Stereophonics, Winter Arena Tour 2025, OVO Hydro, Glasgow. Wednesday 10th December, 2025.

This review is jumbled. I'm not sure why. I'm writing it the night after. I didn't take notes during the show, so these were my recollections.

Stereophonics are one of my favourite bands. This was the second occasion I'd seen them this year. If anything, they were even better this time. Kelly appeared to be in a much better place, happy to gee up the crowd, visibly enjoying playing.

The production team did a fantastic job with the lighting, though the staging appeared more basic, with the walkway,  notably smaller than last time, barely used. There was no way we'd see a drum kit rising from beneath as they did on previous tours during Mr and Mrs Smith. The trade-off would be for the band to sell more Standing tickets. I was pleased we hadn't bought Standing tickets because the hall was rammed and my knee and back were sore. On two occasions, I noticed the urgent waving of phone torches to attract first aiders, with the infirm subsequently being led out rather than carried out, which was positive. The downside to my location in Section 203 was that I couldn't see the entire back screen, the view blocked by the giant side screen, but that didn't detract from my enjoyment of the band playing.   

The crowd around us was mostly fine. The European males behind us were often enjoying a chat, but I couldn't hear them during the upbeat numbers. After most songs, one would shout, "Ho," in a manner evocative of displeasure at someone standing on their lawn. That could be the norm overseas. I don't know. I've not been recently. 

The bouncing balls released during C'est La Vie would have had Shirley Manson apoplectic (Context: she went off on an Australian fan for carrying a beach ball). I noticed a couple of girls carrying them as mementoes from the venue after the gig. No idea how they'd fit them in a car on the way home. A train, maybe.

I didn't enjoy the support act, Finn Forster. He's confident, but I didn't find his voice interesting. I'm sure he appealed to the younger crowd.

The beauty of this show was the music. The band have been going so long, with so many hits, it was inevitable they couldn't play them all. The setlist varied from other dates, with a couple of tunes being dusted off for the first time this tour (see below). My wife was annoyed they didn't play Handbags and Gladrags, but as I pointed out, they didn't write it.

My photos are not that great. The videos are okay, except for Dakota, when the bloke in front stood and temporarily blocked my view, but that's only at the start.    

Setlist

Vegas Two Times

I Wanna Get Lost With You

Have a Nice Day

There's Always Gonna Be Something

Do Ya Feel My Love

Pick a Part That's New

Rewind

Superman

Geronimo

Maybe Tomorrow

Just Looking (Tour Debut)

More Life in a Tramp's Vest

I Wouldn't Believe Your Radio (Semi-acoustic on ukulele)

Mr. Writer

Seems Like You Don't Know Me

Mr and Mrs Smith

Fly Like an Eagle

A Thousand Trees (Tour Debut)

Encore:

100MPH

Traffic

C'est la vie

Dakota

Videos

I Wanna Get Lost With You

C'est la vie

Dakota

Photos

Finn Forster

Some people go home with memories,
others a giant ball

Ticket Price: £86 x 2 = £172 + £8.50 x2 Service Charge + £2.50 x2 Facility Charge + £2.50 Handling Fee = Total £196.50 from Ticketmaster

Rob Brydon & His Fabulous Band: A Festive Night of Songs & Laughter. Royal Concert Hall, Glasgow. Sunday 7th December, 2025

 

We know Rob's band are fabulous because he keeps telling us that, pausing for applause breaks whenever one of them does something individual. The night was not without merit, but I struggled to shed my inner Grinch for most of it. Yes, Rob has a fine singing voice. Yes, he can do several impressions (we got to hear them all: Ronnie Corbett, Michael Caine, Tom Jones, Steve Coogan, Man in a Box, young Elvis and older Elvis), but his schtick is getting as old as his audience (he quipped the tour should have been sponsored by Tena Lady, but they let him down). He also joked that it felt like they were playing to care home residents. 

Highlights: 

His Christmas song after the interval, incorporating all the people he'd spoken to during his crowd work. 

Bringing on a ten-strong choir to accompany him at the end. Their voices soared, providing a scale to the performance that was lacking previously.

Gregor Fisher (Scotland's leading campanologist, according to Rob) played his bell on stage for one song. 

The expressions and reactions of the audience member in the Christmas jumper Rob brought on stage to play the glockenspiel (xylophone) were priceless. A total ham, but funny with it.

Lowlights:

The spotlight didn't extend to the sides of the stage, so whenever Rob wandered that way to talk to someone in the audience, he fell into shadow.

All the Christmas songs, though, he did his best to inject some humour into some, such as the medley, smashing one song into another via connecting words.    

Rob can be funny, but this show leaned too much toward his singing, and while his voice is good, it wasn't that great tonight. I felt he was holding back, possibly struggling with catarrh. And it was primarily a festive evening full of Christmas songs, which gave me the boak.

Video and photography were not allowed during the performance, so here's a couple from the bow.

Ticket Price: £40.00 x2 + £4.40 Service Charge x2 + Handling Fee £1.75 =  £90.55 from Ticketmaster

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