Gut Reactions (post-gig memories and other trips): HORSE at the Month of Sundays (matinee show), The Bungalow, Paisley. Sunday 10th May, 2026.

I was especially excited for this gig, being able to catch Horse in such a small venue. It was quite a coup for The Bungalow to rein her in, especially as she recently sold out The Barrowland.

We had 'unreserved' seating tickets, so we headed down early and parked nearby on George Street. The queue at 12.35 pm only had about half a dozen people waiting. A little after 1pm, the staff lifted the shutter and let us in. Tickets checked, a 'D' marked in turquoise pen on the back of one hand, we headed in to choose where to sit.

No. That wasn't happening. All the tables had reservation laminates on them, surnames added in marker pen. What we had to do was play a game of "Find Your Table". We lucked out with a spot near the front with an unhindered view.

The hour before showtime flew by. I read a little, 'Shazam'd the preshow music, and watched the fun and games play out as people sat at the wrong tables. It seems some in Paisley can't read. Shocker! It all got sorted, and it turned out that a couple of tables at the front remained empty. Maybe the respective parties didn't realise and sat elsewhere.

One of the No-Shows

We were so close to the front that we could almost taste Horse's chewing gum. Indeed, she referred to us as being in her pebble-dash zone, meaning saliva spit, not an explosive rear evacuation.

Horse explained that she didn't usually play the guitar on stage, though she often wrote her songs with one. This added pressure: she couldn't use her hands while she sang, except to play the guitar. She also needed to tune the guitar between songs, much to everyone's amusement, especially when bassist Lorny T had to step in to correct her when she'd tuned it in the wrong key.

This was Jenny Clifford's fourth outing on guitar (and vocals) with Horse. She seemed much more relaxed than she had been at the Barrowlands.

The set was advertised as being an hour long, but was actually closer to two, not that anyone was complaining. Consisting of classic singles, B-sides, album tracks and one cover, she captivated us with her voice and music. The atmosphere felt so intimate, the audience mostly behaved, and it was a genuinely lovely experience. Horse comes across as such a lovely, gifted person.

After the show, I pinched a setlist from the stage. We could have waited in the merch queue for an autograph and/or a selfie, but didn't. I was happy with my souvenir.

Once again, Horse did us proud. Writing this several hours later, I'm still feeling giddy (up).

Setlist: