Bridge City Sinners "Repent Repeat Tour 2026", Room 2, Glasgow. Sunday 4th October, 2026

 Blurb

From the misty, pine-covered hills of the Pacific Northwest hail the Bridge City Sinners, who span the continuum from prohibition era jazz to Appalachian death folk. This traditional string band lineup bends the meaning of the word genre, playing festivals from Punk Rock Bowling to Muddy Roots to Oregon’s Bluegrass String Summit. They started their journey by busking on sidewalks across the country and now this supergroup of musicians find themselves on the national tour circuit. The Sinners still hold true to the DIY mentality of releasing albums on their self-made record label, Flail Records. With talented musicianship and a punk as f***! live show, this is one band you don’t want to miss.

I'd never been to a gig in Room 2 before, so I didn't know what to expect, other than that I'd heard the massive pillars can obscure the stage from some positions. We arrived shortly before 7pm, when the doors were due to open, and the queue was already stretched along Nelson Mandela Place into Buchanan Street. The crowd was a mix of norms and weirdos, from a bearded, older gentleman in a Victorian suit to young ladies with tattoos over every inch of exposed flesh, bar their faces. No frisk at security, just bag checks, so we got in quickly and descended the stairs to get our tickets scanned. Industrial metal, like the kind played as background music in a nightclub scene prior to a fight, droned from the room ahead. 

The venue is dark and dingy. The raised bar area sits perpendicular to the stage along one wall; the merch stall is behind the sound desk, opposite the stage. Punters disappear down side corridors to I never found out where (toilets?). I know this band encourages mosh pits, so I pick a spot on the floor level at the back, in front of the sound desk. I have a curtain behind me, so if I need to lift my phone, it won't be in anyone's way. 

The preshow playlist is indescribable: one minute, they're playing David Hasselhoff "Looking For Freedom", the next Dangerdoom's "Vats of Urine". Then The Chicks, Alphaville, Queen... Bob finds their Sinners Show Playlist on Spotify. It's so huge, containing a bit of everything, that playing it on shuffle means no two gigs will ever sound the same.    

Cheap Dirty Horse

The support band, Cheap Dirty Horse, comes across like a school band that never quite broke up. Musically, they sit somewhere between The Pogues and Mumford and Sons. All four, except the drummer, take turns singing lead. The young electric guitarist is especially off-key with his shouty vocals. Somehow, though, with the rest supplying backing vocals, the frenetic songs work. The long-haired bassist has a good voice when he's not headbanging. 

I can't say I ever want to see them again, but hats off to them for giving it a go. 

By the time Bridge City Sinners take the stage, the room is packed tighter than a tin of sardines. I realise our position is a problem as we have nowhere to go when people push in front of us. Pressure comes from the sides too, as fans crowd in, trying to see around the five-foot-wide pillar blocking their view of the stage.

It takes a while for the sound engineer to mix the levels, so the singer's vocals are initially lost in the music. As such, they don't sound that great. Once that gets fixed and the band moves on to older, more familiar songs, the crowd comes alive. They form mosh rings, sing along, and start their own chants. They serenade the band with "Flower of Scotland", much to the band's delight and confusion.     

The band's singer is nuts, pitching between the sweetness of cartoon character Betty Boop and the maniacal growl of The Exorcist's Linda Blair, often in the same song. She's like a walking tattoo, and thanks a local artist for her most recent one. The band aren't shy about turning their freak up, a fact reflected in their fanbase's appearance.        

Through and Through

I'm not sure whether I enjoyed this gig in the end. The mosh pits and circles didn't bother me as we were out of their reach, but they did make the crush more uncomfortable. My feet were sore from standing in the same spot for so long, with not even an inch of wiggle room. Maybe in a different venue with more space, I'd give them another go. 

Who am I kidding? An interesting experiment, but definitely a one-and-done.

Setlist

Run from the Sun

Port Street Strut

Midnight to Vice

Rock Bottom

Virgin Sacrifice

Song of the Siren

Death's Door

Doubt

Heavy

Crazy

Sinner's Saloon

The Crawl

Spears and Blades

Shame

Devil Like You

The Devil’s Swing

The Good Ones

Through and Through

Encore:

Repent and Repeat (Start of encore)

Break the Chain

Kreacher (King of the rats comes out)

Ticket Price: E-Ticket £23.00 (x2) + £3.45 (x2) + E-Ticket Fee £0.50 = £53.40 from Tickets Scotland

Magnum "Keeping The Night Light Burning", The Garage, Glasgow. Friday 2nd October, 2026

Tonight, I did something I don't recall ever doing before: I bailed on a rock gig mid-headliner set.

Background Context: 

The torrential rain had paused temporarily, leaving pockets of flooding on the roads, especially deep under the railway bridge near St Mirren's stadium. When I arrived at the venue, I was pleased the queue was short, and it was dry, though the clouds threatened another deluge. It did begin to spit as the doors opened, but I got in without getting drenched. 

Inside, past security, up the stairs, ticket scanned, up more stairs into the performance room, I saw the barrier was already claimed, so I tried upstairs. A staff member was giving a couple grief about using the seats, so I turned about, figuring they were all reserved, and picked a spot downstairs against the wall. The place began to fill up. The gig was a sellout.

Grand Slam took the stage at 7.30 pm and sang a vaguely familiar tune. Then I realised who they were: Phil Lynott's side project band from the 80s, obviously minus Phil, who died in 1986. Their current singer hacked his way through that first song, making it his own (putting it kindly), but didn't improve as the set progressed. The singer had no range, pulling any note he wasn't comfortable reaching. He was a good frontman, full of personality and knew how to work the room, but that can only go so far when the noise coming out of your mouth is defective. I began to take offence at the way they were murdering covers I remembered fondly. I really missed Phil's smooth vocals.

"Dedication", 

Yeah, that's what you need when ability and talent are lacking. 

That didn't set me up well for the main act. The crowd got really busy. I kept getting nudged by the person who pushed in behind me, his mates crowding in beside me. Others were pushing forward into any perceived gaps. I was on edge.

Magnum came on at 8.30 pm. The sound wasn't great at first, but got better as levels were adjusted. The fan ahead of me with the mohican, who had raised his phone so high during Grand Slam's final song that he blocked my view of the stage, was at it again. I only managed to snap a couple of pictures. No chance of videos, despite my location.  

The next few songs were unfamiliar to me, as I haven't followed Magnum closely since the 80s. As such, I was hearing what was being played and sung without the filter of already knowing the song. And Bob Gately's vocals sounded awful. He was approximating singing, sometimes not even attempting to hit the notes. He had the arm gestures, the pouts and the presence of a lead singer, albeit a geriatric one, but not the vocal ability to do justice to his songs. The bassist did the heavy lifting on backing vocals, his voice strong, clear, and note-perfect.  

By the time they reached "How Far Jerusalem", I was contemplating leaving, and this tipped the balance. Only, the fans were packed in so tightly that I had to force my way through them and met quite a bit of resistance, partly because some had nowhere to go and others were pissed off at me for pushing past, even though I was going in the opposite direction from the stage. Maybe they thought I was going to the bar. Even in the corridor beyond the door, fans had gathered, trying to see in, unable to find space in the room. 

I felt relief when I exited the building, not even bothered that it had been raining or that an angry man was kicking off at security outside the doors after being expelled from the gig for his behaviour. 

I don't understand why so many people loved that performance. Alcohol? Goodwill? I felt like the little boy pointing at the Emperor, saying I can see his cock. Sometimes, rock royalty, albeit distant cousins to the throne, should retire gracefully and keep their legacy intact. Or is it just me? Burnout from too many gigs?  

On the way home, I listened to These Wicked Rivers' new album, Fire and Folklore, as a palate cleanser.    

Bugger! Barrier already claimed.

Grand Slam (keyboardist out of shot on the right) 

Magnum

Someone getting their marching orders

Grand Slam Setlist:

Nineteen (Phil Lynott song)

Gone Are the Days

Dedication (Thin Lizzy cover)

Spitfire

Military Man (Gary Moore cover)

Crazy

Sisters of Mercy

Whiskey in the Jar ([traditional] cover)

Magnum Setlist:

Days of No Trust

Lost on the Road to Eternity

Wild Swan

When We Were Younger

Run Into the Shadows

How Far Jerusalem 

(this is where I bailed)

Soldier of the Line

The Tall Ships

On a Storyteller's Night

Midnight (You Won't Be Sleeping)

All England's Eyes

Vigilante

Kingdom of Madness

Encore:

Sacred Hour

When the World Comes Down

Ticket Price: £32.50 & £3.25 Booking Fee & £2.90 Postage = £38.25 from Tickets Scotland (02/07/26) 

Larry Dean, "Hellbent", MacRoberts Arts Centre, Stirling. Thursday 1st October, 2026.

We had tickets for Maisie Adam on Larry's Glasgow tour date, so off we trotted to Stirling. Only my wife had a cold, so the 'we' became Bob and me. We'd been to a WIP for this tour at the Fringe last year, and I was curious to hear the end product. I was confused, though, as to why the gig was proceeding, given Larry was a member of the SNL UK cast. Paddy Young and Ania Magliano's tours had been rescheduled (in some cases twice) because of SNL. Then it twigged. The show wasn't on this weekend. 

The drive to Stirling Uni was smooth, apart from all the nutters on the road. We found a space in the car park, asked a couple for directions to the venue, and confirmed that parking was free at night, contrary to the notices. We bought drinks at the bar and waited at a table in the cafe until the doors opened. 

50s rock ' n ' roll music played over the PA. We had central seats in row G, so the view was good. Another couple insisted we were in their seats, but they were wrong. They were supposed to be in the row behind. Ha! Egg on her face.

At 8pm, Larry introduced his support act, Krystal Evans. I'd heard most of her set before, but her jokes worked well (apart from the ones that bombed). It didn't feel like a tight set, more a jumble of her material from over the years. She didn't die, which was good.

After the interval, Larry did his thing, opening with some local stuff and a bit about accents. His mate, Steve, sat in the front row, which briefly distracted him. The show follows Larry's journey to marry his partner, Mikey, from thinking about proposing to getting married, with stops along the way, such as discussing the encounter with the real King Charles, whom he plays on SNL.

 

It was interesting to see how much material got cut or trimmed for the show compared to the WIP. In Edinburgh, his Iranian family material was much longer. The beauty of Larry's delivery is that some of the material feels off the cuff, but it later feeds a callback. Sometimes he sounded like Billy Connolly in tone and cadence, which I mean as a compliment. I don't imagine, though, that Billy would have pulled the physical moves that Larry pulls. 

The one line that stuck with me was about his relationship with his partner, now husband: "The best way I can describe it is: I'm the bread, and he's the toaster." (The part unsaid: it comes out brown?) 

A funny guy. I hope he gets nominated for the GICF Billy Connolly Spirit of Glasgow award one day. He deserves it. 

Ticket Price (for two): £48 & Booking fee £1 = £49.00 from MacRoberts Arts Centre box office.

Europe "The Final Countdown 40th Anniversary" Tour, SEC Armadillo, Glasgow. Wednesday 30th September, 2026

Cards on the table: I'm not a huge fan of the band Europe. I've always considered them a second-division outfit. You have to give them credit, though, for their persistence.  Forty years is a long time to keep plugging away. 

When the tour was announced, had GUN and The Damn Truth not been on the bill, I would have passed quicker than if I'd been handed a cheese board (not a fan of the stinky dairy product). However, if GUN are playing anywhere in Glasgow, I'll be there. The Damn Truth was the cherry on the cake, as I've admired their sound for a while.

We arrived before the doors opened at 6 pm, so we joined the queue outside. Fortunately, it was dry. We didn't have to wait long to get in, but there was a delay of about ten minutes before the staff opened the auditorium. Our seats were in row T downstairs. The view was fine, but taking videos this far back was going to be an issue. My photo quality also suffered as the stage had a predominance of blue light, which, for some reason, my camera can't handle. 

The merch stand didn't trouble my wallet tonight

The Damn Truth took the stage to their intro music, Jefferson Airplane's "White Rabbit". The song kept playing as the band got ready. Singer Lee-La Baum wore a white lacy number with an accompanying cat's-ears headband. The rest of the band wore striking rock outfits. The music was great; the band displayed lots of energy, bouncing about, and they really warmed up the crowd with their short, half-hour set. A triumphant start.

The Damn Truth Setlist

(Song played from tape) White Rabbit (Jefferson Airplane song)

Be Somebody

Love Outta Luck

The Willow

This Is Who We Are Now

All Night Long

Tomorrow

During their set, with the lights down and the music blasting, two ladies arrived, hands full, clutching their phones and drinks. Immediately, I was taken with the appearance of the one nearest me: tousled, long blonde hair, a tasselled black leather jacket and age-appropriate curves in all the right places. She leaned close and asked my seat number. I didn't know, turned to Bob, didn't hear his reply properly and gave her the wrong information. They crouched beside the empty seats, looking around to figure out where they should be. Obviously embarrassed, she confessed this was where the usher had directed them. I whipped out my phone, shone the torch on the metal seat number, and realised my mistake. They were in the right place. She thanked me and the pair got comfortable. 

During our exchange, she had been warmly tactile. 

Lucky me. 

At the end of the set, her friend left (toilet/bar?), and so did my pals (toilet), so I took the opportunity to apologise for the seat-number mix-up. This continued into a conversation, most unusually for me. She was a big Europe fan, knew GUN but not that well, and had recently missed the Bon Jovi concert at Murrayfield, so decided on a whim to go to their Wembley gig. She only got the tickets to Europe last week, dragging her pal along. She seemed intelligent, articulate, and interesting. 

When Bob returned, his eyebrows were raised, and a smile sat on his face. "Having a nice chat there?" 

I was. I couldn't lie.

GUN hadn't played live since the Barrowland gig last December, so they seemed rusty at first. It took Dante a couple of songs to warm up his voice and get into the swing of things. By the end of the cracking set, I was hoarse from singing along. I've seen them better, but they were still great. Respect to elder statesman Joolz, but he needs to sharpen up his solos, or let Ruaraidh take over (never going to happen). 

My new friend enjoyed GUN's set, dancing in her seat, arms waving, singing along, much as I was. Afterwards, she confessed she can't make GUN's Barrowland date, as she has a prior engagement that night. She asked me to watch over her jacket while she went to the bar. 

I happily complied.

GUN Setlist

Lucky Guy

Don't Say It's Over

All Fired Up

Falling

Better Days

Take Me Back Home

Word Up! (Cameo cover)

Shame on You

Steal Your Fire

When Europe took the stage, everyone rose to their feet. The band began strong, playing one of their new songs, which I enjoyed. Indeed, the first few songs were great. Then I noticed how uninterested the bassist seemed, and how the guitarist seemed so focused on the playing that he did little else. No crowd interaction, no bouncing about, no obvious signs of pleasure. Joey, the charismatic frontman, sporting a Tom Cruise haircut circa MI:2, worked the room, smiling and posing, in full rockstar mode. His singing was strong, but I started to notice him pulling notes, making musical choices to suit his now-older vocals. 

I'm not saying the band were bad. They are what they are: a top, second-division outfit, capable of delivering a fine set, never reaching the lofty heights of sustained greatness. If I'd been a bigger fan, I would have enjoyed their set more. For example, I may have been more forgiving of the split background video screens not displaying the entire image because of the gaps between the screens.  

At the end, even before the band had left the stage, while they were taking their bows, Bob wanted me to exit the row, but my two female neighbours were in the way. She lifted her jacket and crouched down, searching the floor for her empty tumblers. Rising again, she told me she didn't want to leave a mess. I was happy to wait. She was such a nice lady.

On the way out, her pal peeled off to nip to the ladies, and she walked on with her plastic containers, pausing in the open area to tell Lee-La from The Damn Truth how much she'd enjoyed their set. We headed the other way, out the doors. 

For a second, I wanted to go back and tell her how much I enjoyed our chat. I wanted to know more about her and keep talking. I realised I was smitten. This is unusual for me. Normally, I look at myself and receive an instant reality check. 

Fortunately, I'm happily married, and I'd told this lady I was going to GUN's Barrowland gig with my wife. Laying this safety net probably helped me overcome my shyness.  

So, at the end of the day, I'll remember this gig more for the chats with that rock angel than the music. Although the caterwauling of the Westlife teenies on the pedestrian bridge might come a close second.

I wonder where the story would have gone if I'd been available: AC/DC Shot Down in Flames or Bill Medley/Jennifer Warnes (I've Had) The Time of My Life? Life's not a rom-com, so I'll never know.

 

Europe Setlist

Scandinavian Eyes (Live debut)

Walk the Earth

Superstitious

One on One

(Prelude intro) Last Look at Eden

War of Kings

Prisoners in Paradise

The Cult of Ignorance

On Broken Wings

Rock the Night

Carrie

Danger on the Track

Ninja

Cherokee

Time Has Come

Heart of Stone

On the Loose

Love Chaser

The Final Countdown

Ticket Price: £ 50-ish (Bob bought the tix via Ticketmaster - I still have to square up) 

Jon Anderson and the Band Geeks performing 'Yes' Epics, Classics and More, Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow. Monday 28th September, 2026

In sixth year, one of my pals, David, insisted I listen to Yes. He raved about how brilliant they were and loaned me one of his albums as a taster. Before I knew it, I was up the Barras tracking down cheap, secondhand vinyl of their albums. 

Yes still tour occasionally, but not with Jon Anderson. He left the band in 2008. To me, Jon was always the band's voice. I didn't care so much about who played the instruments, so when I realised Jon was going to tour with the Band Geeks, I thought, "Cool, let's go." The only problem was it was practically sold out already, with only a few rubbish seats left.

I set up a Twickets alert and waited. Eventually, one seat popped up whose view I felt justified the price. 

On the night, I noticed the audience was predominantly older. I might have been the youngest person there, except for the young lad sitting beside me. I wondered if he'd sold me my ticket, but didn't ask. The music pre-gig was one track, Création du monde by Vangelis, on a loop. It set the evening's tone.

There was no support act, so at 7.30 pm, the hall lights dimmed, and Stravinsky started playing over the PA. The band appeared, followed by Jon, and began playing Close To The Edge to an appreciative crowd. At the end of the song, a large proportion of the audience in the stalls rose to give the band a standing ovation. This repeated after every song. I've never seen such an appreciative audience (there might have been a slim possibility some were rising to boost their circulation, fearing a clot). 

Jon's iconic voice was still pitch-perfect. He sang from his square platform at the front and centre, with monitors available for lyrics when he needed them, such as on the newer numbers. His moves reminded me of something between Tai Chi and a soft shoe shuffle, as if the music was flowing through him, guiding his movement. He was clearly having a ball, loving his time on stage, and that feeling transferred to the audience. 

The band were brilliant at recreating the Yes sound. The spinning rear projections gave the stage a seventies feel, appropriate for the music, yet didn't feel out-of-date. Although I was unfamiliar with some of the songs, particularly the non-Yes material, I still enjoyed the performance and stayed engaged. 

They played from 7.30 pm till 10.15 pm with a twenty-minute interval, which is fantastic when you consider Jon is eighty-one. It was a great night. 

 

I've Seen All Good People

 

Starship Trooper

Setlist

Set 1:

Intro music - Firebird Suite (Igor Stravinsky)

Close to the Edge (Yes cover)

Perpetual Change (Yes cover)

Counties and Countries

And You and I (Yes cover)

Giving Is Living

Soon (Yes cover)

Set 2:

Awaken (Yes cover)

I've Seen All Good People (Yes cover)

Once Upon a Dream

Leaves of Green (Yes cover)

Starship Trooper (Yes cover)

Roundabout (Yes cover)

Outro Music - Land Of Hope And Glory

Ticket Price: £65.00 & Twickets Fee £9.10 = £74.10 from Twickets

My (early) view of the stage

stage mascot

Time for a dance with his wife, Jane.

Everyone downstairs is on their feet

Thank you for a great night