The Charlatans - Barrowland Ballroom - Dec 25

Last night The Charlatans played the famous Glasgow Barrowland Ballroom for the 17th time. By my reckoning, I think I've caught them 10/11 times out of 16. Pretty good going. They should really just book an annual night/weekender given their affinity with the venue, Glasgow and Scotland.

It's a home from home, like a cup final of a gig for band and audience who share and display genuine affection for each other.

The Charlatans played with, and generated, incredibly energy, lifting the crowd, who in turn, lifted the band to even higher heights.

Tim Burgess was like a kid in a sweet shop on a trolley dash. The happiest guy in Glasgow, a smile so wide and bright that The Charlatans probably didn't need a light show. He was beaming throughout, radiating pure positive vibes.

I first caught The Charlatans live in April 1994 when they played The Tramway as part of Radio 1 Sound City in Glasgow. Tim Burgess was mesmerising, dancing about the stage, looking super cool. The next day I queued in the rain to meet the band at Tower Records to get loads of CD's and records signed. 

I have no idea how many times I've seen the band or Tim play since. God, it's been over 31-years. I'd hazard a guess at between 50-60. The Charlatans and Tim are frequent visitors to Glasgow and were regulars at T in the Park. 

Riding in on the back of We Are Love, their 14th album, Tim had announced that the band would be playing a 2.5 hour set (with a short 10-minute break) with no support. Fans were encouraged to make sure they were in promptly for the band taking to the stage at 8.10pm. 

There was a small squad of us. Me, Lynn and our friends Robbie, Clare, Joe, Emma and Susie. I bumped into many more friends from down the years in the venue. Great to see my friend Gerry with his son Liam, he wasn't the only Dad introducing the next generation to The Charlatans last night - good to see.

Kingdom of Ours is a slow burner - an opener to allow the band to find their groove, which develops as the song goes on. Then Tim took his jacket off and Weirdo had the place bouncing. It  never stopped! That hammond sound! Beats and bass and then the piercing guitar - sublime!

For the Girls is a real favourite from the new album, super melodic and soulful. North Country Boy was euphoric. Many a Day a Heartache flowed effortlessly and by this point I had ventured from underneath the glitter ball to 3 rows from the front by Tony on keyboards.

Just in time for one of my very favourite Charlatans songs, the absolute banger that is Oh! Vanity. The band didn't let up, rolling out the extended groove of Let The Good Times Be Never Ending,  the powerful Blackened Blue Eyes and then .... Then. Modern(ish) day psychedelia, still sounding super fresh and vital.

No wonder the band needed a 10-minute break to compose themselves! 

10-minutes (on the dot) later, The Charlatans returned and started their second set of the night by jamming the intro to Forever, dedicated to Mani. This glorious song has a menacing groove, before breaking into a beautiful piano led section that ends with Tim declaring.

I know my star, I know my star

Is a brighter star, brighter star

Forever be in my arms

Gorgeous! 

The Charlatans were in full flight, new singles We Are Love and Deeper & Deeper sound like set staples, Just When You're Thinkin' Things Over was spine tingling perfection, with Ride's Loz Colbert joining on percussion. Toothache was a deep, down n dirty groove, Soul Saver sounded like it could save lost souls and last night The Charlatans may well have managed that with their performance. Smiles all round. Life affirming stuff. A stunning trilogy from their eponymous album.

New song Appetite sounded even better live than on record, especially when Mark's guitar kicks in. In the Tall Grass was a welcome deeper cut, before Tim and co eased into top gear with a spellbinding One To Another - epic, powerful, groovey ... arms in the air on stage and off. The groove at the end was one you wanted to keep on going.

But ... as it ended, we were straight into another groove as The Only One I Know was teasingly started before the place exploded again. Wow! Hearing the Barrowland Ballroom sing the chorus of everyone has been burned before, everybody knows the pain was incredible. Like a mass choir, it was like our hymn. The Barrowland is our church.

Tim touched upon the audience response several times through the show - off the scale ... the best venue ... the best crowd ... the best city. 

Closing with a sublime Get On It, with another extended jam at the end, Loz Colbert gelled effortlessly with the rest of the band. Martin Blunt in shades, holding the groove throughout the set, Pete Salisbury on drums - driving things on, Tony on hammond and keys - not to mention his stunning backing vocals and Mark Collins on lead guitar.

BOOM an encore of Now Everything was followed by Tremelo Song (one of my real favourites from last night - from an extended list!) and then Sproston Green. The long intro started slow, almost delightfully sticky and sludgey, before becoming beautifully sugar sweet as the band stirred it up and found the mix.

This one knows, she comes and goes

And when she goes, she goes

What a night! Thank you to The Charlatans for giving me so many of them down the years, likewise to the Barrowland Ballroom and to all the fans who grace it. I am still buzzing!