The weather gods were still smiling as Boy Child, and I headed up the M8 on the summer solstice. The traffic gods less so… damn roadworks!

Eventually we made it to the science centre car park and for a few hours went our separate ways. He set off to find FB Son promising to meet me at the end of the gig. I set off for the venue of choice for the evening – SWG3.

And the band of choice for the evening – the mighty Tremonti.

At this point I really do have to pause to thank my Rail Queen Fairy Godmother for the gift of my ticket to the show. It really was appreciated. Random acts of kindness are a beautiful thing. (And thank you for my signed poster too.)

The rail gods were also in good spirits, and I found myself a spot directly behind my Rail Queen Fairy Godmother and the other AB family members who had made the trip to SWG3. Happy days!

The support act for the night were all-girl group Hawxx. This London-based band really have me torn here. Leading lady Anna Papadimitriou has a fabulous voice but I’m sorry, ladies, I’m going to have to adopt my Thumper Philosophy here and move swiftly on…

At 8.20, the lights dimmed, blue light swathed the stage (I offered up a short prayer that Boy Child and FB Son had actually made their way into the crowd) and as the intro tape faded out, Tremonti came out to open their set with a pounding Thrown Further form their latest album Marching In Time.

Thrown Further – Tremonti (show opener) @ SWG3 Glasgow 21/06/22 – YouTube

Instantly the bar had been set high and the Scottish fans were passionately matching it.

It had been four years since Tremonti played Glasgow and it was apparent that the crowd had been waiting impatiently for their return. Now that the band were here, they were throwing all their energy into showing their support. The mosh pit opened early on (yes Boy Child and FB Son were the instigators) and there were even a few crowd surfers as the night went on. (Personally, I’d ban crowd surfing but that’s a rant for another time.)

If Not For You and My Last Mistake completed the opening trio. Awesome stuff!

It was clear from the off that this show was destined to be something special. The band were all clearly having as much fun playing in Glasgow as were having watching them.

Mark Tremonti is a force to be reckoned with and is most definitely in his comfort zone fronting things. This was the fourth time I’d seen Tremonti live and things had most definitely moved up a gear. This band are a like a finely tuned engine. Mark’s guitar skills are quietly matched by Eric Friedman who is afforded his fair share of time in the spotlight as he calmly (mischievously) gets the job done. Bassist Tanner Keegan is like Tigger as he bounces his way through the set. Newcomer Ryan Bennett on drums is another force to be reckoned with. Combined with Tanner’s bass, they form a mighty powerful engine room.

The set spanned the entire Tremonti back catalogue and I’m sure everyone in the room heard one or more of their personal favourites.

With each song, the energy seemed to increase, and the crowd were feeding off this as much as the band themselves.

Key stand outs for me of the first half of this mammoth 19-song set were (Mark said it was the longest set that Tremonti had ever played anywhere.) – The Things I’ve Seen, Not Afraid To Lose and Cauterize.

In front of me, my Rail Queen Fairy Godmother had a “special guest” with her. Mark spotted it and asked for the “guest” to join them on stage for the next song. The “guest” was Spanky the inflatable monkey; the song was Flying Monkeys. Mark tossed Spanky out into the crowd asking that he make his way round the room, right to the back and then find his way back to his owner at the front. And off Spanky went, soaring high over the sea of heads. Much to my surprise, Spanky returned unscathed. (He may have been slightly traumatised LOL)

The incredible Dust followed then the title tracks from the last two records – A Dying Machine and Marching In Time.

As I mentioned earlier, it was the summer solstice and the shortest night of the year, and this was certainly ringing true as this show was flying by far too fast.

After The First The Last, Mark announced that for the first time for several years and unrehearsed they were going to play Decay. The fans went wild. Decay is a much-loved stalwart of the Tremonti set.

Sadly, all good things have to come to an end. Another Heart was the penultimate song then Tremonti raised the roof off SWG£ with set-closer Wish You Well.

What a night! These had had been on fire all night as the heat in the venue would testify to! It was roasting down at the front!

All that’s left to say is “Tremonti, I Wish You Well for the rest of this run. Take care of Spanky. He’s sure to put in a few more guest appearances.”

 The crowd left the venue to the strains of My Way from Mark Tremonti’s solo Tremonti sings Frank Sinatra.

For those who don’t know, Mark Tremonti is raising funds for the National Downs Syndrome Society through sales of his collection of Frank Sinatra classics. Please check it out and show your support

Mark Tremonti Sings Frank Sinatra (Take a Chance For Charity) (tremontisingssinatra.com)