Hot in the City
As the heatwave continues across Scotland, confusing and delighting in equal measure. What is this bright light in the sky? Why is it giving us heat? I joined the hordes of people heading east. I’m not talking far. I’m talking Glasgow Barrowland. Judging by the age of many of the folk around me and their attire, I was pretty certain most of them weren’t heading to the same place as me. They were going further…
Tonight on Glasgow Green it was the turn of nasal whiner extraordinaire to bore, sorry entertain the crowds. I was more than happy to swing into the Barrowland and avoid the risk of sunstroke and hayfever.
Barrowland
It has been too long since I’ve been at a gig in this venue, my favourite. The advent of big “chain” venues, the O2 Academy and ABC, seems to have curtailed the number of gigs I see here. I really like the ABC, but not so keen on the Academy. Maybe the unfortunate events on Sauchiehall Street recently will result in Barrowland being used more often.
The venue was half full when I arrived, but still warm, no, it was boiling and it just got hotter. In Barrowland in days gone by I would have been crushed down the front bouncing along to the likes of Big Country, getting buckets of water chucked over me. I felt just as warm standing on the sidelines tonight and the thought of being sprayed with cold water would have been quite appealing at times.
Glasgow has been good to me…
By the time it was The Waterboys stage time, the place was packed. Mr Scott forsook the standard of coming onstage to some sort of intro tape featuring someone else’s music. From offstage we were treated to a strangely humourous little ditty praising the virtues of Glasgow. Chorus along the lines of, Glasgow has been good to me, I cannae tell a lie.
I was supposed to see The Waterboys in the Concert Hall when they were touring on the back of the release of their latest album Out of all this Blue. Unfortunately I missed it due to illness. I do admit, at the time I wasn’t that disappointed as I hadn’t really taken to the new material.
As the band took to the stage this evening, there was the usual dynamic of Scott and fiddler Steve Wickham. Joining them – Brother Paul on keyboards, drummer Ralph Salmins, and on bass Aongus Ralston. Adding Zeenie Summers and Jess Kavanagh on backing vocals to the mix.
Medicine Bow
As the band launched into their opening brace of the classics Medicine Bow and one of my personal Waterboy’s favourites, All the Things She Gave Me, they were as fervent as the venue was hot.
Despite my misgivings about the new material, I was going to leave tonight’s gig vowing to go back and listen again. Third track in the set was single from the new album, and the first of a number of tracks they played from that album. If the Answer is Yeah. The live arena really made these new songs come alive for me. This along with the arrangements of the classic Waterboy’s numbers and the live backing vocals bringing a new depth and texture to them.
Scott introduced A Girl Called Johnny as an old Northern Soul classic. Wickham’s electric violin shone throughout. Then Mike commended the merits of two bar tunes and went on to play a stunning version of We Will Not Be Lovers. The scene was well and truly set.
My ass is in Nashville, Tennessee
The band was introduced prior to Nashville, Tennessee from Out of all this Blue. A truly international bunch, Edinburgh, Dublin, Hamburg. And the reason for the intro prior to this song Brother Paul for the U.S. of A. Diving out from behind his keys showing off his threads during the lyric “… just prowling on down Music Row, in his Willie Mitchell suit…”.
Scott was in relaxed and jovial mood sharing stories and banters between songs. He told tales of meeting old band-mates and joking about still not being able to tune guitars. And another story that had me adding a trip to my bucket list and googling it when I got home. More of which shortly.
Still a Freak followed from recent album Modern Blues with its glam stomp that seems to tip its hat to Bowie and backing vocals that had my spine tingling. At other times through the set, Scott’s guitar playing had me visualising the diminutive purple genius Prince.
Bucket List
Santa Fe was introduced by the tale that had me adding to my bucket list and made me listening to the song in a whole new way. I will one day do the Farolito Walk in Santa Fe on Christmas Eve (look it up), Scott made it sound magical. Though I do need to make the promise and keep in, not like the lyrics of the song…
The rest of the set was a mix between old and new with Morning Came to Soon and Nearest Thing to Hip (with Scott reminiscing about old/gone Glasgow venues The Mars Bar, The Apollo and the recently devastated ABC) representing the newer, interspersed with classic Waterboys. The band stripped down to the duo of Scott and Wickham for Raggle Taggle Gypsy, an awesome fiddle/piano intro to Don’t Bang the Drum, When Ye Go Away (and a bit of Kaliope House) before the ubiquitous hit and mass sing-a-long of Whole of the Moon. The usual reaction when I say I’m going to see the band is, “Oh, they’re that band that had that song in the 80s, Whole of the Moon, I like them”.
Keep Your Eye on the Road
The main set ended with the wonderfully epic Long Strange Golden Road from Modern Blues. “Keep the river on your right, and the highway at your shoulder, and the front line in your sights, pioneer, keep your eye on the road”
The venue was stiflingly hot by now, but we had time for two more songs. Scott introduced the first encore as school disco time. It took me a while to realise it was a funked up version of How Long Will I Love You? This song was the first dance at my wedding so it holds a place close to my heart, I wasn’t sure about this version at first, but it worked.
I Wish I was a Fisherman
Couldn’t finish a Waterboys gig without a rousing Fisherman’s Blues, so, they did! Just like Whole of the Moon, this had the whole place bouncing and singing along to every word and as the band took centre stage for their bows at the end of the gig, the roar was deafening.
I’ve lost track of how many times I’ve seen this band, and I don’t think I’ve ever seen Scott play a bad show, full band or solo, but tonight’s performance was certainly up there amongst the best. Perfect venue, great song choice, engaged audience, brilliant song arrangements, tight band, clear sound and great vocals – both from Scott and Zeenie & Jess.
How long will I love them? As long as stars are above them!