Gut Reactions (post-gig memories and other trips): Glasgow Barrowlands

Showing posts with label Glasgow Barrowlands. Show all posts

Saturday, 14 December 2024

GUN 'Hombres" Tour, Barrowlands, Glasgow. Saturday 14th December, 2024.

If I'd been prepared to travel, I'd have had quite a choice of rock gigs to attend tonight: Those Damn Crows in Cardiff, These Wicked Rivers in Derby, and King King at the QMU in Glasgow. There was really only one choice, though. It had to be GUN at the Barrowland, the band's spiritual home.

I managed to snag a position close to the stage. My view was excellent, and for once, there was no crush. I only had one shaven-headed gentleman between me and the barrier. Shortly afterwards, a young woman on her own stood beside me. She was brunette, with long, straight hair, her features similar to Aubrey Plaza. Quite a beauty. She had a persistent smile like she knew a secret that made her the happiest girl in the world. She bopped along to the rock music playing over the PA like she couldn't help it. It was in her soul. We never spoke, but we did share a dance (if you count us moving at the same time, both of us facing the same direction, not looking at one another except out of the corner of my eye). To my amazement, every time I glanced at her, she was still smiling. I usually possess a talent for stifling girls' smiles as soon as they see me, but hers persisted, even when she looked directly at me as I passed her across a cup of water from the security person. By then, she was even hotter than at the start.

Anyway, Collateral opened the show and played an excellent set. I'd never seen or heard them before, but I'd describe them as 80s-style melodic rock. The singer was tall with long, shoulder-length hair and liked acting out his lyrics, putting his whole body into the performance. The bassist wore a kilt and, later on, little else, playing topless. They performed like they deserved to be on that stage, which is always a good sign. One to keep an eye out for another time.

Technical problems delayed the start of Kira Mac's set, curtailing it. Kira's powerful voice was louder than even the guitars. However, they didn't play my favourite song of theirs, Scorned, and it was not on the setlist, which was disappointing. Maybe they will play it next year when they return to Glasgow.

GUN were immense. Getting our vocal cords warmed up with The Sensational Alex Harvey band's version of Delilah as an intro, they kicked off with Lucky Guy from the new album, its thumping bass rhythm and 70s vibe whipping up the crowd. The band's stage sound is stronger now, with Roo, Andy and Jools providing backing vocals. I felt a couple of songs were unusual choices, namely Vicious Heart and Pride, but the rest of the set was so good.

During the encore, the legend that is Donald C MacLeod (of the clan MacLeod) came on wearing a Santa hat to present the band with an award for Best Scottish Album of 2024.

I did make a bit of a fool of myself at the end. I got so excited that I started jumping during the last song, Shame on You. I haven't done proper jumping for years (because I'm old and fat with slightly dodgy ankles). Maybe I'd been mesmerised by the smiling girl's swaying moves or emboldened by the bouncy crowd around me. I managed to retain the sense to hold down my phone, which was poking out of my shirt chest pocket, but I neglected to consider my jacket, which I'd tucked around the buckle of my belt. After a couple of jumps, my jacket slipped onto the floor as I bounced in the air. Upon landing, I bent down to recover it but failed to address my centre of gravity, my lack of balance sending me head-first into the shaven-headed gentleman's thighs. I signalled my apologies as I corrected myself and didn't leave the floor again. My sweaty face hid my blushes.

After the gig, I hung around. All the bands mingled and hugged on stage as David Lee Roth's Just Like Paradise played over the PA. Collateral's lead singer spotted the smiling girl and pointed to her, smiling himself. I reckon she was his girlfriend, though I never did find out.

I wasn't lucky enough to bag a setlist, but I did manage to take a photograph of one from someone who did. Note it doesn't list the extra acoustic song, The Only One (from the Swagger album), that Dante and Jools played at the start of the encore.

Such a fabulous music gig to end 2024.

Ticket price 1x General Admission £32.45 (Face Value £29.50)

E-Ticket £0.00
Transaction Fee £1.00
Order Total £33.45

Lucky Guy

Steal Your Fire

Collateral

Setlist

Glass Sky

Elysium

Just One of Those Days

On the Long Road

No Place for Love

Mr. Big Shot

Kira Mac

Setlist

One Way Ticket

Dead Man Walking

Chaos Is Calling

Play the Game

Climbing

Santa Claus?

Santa moonlighting as a photographer

GUN

Man at the front

Has a better video camera than me

Me next to Smiling Girl

Saturday, 9 December 2023

GUN, Hombres Tour, Glasgow Barrowlands. Saturday 9th December, 2023

I felt conflicted as I left the house tonight. There was a time when it would have been inconceivable for me to go out while Dr Who aired, more so for a regeneration episode. I'd always insist on watching the programme live. Tonight, though, I had GUN, probably my favourite band, certainly the one I've seen live most often. I couldn't watch the gig on catch-up, so should I go after the episode and skip the support act?

Nah. It was a Saturday night in December in Glasgow. The place would be heaving. No way could I delay my trip into town for fear I'd not find a parking space near the Barrowlands. Plus, it was cold and wet, and I wanted to get my money's worth.

The motorway traffic was slow. On the way in, I played The Calton Songs, an album of GUN's greatest hits reimagined for 2022, one I'd dismissed at the time as a rehash cash-in. I'd never given it a proper listen. I realised that Dante has now been the lead vocalist longer than the original singer, Mark Rankin. Why shouldn't he rerecord the old songs, putting his stamp on them? Listening in the car, I felt a new appreciation for them. It was a great way to set myself up for the gig.

I got a great parking spot close by and headed to the venue. I then realised that I wasn't going to get through this gig without visiting the loo for a number two. The bouncer must have read the discomfort on my face cos he waved me on without a frisk. First time ever at the Barrowlands. Normally, the bouncers are so rigorous they can tell me if I need a prostate exam. My ticket scanned, I headed upstairs, pausing only to glance at the merch before making for the toilets.

What a relief! I overcompensated with the flush, holding the button in longer than I needed, the white flash in the swirling turmoil actually being the light reflected off the steel pan rather than unflushed toilet paper.

Now I was ready to rock. (I didn't have this thought at the time)

The support act, The Godfathers, were really good. Playing catchy punk rock, their songs had easy-to-sing choruses and bouncy riffs. The lead singer, dressed in a black shirt and suit, had the surly demeanour of a stand-up comedian more likely to be peddling mother-in-law jokes in a grimy 70s comedy club than singing punk anthems at the Barrowlands. His voice was a low growl, his accent London East End. His attitude matched the music. I later discovered the band had been going since the eighties, bar a brief hiatus in the noughties, although this iteration only contained the original singer. Their greatest hits album sounded quite different to what I heard tonight, the singer's voice now far deeper and snarly.

Birth, School, Work, Death video (Link on YouTube)

My next surprise came when GUN took the stage, bringing with them two backing singers, their microphones set up at the back right of the stage. The Calton Songs album utilised Beverley Skeete and the Sisterhood to give some of the tracks a gospel feel. Were we getting a new version of GUN tonight?

No is the short answer. The girls barely played a part, adding background vocals to some songs but never playing a major role in proceedings. Shame. Something to develop in the future, though.

The gig was being videoed (not just on punters' phones), so it was great to see the band in top form. The Barrowlands is their spiritual home, and the atmosphere is always great when they perform there. They played a few new numbers from the forthcoming album, Hombres, and I'm pleased to say they are crackers (one was specifically filmed tonight for the single's video).

Don't Say It's Over video (Link on YouTube)

Shame On You video (Link on YouTube)

I loved this gig, and, by the end, I was bouncing about like my knees weren't arthritic. One autistic young lad enjoyed himself too. Dressed in a US college jacket and baseball cap, he started maybe a dozen yards away from me and slowly migrated closer as the night progressed. Although he was with his mum and dad, I suspected he was going to be trouble, the way he clapped loudly and danced during the pre-gig music, at times unable to contain his excitement, other times perfectly still, his hands balled up under his nose, fingers pressed against his lips. When he danced, it was wild, arms swinging, rocking from side to side, like he was doing a 50s jive. His mum would occasionally rein him in when he started to interact with unwilling punters, using her arm like a crook to pull him closer. At one point, I had to lean back like a boxer to avoid his swing, his hand sweeping across where my face had been. I stayed wary, but his unfiltered exuberance was enthralling. He had a smashing time, and it was great to see the young uns coming along to support an old band.

GUN's time is definitely not over. It was an exceptionally good gig.

Ticket Price: £36.10 (Face Value £29.50) via Ticketmaster.

Setlist

Lucky Guy

She Knows

Here's Where I Am

Don't Say It's Over

Backstreet Brothers

Falling

Word Up! (Cameo cover)

Long Road

Take me back home

Money (Everybody Loves Her)

All Fired Up

Better Days

Inside Out

Steal Your Fire

Encore

Taking on the World

Higher Ground

Shame on You

The Godfathers

GUN

Thursday, 23 November 2023

The Sisters of Mercy, Barrowlands, Glasgow. Thursday 23rd November 2023

This gig was originally scheduled for Wednesday 22nd November at SWG3 but got switched "due to phenomenal demand" when the original night sold out so quickly. A wise move as they managed to fill the Barrowlands too.

I'd never seen them before live yet still felt nostalgic when I heard they were coming to town. You see, back in my youth, in the late '80s, I used to play the Cyberpunk 2020 RPG. I had a character called Sloan, a fixer who owned The Rainbow's End, a nightclub in a seedy part of Night City, where bands such as the Ghosts of Elvis played regularly. Sloan had a mohawk, a kaftan and a way with the ladies. During these sessions, The Sisters of Mercy became our regular background music while we roleplayed hacking into Corporation data fortresses, taking out security details and assassinating high-profile targets for profit. We were street punks with lofty ambitions. Not everyone survived.

Anyway...

I had low expectations for this gig after reading the recent tour reviews. The guitarist had been sacked mid-set during one gig and feedback suggested Andrew Eldritch's vocals were not up to scratch. But you still go along and judge it for yourself.

The Virginmarys were on support duties. No messing about. Two blokes on the stage, one with guitar, the other on drums. Their punk rock sound could have been distilled from the spirit of Dave Grohl in his more shouty days. I enjoyed them. At least this time, they didn't burst my eardrums, figuratively speaking.

A colleague had warned me I might not get to see the band given the copious amounts of dry ice the band were known to use on stage. That didn't happen so much tonight. They varied the lighting and colour scheme with dry ice evident but not overpowering. I liked the music, helped in part thanks to the crowd around me being really up for a good time. They were a mix of young ones, old rockers, punks and ladies with coloured hair, tattoos and black lipstick. They danced, whistled and shouted out the lyrics. It was hot and sweaty.

Andrew Eldritch made no effort to engage the crowd, never once mentioning the city name, giving us a solitary thank you at the end of the set. His vocals were as I expected, growly and muffled. The two guitarists seemed content to play their part, the new replacement happily bouncing about, even once knocking into Andrew, triggering a tense moment when the singer waited for an apology. I sensed another imminent sacking. But the band played on and Andrew got on with it. No choice really when the drum machine and bass are playing from a laptop. Not much room for improvisation.

The set was different to what I expected with more of the well-known songs mixed in rather than being at the beginning and end. I had a good night.

I also got to meet the real-life Sloan, with his mohawk (but no kaftan) and cool, stylish girlfriend, straight from my Cyberpunk character sheet. It felt like I was back at The Rainbow's End nightclub watching the Ghosts of Elvis again. Afterwards, he told me how much he loved the band and how this was his first time seeing them, having always missed their tours while working abroad. I wanted to ask for their picture for this blog but bottled it. It would have been difficult to explain why. Nevertheless, here they are.