Glasgow Blues, Rhythm and Rock Festival, Oran Mor, Glasgow. Sunday 28th April, 2024

 

We didn't quite make it before the doors opened but still managed to find a seat in one of the booths. Unfortunately, not one with a view of the stage. So, for the first act, we left our jackets on the seats and watched from the sides. Two big units then breezed in, pushed my jacket aside and sat in my space. As soon as they moved, I reclaimed my seat which meant missing the end of the first set. 

The Greig Taylor Band are Scottish and make a great sound, with heartfelt lyrics and a bit of fun along the way. A great start to the day.

The bald chap in this picture
is not the giant I mention later

Connor Selby didn't do much for me. As bland and soporific as Chris Rea. We didn't even get up to watch them and, like the people around us, spent our time scrolling through our phones. Some did enjoy them, though, and they've won an award, you know. 

We skipped Beaux Gris Gris and the Apocalypse to get dinner: a curry at the Ashoka in Ashton Lane. We only saw the end of their set, but they were okay, if a little bizarre. They do have some amazing album covers.

The main draw of the event for me was to see Elles Bailey. Her music gets regular play on Planet Rock, where she has a weekly show, and I loved her last album and her recent single, Enjoy The Ride. We plonked ourselves close to the front leaving only a small gap in front of us. No one tall could slip in there, we thought. WRONG! This massive bald giant of a man confidently pushed in and stood right in front of Bob. He then invited his, granted, smaller pals to join him, squeezing them into the remaining space. Fortunately, I hadn't set down my roots and managed to shift over. He was a longtime Elles fan, cheering whenever she mentioned previous or upcoming gigs. He also had an annoying wish to film the songs, keeping his tree trunk-like arm raised in the air. He was already a head above everyone in front of him, so why did he need the higher view? Probably so he didn't block his own view of the show. Obviously, it goes without saying he had a pint in his other hand, holding the cup in his mouth to applaud at the end of each song. 

I did manage to ignore his presence eventually. Elles hadn't toured for a while, so this came across like a warm-up gig for her, with everything a little bit rusty, relying on her skill and experience to carry the show. Her regular guitarist wasn't available, so she'd drafted in the guy with whom she writes some of her songs and the band was sharing Cardinal Black's equipment so that they could fly up from Bristol rather than van it. Well, except for the keyboard player who'd brought his own organ for the show. 

The performance was good, her banter charismatic, and everyone loved her. She has a great stage presence, enthusiasm, and a wicked sense of humour. It was funny when she announced the band were due to start tour rehearsals soon because the German gigs were off, and then had to apologise to the bassist because she remembered she hadn't told him this info earlier. Embarrassing! He took in good spirits.

Video link: Enjoy The Ride

We witnessed a moment prior to the show where some friends in the crowd joined to take a group selfie. Elles was passing, heading backstage, and stopped to loom over them in the background, pulling a face. Only I don't think the guy with the camera took the snap because his flash didn't go off as it did with subsequent takes. What a moment to miss! Photobombed by Elles at her own gig.

The final act of the night was Cardinal Black, a six-piece from Wales. While I can't say I loved them, you've got to admire their talent, especially Chris Buck, the guitarist. His work distilled the spirit of The Edge and Dave Gilmour through an emotional blues filter. The band's repertoire has a soulful feel, but I prefer my music a bit rockier. Listening to the singer chat in his lovely Welsh accent made me miss Welsh rockers Those Damn Crows. It wasn't an unpleasant experience, though. It was weird when some fans started waving a huge Welsh flag in such a tiny space. 

I still haven't warmed to Oran Mor as a venue. With the many support pillars obscuring the view of the stage from the sides, the horrendous lighting blinding the audience, and the awful sound in certain parts of the room, I can't see what's good about it, except for the artists that wish to play there. 

Afterwards, I was shattered. Seven bands in three days was a lot. I wonder how I'm going to cope with my first three-day festival later this year. 

Cardinal Black setlist:

Rise Up

Where Do You Go?

Tell Me How It Feels

Terra Firma

Half Way

On My Way

Ain't My Time

Jump In

Warm Love

I'm Ready

Tied Up In Blue

Ticket Price: £28 plus £3.50 Service Fee from Ticketweb.

Note the giant's arm on the left

Chris Buck joined her on stage for the final song

Kira Mac, Spring 2024 UK Tour, Oran Mor, Glasgow. Sat 27th April, 2024

I'm not a fan of Oran Mor as a venue, although, to be fair, I've only ever been there for comedy shows. I despised the cramped seating and level flooring. This would be my first rock gig there.

We started the night with a meal at the bar upstairs. We'd reserved a table and discovered they were strict with reservations. Multiple parties were ordered to vacate tables with reservation signs; no arguments were allowed. Nice! The food was good, too.

Arriving just before the doors opened, the queue was short. Inside, with no frisk, I selected a spot on the balcony with a raised view of the stage. No one would block my view tonight.

The downside to this location was the chatty c*nts who wouldn't stop talking during the support act, Jayler. They are a young band with plenty of energy. Their musical style is definitely influenced by Robert Plant and Led Zeppelin in the hairstyles, clothes and vocal stylings. They sounded really good. The frontman had bags of charisma and confidence for someone so young. Definitely one to look out for.

Kira Mac were good, too. Kira seemed to be struggling with a cough but still gave a great performance, her voice raspy at times, holding back sometimes from the big notes. Not that it stopped her from gabbing away between songs. I preferred their heavier numbers but still enjoyed the show.

I was briefly entertained by a drunk whom I'd initially managed to avoid in the toilets as he staggered back three steps in an attempt to turn to face the exit to the facility. Later, I watched him navigate the steps onto the dance floor while clutching three pints between his hands in a triangle shape. Each step down resulted in more and more of the pints being spilt until he'd eventually lost a third of each by the time he'd reached floor level. Silly bugger. I'm sure he'll remember he had a great night, just not any of the details.   

The distance from the stage and the fuzzy lighting messed with my camera focus, especially with the video settings, so that was a bit disappointing. 

Still, two good bands worth seeing again. 

Setlist

Save Your Whiskey

Dead Man Walking

Chaos Is Calling

Play the Game

No Way Out

Scorned

Imagine What We Could've Been (Kira solo acoustic)

Half the World Away (Oasis cover) (Kira & Joe acoustic)

Back for More (Kira & Joe acoustic)

Say Something (Justin Timberlake feat. Chris Stapleton cover)

Free

You Oughta Know (Alanis Morissette cover)

Hit Me Again

Hell Fire and Holy Water

Never Going to Stay

Mississippi Swinging

Farewell

Climbing

Encore:

Downfall

One Way Ticket

  

Ticket Price: £18. 

Jayler

Video link: Final song of Jayler's set

Video links: Dead Man Walking & You Oughta Know.

Blurb:

Kira Mac, the UK’s hottest rock sensation, is reinventing the classic genre with a modern twist. Their music bursts with the raw power of old-school rock, fused seamlessly with contemporary flair, soulful melodies, and a generous dose of rock ‘n roll attitude.

This dynamic band, a diverse collective of musicians hailing from various corners of the UK, serendipitously crossed paths in the heart of Manchester in 2018. United by a shared passion for crafting authentic music inspired by working-class struggles, they embarked on a journey to create something truly extraordinary.

Kira Mac’s influences span the rich tapestry of rock and diverse musical genres. Their unique talent is honed from grassroots beginnings, rooted in an unbridled love for music’s eclectic and acoustic dimensions.

Fronted by Rhi’s powerhouse vocals and Joe Worrall’s blistering guitar skills, the band delivers a fresh take on rock ‘n roll songwriting and a distinctive sound. Alex and Bret, round out the ensemble, creating an electrifying rhythm and percussion backbone.

Kira Mac is poised to set UK stages ablaze once again, bringing their electrifying sound to festivals and live shows. Brace yourself for a rock revival like no other, led by the unstoppable force that is Kira Mac!

GUN, Intimate Hombres Album Launch Show. St Luke's and the Winged Ox, Glasgow. Friday 26th April, 2024

It was my mammy's birthday today, so I took the day off to take her out for lunch. I won't tell you what age she was, but she has more wrinkles on her face than she has years. 

Then, because I'm getting old, too, I had to have an afternoon nap in preparation for tonight's gig. I did manage to set up and test my new subwoofer before I left, so the afternoon wasn't a complete bust. 

GUN were playing two shows at St Luke's tonight after the first gig sold out. This meant the second show was pushed to start later than originally scheduled. We arrived around 7.45pm for an 8pm doors open, with GUN due on stage at 9pm. The queue was fairly long, already stretching as far as the pavement. Not as long as the queue at the Barrowland for Rob Lambertini ( a popular George Michael tribute act), though. 

I didn't get frisked on the way in, so my initial concerns about having to explain why I was wearing a back brace were unfounded. It was just as well, as I later discovered I had a pair of scissors in my back pocket from when I opened the speaker's packaging. 

As we got to the front of the queue, I overheard the couple in front being told there were seats available upstairs, so we went up, too. We sat on the centre pews at the back, close to the middle, with one pew in front and another behind. Signs on the wall behind the sound desk/VIP area indicated no standing was allowed there, so I figured our view would be fine.

Unfortunately, the people in the pews in front decided they would stand for almost the entire gig, so taking videos was out, and my snaps had to be mostly snatched from between their shoulders.

The lady on the right took umbrage with one cheeky chap when he stood in the corridor in front of her. She leaned across and prodded him on the shoulder, gesturing for him to bugger off. He apologised and sank to his knees to continue videoing the song on his phone from ledge level. Afterwards, when he turned to apologise again, she turned up her nose at him and then smirked at her pal. Not a nice person. I half expected her to breathe fire. She videoed almost every song in portrait but only partially, as if her attention span couldn't tolerate that amount of time.

Crouching Fan, Looming Dragon

GUN were on fire (as I'm contractually obliged to say as a lifelong fan). Actually, they were good, even from my seated position. The venue sound wasn't great, with a lot of distortion. It might have come across better from floor level.  

The band played a number of tunes from the new album, Hombres, as well as the crowdpleasers of old. The new songs are brilliant and earned their right to stay on the setlist for years to come. Dante's voice was a bit rough at times, having completed one set an hour earlier, but he still belted out the songs. I couldn't really make out the banter when Jules spoke because of his quiet mic, which was strange because, at times, the backing vocals almost drowned out Dante.

I stood for Shame On You, the last song before the encore, so I got a couple of uninterrupted snaps while singing my heart out. 

On the way out, I spied Pauline McNally, a former colleague, on the stairs opposite, but she didn't notice me waving (or my anonymity struck again). It's been a while. She still looks great. 

As we walked to the car, I asked my wife if she'd changed her mind about attending the Barrowland gig in December. She smiled. "Yes. I'd like to go. They were good." 

Praise indeed!

Before that, though, I get to catch them at the Maid In Stone Festival in Kent.

Setlist: 

Lucky Guy

Here's Where I Am

Don't Say It's Over

All Fired Up

Better Days

You Are What I Need

Boys Don't Cry

Falling

Take Me Back Home

Steal Your Fire

Shame On You

Encore:

Word Up! (Cameo cover)

Inside Out

Ticket Price: £18.50 inc signed CD (£15 for ticket only).

Official photographer working in our aisle.
I bet his snaps are better than mine.

"Take Me Back Home"

Jim Gellatly and Billy Sloan 

Brian Bilston and Henry Normal, Mackintosh Queen's Cross, Glasgow. Wednesday 10th April, 2024

 

Something a little bit different tonight - Poetry.

I'd seen Henry Normal perform his poetry/stand-up back in the day (later, he formed Baby Cow Productions with Steve Coogan, where he remained as CEO until 2016), but Brian Bilston only came to my attention when posts of his clever poetry started appearing on my Facebook feed. 

I took the day off because the venue, the Mackintosh Queen's Cross, was in a part of Glasgow I wasn't overly familiar with. We left early (very early - 6pm for 7.30 pm doors open), driving through horrendously bad wet road conditions. My satnav confused me by asking me to drive in the opposite direction to the one I expected so it had to reset a number of times due to my belligerence. We still arrived forty-five minutes early. My wife was furious as she'd skipped her post-dinner coffee, thinking we would be late. I maintained the mantra, "But it's UNRESERVED SEATING".

We sat in the car, windscreen wipers clearing away the rain, aircon fighting the steam issuing from my wife's temper, as we waited to see if a queue formed outside the venue. I then noticed people disappearing down the side of the building. My wife remarked they'd been doing that for ages, so we made our way across, getting soaked by the gusts of rain.    

On the main door, a notice indicated to use the side lane. I fretted about how long the queue would be and hoped there was some sort of cover if we were left standing outside.

My worries were unfounded. There was no queue. Instead, inside the back hall, which had been set up as a hybrid waiting area, bar and bookshop, lots of people gathered, waiting for the main doors to open. Henry Normal was at the Waterstones bookstall, chatting to fans and signing books. I didn't know what Brian looked like, but there wasn't anyone else signing, so I figured he was elsewhere. 

Every so often, the crowd would surge to the door only to be told by the staff that the queue that had formed was actually for the toilets. After complaints about the lack of space inside, the venue staff opened the venue doors early, allowing me a moment of smugness for having the foresight to arrive before the advertised time. My wife was still not amused. 

We sat in the second row of pews on the left. Essentially a converted church, the venue had some lovely Mackintosh motifs in its furniture and architecture. Speakers had been set up on either side of the chancel with a microphone and table in the centre. I guessed it was inappropriate for them to perform their comedic work from the pulpit.    

Brian was fantastic. Having written and memorised a humorous script and armed with a raft of wonderfully witty poems, he gave a nuanced performance in which every tightening of the eyes, lip wobble, and momentary hesitation drew a laugh. Superb!

Then came the interval, scheduled to last twenty minutes. This turned out not to be long enough to accommodate all the women needing to use the ladies toilet. At one point, the queue extended back into the Nave. Adding another ten minutes to the break still wasn't long enough, as I noticed a number of women scurrying back to their pews after Henry had begun. Had they been served diuretics at the bar? Or had Brian made them laugh so hard that they needed to replace their Tena pads? I never found out. 

I felt Henry's set was less polished than Brian's. While his poetry was clever and covered a wide range of styles, from funny to childish to political to moving, his performance felt blustery, scrappy even, not just when he dropped his printed sheets onto the floor after use. He's a seasoned performer, and I felt he relied on this experience to get him through his set. Brian was word-perfect, while Henry had less polish.

I didn't take any pictures of either performance. I'd like to say this was to maintain Brian's personal online anonymity, but it didn't feel appropriate to take snaps. I didn't wait to buy an autographed book afterwards. There was a bit of a queue, and I wanted to get home.

The drive back was a nightmare. It was dark, I was unfamiliar with the roads, and the satnav appeared to be in a huff, telling me to 'Turn Now' just after I'd driven past the junction. Then, it took me down roads that were blocked to motor traffic, allowing 'Bicycles Only'. At one point, I nearly crashed into a queue of stationary cars as I tried to figure out where my next turn would be on the screen map, the emergency stop nearly giving my wife whiplash.  

I eventually turned off the satnav on Queen Margaret Drive. She wanted to direct me back to the City Centre, and I thought it would be quicker to use the Clyde Tunnel. Maybe she knew something that I didn't because the chaos didn't stop. I encountered a cyclist riding without lights, a pedestrian hurrying across a crossing in the style of Groucho Marx as if that would protect him from the impact of my bonnet, and then a neighbour reversed out of his driveway directly into my path. 

My wife is still bealing with me due to that early departure. 

I wouldn't rate the view from this box seat

Ticket Price: £22.50 (plus £3.03 booking fee per ticket plus £1.50 transaction fee) from See Tickets.

Blurb

Brian Bilston and Henry Normal appear together for the first time in a show which one critic has described as ‘two people reading some poems’.

Along the way, they will be drawing on their vast catalogue of crowd favourites – and throwing in new poems, to prevent becoming their own tribute bands.

Not ones to overpromise, Brian and Henry are prepared to commit to delivering the greatest poetry show in the history of the world: an evening of poems to be enjoyed, not endured.

Brian Bilston has been described as the Banksy of poetry and Twitter’s unofficial Poet Laureate. With over 200,000 followers on social media, Brian has become truly beloved by the online community.

Henry Normal is a writer, poet, TV and film producer, founder of the Manchester Poetry Festival (now the Literature Festival) and co-founder of the Nottingham Poetry Festival.

Recommended age: 14+. Please note that this performance contains some swearing and light sexual references.

Duration: approx. 2 hours 20 mins (incl. interval)