For someone who still thinks the 80s was only a few years ago, the realisation that the last time I saw Young Fathers live in 2014 at the Last Great Weekend Festival was nine years ago came as a huge shock. It also started bringing back memories of standing In the excruciating bar queue after their set, with the one and only Keith Martin, debating the qualities of the band and whether they are better live or on record, as well as generally putting the world to rights. In the interim the band has gone on to great things, from winning the Mercury Music Prize that same year, and gaining plaudits left right and centre, right up to the nomination this year for their extraordinary latest album Heavy Heavy, pipped at the post by the Ezra Collective. This gig was the first in several sold out nights in Glasgow and the capital city with Callum Easter and Nadine Shah in tow.
The Monday night gig in Barrowland featured the unique talents of Callum Easter as support, prior to his appearance as part of the the main attraction later. Initially taking to the stage alone with his squeeze box before being joined by guitarist and Moe Tucker style stand up drummer, the trio cut a foreboding swathe in minimalistic lighting silhouetted through the strobing, an effect that was an ideal match to the stark searing sounds.
After recovering from the fact that it was nearly a decade since I last witnessed the band live, I proceeded to be totally gobsmacked for the entirety of the bands phenomenal live show. The five vocalists creating the band’s uniquely hypnotic blend of layered voices topping the thunderous drum heavy beats to spectacular effect.
The band had the venue enraptured throughout, eating out of the palm of their hands, including Kayus venturing into the Barrowland crowd with the longest mic cable I’ve witnessed, G’s minimal between song banter hitting the crowd in the sweet spot eliciting the required response, while Alloysious combined his enduring vocals with unceasing energy on the drums.
Not a second was wasted in the band’s breathless performance, hitting the ground running with a trio of Shoot Me Down, the well received Queen is Dead from Tape Two and their party starter anthem in the form of Get Up. Every song played received a boisterous reaction from the Barrowland crowd. I thought things had reached a raucous zenith when the band played an off the scale version of Rice, but that was just the trigger to further energise an already explosive and hypnotic performance. How do you follow that? With ease is the answer, Alloysious breathtaking vocal on the emotional Tell Somebody creating a shiver down our communal spine.
On several occasions G expressed the bands love for the city, knowing exactly how to press the buttons of the partisan Barrowland crowd, messages of support for Palestine before Shame creating another eruption of support across the venue. It is an almost impossible task to pick highlights from a gig that was essentially one long highlight from the first note played, but special mention must go to their contribution to the soundtrack of Trainspotting 2, Only God Knows and the crowd slaying closing pair of I Saw and the skull splitting Toy.
I am utterly envious of those who have still to experience that mindfuck of a performance over the next few night. Long live the Young Fathers.