The Commoners, "Ghosts on the Highway" Tour. Stereo, Glasgow. Friday 5th December 2025.

I nearly bailed on this gig. I wasn't feeling 100%, my stomach churning, like something bad was going to come out (again). I'd arrived too late to join my mates in the pub, so I messaged them to meet me at the doors (I was holding the tickets). For the next twenty-five minutes, I had to dodge drunks, beggars and addicts, who staggered, wanted money and acted unhinged, respectively, before they eventually appeared. By that time, the support act was already on stage, and the crowd had filled the front half of the room. 

Another gig with shit photos and no videos.

 

But that isn't why you go to gigs, I hear you say. It's for the atmosphere and the music. 

That's true, and it's the reason I stayed (plus I was their lift home). 

The support act, Candar, was okay. A bit like a reverse White Stripes (girl on guitar, guy on drums), but without the cracking riffs and unstoppable energy. They were young, so still time to grow (or give up).

 

The Commoners were excellent, once I'd accepted the poor view. The last time I saw them was at the Maid of Stone festival, where they didn't impress me. They are not a mid-afternoon outdoor band. It's a more magical experience seeing them under the artificial lights, the sound bouncing off the walls, coming at you from all angles, not that you can tell because it's so loud. Their groove gets under your skin. You find yourself swaying to the rhythm, your head rocking from side to side. You feel young again, alive. The best feeling in the world (with your clothes on, I'm told). 

They didn't play for very long, just under an hour and a half, but it was enough. I got annoyed at myself for believing the 'one last song' routine, having failed to check the setlist in advance. After the show, the lead singer waited on the stairs and greeted everyone, shaking hands, posing for photographs and signing merchandise. Nice to see, and everyone appreciated him taking the time to do it, except the venue staff, who insisted we leave as quickly as possible. I always thought the curfew meant the band had to finish at that time, not that the venue had to be cleared. 

We discussed Scotland's World Cup group on the way home. There's hope, and there's Scotland. 

Setlist (may be inaccurate - taken from previous gigs on this tour as no listing available for this one)
Gone Without Warning
The Way I Am
Runnin' Blind
Just Watch Me
Devil Teasin' Me
Too Soon to Know You
Restless
See You Again
Alive
Searching (For Something) (New song)
Ghosts On The Highway
Fill My Cup
Find a Better Way

Encore:
Shake You Off

Ticket Price: £22 x 3 plus £1 transaction fee = £67 from Gigantic

From the band's FB page

Band backstage photo from their FB page.

Breaking The News, Drygate, Glasgow. Thursday 4th December, 2025

Host: Des Clarke

Panellists:
Elaine Malcolmson

Susie Mccabe

Ahir Shah

Chris Thorburn

This week's audience question: "What is your favourite Scottish Word and why?" Examples: stooshie, eejit, blootered, stramash.

Mashed-up question: Fallout from the Budget: Scots and Gaelic become recognised official languages.

Also discussed: Your Party, Scottish words, Kiefer Sutherland bringing panto to the US, and the entire village of Dull being offered a publicity stunt holiday to Vienna. 

Ahir's English accent is so plummy; his attempts at speaking Scottish words sounded so wrong. Elaine Malcomson often killed with her deadpan responses. Susie is, nowadays, ostensibly a national comic treasure. 

We were guided to seats near the front and had a camera pointed at us regularly, so there's every chance we'll make it onto the TV recording at some point. 

Ticket Price: Free from BBC Shows and Tours  

Addendum:

Looks like we made the cut.

Beaux Gris Gris & The Apocalypse "Hot Nostalgia Radio Live" UK Tour . The Rum Shack, Glasgow. Tuesday 2nd December, 2025

It wasn't my intention to attend this gig. I initially declined the offer. However, an extra ticket was purchased, so I went anyway. And I'm glad I did. It was a good night.

I'd never been to The Rum Shack before. Located on the south side, this bar features a downstairs performance area that has a capacity of 270. As with all the best basement dives, the ceiling is low, the walls are black, and you can imagine how smoky it would have been back in the day. An ideal environment for a band like Beaux Gris Gris, who thrive on musicianship, finding a groove and playing with it. 

Rather than try to describe their music, I'll let others do it for me. 

From their website: Beaux Gris Gris & The Apocalypse (pronounced \bo\ \gree-gree\ ) California-based roots rock (blending Blues Rock Americana, Country, and Soul) band created and led by Louisiana-born-and-raised musician Greta Valenti and UK British Blues Hall of Fame Inductee, Robin Davey.

   

Due to the band’s cross-Atlantic touring, The Apocalypse comprises various talented musicians from across the globe. Joined by the talents of music industry heavyweights such as Tom Rasulo Drums (USA/UK) OR Alex Thomas (Anna Calvi, Bat For Lashes, Squarepusher) (UK) on Drums; Emma Jonson (UK) & Sam Robertson (USA) or Daniel Kirkpatrick (USA) on Keys, plus Stephen Mildwater (UK) and Chris Cunningham (USA) on Bass. Plus various other collaborations and guest appearances.

To fully understand Beaux Gris Gris & The Apocalypse, experience the band live. With a mix of soulful songs, intense energy, and world-class award-winning musicianship, RhythmBooze summed up the show finale as “A mind-boggling, blistering finish with everything thrown in, including the kitchen sink...truly memorable”. When LouderSounds preaches “Let Beaux Gris Gris & The Apocalypse twist yer melons and remind you of the wonder of life” it might be because the band vibe is easier to pin down than their unique take on the roots genres. Rockshot Magazine elaborates, “This extremely entertaining collective is a New Orleans-inspired, American blues-folk-soul band, who refuse to be pigeon-holed”.

No support act tonight, just Beaux Gris Gris & The Apocalypse for over two hours. When I've seen them before, their stage presentation has always been glitzy, with wacky clothing, glitter and beard colouration. Not tonight. They came dressed for winter. Robin, the guitarist, even wore a scarf, albeit a sparkly one, his traditional gambler hat swapped for a newsie cap. Greta wore a dark T-shirt and left off her usual war paint, adopting a fresh-faced look. 

Greta Valenti

Robin Davey

The band were tight. Songs that sounded passable on the album took on a whole new life when performed live. When they got their groove on, it was amazing to watch them switch lead roles, balancing between the keyboards, the organ, the saxophone and the guitar. They all visibly appear to be having fun, despite the small audience (less than a third full). 

The lighting was a bit unusual, cycling through a kaleidoscope of colour, painting them green, then red, then back to white at times. With it being a low stage and a flat floor, the view was adequate, but I didn't attempt to video any of their songs, leaving that to the punters at the front. It was good to forget all that and just listen to the music.

It was nice that the band varied the setlist from the previous night in Edinburgh, given that a number of hardcore fans had also attended that gig, too. It showed how good they were. At the time of writing, it has not yet been updated on setlist.fm.

Setlist:

Trouble is Coming

What's My Name

Heartbreaker

Gris Gris

Bungalow Paradise

When My Baby was Rich

Thrill Me

I'm on Fire (Bruce Springsteen cover)

Louisiana Good Ride

Baby Baby

Fill Me Up

Middle Of The Night

The Runaway

I Told My Baby

Wild Woman

Oh Yeah!

Satisfy Your Queen

Rougarou

Don't let the Bastards Drag You Down

Make It Wit Chu (Queens of the Stone Age cover)

One Massive Hit

Ticket Price: £20

Merch table

Greta walking through the crowd

Singing at the back of the room

Press photographer on a tiny kickstool

 

The Hives World Tour 2025, O2 Academy, Glasgow. Wednesday 26th November, 2025

This event was supposed to take place at the Hydro, but poor ticket sales put the kibosh on that, so the show was transferred to the O2 Academy instead (they also added a second show at St Luke's the previous night). Our new seating location was in the back row of the front balcony, on the aisle. There were still a few empty seats, but not that many (possibly some had been reserved for guests). 

I was not expecting the first act, unaware that there were two support bands. Spiritual Cramp were LOUD, playing what I'd describe as American punk, and quickly reminded me to insert my protective earplugs. Their sound reminded me of The Hives, so they were a good complement to the main act.

Yard Act were 'different'. Their frontman had the bravado of Jarvis Cocker and the lyrical speed of a rapper, reminding me of Seb Lowe in that respect, though the band sounded more like early Arctic Monkeys (as Des pointed out). I couldn't make out much of their song lyrics, but they had the confidence to own the stage in front of a Hives crowd. Not my thing, though.

The Hives were immense. With a set backdrop adorned with five giant spheres, spelling H-I-V-E-S (the drum kit adding in the T-H-E), the stage resembled a 60s American music show, with raised cylindrical levels for the drums and bass. Dressed in their usual costumes, braiding illuminated, they blasted through their setlist, with the usual pauses for the singer to whip up the crowd with his unique style of banter. I wasn't feeling great, medicated, but still suffering from the early symptoms of a cold, and even I found myself rocking back and forward in my seat. The energy in the room was terrific, with so many kids downstairs bouncing and moshing (my time doing that is long gone). 

Fortunately, punters standing on the balcony level were rare, so my view was consistently good, though the dome of a bald man in front of me does crop up in my photos. During the second number, a bloke the width of an American fridge-freezer got up to dance, but he only lasted one song, as the girl behind him gave him both barrels about how selfish he was. I did notice lots of people heading to the bar/toilet during the show, not just from our row, and there was a large exodus home before the encore. Trains and buses to catch, no doubt. The band played on till exactly 11 pm.

Another triumph for The Hives. 

Setlist
Enough is Enough
Walk Idiot Walk
Rigor Mortis Radio
Paint a Picture
Main Offender
Born a Rebel
Stick Up
Bogus Operandi
Hate to Say I Told You So
O.C.D.O.D.
I'm Alive
Here We Go Again
Countdown to Shutdown
Come On!
Tick Tick Boom (With band introductions and Pelle in the crowd)

Encore:
Legalize Living
Bigger Hole to Fill
The Hives Forever Forever The Hives

Ticket Price: £54 (via Bob)

Videos

Enough is Enough

Hate to Say I Told You So

Photos

Upstairs merch table

Spiritual Cramp

Yard Act

Fancy lighting

The Hives

Nina Conti & Friends, Paisley Town Hall. Saturday 22nd November, 2025

I think my expectations for this event were too high. The Town Hall in Paisley is a grand venue with a high ceiling and plush seating, so you expect events to be of a higher standard. While I enjoyed each act in its own way, I didn't feel any of them elevated the proceedings to match their surroundings.

Compère John Gavin worked the room like a pub crowd, cussing and effing from the off. Liam Farrelly opened his act by describing the various uses of the word 'cunt' in social settings. It all felt a bit seedy. Fortunately, Liam won me back with a well-crafted set, even if I'd heard it before when he opened for Russell Kane. Daniel Petrie let slip he'd only been 'friends' with Nina Conti for a short time, given he got the call to play only a few days earlier when the original booked act called off (he didn't reveal who it was). Daniel's act started off low-energy and didn't change, though his material improved after he revealed his main job was as a doctor, hitting us with deadpan jokes about how superior he was, backed up with examples. He closed the first half of the night.

After the break, John Gavin returned and did his short set before introducing Nina. Her act was half chatting with Monkey and half using her masks on audience members. The Monkey stuff went down better, though I'd heard some of the banter before. I was more fascinated than amused by the mask stuff, studying what was happening rather than laughing at it. She closed with her bit about Monkey inhabiting her mind, which she correctly stated was freaky as hell.

It's great that OneRen are bringing the comedians out to the provinces, but you'll find better value and more laughs at a Saturday show at the Glee Club or The Stand. This show felt a bit half-arsed.

Ticket Price: 2 x £27.50 plus £2.50 booking fee = £57.50 from OneRen