On a bitterly cold Friday night, Boy Child and I boarded the 525 to Glasgow. Wrapped up against the wintery weather (yes, Boy Child had even put a hoodie on!) we were heading to Glasgow’s iconic Barrowlands to see Rival Sons.
It had been way too long since we had last seen these guys. Almost four years!!
With the venue’s iconic sign lighting up the night sky and sleety, snow doing its best to fall on the growing queue, we waited impatiently for the doors to open.
Lady Luck wasn’t on our side and we missed out on a rail spot for the evening. C’est la vie. Instead we positioned ourselves to the right of centre and one row off the rail.
There was only one support act for the evening – The Sheepdogs. Hailing from Saskatoon, Canada, this five-piece band delivered a pretty solid eleven song set. Feeling slightly dazzled and bemused by front man, Ewan Currie’s, sequined suit, I felt like I had taken a step back in time to the early 1970’s. Don’t get me wrong, these guys did a great job of getting the crowd warmed up on this chilly night but, overall, they left me a bit cold. Only one song caught my attention early in their set, “I’ve Got A Hole Where My Heart Should Be. Try as I might I couldn’t warm to The Sheepdog’s poor man’s “Allman Brothers meets Lynyrd Skynyrd” sound. Sorry, guys.
By 9.15 the capacity crowd was growing slightly restless as we waited on the headliners to take to the stage.
The lights finally dimmed, the PA tape stopped and the skeletal image of a dog was projected onto the black back drop. A red heart pulsed within its ribcage and the air pulsated with the sounds of a heartbeat. As the sound reverberated round the room, Rival Sons took to the the stage to open their ninety-minute set with Back In The Woods from their recently released album Feral Roots. Judging by the Scottish fans’ reaction, most of the crowd had already familiarised themselves with this album. A good job too as there were nine tracks out of the eleven in the set! Sugar On The Bone, another new song, followed and then the ever-popular Pressure And Time rounded off the opening trio.
Looking as sharp as ever, Scott Holiday reigned supreme at his side of the stage. Boy Child was hanging on his every note.
The Jaybird himself, Jay Buchanan, was in fine form. Wearing a dubious looking pair of trousers (I’m sure my mother had curtains in that fabric in the 1970’s) Jay paced the length and breadth of the stage throughout every song, barely standing still. The shoes didn’t last long either and Jay performed most of the set barefoot.
This was the third time we’d seen Rival Sons headline in Glasgow and I struggle to accurately describe their enigmatic front man. You ever really know which Jay you can expect to appear on stage. What you are always guaranteed is a stunning vocal performance from one of the best voices out there. He didn’t disappoint on this occasion either.
Electric Man from their Great Western Valkyrie album almost raised the star studded roof off Barrowlands. Awesome!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vIF7yOuoJLQ
Personally, I was delighted when Jay introduced Jordan, saying that there were folk in the crowd who needed to hear it. I love this song. I needed to hear it. This beautiful ballad has been rearranged somewhat for 2019 and, if I’m being honest, I prefer the original arrangement. That said though, listening to the Jaybird pour his soul into the lyrics raised goose bumps…..stunning stuff!
Glasgow proved to be in fine voice all night but sang especially well through Torture. Showing a playful side, Jay had various sections of the crowd singing off against each other and, maintaining the high-spirited mood, the fans kept their chanting up long after the band had finished the song.
The main body of the set was rounded off with four of the last five songs coming from Feral Roots, including the title track and a live premiere of End Of Forever. Do Your Worst brought the set to a thunderous climax.
A few moments after leaving the stage, the boys from Long Beach, California were back out for an encore. They opened their two-song encore with the beautiful Shooting Stars from Feral Roots. The album version has a gospel choir backing it. Rival Sons didn’t need one here. They had a sell out Glasgow choir instead. A true moment of musical magic.
The ever popular Keep On Swinging brought the evening to a rousing conclusion.
A truly awesome night in the company of Rival Sons. I just wish Where I’ve Been had made the set…..next time, boys.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQunQAY8h7g
additional photo credits to Boy Child
the525toglasgow 