What a beautiful evening!
Okay, the drive along Byres Road was interminable, but I managed to find a parking bay close to the venue and parallel parked perfectly on the first go. Outside, while I got jostled by the chatty pre-pensioners behind me, I messaged a new acquaintance to pass the time. Turns out both our diaries are busy for a while.
Inside, I found a spot near the front behind a smaller lady. Then I noticed her other half was an old school mate who enjoys his gigs as much as I do. We had a great catch-up while waiting for the band. It then turned out the lady on my left, who was eavesdropping on our conversation, was a Boots pharmacist from Stewarton. I didn't know her, but such are the coincidences of life, even at such a small, intimate gig.
Ricky and James opened the set with a stripped-down version of Dignity before welcoming the rest of the band. The room was packed, the atmosphere warm, and the sound divine. Ricky's introduction to the next song was class: "It's nice to be able to play The Great Western Road on Great Western Road." As always, Lorraine's vocals complemented Ricky's voice beautifully.
Ricky's intro to "How We Remember It" talked about the circus and carnival coming to town when he was a young lad and how his strait-laced father refused to take him on the flying rockets, instead paying a stranger, who looked like an Alvin Stardust wannabe, to sit with him on the ride. Ricky reflected on his desire to run away with the circus, travelling from place to place, realising all these years later that his dream did come true.
Lorraine sang lead vocals on the next tune, "Cover From The Sky." Then, they played one of the more upbeat numbers, "Late '88," from the new album before finishing on a crowd favourite, "Real Gone Kid."
The venue suited the event. A former church with great acoustics, it felt special to be in attendance, even though they only played for half an hour before answering questions during the Q&A for a further thirty minutes. I loved every minute of it so much that I never bothered to film any of it. It was nice just being in the moment (okay, I did take some snaps).
Not bad for £22, including a signed Assai Exclusive Sleeve CD.
Setlist
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| How far I was from the tower entrance |
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| The queue behind went on for quite a distance (That's the top of my head, not an Easter egg) |
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| Ricky and James |
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| Bassist Lewis Gordon is hiding behind Ricky |
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| Lorraine didn't wait during the end applause |
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| Q&A |
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