Paul McCartney at the Hydro

Beatlemania is a alive and well if last night in Glasgow is anything go to. Scotland's largest indoor arena was packed by fans of all ages and fans from across the globe, eager to witness 76-year old Paul McCartney romp through 3-hours of hits with the odd surprise thrown in for good measure. 39-songs!

McCartney was in sparkling form from the off. The huge Glasgow ovation that greeted him seemed to inspire him and his fabulous band. McCartney had a gleam in his eyes and a wide smile on his face as he launched into the timeless pop of A Hard Days Night, a Lennon number. Well they are all Lennon and McCartney songs, they are our songs.

Sir Paul and his band skirted effortlessly through his back catalogue; we had lesser known numbers like Junior's Farm from his Wings days sandwiched between the opener of A Hard Days Night and Can't Buy Me Love. We had new numbers like Fuh You and I was surprised that was the melody I woke up with in my head this morning.

And I mentioned surprises. We had Lennon's Being For The Benefit Of Mr Kite over any of his own Pepper gems other than the title track, Macca stepping on to a platform in front of the stage and being raised to the roof to play Blackbird and Here Today in memory of John.

And we did have the odd (for me) forgettable moment. My Valentine, dedicated to wife Nancy in the crowd and then in the encore McCartney's seasonal offering Wonderful Christmas Time. Only memorable for the children's choir and the fake snow confetti falling from the ceiling.

But make no mistake, this was a wonderful 3-hours. I'll move on to my personal highlights.

Firstly there was the fact that my brother had managed to get us tickets 4 rows from the front, centre stage. We were in with some of Macca's staunchest fans from his fanclub, people from Canada, from Japan, people in Sgt Pepper costumes, people in retro t-shirts, people in new merchandise and people just completely in love with the man and his music.

Then there was Paul himself. He looks fantastic. He had a super cool navy jacket on to start off and I made a silent pact with myself to try and look that sharp if I make it to 76!

And McCartney was clearly enjoying himself, switching between bass and guitar, running to behind his piano, fingers dancing effortlessly over keys or frets. His guitar playing was top drawer.

His long serving band were magical. Drummer Abe Laboriel Jr beat his kit as if his life depended on it, he was incredible to watch. Guitarists Rusty Anderson and Brian Ray flanked McCartney and the three of them gelled with ease, while Paul 'Wix' Wickens was superb on keysand accordion. All helped with backing vocals.

Before I get to my personal song highlights (many!) I have to mention McCartney's personality. I've mentioned the twinkle in his eye, his smiles, but he was full of stories of watching Hendrix (there was a nice nod to him with an instrumental take on Foxy Lady) , there was the story of the Quarrymen recording for a fiver then all taking it in turns to have the demo acetate of In Spite Of All The Danger for 1-week, only for the drummer to then keep it for 20-years and sell it back to McCartney for a much, much higher price. And lovely memories of The Beatles and Linda.

McCartney was warm, charming, cheesey and someone who just loves to show off. In that sense he hasn't changed a bit since the early days of The Beatles. The others quickly tired of Beatlemania, it was McCartney who kept them together and drove projects like Pepper, Magical Mystery Tour, Let It Be and Abbey Road. It was McCartney who hit the road playing Universities in the 70's and just kept on going. He loves to play, needs to play and will always write and sing.

His energy and enthusiasm is infectious. As is his vast cannon of pop and the Glasgow crowd lapped it up.

My highlights;  an unexpected blast through Got To Get You Into My Life, a powerful blast of Let Me Roll It, the beautiful guitar riff and raw natural I've Got A Feeling, the section where the band all moved to the front of the stage to play the aforementioned Quarrymen song, the pop perfection of From Me To You, the modern Macca delight of Dance Tonight, the stunning Eleanor Rigby and newly Fuh You was fun.

There is more.....

Something was sensational. Stripped back on a ukulele at the start before the band came in. The section you're asking me how my love grows, I don't know, I don't know was performed perfectly on stage and off, the crowd were in love.

Macca was off on a sensational run of songs. Band On The Run was joyous, so playful, so melodic, so classically McCartney. The backing films shown on the screen were superb, Macca assembling his gang for the cover shoot, elsewhere we had Paul looking super cool on his farm in Campbeltown with little Mary wrapped in his jacket, rare Beatles footage and lots of psychedelic art.

Live And Let Die was epic. Indoor fireworks and fire blasted from the front of the stage and 4 rows back my brother and I could feel the heat! And then we had the sing song of the night, a sing song to end all sing songs, we had Hey Jude. It was magical, every single person in the arena was singing and McCartney took time to conduct the crowd.

Phew, it was far from over! McCartney and his band came back on waving flags.

Birthday, Sgt Peppers and Helter Skelter were powerful blasts of rock. Helter Skelter in particular was a real highlight, the on screen graphics really took the crowd on a trip.

And we ended perfectly with Golden Slumbers, Carry That Weight and The End.

What a show. This was my third time seeing Sir Paul. I sincerely hope there is a 4th.

Neil Young at the Hydro

Emmm WOW!

The man in black, photo by Ross Gilmore, Getty Images

Neil Young came into Glasgow last night, backed by his new young band Promise of the Real (who include 2 of Willie Nelson’s sons) and delivered a truly incredible 2.5 hour set.

Anticipation was high in the bars in the Finnieston area of Glasgow that has been transformed by ‘the Hydro effect’. Bars and cafes squeezed tables and chairs on to the pavements of the west end of Argyle Street to make the most of the glorious sunshine, there was a fine selection of Neil Young t-shirts from across the years and I even bumped into some old school friends, one of whom I hadn’t seen in over 20-years!

We could see Neil’s band hanging out behind the Hydro as we walked over the bridge to the venue. Any thoughts of the top tier being closed for the night were banished as the venue was a near sell out to see the maestro play.

Young has always had a close affinity with Glasgow and there was a hushed anticipation as the lights came down, before a spotlight picked out 2 people walking across the stage throwing what looked like chicken feed/corn or something across the floor.

While this was going on we didn’t notice a silent figure, dressed in black, slink to an organ. The spotlight dropped, a new one shone on Neil Young sitting at the organ and he began to play After The Gold Rush. Young changed the lyrics to say look at mother nature on the run in the 21st century, highlighting that the concerns he voiced in the 70’s are even more urgent now.  Much of Young’s new material voices his concerns for the state of the planet.

The audience response was incredible, there were loud cheers when Young played his mouth organ. Young rose from the organ and strapped on an acoustic guitar as he strode to the centre of the stage and then he played one of my favourite songs from his exceptional catalogue - Heart Of Gold.

Mark and I looked at each other in astonishment. What an opening! Mark had been yearning for Young to play some acoustic stuff and he was about to be truly spoiled. We couldn’t have asked for better seats, in the club section, centre stage behind the sounddesk. What a view.

A spotlight shines on Neil Young as he plays Heart of Gold

The Needle and the Damage Done was spine tingling, Young looked timeless, dressed in black with his wide brimmed hat pulled down to create shadows, he could have time travelled from the 70’s. The cameras strained to find the light to show his face on the big screens, when it did we were treated to smiles and the sight of an artist in full flight.

The setlist below highlights what an incredible set it was, with lots of material from Harvest.

A near 20-minute version of Down By The River might have blown the roof off an older venue, Young’s band were super tight and super loose, the best kind.

There were 3 electric guitars, creating a beautiful raw and powerful sound, playing with each other, giving each other space and locking in for riffs and grooves. The bass kept it all together, allowing the guitars and drums to really go for it when required, also allowing them to drop out and leave lots of space at others. It was a joy to watch such talented musicians.

Neil and his band locked in a groove

There were 4 part harmonies that raised the hairs on my arms and sent tingles down my spine. The young band looked so happy to be playing with Neil, the drummer didn’t have a mic to join in the harmonies but cameras caught him singing a-long.

Interviews with Young highlight that his band have learned 100+ songs and that they don’t have a setlist, they just make it up as the go. There was evidence of this as they quickly got together between songs to decide what to play next. They made a mockery of the huge venue ‘Quite a place you got here Glasgow’ by all standing and facing each other at times, just lost in the music, they could have been playing in Sleazys basement given the fact that they were so close together at times - vibing off each other.

Young is 71 in November this year, there are legends that come to Glagsow and you think ‘oh i’d better go and see them, they might not be back’. Young shows no signs of letting up, he continues to release material regularly and his new band seem to have lifted him, he looks strong and full of energy.

The full setlist is noted below. I hope to see Neil and his exceptional band back in Glasgow in the not too distant future.

Neil Young and Promise of the Real setlist, SSE Hydro, Glasgow, Sunday 5th June 2016

After the Gold Rush
Heart of Gold
The Needle and the Damage Done
Comes A Time
Mother Earth (Natural Anthem)
Out on the Weekend
Unknown Legend
Someday
Peace of Mind
Words (Between the Lines of Age)
Winterlong
Alabama
Down by the River
I’ve Been Waiting For You
Mansion on the Hill
Western Hero
After the Garden
Monsato Years
Wolf Moon
Love and Only Love
F**kin’ Up

Manic St Preachers at the Hydro

I featured a guest blog by my friend Joe recently. Now it is the turn of his lovely wife Emma.

Emma is a huge Manics fan and after her enthusiastic posts on social media at the weekend I thought I would ask her to follow Joe with a guest review. Her passion and knowledge for the band really shine through.

Maybe I should turn this into a regular Mr & Mrs feature!?

Manic Street Preachers Glasgow Hydro.

I have been a Manic Street Preachers fan for over 20 years which is a little bit over half my life. I have seen them live in various venues over the years. I was excited to receive tickets to the Hydro gig as a Christmas gift from my husband. The gig also fell on the weekend of our wedding anniversary which was a good way to celebrate.

To be honest the first time I heard the Manics I didn’t know who they were but I knew I liked their songs.  Watching Top of the Pops was an institution in our house and in the early nineties whilst still in primary school I was learning to play guitar (classical and very badly) and I remember seeing scruffy men playing bouncy guitar and later I learned that it was the Manics playing Motorcycle Emptiness. In 1994 I began to buy the NME every week and started to read more about the band. I never really went for the boy bands, guitar music was what I was raised on. I remember hearing of the disappearance of Ritchie Edwards on the Radio One news before school one morning and then following the stories in the NME in the weeks and months that followed. I was 13 twenty years ago when Everything Must Go was released and obsessed with music saving up dinner money to buy albums.  It was an album that meant a lot to me and that still does. To hear it played live in full was something very special.

Saturday nights gig at the Hydro was not only the best Manics gig I have ever been to but my best live gig experience of all time. When the band walked on stage and launched into Elvis Impersonator my heart sang such is the emotional connection I have to these songs. I am one of those annoying people at gigs who like to scream out the lyrics whilst pumping the air with my fist and there was certainly plenty of those opportunities at Saturday’s gig. James Dean Bradfield’s voice was liquid gold perfection and he and Nicky Wire were in good humour bouncing off each other. Nicky had about four wardrobe changes but my personal favourite was the white Captain’s hat. 

The big hits like A Design For Life, Australia and Kevin Carter were everything you would expect them to be. There were scissor kicks from the band, singing and bouncing from the audience. For me though the highlights of this gig were the opportunities to hear the album tracks and slower songs played live. As usual the Manics visuals were spot on especially for these tracks. Small Black Flowers That Grow In The Sky was hauntingly beautiful. The crowd was obviously delighted to hear The Girl who wanted to be God and Removables and these became snarling sing a longs. 

For me a real highlight was Interiors however not all of my section of the crowd seemed in agreement with this. I love Further Away and have included it on a few romantic mix tapes in my time as I think it is a song which describes being in love well. The finale of this section of the gig was a euphoric rendition of No Surface but All Feeling with included the surprisingly beautiful release of streamers in the colours of the Welsh flag by the clearly emotional James Dean Bradfield.

The second section of the gig was rareties and hits. Highlights for me were hearing the cover of Raindrops Keep Falling On My Head from the Help album which James described as the time the Manics  got “swept up in that thing called Britpop”. Motorcycle Emptiness and You Love Us were their usual guitar rift driven sing along jump about greatness. Roses In The Hospital is my personal favourite Manics song and was so powerful it inspired me to actually leap into the air despite being 22 weeks pregnant. 

The only song of the night that I must confess I never wish to hear again in my life was 2013s Show Me The Wonder.  Sorry boys the wonder escaped me entirely in response to this dire ditty. However the rugby boys behind me seemed to find it the highlight of the night so each to their own. The showed ended with If You Tolerate This… . The chat on fan forum sites had expressed doubt as to how this would work as a show closing track but it was really moving especially with the pink tissue paper blown into the crowd to represent cherry blossom.  

It was a fantastic gig made all the better for me (don’t hate me) when I got to meet James Dean Bradfield over breakfast the following morning. He was a lovely man, despite being hungover he was gentle, warm, approachable and self –deprecating, returning to the breakfast room to collect me for my photograph. I told him that I had been into the Manics for over 20 years and that I felt that made me a very discerning 12 year old girl. His reply “Im not so sure”. Well James in light of Saturday’s performance I have to stand by my original statement. What a gig, what a man! Cant believe I met a legend!!!

Belle and Sebastian at the Hydro

On Friday night, Belle and Sebastian, one of Glasgow's most celebrated and loved bands, stopped off at the SSE Hydro to play their largest home town show to date to promote their Girls In Peacetime Want To Dance album.

The indie-est of indie bands and their fans had a ball, quite literally.

Backed by the Scottish Festival Orchestra the band played an 18-song set; sprinkled with favourites from throughout their career, the odd obscurity and a selection from their current album.

Belle and Sebastian are no strangers to large venues; they have played the likes of the Hollywood Bowl and Madison Square Gardens - and they took to the stage with confidence - easily transferring their indie and sometimes twee charm to a huge audience. It was an enjoyable and slighty surreal show.

Stuart Murdoch was in great form, bounding down a catwalk that extended into the audience, at home behind a piano, bongo's, guitar or keytar and dancing liberally around the stage.

Nobody's Empire opened the show and fan favourites I'm A Cuckoo and Dirty Dream Number 2 were dropped in early on to get everyone in the mood.

Everyone was in the mood, but just to be sure the Belles had a number of tricks up their sleeves. People were invited on to stage to dance, huge inflatable balls were dropped from the ceiling and in the most surreal moment of the night the band had dancers on stage with huge Toblerone props for Lord Anthony.

Lord Anthony is probably not a song many would have chosen to appear on the setlist for the bands largest hometown show to date; but Belle and Sebastian somehow transformed it to an arena song - using the props, dancers and large screens to create a visual pop art feast.

If You're Feeling Sinister turned this huge arena show into an intimate celebration of stunning indie pop. Murdoch beaming from ear to ear at the crowds reaction.

If You Find Yourself Caught In Love was a glorious pop romp with the strings soaring while The Boy With The Arab Strap turned the Hydro Arena into the largest indie disco in the country.

Legal Man was incredible as the crowd danced and hollered the closing section back at the band;

Get out of the city and into the sunshine

Get out of the office and into the springtime

Sleep The Clock Around  is one of my personal favourites from the Belles catalogue and we were treated to Get Me Away From Here I'm Dying and Le Pastie De La Bourgeosie for the encore.