Big Country plus The Skids, Paisley Town Hall. Fri 17th Nov 2017.

A sold-out gig, stacked to the rafters, this one off (or possibly first of) show saw the two bands who share a mutual history take to the Paisley stage to blow the roof off (and other rock cliches).

I was expecting Big Country to be the main act, given the ticket said so, but it was not to be.

Big Country appeared first to play a rousing, chant-a-long set of oldies but goodies (now some 34 years old). The lead guitarist did most of the chat between songs, introducing the other band members and bantering, which was unusual as this role is normally adopted by the main singer. Not that the singer was shy. I think he was giving the senior band member his place. Anyway, I loved them but it could have been a bit longer (where have I heard that before?)

Then on came The Skids, often seen as a precursor to BG. Now, I didn't know much about them beforehand, except Richard Jobson (ponsy 80's tv presenter with a penchant for fancy suits and culture programmes) was previously in the band and they had a couple of famous hits ("Working for the Yankee Dollar" and "Into the Valley"). And Stuart Adamson was in both bands. It was, therefore, a surprise to see them as the main act, given, I thought, Big Country was the bigger band.

But after the first song, I understood why.

The Skids did blow the roof off with a chugging punk rock sound, as the energetic main man, Richard Jobson, danced and kicked and spun and sang and loved every minute. The crowd of mainly 40-50-year-olds went nuts, bouncing and clapping and jumping and singing along to the old numbers. The spirit of the late 70s/early 80s imbued us all as we became teenagers again (not in a 'Cocoon' way). I was surprised there weren't more cardiac arrests though.

The two Big Country guitarists were part of the band, performing twice on the night (did they get double money?), but this time the lead guitarist settled for more of a background role as Richard held court over the audience. Which he did very well.

Only complaint: it was too short and they finished with a new song that sounds like it was written by a 50-year-old (it rhymes 'fire' and 'desire'). It would have been better to end on 'Into the Valley', their most well-known hit and the most well-received song of the night.

But a brilliant gig nonetheless. And so nice to see so many familiar faces in the crowd.

Apologies to the nice ladies I stood up tonight for this gig. You know who you are. Another time.

Kaleo, Glasgow Barrowlands. Fri 3rd Nov 2017

It's not often that you pay to see a band then wish the support act had been headlining. Not there was anything wrong with Kaleo. The audience loved them, singing along, clapping their hands, stamping their feet, even performing an Icelandic Viking thunderclap to bring them back for an encore (they're from Iceland). It's just Judah & the Lion were more fun.

Kaleo's play a moody Southern blues-style rock. Their debut album has just gone platinum in the US. The lead singer has a deep resonant voice with a growl Dave Grohl would be proud of. The band are tight. What was lacking was charisma. Only the bassist went to town geeing up the crowd to get them bouncing. The lead singer, with his perma-frown and moody eyebrows, looked like his dog had died, at least until the encore where he cracked a smile briefly. I don't think it was nerves. I don't think it was arrogance. Maybe it's too early in his performing career. His confidence will grow with age. I just hope they move beyond their signature sound as it became a little samey.

Judah & the Lion, on the other hand, stated their agenda up front - we were going to have a good time. Lots of energy from the lead singer and a quirky sound that made them stand out. As a support act, their lighting show was well above average. They stated they will never be a cool band, they will only be themselves. It felt like they were welcoming us into their world. It was a nice place to be, replete with booty dances, a cover of Mr Brightside, woah-a-long songs, and even a touch of bonnie, bonnie banks of Loch Lomond. They may be from Mississipi but tonight their hearts belonged in Glasgow. They finished with a two-minute dance party with all the guitar players and singers bustin their moves while the drummer and keyboard player went mental on the rhythm front. A superb finale. I suspect they will become a festival fave.

(There was a second support act, from Ontario, but I never caught their name. They had a distinctive guitarist-singer with a lion's mane of brown hair, a female bassist and a nutty drummer. We only heard a few of their song as we arrived late. They were what I expect from a support act).

My photos were poor so I've only attached a couple, plus a publicity pic. I hope you have enjoyed reading my review.

Judah and the Lion