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