Those Damned Crows, "The Takedown Tour". SWG3 Galvanisers, Glasgow. Wednesday 11th October 2023

 

It's not often I go to see a band twice in one year but Those Damn Crows are special live so I wasn't going to miss them. Last time, it was at The Garage in Glasgow and I felt at the time that the venue was too small for them, not just because the audience was packed in so tightly. Their sound and presence seemed bigger than the stage they were performing on. I still felt the same tonight at SWG3 Galvanizers. Although not sold out, with around 800 eager punters in the hall from a capacity of 1250, the stage still seemed too small for them, although the band did make good use of the tiered stage. The night started outside the venue on a chill but dry evening watching the queue dwindle to nothing as we waited for two of our group. They'd decided to come into town early for a bevvy and had lost track of time not realising how far it was to walk to SWG3 from Charing Cross. Meanwhile, not far from us, a helicopter beamed its spotlights down on the Kelvin River, assisting the firemen and other emergency services searching the water for a missing person. Eventually, the pair arrived at 7.40 p.m. (doors opened at 7 p.m.) and we all headed in. The hall in front of the sound desk looked rammed. The others headed to the bar and I waited inside, thinking the night was a bust standing so far from the stage. But the thing is, those uninhibited by alcohol don't mind being a bit pushy, so when they returned with their pints and snaked forward through the crowd, I followed and we found a great view right in the middle. Support act The Cruel Knives were unwatchable. Not because they were unsightly. The problem was with their lighting. It seemed synced to their drumkit so, with every beat, multiple lights blasted the crowd, to the point I had to keep my head down and my eyes shut or else a migraine would have been induced. The music was okay but their guitarist was a bit up himself and the lead singer was too enthusiastic with his sweary crowd encouragement. That's not how you earn a Glasgow audience's respect, mate.  Those Damn Crows played for about an hour and a half and were fantastic. The set was fairly standard with no surprises. I could have done without the drum and bass solo, but the songs were sung well and the music was great. I desperately want to see them in a bigger venue like the Barrowlands so, hopefully, their audience will continue to grow on the back of these live performances.  At the end of the gig, something happened that I've never experienced before. For years, bands have been throwing plectrums and drumsticks into the crowd and I've never been close to being on the receiving end of one. Well, not tonight. I watched as that drumstick arced its way through the air towards me. Bob reached up to snatch it from me but only succeeded in knocking it against Alan's head. I was the first to find it at our feet, holding it aloft like Excalibur, half expecting someone else to grab it from me. But no one did so I kept it. An early birthday present from a delightful band. Thank you very much, Those Damn Crows. Setlist: The Cruel Knives The Life That We Made Overdose Hollow People Black Eye Friday If This Is The End (I've Been a Fool From The Start) All Your Heros Hate You Shotgun to the Head Crawl Those Damn Crows Who Did It Man on Fire Send the Reaper Takedown Find a Way I Am Wake Up (Sleepwalker) Lay It All on Me Drum and Bass solo Waiting For Me Blink of an Eye Go Get It Rock N Roll Ain't Dead Sin on Skin This Time I'm Ready See You Again

 

The Pretty Reckless, "Death by Rock And Roll" Tour 2022, Barrowlands, Glasgow. Wednesday 26th October, 2022

My first gig post-Covid following the disappointment of having to cancel for Elf Lyons and Jordan Brookes last week. Feeling a bit leg weary, I pressed Bob for a lift to the venue and was glad he agreed. Doors opened at 7pm and we all arrived around 7.20pm. The queue appeared endless, curling so far up the road that one of the security men recommended we take a shortcut along Gibson Street to Moncur Street to connect to the end of the queue. It didn't take long to realise why access to the venue was taking so long. Many attendees were young and female, in leathers and dark clothing, all carrying tiny handbags containing their cigarettes or vapes. And all those tiny bags needed to be searched by security. When it was my turn to go in, I set off the alarm but all the security were so busy no one noticed so I got waved through without getting frisked, a first in a long time.  

The event was sold out but didn't seem too busy as the support act, The Cruel Knives, took to the stage. A rock band with some heavy riffs, they sounded a bit like Audioslave, but I wasn't too impressed by the singer's vocals. His attempts at a rock scream came across as weak. I did enjoy their music though and he had a degree of personality so maybe it was just an off night for him. 

By the time the main act appeared, the venue was packed, hot and sweaty. The usual latecomers forced their way forward, filling any spaces people had created for themselves. The atmosphere was electric, the crowd chanting "Here we, here we, here we fucking go". As singer Taylor appeared, a female a short distance ahead of me thrust her arms in the air in salute, her long fingernails reminding me of vampire claws. Those arms became the bane of my life. Whenever I tried to take a picture, up one shot, her hand twisting to the music or gesturing devil horns. I'm not averse to others enjoying themselves but this was almost Tourettes in frequency. It even spread like an infection to her pal when she too started to mimic her actions.

The gig had a start-stop feel to it, with every song ending in a blackout. There would be a pause and they'd launch into another number. The set was short, not quite reaching an hour and a half. This was stretched out by an extended guitar solo and drum solo. Taylor's vocals often seemed lost in the sound mix, which was a shame because, when she let rip, her voice was strong and raucous. She had a great presence, twirling and skipping across the stage, throwing her hair around. The crowd loved her.

I was a mite disappointed though. The gig had no momentum. I felt short-changed by the early finish. The sets elsewhere on the tour had more numbers. So, overall, it was just okay, probably worth it as the tix were not too expensive.      

Ticket price £27.50

Setlist

Death by Rock and Roll

Since You're Gone

Only Love Can Save Me Now

Goin' Down

And So It Went

Make Me Wanna Die

Sweet Things

Witches Burn

My Medicine

My Bones

Heaven Knows (Extended guitar solo)

Take Me Down

Encore:

Fucked Up World (long drum solo)

The arms, the claws, the bane of my camera

The drummer's POV post solo