the525toglasgow

There’s a trend emerging here…. on a warm sunny evening – yes, another hot sunny Monday night gig in Scotland – Boy Child and I boarded the 525 to Glasgow.

Two gigs in a row and it hasn’t been cold or wet! 2019 is looking up!

Our destination was the O2 Academy

As the train drew into Glasgow’s Central Station, I hoped that I hadn’t built this one up too much in my head. We’d waited a long time to see this band headline.

So, who were we there to see? Disturbed!

When we arrived at the venue there were already two queues forming – one shorter queue for O2 Priority; one longer queue for everyone else. Got to love a smart phone deal – we joined the shorter queue. Happy days!

A rail spot wasn’t meant to be…. c’est la vie…but we made it to the third row off the rail and had a clear view of the stage.

There was only one support act – Skindred.

Now, I’m going to be totally honest here. I had heard of them but not heard them until about 4:40 that afternoon. Shortly before leaving the house I’d asked Alexa to play Skindred.

Hmmm…. maybe not…. was the initial impression.

At 7:30 after a blazing Thunderstruck intro tape had played, they opened with a cover of The Imperial March. Skindred was in da room!

Words fail me here… I’m truly at a loss as to how to describe the performance that followed.

Hailing from Wales, Skindred delivered a blistering forty-five-minute set. I think its fair to say that their thirteen song set covered all genres physically possible – metal, reggae, hard reggae, hardcore, ska, hip hop, heavy on the drum and bass with a some dubstep for good measure….oh and a crowd pleasing “If you’re loving it and you know it, clap your hands!”

Alexa misinformed me – in the kitchen, perhaps not…. live…most definitely YES!

The venue was getting hot….seriously hot… and as their set had progressed , front man Benji Webbe had stripped off his studded jacket, swapped his studded shades for more subtle ones then discarded those, removed his scarf and as he wiped the sweat from his brow, declared almost triumphantly, “It’s not chocolate!”

I’m not familiar enough with Skindred’s songs to name the highlights of their superb set. Benji, the charismatic flamboyant front man that he is, was a definite highlight.

I’ve a funny feeling this won’t be the last time I see these guys live Awesome start!

As the road crew worked to turn the stage around in preparation for Disturbed’s arrival, the PA tape played. Then something truly magical happened. In The End by Linkin Park began to play. The Glasgow crowd began to sing….to sing Chester’s part. They couldn’t have sung any louder or sweeter or with more passion if the band themselves had been on the stage.

“I tried so hard and got so far

But in the end, it doesn’t matter

I had to fail to lose it al”

Glasgow didn’t fail Chester- he’s secure in their hearts forever.

How to follow that?

With Disturbed of course!

Poignantly, particularly in view of the Linkin Park moment and the fact that its Mental Health Awareness Week in the UK this week, Disturbed’s opening video encouraged the fans to come together as brothers and sisters and to care for each other.

The ninety plus minute set opened with Are You Ready from the band’s current album, Evolution.

Yes, we were ready…more than ready!

Right from the off, this show rocked. There may not have been any pyro but these guys were on fire…. or perhaps it was the heat!

David Draiman is a commanding presence on stage. His trademark floor length coat didn’t last long in the high temperatures. Warmly and sincerely when he first addressed the fans, he promised them a larger and cooler venue next time. Disturbed could had easily sold this venue out twice over.

Cooler would have been good but larger? Maybe, not too large, sir, as we’ll lose the intimacy of the show.

Disturbed dug deep into their repertoire to deliver a balanced set of old and new favourites. Prayer and The Vengeful One followed the set opener then two songs further in they played Stupify. This was followed by a spectacular guitar solo executed by Dan Donegan.

There were two covers on the seventeen-song set and the first of these was Genesis’ Land of Confusion. I’d forgotten just how good a song that really is. Awesome! Drummer Mike Wengren got his few minutes in the spotlight immediately after. The crowd stood transfixed by his drum solo. Bassist John Moyer wasn’t to be left out as his extended solo followed.

Just past the mid-point of the set, there was a change of pace as the giant video screen played a strong message about addiction and depression and mental health. As the footage played, the stage was rearranged for the eagerly anticipated acoustic interlude. The majority of the fans knew what was coming next.

Speaking straight from the heart, David Draiman drew the crowd together by highlighting that those who have suffered or are suffering or are supporting someone through addiction and depression re not alone and have A Reason To Fight.

A Reason To Fight has to be one of the most emotionally powerful songs I have ever heard live. The lyrics touch not just your heart but reach into your soul. There were tears, there were smiles, the mosh pit came to a standstill and there were tears and hugs there too. I’ve not done this moment justice in my description…sorry, you had to be there.

With my own cheeks wet with tears I listened to David talk of the importance of holding onto the good moments.

Hold Onto Memories is the one track on Evolution that always makes me cry. Tonight, watching the band wrestling with their own emotions as their personal memories were played on the video screen was no exception.

There was only one song that could follow that – The Sound Of Silence. Goosebumps! Mobile phones and lighters held aloft. Glasgow were not silent. They sang every word! Stunning stuff.

Indestructible and Inside The Fire rounded out the main set.

Barely had the lights dimmed and the band stepped off stage when the fans started up the chant of “Here we, here we, here we f**king go” With wide smiles Disturbed responded to the call and returned for a three song encore that opened with The Light, still one of my personal favourites from Immortalised. This was made even more special for one die hard Scottish fan as he was welcomed on stage to share the experience with the band. A nice touch…even if from the crowd it looked as though he was getting some weird lap dance from the guitarist! Memories to last a lifetime for that lucky man.

As always, Disturbed ended the night with Down With The Sickness. Awesome end to an awesome night.

Tired hot and sweaty, the capacity crowd headed out into the night…till next time when we’ll meet in a cooler, larger room perhaps.