Horse with The Scottish Chamber Orchestra, 30th Anniversary Reunion, Barrowland, Glasgow. Friday 23rd January, 2026

My first gig of 2026, the first in nearly a month. 

I arrived suitably early at 6.30 pm, having driven in, listening to The Same Sky, Horse's debut album, as a refresher of what was to come. As I join the queue, a chilly wind blows along the Gallowgate, the cold air seeping into my skin, despite my apparel. My starting position is at the same level as the accessibility doors, but this shortens after the security person requests that those with Standing tickets form a separate line. I listen to The News Quiz while I wait. I stick my hands in my trousers' pockets to keep warm, but end up giving my testicles frostbite (not really - no medical attention was required). 

The doors open at 7 pm. It doesn't take long to get in. I received the most polite frisk I've ever had. No touching; just a question asking if I'm carrying any sharp objects, glass bottles, or something else I can't remember, to which I reply 'No'. The security girl smiles and waves me on to the wristband table, and then I get my ticket scanned. 

I don't dash up the stairs, but I also don't dillydally looking at the merch. The seating is unreserved, and I want a seat near the front. I'm pleased when I find an aisle seat in the second row on the left of the stage. As it's angled to face stage centre, my view is not impeded, despite the large man sitting in front of me. Fantastic! Now to wait for showtime.

I do the usual: read my Kindle, check my emails, flick through Facebook, reply to messages. I warm my hands in the crook of my knees. As more of the crowd filters in, the room heats up, and I thaw out. 

It's supposed to start at 8 pm, but it's closer to 8.15 pm before the orchestra and band take the stage. And so begins a wonderful evening of joyous music. Horse's voice has retained its strength, clarity and control despite her 'ahem' 45 years (ba dum tish), and she shows off her range exquisitely. She has such a warm, good-humoured presence and is having a great time performing for us. I find myself smiling, partly with nostalgia. This feels so good. I really enjoyed this one.

A few stand-out moments: 

All the songs she played from The Same Sky brought back waves of nostalgia for me. She sang them so beautifully.

The first ba dum tish drumroll after she commented she was '45'. 

When Horse fluffed the opening to the Dusty Springfield cover, she looked so embarrassed.

When the orchestra played the opening bars of Kashmir. I got chills. Was Horse actually going to sing a Led Zep number? No.

Could it be Magic was magical, with the disco balls illuminated. 

Horse being inducted into the Barrowland Hall of Fame. Well deserved. 

The conductor, Paul Leonard-Morgan, was a bit of a revelation. A Scotsman living in LA, he's made quite a career in composing TV and film scores. Yet here he is, supporting Horse for her Barrowland show. 

The performance was recorded and filmed, so I look forward to catching it later in the year when it gets released. Hopefully, the Springfield fluff will be included as an outtake.

Setlist

Careful (string arrangement)

...And She Smiled

The Speed of the Beat of My Heart

Never Not Going To

Breathe Me

You Could Be Forgiven

Sweet Thing

Stay

Somebody

I Close My Eyes and Count to Ten (Dusty Springfield cover)

Wichita Lineman (Jimmy Webb cover)

God's Home Movie

Heaven (something made me fall)

Forever lonely

Superpower

Could It Be Magic (Barry Manilow cover)

Careful

Celebrate

   

Ticket Price: £42.50 Unreserved Seating plus £5.55 Service Charge, plus Handling Fee £2.95 = £51.00 from Ticketmaster.

Videos:

Never Not Going To

God's Home Movie

Could It Be Magic (Kashmir intro)

Photos:

GUN, Barrowland Ballroom, Glasgow. Saturday 13th December, 2025

My annual December pilgrimage to the Barrowland to see GUN. We arrived before the doors were due to open, so we waited in the car rather than getting soaked in the queue. We spent the time listening to the support act's album. The experience didn't bode well. They had the sound aggression of The Virginmarys, not my favourite band.

The security official outside the venue was in good spirits, getting us to form two lines, one for each door, warning us not to stand on the road as it was 'live and getting knocked down would spoil our evening'.

Inside, I couldn't believe the idiocy of my frisk. I was asked to empty my pockets before they began, so I pulled out my wallet, house keys, car key fob, earplug case and a couple of tissues. The tissues were confiscated as I may have secreted something within them. "What, like snot?" I reply. He confiscates another from my jacket pocket, then starts rubbing the jacket, thinking there might be something in the lining. There isn't. The pocket there contained an old cinema ticket stub. He opens my earplug case to check the contents, not believing me. I make him screw it closed again, knowing the thread is tricky. He rubs down the rest of me, then waves me on. He doesn't check my right trouser pocket, which has another tissue and a couple of wrapped Werther's Originals; the rear pockets, which hold dog poo bags; under my cap; or inside my shoes. I'm seething by the time my ticket is scanned, and I get to join my pals at the top of the stairs. I understand why they need to do it. I'm just pissed off that it is so slapdash, an exercise in being seen to check, not a proper frisk. Pointless.

There's a warning at the hall door about strobe and haze effects. The crowd is thin, despite the large number who got in before us, many filling the bar areas at the sides. We stand in the centre and chat while we await the first band. 

A family stands close by. The son is tall, heavily built and sways compulsively. The shaved-headed father does too, but his is less pronounced. I hope they don't move in front of us when the crowd fills up.

Tijuana Bibles are from Coatbridge. At the start of their set, they sound less shouty than their album suggested. The lead singer has a James McAvoy vibe about him, if James didn't make anything of his life. Vocally, he sits somewhere between John Lydon and Morrissey. He admits he's had a wee drink before the show, so he remembers to thank GUN early for having them. He wishes they could play for longer, but I'm glad they don't. My interest had flatlined by the end of their set, as they brought out the shouty songs. The band have room for improvement. The drummer on backing vocals added a positive dimension to their sound.

After they were done, the gaps in the crowd began to fill up. A group slipped past us, and I recognised the tall person at the back. Kenny Crawford, a pal from back at Primary School. We exchange small talk, shouting over the PA. He apologises for being 6'2", making the excuse that his wife needs to be closer to the front as she is shorter. To be fair, he ensures his group don't block our view, moving across in front of the family beside us. 

Then more tall people arrive. It's always the same. By the time the PA plays "Delilah," the crowd is singing along loudly, and my wife can't see the stage. A few songs in, she switches to the other side of me, beside the swaying son, unaware of the smell emanating from his clothes. I see her holding a tissue to her nose (tissues which hadn't been confiscated!).

GUN were immense, starting strong with a setlist packed with bangers. The haze effect offers several benefits. The lighting is diffused, the beams not blinding, creating striking effects, such as silhouettes and intense colouration. They have a small screen at the rear with a projector beaming onto it from the ceiling, instead of the wall screen they hired for last year's gig. This reduces the scale, but makes it feel more intimate.

Dante struggles with his earpiece, and Roo is atypically rusty in his solos, but the others gel well. Andy is particularly strong in backing vocals and has a commanding stage presence. Joolz plays well, but isn't the best guitarist in Scotland, as Paul describes him during the band introductions. Dante would agree with me that Joolz isn't even the best guitarist in the band. 

I enjoyed the gig. The room was so hot that even my scalp was sweating. I was too far back to take videos. Plenty in front were doing a fine job of that, anyway. I had to time my photos to avoid the sway of the youth's head. We all reckoned he was autistic. Harmless, but annoying. 

Paul Anthony, DJ at Planet Rock, welcomed GUN back to the stage for the encore. Not sure why he'd travelled north to be here. A favour? A fan? 

Paul Anthony

GUN didn't play "Fight for Your Right," which disappointed Bob. We did get an extra song, The Only One, which they didn't play in Aberdeen. The band photo, taken while the PA played David Lee Roth's "Just Like Paradise," was a mishmash because Paul had already left the stage and needed to be brought back.

Gallus!

Setlist
Money (Everybody Loves Her)
Coming Home
Welcome to the Real World
All Fired Up
Vicious Heart
Lucky Guy
Seems Like I'm Losing You
Word Up! (Cameo cover)
Taking on the World
Falling
Stand in Line
Seraphina
Don't Say It's Over
Take Me Back Home
Inside Out
Steal Your Fire

Encore:
The Only One
Better Days
Shame On You

Ticket Price:£35.75 x 4 +£1 Transaction Fee from Gigantic

 

Tijuana Bibles

 

Shame On You 

Spotted this lamp post sign on the way to the car.
Seemed apt.

The Hives, The Death of Randy Fitzsimmons Tour 2024. Barrowland Ballroom, Glasgow. Monday 1st April, 2024

I was offered a ticket to this sold-out gig after two friends mixed up who was buying, resulting in a spare. I had heard of the band but was not familiar with their work, but my friend promised me they were amazing live. With no work the next day, why not? 

Prior to the gig, a few of us went for dinner at Bar SOBA, an Asian fusion street food restaurant in the Merchant City area of Glasgow, a short walk from the Barrowland. I had Yakisoba as my main and Mochi Balls for dessert. The latter seemed aptly named, as they had the texture of ice cream stuffed into a bull's testicle, albeit a mock one. I'm not sure I'd order it again.

The rain drizzled as we headed to the venue, now joined by Doug, the fourth member of tonight's troupe. After a brief security frisk, we headed inside, checked out the merchandise, and then went upstairs to the dancefloor, only to find all the rear barrier spaces taken. We stood near the fire doors at the back.

Support act Bad Nerves plays what they describe as fast music, reminiscent of The Ramones. It wasn't unpleasant or overly engaging, but the audience at the front went mad for them, jumping about and pumping their fists in the air. It wasn't really my thing.

As their set finished, so did my painkillers. My back twinges started up, and I began to wonder if I was going to survive the night standing. I knew Bob had accessibility access seats available to him and wondered if that might be the less painful option for me. Doug noticed me eyeing the seats and suggested we both make use of them (he'd had back problems, too, after a rugby injury). The security person guarding access to this section took some persuading to let us in, as Bob's Ticketmaster tickets didn't specifically mention 'accessibility', but he pointed out the pricing indicated he had access. She eventually relented and opened the barrier to let the two of us in. By this point, I didn't need to act about how much pain I was in as I climbed the steps, grasping the handrail like it was a crutch.

The Accessibility platform is probably not the best location to experience The Hives, but I have to say, situated above head height, the view was excellent. The seating is quite cramped, but at least no one expects you to stand when they want past to go to the bar or toilets.  

If I thought the crowd was mad for Bad Nerves, it went up to the max when The Hives took the stage. Their frontman, Howlin’ Pelle, was in total control, whether it be making the crowd put their hands in the air, clap their hands or swing their arms from side to side. He was all over the stage, from side to side, flicking his microphone cord so it didn't get tangled, jumping on and off the risers and down to the audience, leaning over to slap their hands, nearly falling in a couple of times. His banter has the force of a Swedish Hitler (only with more humour and less intention to invade Poland), berating the audience for not being loud enough on his command. Even when he loses his train of thought, he delivers it with such power you can't help but love him for it. I didn't like the way he kept spitting on the stage, though, but maybe that's what they do in Sweden, like a dog leaving his scent.

While Pelle is the definite centre of attention, he is only one part of the band. Each member stands out musically and individually despite being costumed similarly. Their music is powerful and driven, the drums, bass, and guitars coordinating to increase our heart rate, and I would have loved to bounce about in that crowd. At the end, the band took their bows to the Carly Simon track "Nobody Does It Better." On tonight's evidence, I'd have to agree. 

Ticket Price: £38.50.

Video Link Bogus Operandi

Video Link: Hate to Say I Told You So

Video Link: Tick Tick Boom 

Setlist

Bogus Operandi

Main Offender

Take Back the Toys

Two Kinds of Trouble

Rigor Mortis Radio

Walk Idiot Walk

Good Samaritan

Go Right Ahead

Stick Up

Hate to Say I Told You So

Trapdoor Solution 

I'm Alive

Bigger Hole to Fill

Die, All Right!

Won't Be Long

Try It Again

Countdown to Shutdown

Encore:

Come On!

Smoke & Mirrors

Tick Tick Boom 

Outro music

Nobody Does It Better (Carly Simon)

One of the Ninja Roadies on percussion

Goodbye Mr Mackenzie, Barrowlands, Glasgow. Friday 17th June, 2022

I didn't feel too good before this gig. Not in a Covid way, fortunately. Just sore and tired. I'm now someone who sometimes takes drugs before a concert, albeit Co-Codamol (that constipation's going to bite me in the ass tomorrow).

They'd kicked in by the time I arrived at the venue. Inside, I was frisked and then asked to confirm I wasn't carrying any weapons (I resisted saying just my wits). After a brief pause to have my ticket scanned at the foot of the stairs, I was allowed up the steps. On the dancefloor. I picked my spot ready to watch the first support act, Lola in Slacks. The band were good but I didn't warm to the singer. She reminded me of a slowed-down, Glaswegian Stevie Nicks. Not in appearance. More in the way her deep voice droned. The songs were okay but nothing special. You could tell the singer was thrilled to be playing the Barrowland. A real wow moment for her if not for me. I did like the band though. Very tight.

While I was waiting for the next support, Callum Easter, I flicked through Facebook only to look up and see two giants had taken root between me and the stage. Time to move to another location. Fortunately, the dancefloor was relatively empty with plenty of spaces. I selected another position behind three shorter ladies of rather plump dimensions. No one was going to push in front of them, thus protecting my view. 

Callum had problems with his backing-track machine and lots of the sound crew were shining torches and pulling cables and twisting wires to get it to work again before he could begin his set whereupon a stand-up drummer joined him to belt out the beat. Callum does a poor Jack White impression on the guitar, using lots of distortion and feedback on his voice, possibly deliberately. A few isolated souls were really into him, dancing along and I really wanted to have my Blues Brothers hit-by-the-spotlight moment so I could join in but it didn't happen. I sense Callum is a triumph of confidence and swagger over talent.

Goodbye Mr Mackenzie were on top form, Martin Metcalfe acting as the maniac ringmaster to us, his circus of freaks. This felt like a gig of old with them playing the special songs they love rather than just the crowdpleasers from the first two albums. I felt the audience was a bit muted early on. The song Hard used to get a mosh on but this crowd were appreciative rather than active. Possibly down to their age or lack of Co-Codamol consumption. Later, they did find their voice and their bouncy feet and by the finale, the place was jumping. Indeed, I found my shoulder was often being used to support the gentleman beside me as he bounced and bounced like an inebriated Tigger.

My voice is hoarse but it was worth it. Highlights for me: Hard, Face to Face (because I didn't think they played it anymore), Goodwill City and the eponymous Goodbye Mr Mackenzie to finish.

Ticket Price: £27.50 plus £2.50 booking fee, £1.00 transaction charge

Total £31.00 

Setlist

His Master's Voice

Open Your Arms

Hard

Working On The Shoo-Fly

You Generous Thing

Sick Baby

Love Child

Blacker Than Black

Niagara

Amsterdam

Face to Face

The Way I Walk (Jack Scott cover - Big John on vocals)

Normal Boy

Now We Are Married

The Rattler

Encore:

Goodwill City

Goodbye Mr Mackenzie