. 

Nevertheless, it was still a special gig, one of my wife's favourites of the year.    

Setlist

The Red Ground

Does It Ever Cross Your Mind?

Crossfire

Tiger’s Blood

Plans

Paradise

Still Want You

Angel

Magdalena

Miss America

In the Car Outside (The Killers song)

Hard Enough

When You Were Young (The Killers song)

Lonely Town

Can't Deny My Love

Only the Young

Encore

In Another Life (The Killers song)

Read My Mind (The Killers song)

All These Things That I've Done (The Killers song)

Between Me and You

An American Dream

Ticket Price: 2 x Album Pre-Order Presale Ticket £55.00 each
Per Item Fees £22.70
£9.40 (Service Charge Album Pre-Order Presale Ticket) x2
£1.95 (Facility Charge Album Pre-Order Presale Ticket) x2
Total (incl. fee) £132.70 from Ticketmaster (01/07/2026)

Preshow Music

Willie Nelson - Mammas Don't Let Your Babies Grow Up to Be  Cowboys

Dwight Yoakam - Guitars, Cadillacs

Merle Haggard & Willie Nelson - Pancho And Lefty

Hank Williams, Jr. - Family Tradition

The Flying Burrito Brothers - Sin City

Kris Kristofferson - Why Me

Merle Haggard - Okie From Muskogee

The Byrds - You Ain't Goin' Nowhere

Texas Tornados - (Hey Baby) Que Paso

Randy Travis - Diggin' Up Bones

Gary Stewart - She's Actin' Single (I'm Drinking Doubles)

David Allan Coe - You Never Even Called Me By My Name

Guy Clark - L.A. Freeway

John Anderson - Straight Tequila Night (faded out as the band arrived on stage) 

Breaking The News BBC Recording, Drygate, Glasgow. Thursday 22nd October, 2026

 

Host: Des Clarke
Panellists: Susie McCabe, Chris Thorburn, Ifrah Qureshi and Sam Lake.

Round One: Broken News Round.
John Swinney accused of transforming into a dictator by the "Chuckle Brothers" from Greenock
UK Government approved drilling at the Jackdaw Gas Field

Round Two: Who is in the News?

1. Amanda Blands MSP, who quit Reform to sit as an Independent

2. Matthew McConaughey, tipped as a potential candidate for US President

Round Three: Friends of the Show

Pat Nevin - In England, playing loud music on public transport could lead to a £100 fine. 

Anne McAlpine -  Relationships in video games could be regarded as cheating. 

Final Quickfire Round - Q: There are 281 what in Orkney? People over the age of 90

Klaxon - Angela Rayner: "Things are challenging."

Chat that never made the broadcast:

Susie raging at male comics, particularly Vittorio Angelone, whose rape joke had recently resurfaced. She commented about women's safety and the reduction in funding for Rape Crisis services.

There were also many jokes at the expense of the BBC, which announced they were shutting down the BBC Scotland TV channel, the channel whuch broadcasts the show.

John Kearns "Tilting at Windmills", The Stand, Glasgow. Wednesday 21st October, 2026

 

We're heading to The Stand tonight to see John Kearns. It's dark, it's wet, and the motorway is congested. I decide to follow my sat nav's advice and take the tunnel. It's all going so well until it tells me to turn left onto Kelvin Way. I seem to recall that road is blocked to motor traffic, but I turn anyway. Doh! Motherf*****!. This road provides access only to the Kelvingrove Museum and Art Gallery car park. Back round we go onto Argyle Street; the time to destination recalibrating higher. We head towards Charing Cross. Meet more congestion. Why didn't we leave earlier? I think to myself. We crawl along Woodlands Road. Turn at the roundabout. Drive past the previous Stand location, then turn right at the next roundabout. Wait at the traffic lights. "Oh, look. Webster's building is all lit up", she says. We turn right and find a parking spot on Great Western Road. It's still drizzly. I flip up my jacket hood, and we hurry to the venue. I snap a picture of the chalkboard as we go in. Shouldn't it say "last 'few' tickets"? 

The room doors are already open, so no queue. It's a sell-out, so the seats are laid out stupidly close together. We sit at the back, on the aisle at the front of the raised level. My wife can't decide if she wants a drink. I wait, trying not to huff, while she thinks. I inform her I'm getting one. Then she can't decide what she wants. "An Appletiser, no. (long pause). Get me a pink gin and lemonade". I don't wait for her to say, "final answer". I join the queue. When I'm next, I see the barmaid lift her arm. I step around the person being served and see she's raised her arm to pull a pint. I sheepishly return to my previous position and wait again. I buy the drinks, add a tip, and return to our seats. My phone buzzes. It's almost out of charge, so I plug in my power bank and read my Kindle. Finally, I relax. Then the music gets louder, much more than usual, perhaps, maybe so John can hear it backstage? What the hell is going on? 

No mention of a support act, so it's a surprise when John announces, "Welcome to the stage, Pat Cahill," then walks on with another chap in tow. They banter awkwardly, and John seems unwilling to leave the stage, almost setting the other chap up to fail. Eventually, he gives a second introduction and leaves him to it.

Pat appears nervous. His opening lines don't land as well as he expected, so it takes him a while to find his stride. Only when he launches into a musical number about turning piss into cash does he find his feet. It's very Pythonesque. He finishes on a character, Mr Honk, who takes us to a surreal place: hugging a member of the audience for as long as comedically possible while making honking noises. 

Pat Cahill (right) (image from Instagram, not the gig)

After the interval, John tells us Pat has left the building, unhappy with our reaction. Whether that's true, we'll never know, as John isn't above teasing us at Pat's expense. John then settles into the show. 

John removes his glasses, tonsure wig, and fake teeth, sets them on a stool, and remarks that this story begins in a sauna. He sits demurely, side on, and paints us a picture of the situation. A young couple sit opposite him, talking to each other; he eavesdrops, and it ends with the girl blurting out, "Weren't you on Taskmaster?"  

John puts on the wig and teeth again, then his glasses. He's back in character. "It's been four years since I did Taskmaster. That money is loooong gone," he bemoans. He then launches into a shaggy-dog story about a tour he took based on T.S. Eliot's poem "The Wasteland", though he hasn't read it. Intermittently, Sir Alec Guinness narrates sections of the poem as the journey continues after the tour, as John makes his way back home to his parents' house after splitting from his partner of twelve years, with whom he has a five-year-old son. Along the way, much irritates him, and he vents, exasperated, in mock fury at the idiocy of the people he encounters, the "tilting at windmills" of the show's title. 

What makes this funny is both the vigour of the performance and his captivating descriptions and comic phraseology. There's pathos too. When he mocks other comedians, like Sue Perkins, who appeared on "Last One Laughing" (he raises an eyebrow, "I heard about that show at the same time as you"), he knows he's punching up because of his low status in the comedy world. Names are interchangeable, he laments. No one is beneath him. 

There is light at the end, though. A Goon Show reference about struggling to carry a piano home to England from France becomes a callback as we hear the clip from the show, with Spike Milligan saying, in mock surprise, "It is a lot lighter when you let go." This was supposed to be where the room blacked out, signalling the end of the show, but the techie missed the cue by a few beats, leaving John standing on stage looking at us. John had just started telling us the show was over when the lights eventually cut out. The fumble almost seemed fitting.  

It's difficult to describe why this show is funny. It's more a comic monologue than a joke-filled laugh fest. It's more personal than his previous shows, shining a light on his situation and blurring the line between character and comedian. The wig and teeth keep the distance, even though he's opening up his soul and making us laugh. 

Afterwards, I asked my wife if she found him funny. She did, but neither of us could explain why. I think he'd be happy with that. 

Ticket Price: 2 x £25 plus £1 booking fee from the Stand.