On the day I received my flu shot and second Covid booster (one in each arm), I ventured out to Glasgow armed with my vaccine passport, mask and tickets for only my second gig in eighteen months (and this one was standing). Was I going to be gig fit and last the night?
Arriving after 7.30 pm (doors open 7 pm), we got straight through security with minimum fuss (a couple of questions re covid symptoms and a temperature check). We weren't even frisked. The dancehall was empty bar the hardcore at the front and a smattering of fans at the fringes. We settled on a spot in the middle rear part of the hall, further back than the disco ball,which hangs from the centre of the ceiling.
The support act was not The Ancores as advertised (not that I would have recognised them anyway) but a band from Hull called Low Hummer. The girl singer was in a bright red Cheongsam while the other singing bloke looked like a newly-qualified social studies teacher in his beige long-sleeved t-shirt, hands in his trouser pockets as he walked around the stage.
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| Low Hummer |
They play what I would describe as a retro, post-punk indie with a heavy drum beat and vocals that are as often spoken as sung. And I liked them (enough to do an internet search to check out who they were based on the few song titles I could make out). The keyboard player was so gorgeous I had to keep reminding myself I was old enough to be her dad and she would have an accent like comedian Lucy Beaumont.
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| Elegant and cool! |
The Manics opened with Motorcycle Emptiness and the Glasgow crowd came alive, taking over the vocals for the chorus. James Dean Bradfield commented afterwards in his inimitable Wesh accent, "Well, you turned up, didn't you!" Over the course of one hundred minutes, they performed a variety of old and new songs. One nice touch was when they played a few bars of Into the Valley by The Skids before going into a cover of GnR's Sweet Child O Mine. They've been varying the intro across the tour so the Scottish flavour was apt for the Glasgow show.
The crowd was packed, with latecomers pushing their way towards the middle. Somehow I always manage to end up in a section of the crowd that forms a corridor to the bar with traffic moving in both directions. Two assholes clutching pints decided to stop right in front of me. To add insult to injury, the bald one turned around, saw my annoyance and had the balls to say "Look mate, we're not pushing in. We've been standing here all night. We just both went for a pint," then turned around again and chuckled to his mate. Believing that to be a lie, my impotent rage went into overdrive. I began to imagine drawing a garrotte from my belt and slicing his neck till the blood poured down his shirt like a waterfall. Whenever he sucked on his vape, I wanted to shove his head forward so hard he smashed his teeth against it and choked on it as it got wedged down his throat. His bearded pal deserved to get his pint sprinkled with powdered dog training treats but my supply had been emptied prior to departure in case the staff thought I was carrying Scooby snacks. Obviously, this was all in my head and I did nothing but fume and clap uncomfortably loudly close to the bald guy's head at the end of each song.
The Manics gave a great performance and the audience loved them, As did I. My only minor gripe was with the lighting which was regularly blinding and a bit unimaginative. I suspect it was designed for a venue with a higher ceiling. But that's rock n roll for you.
I kept my mask on for the entire show (I was very much in the minority there) but still managed to sing along despite my tickly upper lip. The next morning, I was rewarded with a croaky, deep voice, which attests it was a great night out.
Setlist
Motorcycle Emptiness
Orwellian
Your Love Alone Is Not Enough
The Secret He Had Missed
You Stole the Sun From My Heart
Little Baby Nothing
Still Snowing in Sapporo
Everything Must Go
Complicated Illusions
International Blue
If You Tolerate This Your Children Will Be Next
From Despair to Where (Acoustic)
Into the Valley (The Skids - Intro only)
Sweet Child o' Mine (Guns N’ Roses cover)
Tsunami
Afterending
Slash 'n' Burn
Spectators of Suicide
Ocean Spray
You Love Us
A Design for Life
Addendum: Having looked through my photos of the night, I have subsequently discovered those two chaps were indeed in front of me on the other side of the traffic corridor.
Addendum two: in today's PDE there is a report that a student has been convicted of assault to severe injury for shoving a man in a takeaway. The student was verbally provoked by the aggressive drunk but still got fined £625 because there was no excuse for his behaviour.
A timely reminder of the consequences of violence. It's never worth it.
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