The Guardian describes his comedy as "richly idiosyncratic" (on the poster). I'd never seen him before but was interested based on his comic pedigree: two Edinburgh awards (best newcomer and best show).
The initial outlook didn't look good. No queue to get in at 7.35pm. No Mr Big Issue bantering and badgering us to buy his "shite" magazine. Once inside, two sections of the room were curtained off, with chairs and tables stacked to the side to make it smaller, more square. There was no one buying drinks at the bar and only two people sitting at the tables. Obviously not a sellout.
However, the show isn't due to start till 8.30 and slowly the reduced space begins to fill. They eventually set up an extra six chairs on the balcony and a few bar stools at the back wall to accommodate pay-at-the-door guests. It feels cosy.
Support act, Donald Alexander, is from Glasgow. His comedy character is odd. His opener is to do an impression of a man outside a used car dealership. It's very visual, making good use of his lankiness. His material is offbeat. Some of it doesn't work but he's young so plenty of time to grow. He does a good 20 mins.
John Kearns' character, with his monk wig and false teeth, immediately sets a weird, awkward tone. He reveals his world to us so clearly, with specific details, observations and expressions, that laughs are drawn from thin air. It's funny because it feels familiar, even though most of it is probably fictional. It's a rounded character who will never get on top, given the cards life has dealt him, but that doesn't stop him being the man he is, making the most of it. It's bizarre but wonderful.
It's a shame that there were less than a hundred people present.
You might think Jim has mellowed now that he's rich and famous, a father and a tv star with his own show in the States. Then he says something so outrageous you forget to breathe for laughing. He has cut down on his misogynistic material but nothing is ever really off limits.
Tonight, a trio of trolls arrive late, having written off their rear wheel drive BMW in the snow. Their seats are in the middle of the third row (not the BMW's - that would have been a really bad crash). I'm sitting nearby in the fourth row (good seat, near the front and unusually in the stalls, as my wife prefers the circle, away from danger). I know about the car incident as hoodie troll number one uninvitedly relates the story to Jim. Then proceeds to believe he's the star of the show and keeps interrupting. Jim closes him down like a Jongleurs' professional, with put down after put down. It is an art form to listen to. Fortunately, it doesn't spoil the show and leads us into two fabulous heckle stories involving a down syndrome man and a lady who'd miscarried six weeks earlier (during a kicking dead babies around in heaven routine).
This kind of material was why I'd try to dissuade my wife from coming. I didn't think it would be her thing. But then my mate got ill and plan B became plan D so she came with me, albeit with as frosty an atmosphere as it was outside.
Time was tight before we left after a longer than expected dog walk in the snow. I didn't change out of my walking boots and heavy coat so we could leave immediately. I thought it would be okay to wear anyway given the conditions. It wasn't until we were in the queue outside the venue that I realised I still had my Nightsearcher Commander torch in my jacket pocket. This is a serious piece of hardware, capable of 1000 lumens, with a solid metal chassis. Not the kind of tool you should be carrying to a comedy gig. There wasn't time to go back to the car.
Worry became panic as we got closer to the door. If I got patted down, they'll definitely feel it in my pocket. I'd have to hand it in. I considered putting it down my pants but then wondered if there was a metal detector beyond the door. How would I explain the beeps when they waved the hand held over my crotch? It's not the kind of area that normally needs illuminating, especially with a thousand lumens. Fortunately, they neither patted me down nor used a metal detector. Security consisted of handbag checks only. Jim Jefferies, you are lucky to be alive. But at least I could have pitched in if a spotlight failed.
Did my wife like the show? No.
Why? It was too cold.
Now I know why she really prefers to sit in the circle - it's warmer.
I thought he was fantastic. A masterclass in storytelling comedy.
Sometimes I wonder what's the point in living. I'm getting older with fewer years in front than behind; I have a career that's gone into reverse and my writing is stalling - It's not that I can't, it's more that I don't, which is worse. I could just get out while the going's good.
My wife would miss me briefly but she'd find someone else - she's a catch.
Then I go to the Barrowland to see GUN supported by Dirty Thrills and Mason Hill and it reminds me why I am alive. My misery shell cracks open, I reawaken my pumping heart, beating to the rhythm of the drums, and I find my voice again to sing loudly along to the tunes that rocked my youth (and more recently). It's a fabulous feeling that leaves me not a little hoarse and totally buzzing, especially in the ears.
It wasn't their best gig. It was good but was spoiled by a couple of technical glitches with the sound. Dante obviously isn't concerned by all the stories of men in power abusing their position as he kissed and hugged his band, expressing his joy at performing at the Barrowland again, a feat which got them inducted today into the venue's hall of fame. They killed with the old stuff and we raised the roof singing along. The newer songs fitted in nicely too.
I missed most of the first support act but was fascinated by Dirty Thrills singer's wiggle dance during their last number. The song was reminiscent of Soundgarden in its riff. Mason Hill, with their thumping, long hair rock, sounded similar in the style to Alterbridge or Shinedown - if those bands had a lead singer from Glasgow. It was heavy and melodic but didn't reach the parts in me that were craving for GUN. Their debut album is out next year. I'll maybe give it a listen.
I suppose my learn from tonight is life is a sum of experiences. It's not a bank balance or a calendar to check off. It's not pre-worry about a future that hasn't happened or ruminating about events that have gone before. It's about finding your "Favourite Pleasure" in the now and enjoying it.
I love GUN. Now that it's over -(Don't Say It's Over)- I just need to find the next thing to look forward to.
Who said Who?
Setlist
She Knows
Here's Where I Am
Don't Say It's Over
Word Up! (Cameo cover)
Favourite Pleasures
Money (Everybody Loves Her)
Welcome to the Real World
Hold Your Head Up
Taking on the World
Black Heart
Tragic Heroes
Better Days
Inside Out
Steal Your Fire
Boy Who Fooled the World
Take Me Down
Shame on You
(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!) (Beastie Boys cover)
A sold-out gig, stacked to the rafters, this one off (or possibly first of) show saw the two bands who share a mutual history take to the Paisley stage to blow the roof off (and other rock cliches).
I was expecting Big Country to be the main act, given the ticket said so, but it was not to be.
Big Country appeared first to play a rousing, chant-a-long set of oldies but goodies (now some 34 years old). The lead guitarist did most of the chat between songs, introducing the other band members and bantering, which was unusual as this role is normally adopted by the main singer. Not that the singer was shy. I think he was giving the senior band member his place. Anyway, I loved them but it could have been a bit longer (where have I heard that before?)
Then on came The Skids, often seen as a precursor to BG. Now, I didn't know much about them beforehand, except Richard Jobson (ponsy 80's tv presenter with a penchant for fancy suits and culture programmes) was previously in the band and they had a couple of famous hits ("Working for the Yankee Dollar" and "Into the Valley"). And Stuart Adamson was in both bands. It was, therefore, a surprise to see them as the main act, given, I thought, Big Country was the bigger band.
But after the first song, I understood why.
The Skids did blow the roof off with a chugging punk rock sound, as the energetic main man, Richard Jobson, danced and kicked and spun and sang and loved every minute. The crowd of mainly 40-50-year-olds went nuts, bouncing and clapping and jumping and singing along to the old numbers. The spirit of the late 70s/early 80s imbued us all as we became teenagers again (not in a 'Cocoon' way). I was surprised there weren't more cardiac arrests though.
The two Big Country guitarists were part of the band, performing twice on the night (did they get double money?), but this time the lead guitarist settled for more of a background role as Richard held court over the audience. Which he did very well.
Only complaint: it was too short and they finished with a new song that sounds like it was written by a 50-year-old (it rhymes 'fire' and 'desire'). It would have been better to end on 'Into the Valley', their most well-known hit and the most well-received song of the night.
But a brilliant gig nonetheless. And so nice to see so many familiar faces in the crowd.
Apologies to the nice ladies I stood up tonight for this gig. You know who you are. Another time.
It's not often that you pay to see a band then wish the support act had been headlining. Not there was anything wrong with Kaleo. The audience loved them, singing along, clapping their hands, stamping their feet, even performing an Icelandic Viking thunderclap to bring them back for an encore (they're from Iceland). It's just Judah & the Lion were more fun.
Kaleo's play a moody Southern blues-style rock. Their debut album has just gone platinum in the US. The lead singer has a deep resonant voice with a growl Dave Grohl would be proud of. The band are tight. What was lacking was charisma. Only the bassist went to town geeing up the crowd to get them bouncing. The lead singer, with his perma-frown and moody eyebrows, looked like his dog had died, at least until the encore where he cracked a smile briefly. I don't think it was nerves. I don't think it was arrogance. Maybe it's too early in his performing career. His confidence will grow with age. I just hope they move beyond their signature sound as it became a little samey.
Judah & the Lion, on the other hand, stated their agenda up front - we were going to have a good time. Lots of energy from the lead singer and a quirky sound that made them stand out. As a support act, their lighting show was well above average. They stated they will never be a cool band, they will only be themselves. It felt like they were welcoming us into their world. It was a nice place to be, replete with booty dances, a cover of Mr Brightside, woah-a-long songs, and even a touch of bonnie, bonnie banks of Loch Lomond. They may be from Mississipi but tonight their hearts belonged in Glasgow. They finished with a two-minute dance party with all the guitar players and singers bustin their moves while the drummer and keyboard player went mental on the rhythm front. A superb finale. I suspect they will become a festival fave.
(There was a second support act, from Ontario, but I never caught their name. They had a distinctive guitarist-singer with a lion's mane of brown hair, a female bassist and a nutty drummer. We only heard a few of their song as we arrived late. They were what I expect from a support act).
My photos were poor so I've only attached a couple, plus a publicity pic. I hope you have enjoyed reading my review.
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| Judah and the Lion |
A freebie gig for four hundred lucky fans that had pre-ordered the new album from the band's website (that's two hundred pre-orders with two hundred plus ones). This gig was a wee bit special.
In such a small venue, the sound quality was a bit off at first, with the mix favouring the guitars over the vocals, but you felt so close to the band you could (almost) smell Dante's aftershave and get dripped on by Joolz sweat. Shame a
tall, dome-shaped baldy decided to plonk himself between me and the singer's microphone stand. Hence my poor photos, despite being relatively near to the stage. It was fun to play a game pretending to be at a stadium gig watching the band on the screens. Even if they were only phone size, the picture clarity was great.
Playing a lot of the tracks from the album, the lack of familiarity prevented the audience from properly engaging but everyone was nodding their heads appreciatively. The album's been getting great reviews, well earned from what I heard tonight.
Of course, they weren't only going to play new songs to entertain and brought out the classics, 'Crazy You', 'Inside Out' and 'Shame on You' to finish their hour-long set.
Of course, even freebie gigs can have encores. So they came back out to play 'one' more number, 'Steal Your Fire', which then flowed into 'Fight for Your Right to Party' as a proper finale. I'm ever so slightly hoarse now.
Tonight felt like a teaser gig: fun, intimate and rewarding. I'm really looking forward to the full gig at the Barrowland in December. "Paaaar-tay."
Fun fact I discovered tonight: St Luke's is not where I thought it was. It is not St Andrew's House, off Glasgow Green. It is another six-minute walk from there, beyond the Barras, on Bain Street. Google Maps, you are a saviour in times like these. This meant we missed most of the support act, local band, 100 Fables. The two songs I heard were alright.
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| 100 Fables |
Setlist
She Knows
Here's Where I Am
Favourite Pleasures
Secret Lovers
Black Heart
Tragic Heroes
Boy Who Fooled the World
Crazy You
Inside Out
Shame on You
Steal Your Fire
(You Gotta) Fight for Your Right (To Party!) (Beastie Boys cover)
The touts were lamenting outside. The gig was nowhere near a sell-out, with the top tier and some of the balcony curtained off. Perhaps the lack of sales prompted a budget cut when it came to the spectacle (and the number of people playing in the support act - usually seven, but tonight five).
The support act was 'MOSTLY AUTUMN' (not a jibe about the missing two). They play a folk rock that D&D players would love to have on in the background during a game. The lead singer resembled a depressed Disney Princess in her black maternity dress and tiara (I later discovered she dropped a sprog a week ago). Her hubby, the guitarist, looked like a wilder Grizzly Adams. He sang too. I wasn't overly impressed by her vocals or his guitar and the band lacked something (probably the missing two). I was glad when the lighting guy decided to throw everything up at the end in a frenetic burst because it signalled they were done.
This gig was attended by a lot of strange people. One pensioner became very confused because row U was not the one after Q. His wife abandoned him to security.
As an all-seated gig, you didn't have the luxury of moving to avoid the nuggets. We, unfortunately, had two in front.
The first, directly in front, was your typical inebriated Glasgow punter. Charming in an 'everyone's pal' kind of way, he produced the best heckle of the night - 'Richie, I want to drink your bathwater'.
The second was a younger guy, maybe in his forties, looking like a blond Liam Gallagher with Frank McAvennie's teeth, dressed in a polo shirt and white zip top. He danced the entire night like a toddler in need of a whizz, pumping the air with his fists, performing air drums and air guitar along with whoever was prominent, singing all the lyrics and constantly turning to his friends around the auditorium for affirmation. I don't know if he was autistic or just high. I just wish I had the same lack of inhibition to enjoy myself as much as he did. He even pulled a burd. Before we knew it he was bumping bums with a short girl with frizzy hair and an excited grin that said 'this is the best night of my life'. She'll probably stab him to death when she discovers it's not true love.
Our 'Liam' offered a major distraction from the show as he demanded attention from everyone around, mimic heckling the big boys, occasionally wandering off to shake the hands of a nearby friend. When the 'Felicity Smoke' bouncer with the blonde ponytail and glasses caught him wandering the path between block 2 and 5 looking for a better view, she marched him back to his seat. He looked chastised for about a second then he was up again drumming the air.
As for Rainbow, they played a mixture of Rainbow and Purple tracks, with Stargazer being particularly strong. The lead singer, who looked like the actor who played Robb Stark, has a powerful voice with a great range. He does superb justice to the Dio songs with a growl that sounded like the legend himself. I loved the little homages to Dio on the screen, either in footage or stills during those numbers. One day, when he is allowed to, Ronnie Romero will make a great frontman for a fine band.
Unfortunately, this is Richie Blackmore's Rainbow and no one is allowed to upstage him. The singer knew to drift to the edges of the stage when the god that is Richie was playing. While he is a great guitarist, he offers no empathy towards the audience, satisfied to perform as if on Lithium. Still, what he does is highly accomplished plucking.
One disappointment about the show was the visuals. We were treated to a forest, a candle, burning flames, a vortex effect, some twigs, smoke and some gloop. This does not make for interesting visuals. Maybe they were trying to recreate a proper 70s show, only with a big screen. I suspect they were saving money.
Surprisingly for Glasgow, the audience interaction was flat, beyond the morons shouting out. The singing along wasn't strong. The next best heckle was during the 'harpsichord solo' (yes, you read that right) when the man behind me called out 'Get your ice creams, two for a pound.'
Sad to admit, but Rainbow isn't Rising but it is the nearest thing you'll get to hearing the Dio classics live again. Long live rock n roll.
Setlist
Land of Hope and Glory (Edward Elgar song)
Over the Rainbow (Harold Arlen song) (Intro)
Spotlight Kid
I Surrender
Mistreated (Deep Purple cover)
Since You Been Gone
Man on the Silver Mountain
Sixteenth Century Greensleeves
Soldier of Fortune (Deep Purple cover) (Ritchie and Bob Nouveau on acoustic guitars)
Perfect Strangers (Deep Purple cover)
Difficult to Cure (including bass and keyboard solos)
All Night Long
Child in Time (Deep Purple cover)
Stargazer
Long Live Rock 'n' Roll
Encore:
Burn (Deep Purple cover)
Black Night (Deep Purple cover) (including drum solo)
The Temple of the King
Smoke on the Water (Deep Purple cover)
