Named after the debut single by Teenage Fanclub.
This blog is all about being a music lover in Glasgow; reviews, interviews, memories, old faves, new discoveries (past and present), playlists and more. Thanks for visiting - I hope you discover something amazing you have never heard before, or that you rediscover an old favourite.
Regular features/playlists; Never Ending Mixtape / Cover Version of the Month/ Trust Me.
Insta - @everythingflowsglasgow
WOW. Last night's Flaming Lips show at Kelvingrove Bandstand as part of the Summer Nights series was truly life affirming.
Psychedelic pop songs about love, life, death and the universe. Songs about humans triumphing over machines and determined scientists racing to find cures. I found myself crying during the beautiful Do You Realize? Tears just started flooding down my face. I can't remember the last time that happened to me at a concert.
We were treated to multiple blasts of confetti, inflatable pink robots, huge colourful confetti filled latex balls/balloons bouncing around across the Bandstand - one burst above me and it was wonderful, I have the burst balloon at home - Flaming Lips memorabilia! The light show was sensational, lasers beaming out, bright lights, Wayne Coyne swinging a huge bulb around on a lead, a bright, bright light directly behind the singer cast beams everywhere, he got into costumes and balls ...
I'm still smiling. I'm exhausted just reflecting on the show, Coyne must be shattered, but energised by knowing that every time his band play, they bring absolute joy to people.
Lynn and I started in the very back row of the Bandstand, determined to see the full wide screen spectacle. But as soon as the opening synth teaser to The Golden Path started, we picked our way down to the front to join my sister Carla and friends who had been there from the get go. The Golden Path is a real favourite of ours.
She Don't Use Jelly is glorious guitar punk pop with a psychedelic tinge. The Yeah Yeah Yeah Song (With All Your Power) was hugely uplifting. The aforementioned Do You Realize? is even more powerful live than it is on record, truly beautiful. A cover of Sabbath's War Pigs was heavy and fun and the closing song Race for the Prize was triumphantly joyful.
Everyone left smiling and buzzing. Mission accomplished.
A number of months ago I heard some music coming from my daughter Zoe's room that caused my ears to prick up. The vocals were outstanding. I asked who it was - Sienna Spiro, she's all over TikTok was the answer.
I checked if she was touring, but her SWG3 show in Glasgow was long sold out. It was subsequently upgraded to the O2 Academy, but tickets went in a flash.
Late on Friday afternoon, a source came good for a couple of tickets and we were going. We got parked round the corner and there was a sense of anticipation hanging in the air outside the Academy, with people looking for tickets and kids getting their photo under the sign displaying Spiro's name.
We headed down the right hand side towards the stage and stood just at the end of the bar for support act Debbie's set. Her voice was stunning and the crowd gave her a brilliant reception.
The stage was set for Sienna Spiro. Steps led up the centre of the stage, larger platforms were set to the side halfway up for piano and drums and there were huge false retro speakers. Motown songs were played in advance to get the crowd pumped as the final checks were put in place before Spiro and her band took to the stage.
Photo by Zoe
Spiro came on to a huge ovation. The crowd went crazy throughout, singing-a-long to the steady string of singles that she has released over the last few years. Opening with The Visitor, Spiro's voice was sublime from the off. Rising with ease. This despite suffering from the flu.
Her backing band were sensational. Bass, guitar, keys and drums all locking in for ballads and grooves. Spiro looked sensational, dressed in a 60's style dress and high boots, immaculate shiny dark hair.
Material Lover, her latest single, was delightful, Spiro walked from one side of the stage to the other to huge acclaim. The crowd sang every word and were genuinely going crazy. Spiro will surely be playing the Hyrdo the next time she is back in Glasgow!
You Stole The Show was a personal highlight for me. Moody cinematic strings, Spiro's voice sounding hurt and lost before rising, racked with emotion, for the chorus that sent tingles down my spine. What a beautiful song!
Wrap me in your arms again
The adrenaline makes me shiver
Show me that you're genuine, that I'm safe again
That you came here different
No time to define, but before we get closer
I ask if you love me, and you just shrug your shoulders
Spiro introduced a new song called Great Expectations that sounded extremely promising, this young starlet is set to soar through the remainder of 2026 and into 2027.
The crowd response was nothing short of fanatical, with several teenagers being carried out from the middle after fainting through the heat. Cups of water were passed out regularly and Spiro was quick to alert stewards to flashing phone lights that friends held up when someone was in trouble.
Die On This Hill closed the show. It already feels like a modern classic. It sure sounds like one. Spiro singing beautifully over gentle piano, voice rising again for a stunning chorus that is set to become a festival anthem.
I'll take my pride, stand here for you
No, I'm not blind, just seeing it through
You take my life just for the thrill
I'll take tonight, and die on this hill
I always will
This was a spellbinding performance. Spiro is only 20 years old, yet to release her debut album - although she could already release a compilation of her 10 singles that have been released to date. One to keep a close eye on!
Brooke Combe was outstanding at Saint Luke's on Friday night, the first of 2 sold out shows in the gorgeous venue. Brooke's smile radiated warmth, her banter was good fun and her voice was exceptional. She is a super cool n soulful lass!
Combe's star is rising on the back of her outstanding single How Can I Tell You? (blog) that she released last year. It's lifted her and the follow up Tears Don't Lie is of similar quality.
In her mid-20's, Combe started to release her music independently via Modern Sky, following a spell with Island. It was Island's loss and Brooke's gain. She worked with James Skelley from The Coral to produce her 2025 album Dancing On The Edge Of The World and isn't letting up. Brooke has just signed to Fontana Records and is ready to go to the next level.
There is no doubt that How Can I Tell You? has won her more fans. It went kinda viral on Instagram when Brooke posted rehearsal clips of her singing it, then the northern soul inspired video took it even further.
Backed by a tight band encompassing guitar, bass, backing vocals and percussion, keyboard and drums, Combe and co wowed the packed Saint Luke's with a stunning upbeat set that lifted everyone in the room.
Combe looks and acts like a star. Super lithe, shades on her head, cool Levi's, dancing about the stage, shadow boxing, playing guitar, banging her tambourine, playing air drums and she has a smile that radiates warmth.
The set was split in 3, with the opening segment including; This Town as an early banger, A-Game was sublime and Black Is The New Gold was sultry.
Combe then had the confidence to send her band off stage, leaving just her and guitarist Danny Murphy to performing two new songs; Piece of Me and It's Not Over, both bode very well for her next album and the latter in particular will sound good when fleshed out with a full band (and strings?).
Tears Won't Lie sounds like it has been lifted from the Motown vaults, a lost Supremes/Diana Ross single. Persistent piano, Combe's strong voice and cool Motown beats for the bridge to the chorus. Three minute of soul pop brilliance.
A powerful Dancing At The Edge of the World led to an encore that began with someone from the audience beginning to sing Yes Sir I Can Boogie. World Cup fever is starting and Combe and Murphy played a short stripped back version that was greatly appreciated.
Grabbing a Scotland flag from a fan in the front row, Combe knotted it round her to sing a fantastic rendition of her song The Last Time, followed by a crowd singing lesson for the backing parts of How Can I Tell You? Then the band and Brooke ripped into it, ending with Combe up on the barrier to the delight of the crowd.
Combe has the songs, the look, the voice, soul and she now has the right record label. Strap in for the ride.
Arguably the hottest band on the planet were in town at the weekend to play what many consider to be the best venue in the world.
When Geese fly, they really soar. Pardon the pun. There were times when their Saturday night Barrowland show felt euphoric. Notably the section around halfway through Taxes when Cameron Winter sings you're gonna have to nail me down as guitars begin to ring and chime. He then lifts it further with the doctor, doctor, heal yourself section, ending with the great lyric I will break my own heart from now on.
Guitars are chiming, the bass is holding to down, drums are pounding - Max Bassin, looking good in a King Tuts t-shirt is an outstanding drummer, and Cameron Winter, oooh, oooh, oooh, oooh. is coo-ing oooh.
There are other time when it just doesn't do it for me. I love their melodic, slightly weird and wonky, more than a little stoned, songs with cool grooves. The heavier stuff that Geese play, 'bordering on prog at times' as one friend said, just doesn't connect with me. But it sure did connect with the Barrowland crowd who lapped it up.
Anticipation hung heavily in the Gallowgate air, the queue at 8.15pm stretched round the corner towards Saint Luke's. I hadn't seen anything like that in some time. Loads of people were walking up and down the line with cardboard / digital (on their phone) signs looking for tickets. A few exchanged hands for over £100.
Inside the crowd were singing along with Cameron Winter from the off. Even for songs that I didn't expect sing-songs for. Then there was pogo-ing and multiple crowd surfing moments, people on shoulders. There was also a brief pause around 3/4's of the way through the show where Geese seemed concerned about people down the front being dehydrated/fainting. They threw multiple bottles of water into the crowd before restarting.
Geese kicked off with Husbands, one of their slow melodic stoned jams that I really enjoy. It's slightly wonky, very different and very cool.
Getting Killed is electrifying, before going off on a slow and stone tangent. Islands of Men rides in on a seemingly simple guitar riff, just about hanging together for the instrumental section that is stripped right back, then Winter is singing (about two feet back from the mic) you can't keep, you can't keep running away.
A lot of Geese material sounds fresh, like it has stemmed from jams and improvised lyrics, rather than thought out, constructed and structured songwriting.
Crusades, from their 3D Country album, rides in on a riff that sounds Bowie/Stones inspired. Cameron Winter does a stripped back cover of Primal Scream's Movin' On Up and the band also dedicate a song to King Tuts.
A section of the show doesn't really work for me. It's a bit more heavy, a bit more experimental, but then things change with Cobra, a woozy delight, with the crowd singing in full voice. Au Pairs du Cocaine is glorious, the guitar playing the riff, then bass, drums coming in and Winter crooning his heart out. Then there is the aforementioned Taxes.
The rest of the set is kind of lost on me, I lose connection. Geese go off on a heavier vibe for the remaining couple of songs and then the two song encore. Personally, I always skip Long Island City Here I Come, the closing song on Getting Killed, and Trinidad, the opener, when playing the album.
In a sense, Geese are kind of like two different bands. That's the thrill of it for most people in the audience, while I prefer their more melodic stuff and Cameron Winter's solo album Heavy Metal.
However, what is abundantly clear, is that people have fallen for this band big time! It's going to be really interesting to hear what they do next. I can see them veering off into experimental territory like Radiohead. While maybe Winter will keep his stoned ballads for his solo material. Who knows?!
In spite of the commotion they are creating, Cameron Winter doesn't display a great deal of emotion throughout. Do Geese want to be big? Do they want this kind of adulation?
They'd better get used to it! Geese are hot to trot and are on a constant tour, including two more dates back at the Barrowland in August.
Paul Banks, Madra Salach singer, McChuills, March 2026
Dublin six-piece Madra Salach blew my friend Joe and I away last year. We caught the band playing The Van Winkle in the Gallowgate as part of Tenement Trail. Singer Paul Banks was like a cross between Lydon and MacGowan, singing with his heart and soul.
In my blog, I highlighted Madra Salach's closing song The Man Who Seeks Pleasure (Is the Man Who Seeks Pain) stating that it was a genuine spine tingling moment. It will be interesting to see if they can capture this kind of intensity on record. This was beautifully raw, heartfelt and soulful. Banks gave it his all and his band played as if their lives depended on it.
Madra Salach, The Van Winkle, Tenement Trail, October 2025
The band have since released the song and it has been gathering attention from the likes of 6Music and is no doubt helping them to sell out every gig they currently have listed. In addition, Madra Salach will be supporting Kneecap at their huge summer show in Crystal Palace.
In the short term, the band are on a tour playing small venues that must be in the 100-250 capacity range. I am sure that they could have upgraded last nights show at McChuills to a larger venue, but I'm so glad that didn't happen. Seeing a band on the verge of breaking in a small venue is incredibly exciting for music fans, but I think it is equally as exciting and even more important for bands and artists to play in those venues at such a time and 'feel' the mood, experience the atmosphere. Madra Salach know that bigger venues will come.
So, yes, there is a buzz about Madra Salach and there was a sense of anticipation in the air, possibly helped by the fact that it was the day after St Patrick's Day. McChuills was in full swing.
A 10pm week night curfew for live music meant that Madra Salach were on at just after 8.30pm. Joe and his 2 brothers were in supping Guinness and Murphy's by the time I arrived just before 8. It was the first time I had caught the train to Glasgow Central since the recent fire. I felt a tingle of pride as I approached the station, gazing out at the city lights as the train crossed over the river. Glasgow is a resilient city. The loss of the corner building and defining dome is tragic. But we will rebuild.
The venue was rammed as Madra Salach took to the stage bathed in red light to set up. All of the band are seated, other than lead singer Paul Banks, who ambled on and cleared his lungs to begin Blue & Gold, their debut single that was released in September 2025.
Banks tells the story of a young couple being broke and down on their luck. In the first verse Banks sings of having nothin' in me pocket except the old linin', while in the second his lover tells him of how they have no food for eating, nor money for heating.
Banks has hope, in the form of a lottery ticket;
We will not be going cold
Don't worry my dear
Look what I have here
A ticket of blue and of gold
Is it a winner? Is it sheer hope and desperation? We don't know. But what we do know is that Madra Salach deliver this modern tale of their own and others that have been around for a long, long time with passion and soul.
The Tunnel Tigers is introduced as being an old Irish folk song about Irish men that went over to London to create the tunnels for the Underground and lost their lives. Banks introduces The Blantyre Explosion by asking how far away Blantyre is, and there is a bit of banter by the crowd, with a couple of people shoutin out to declare the town as a shitehole.
Banks laughs and says that he is about to sing a song regarding Scotland's worst ever mining disaster that happened back in 1877, killing over 200 people. Banks then gets serious as he pours his heart into the song so much that you believe that he is the young man telling the story about wandering by the Clyde in mourning and meeting a girl crying;
I stepped up beside her, and thus I addressed her
Pray tell me, fair maid, of your trouble and pain
Sobbing and sighing, at last she did answer
Johnny Murphy, kind sir, was my true lovers name
Twenty one years of age, full of youth and good looking
To work down the mines of High Blantyre he came
The wedding was fixed, all guests were invited
That calm summer's evening, young Johnny was slain
Banks jokes afterwards that they have more miserable songs to sing! But the crowd are mesmerised by him and his band. The intensity they play with, the soundscapes they conjure (slight and delicate tinges of electronica and psychedelia merged with Celtic folk and soul) and Banks exceptional voice.
At times, he is lost in the music, twitching and biting his nails (or what he has left!), turning his head, then back to the mic to give it his all.
In the Aeroplane Over The Sea by Neutral Milk Hotel is more upbeat and works beautifully. Single I Was Just A Boy is pretty euphoric with the crowd singing along, the extended instrumental is ferocious. Then they close with The Man Who Seeks Pleasure. The crowd are singing underneath Banks, subconciously mindful that they want to sing, but also want to take in his voice. The recorded version that they have released is special, but live, this song takes on more power. It's really special. A modern classic.
We head through to the bar and agree that Madra Salach will probably be selling out the Barrowland next year. They are a special band. The band are doing a roaring trade at the merch desk and mixing with fans. The guitarist/mandolin player is next to us at the bar and agrees that his singer has 'a fair set of pipes on him' and hints that they will be back in Scotland in October/November when they have a tour planned. Joe and I mentioned we saw them at Tenement Trail last year and he talks fondly about their day playing the Van Winkle and the response from that show and from the McChuills crowd. It was a pleasure to buy his round for him.
Setlist
1. Blue & Gold
2. Spancil Hill (Michael Considine cover)
3. The Tunnel Tigers (Ewan McColl cover)
4. The Blantyre Explosion (Luke Kelly cover)
5. Murphy Can Never Go Home (Mick Curry cover)
6. In the Aeroplane Over The Sea (Neutral Milk Hotel cover)
Saturday nights in McChuills have been the source of much pleasure for me over the years. Old Nick DJ-ing behind the bar early on, DJ's taking to the decks later, playing (or attempting to play in a busy area!) pool, meeting friends, ending the night there after a gig at the Barrowland Ballroom ... It's a wonderful pub full of characters, behind the bar and on the other side. McChuills has soul and strong values. They know what is right and what is wrong. And they love music! Lots of old faces still regularly frequent the bar and the decks.
McChuills the kind of pub you fall for, dream of and pine for. These days, visiting is more of a treat, but every time I visit I think of my old flat in Dennistoun and times where I'd wander in for a pint after work and stay for a few, or ... wilder weekends.
It's great to see that McChuills still attracts a variety of subcultures of all ages. I mentioned Old Nick (who was DJ-ing before Andrew Divine last night) above and his son young Nick has done a grand job of changing things just ever so slightly, to put on bands and club nights in the side room ... or Acid Arch. Wet Leg (old blog here) and David Holmes are just 2 of the names to have graced the stage through there.
Fatale were back to the venue where they played their first gig in May 2025 - still less than a year ago! The band hang out in McChuills regularly and both are a perfect fit for each other. Fresh/recovered from 3-date tour of Aberdeen, Dundee and Inverness with The Cords and a show with Warren McIntyre and James Kirk in Edinburgh the previous night, the 5-piece were gig fit.
Taking to the stage at 10pm, Fatale blitzed straight into Moves You, their traditional set closer. It was a bold move and it worked a treat, the place was bouncing. This is a fuzzy punky pop gem with a glorious breakdown, before zipping back to full throttle. Exhilarating!
Fatale have improved every time I've caught them live since last summer; sound, performance and songs. New song Sugar Bowl was melodic with the duelling guitars sounding sublime. Own Embrace and Another Sunrise sound like old friends. I find myself half singing a-long, even though I've only ever heard them live.
A cover version of Buttermilk by Eugenius fitted like a glove. That guitar riff never got the credit it deserves. Winged Horse, By The Tide and September kept things going while allowing Fatale to show different sides to their natural instinct for melodies, guitar sounds and hooks.
The rhythm section of Oscar (bass) and James (drums) keep things tight, while also driving the sound along, while the guitars of Euan and Chris (also backing vocals) carry the joy of youthful enthusiasm through chords, riffs, solos and the effects they use. Ben Robertson was born to be a front man - conducting band mates and crowd with his on stage moves. All have fantastic hair!
Wired sounds like a potential single. While Jesus Christ most definitely will be at some point. Beginning with a warm Big Star-esque riff, the song then explodes into life and is like one big chorus, full of infectious energy.
Fatale seem to have a natural feel for songwriting. Their musical knowledge and taste comes across in the songs they have covered since I first caught them last summer. The confidence that comes from playing gigs and generating a buzz from them seems to be lifting them to new levels. Building on the solid foundation they had from the off with early songs like Moves You, Jesus Christ and Another Sunrise.
Speaking of which, the band are clearly taken by new song Saint Mungo - named after the patron saint and founder of the City of Glasgow. It's the title track of their debut EP that is coming out on a limited edition 12-inch. ORDER HERE
Coming on for an encore, Ben announced that this would be the last time they played their cover of The Velvets Femme Fatale, however given the reaction, I'd be surprised if that's the case! They should definitely keep it up their sleeves for their adventures outwith Glasgow.
The band ended as they began, with an even more super charged version of Moves You, starting with Ben crowd surfing, before their good friend Ben Brown took over and somehow managed to stay aloft! Great fun.
Next up is a gig at The Art School as part of the multi-venue House Guest festival on 4th April. The festival also takes in Sleazys and The 1990 (formerly Broadcast).
Glasgow seems to recognise how dark, wet, cold and miserable January is, so the city does its very best to put on music events to keep spirits up. Celtic Connections attracts artists and music fans from across the globe. Closer to home, King Tuts Wah Wah Hut promotes the best new bands around as part of their New Year Revolution series of shows through January.
On Friday (9th) night I headed in to see Fatale, a young five piece, still in single figures for gigs and yet to release a single. As mentioned in an earlier blog this month, I think Fatale are the most exciting young band in Scotland at present. They look great, have fantastic taste in (and enthusiasm for) music and out of their 11-song set, taking into account the 2 cover versions, 5 or 6 of their own 9 songs sound like they could be clear and obvious singles.
This was the best I've seen Fatale. They played with confidence, introduced new songs to their set and looked like they were having even more fun on stage than the audience, who were jumping and pogo-ing around. There was even a brilliant display of crowd surfing during the band's final song!
Lead singer Ben Robertson somehow managed to keep his hat on for the first few songs, before eventually taking it off due to the heat in the room. Robertson is a natural front man, his energy is infectious. He has his arm round his guitarists at times, while at others he is down at the barrier and in with the crowd. Good vibes.
Good vibes all round. From the warm guitar opening of September onwards, Fatale blitzed King Tuts. A cover of The Vaselines Molly's Lips third song really got the place going.
Head's Gone could be one of the aforementioned singles. While Jesus Christ almost certainly will be. A teasing intro with Big Star-esque guitar sounds leads to the band flying through the verse to the chorus.
Jesus Christ knocked on my door, just let me sleep 10-minutes more
Coming out with songs of praise, righteousness lost in the haze
Another Sunrise is another one that connects, the defiant statement hook of I'm going out tonight will probably be blasting out of radios and speakers within a couple of years and be sung wholeheartedly by teenagers across the country (and beyond).
Fatale were in full flow. The duel guitars of Euan and Chris (sporting a Shonen Knife t-shirt) were deliciously fuzzy, bassist Oscar locked in the groove, while James (vintage AC Milan shirts swapped for a Maradona T) on drums drove things forward.
By The Tide is another guitar pop gem. Fatale seem to have a natural feel for a good song structure. They know when to build a bridge, when to rip through a verse, when to hammer home a chorus or hook.
New song Wired (To The Feeling) felt effortless. The band seem to be writing brilliant new songs ona regular basis. They could already start recording and releasing a steady stream of singles. But they (probably rightly) are letting things build. After all, as mentioned previously, they have still played less than 10 gigs. You can check a couple of demos on their soundcloud though.
I'm wired to the feeling
When I'm by your side
Electricity is flowing
Everything's just right
With every tear you don't cry
With every tear you don't cry
Fatale closed with the two songs they recorded as demos 8-months ago. Their cover of Femme Fatale by The Velvets has become a sing-song, the call and response chorus and then the hook see the way she walks, hear the way she talks is sung with love on stage and in the crowd.
Then it was the glorious Moves You, like a long lost Fanclub song from between A Catholic Education and Bandwagonesque. Full of zip and zest, but with a sublime breakdown and harmonies, before a furious romp through the chorus, cracking instrumental with a brilliant guitar solo and another run through the first verse and chorus for good measure.
Fatale head out on the road in February for dates with The Cords. Keep an eye on their Instagram page.
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, Tellin' Stories was gorgeous - the perfect winter warmer, 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!
My sister Carla and I attended The Beta Band's final gig at Edinburgh's Liquid Room back in December 2004. We have talked about it a few times over the years while reminiscing about our 'all-time favourite gigs/albums/songs' over a few drinks.
That show was utterly magical. If there was a script, then the band went off it to improvise jams and grooves. I have vague memories of Steve Mason ending the show topless, wearing a helmet (I think?) and rapping. But as it was 21-years ago, I could be wrong.
The Beta Band were off the wall and lost in their own world, it's what made them so special, so unique and so captivating - you just didn't know what they would do next, where they would take a song or a groove. What clothes or accessories they would wear, put on ... or take off!
When the band broke up, their statement said that; '... eight years of no success has taken its toll and the apple needs to fall from the tree to spread its seeds.'
Given the buzz around their reformation and ticket sales, it would appear that the seeds have grown. My friends and I were among a sold-out and rammed Barrowland for the opening night of the tour to find out what has bloomed ...
Django Django warmed things up by sharing DJ duties among themselves; Turnin' My Heartbeat Up by The MVP's was among a number of choice tunes that were eclectic and cool.
After the DJ's departed, a series of clips of The Beta Band were projected on to the white screen at the back of the stage. Home video recordings, shots of them shooting videos - walking on the moon, driving stunt cars, fooling around, interspersed with clips of songs ... just to remind you how off the wall and how brilliant they were.
Not that anyone in the room needed reminding. Although I am sure there were a number of people who hadn't seen them live before. My friend joked that the age range was just slightly younger than a Teenage Fanclub gig. But that there were a lot more trucker caps in the audience!
Steve Mason, John MacLean, Richard Greentree and Robin Jones walked onstage, MacLean fired up his synths and samples board and Inner Meet Me started the night. Before long, band and audience were in the groove. Steve Mason is one of my favourite guitar players. The way he plays rhythm guitar in tandem to (or often leading) bass and beats is unique, while he plays inventive and fluid riffs at times, often to break the groove and take it off on a tangent.
The Barrowland roar welcomed and thanked the band afterwards and it was even louder after the follow up, She's The One For Me. Talking of going off in tangents, the way this song veers off into a groove is possibly my favourite moment in a Beta Band song.
Dressed in flight suits, The Beta Band were taking off and everyone was along for the ride. The visuals behind them ranged from psychedelic lighting, to softer Autumnal tones, perfect backdrops for the mellow grooves and freakier moments of the trip.
There was little in the way of banter. The Beta Band were here to play. They switched between instruments, MacLean wove samples and effects into the live instruments, with Greentree's bass providing a solid groove foundation for the others to build and play upon.
Needles in My Eyes was beautiful, the slow bass rumbling intro was like Massive Attack, Mason's beautiful voice over the top made me think that he would be an amazing guest vocalist for the Bristol gang. But he has his own gang back!
Dogs Got a Bone was cool, while of course Dry the Rain was magical. The crowd sang every word, the refrain echoing around the Barrowland. It was a beautiful moment, band and audience as one.
If there's something inside that you wanna say
Say it out loud it'll be OK
I will be your light, I will be your light
I will be your light, I will be your light
One of my favourite Beta Band performances online is when they play B+A at Glastonbury (watch below). They stretched it out in a similar style, in no rush to launch into the groove, teasing with the riff and bongos, introducing the wah wah effects to the guitar .... then BOOM ... into the groove that went on and on.
Closing, after pausing for a brief encore, with a sublime Squares and then The House Song, The Beta Band had reminded everyone (perhaps even themselves) of their off the wall, psychedelic brilliance.
Buenos Aires is a city that I am exceptionally fond of. Back in May/June 2008, my wife (girlfriend at the time) and I spent a month living in an apartment in the Palermo Viejo district of the city at the end of 1-year travelling around the world.
After a year of almost constant travel and not really staying anywhere more than 4-6 days, it was great to have a base. We embraced living in the city - joining our local gym, hanging out in the bars and cafes and wandering around museums and (Evita's) graveyards.
Ice cold Quilmes beer, incredible red wine, the best steak ever (we went to La Cabrera - a traditional parrillas - 3 times it was so good!) , Tango in the streets, Boca v River, River v San Lorenzo, a 2-day trip to Iguazu Falls, United beating Chelsea in the Champions League final ... I have so many good memories.
Back in the Day - with brown hair, in the stadium early for Boca v River
Not the greatest game, a 1-0 win for Boca, but an INCREDIBLE atmosphere
So, I was excited for Teenage Fanclub when the band announced that their South American tour would include a visit to Buenos Aires for the very first time. I thoroughly enjoyed the bands Instagram updates from Brazil and Argentina. It looked like they had a blast, played their hearts out and felt the passion from their South American fans. There is a mini-documentary in the making! If they go back I'll offer to go and make it!
Speaking of which, Juan Marioni from Buenos Aires is a member of the Teenage Fanclub Fanclub who I have become friends with online. Juan is a very talented musician - check Juan's Bandcamp page for his Norman, Raymond and Gerry EP's of cover versions and also his Songs of Teenage Fanclub covers album.
I love Juan's versions. There is something about songs originating in Bellshill making their way across the world and being covered that warms my heart.
Juan has been waiting to see his favourite band for quite some time! So, I asked if he would write a blog on the experience. Now that Juan has had time to recover, he has written a beautifully passionate, funny (I laughed out loud at the Mongolia section) and soulful blog that portrays his deep love for the band.
I'm all in if the band make it back to Argentina! If my wife and kids let me! Maybe we will all go!
Guest blog - 1,130,112,000 seconds. Teenage Fanclub live in Buenos Aires.
1 130 112 000 seconds. That's how long it took Teenage Fanclub to play in Argentina. Yes, I double-checked the calculation. The time that passed from their live debut on November 17, 1989, until they finally stepped onto the stage of C ART MEDIA on September 9, 2025. A wait full of disappointments and "almosts" that never were, but which, in the end, turned into pure glory. This is the story of how, after so long, everything came together so we could celebrate our love fest with the band.
A while ago, I found out that back in 2011, my beloved Teenage Fanclub had played in Brazil. Missing the possibility of (maybe) travelling and seeing them wasn't the biggest disappointment; the real heartbreak was not having known about their visit to a "nearby" country. Social media wasn't what it is today. The taste turned even more bitter when I was told they had already been there in 2004, "close" to my neighborhood. I say "close" in quotes because Brazil is not that close, and São Paulo is 2,238.8 km from Buenos Aires, a distance similar to the one that separates Bellshill from Rome.
But hope is never lost. Around that time (2014), Lollapalooza began to be held in Argentina, and I thought that was my chance. Thanks to that "industry monster," I was able to see Johnny Marr that same year, who, by the grace of some divinity, did a sideshow—going to a festival with 1500 bands in less than 12 hours is an ordeal for me and my back. Every time a new edition was announced, the first thing I did was read the fine print on the flyer looking for the shows "less interesting to the public," but Teenage Fanclub never appeared on the lineup. The possibility of seeing them at a proper venue was fading. At that point, I would have settled for a 20-minute set at 4 p.m. on stage number 7 of said festival... or another.
Then, Gerry's departure made me doubt whether the band would continue, and the 2020 pandemic arrived. The years went by. Until one day in 2024, I read in an Instagram post: "Teenage Fanclub in... Ulaanbaatar, Mongolia." "No, now that's it," I thought. "They're never coming to Argentina!" Outrage! They play in Mongolia—and I have nothing against Mongolians, I love them!—but if there's a distant, inhospitable place with no visible rock culture, that's the definition of Mongolia. I swear I gave up then. I thought my only chance would be to travel to the UK or Europe at some point to catch one of their tours, like my friend and colleague from Los Andes, Sebastián Rubin, who saw them in 2018.
They say miracles exist, and in 2025, a light of hope emerged. At the beginning of the year, the São Paulo date for September was announced, and I started planning a trip to Brazil. The planets seemed to align—they didn't play Planets at the show, the 1st absence from the setlist—:
I feel the planets surround me
They gather 'round me
A little later, I found out through "secret sources" that "it seems Teenage is coming to Buenos Aires"... At last!
From having to travel 2100 km to São Paulo to taking the bus for three stops to get to the venue, it was truly a sign that God—if he existed—thought of Argentinians this time—God Knows It's True... the second major absence from the setlist.
Seeing Teenage Fanclub live was one of those pivotal moments in my life that I will never forget, an event I waited more than 34 years for. As a fan, as a musician, as a person.
Since 1992, when I fell under the spell of Bandwagonesque, I've been waiting for them. Because that's what it is, ladies and gentlemen: a spell these guys have cast on me—and on so many others around the world. And what better than they themselves in Baby Lee - another one missing from last night's repertoire...—to explain what they did to me:
I'm enchanted, I've fallen under your spell
How can I resist
When you cast them so well?
And yesterday, it happened. Teenage Fanclub in Buenos Aires! The owners of the recipe, the creators of the special sauce.
The build-up and the show
Before the main event, Sebastián Arpesella played and gave a soft and delicate show. A former member of Grand Prix, my colleague Rubin's band in the '90s, who was invited onto the stage and reunited for a self-tribute, performing two songs. The anxiety was growing, and on my way to the bathroom, I saw Euros Childs listening to the opening band. I managed to say hello; he was the only member of the band I could get close to. I didn't make him uncomfortable with my fanaticism, I just thanked him for being here.
Around 9 p.m., the assistant with his flashlight, like a Bat-Signal, announced to the sound engineer that the start of the show was imminent. And so it was: the guys came on, and emotion flooded me. I was three metres from the security barrier, seeing my idols in person for the first time. The concert kicked off with Tired of Being Alone and I sang all the lyrics, sometimes phonetically, and I was already losing my voice! I thought to myself, "I'm seeing them! They're right there!" Then, the first classic, About You and the first ovation came. What I didn't like was the change in key; I think there are songs that are very difficult to lower in tone, and this is one of them.
The first part of the set, with Ray at the front, continued with Endless Arcade which was the best version of the first three songs, with its Barrett-esque psychedelic influences. Previously, Norman made the first greeting, thanking the audience and acknowledging that it had taken them 36 years to be here.
Now it was Norman's turn to take the lead vocals. When he plays an D major, I speculate out loud: Norman 3! But I was wrong, it was the turn of The Cabbage one of my favorites from Thirteen, an album I love and enjoyed a lot at the time—it was the first one I bought contemporary to its release. A highlight was Ray's minimalist solo with the classic rock lick that XTC calls Ernie.
Then came the second big ovation with Alcoholiday and I told my friends Fer and Pablo, "This is the riff of my youth" when the song gets heavy metal, before all I know is all I know.... The "Norman set" closed with the beautiful I Don't Want Control of You which, to my taste, sounded a bit more subdued than the recorded version, less brilliant. Let's grant that the album version is practically unbeatable!
During the video Barby Recanati (see below) did with Ray via Zoom before the show, he mentioned that he was a fan of Syd Barrett and The Piper at the Gates of Dawn. And at this concert, I started to detect details in their songs! I already mentioned it in Endless Arcade and in Everything Is Falling Apart the next song, that feeling of a mantra that abounds in their compositions appeared. The solo, which uses the Mixolydian scale, transported me to other landscapes. At the end of the version, Euros added a detail that isn't on the album, and the song started to sound like Kraftwerk (!).
There was a change of instruments: Norman on bass, guitar with capo for Dave, and Fender Telecaster with open tuning for Ray. The audience chanted "Ole, ole, ole, Teenage Fanclub!", and 120 Mins arrived. Raymond at his best, another of my all-time favorites, with lyrics that resonated with me in those years: I don't wanna be alone, I don't wanna be well known. Great work by Dave on the lead guitar; I think that was "his moment."
It continued with It's All in My Mind another "new" classic. Super tight, in my opinion, one of their best songs: minimalist and modern. And we got to Metal Baby People were dancing and singing, and the group shone with another furious version, with a very Rolling Stones ending.
At this point, I was surprised by how the band sounded. I didn't imagine they were so precise and that they rocked this way live. Francis is the engine and has the right beat, at the necessary volume. In this big venue, he came through with power and precision.
Norman said something about Raymond showing us the use of the wah-wah. We speculated among the nearby audience, like people in the bleachers at a soccer match, about which song would follow. I guessed that It's a Bad World was coming, another high point in Raymond's repertoire.
What You Do to Me followed, and the crowd exploded, chanting from start to finish and even generating a small but lively mosh pit. By this point, we were already surrendered to the Fanclub, and the musicians were seduced by the Argentine audience.
I imagined that—since they had said they would play classics for being their first show—they would perform Your Love Is the Place, in my opinion, Raymond's highest point. So I let myself be carried away by this song, although, to my taste, the tempo was a bit slow and I was expecting a more energetic version.
A friend and former student, Santi, approached me and hugged me at the start of I'm in Love. The first thing he said to me was: "I'm in ecstasy," and he perfectly described my feeling. I borrow his words. I get distracted and chat with him for a while, so the song, which is short on its own, flies by.
The final stretch and the encores
There's a moment of "rest" after so much high, and I think the beautiful version of Middle of My Mind also serves as a breather for the musicians; it sounds better live than on the album. As a digression, there were no vinyls in the merch, which I think is a great shame, since here it's very expensive to get a record. And well, for now, I'll continue without having Nothing Lasts Forever.
Now we enter the final stretch and another peak moment: someone from the audience asks for it, and Norman grants it, Neil Jung. The "stadium" came down, and the group delighted in the crowd's singing of the solo melody, which continued even after the song ended. The band applauded their Argentine audience. Raymond now tells us: The World'll Be OK and we returned to the psychedelic side, alternating a yin-yang of atmospheres with the previous and the next song: The Concept.
And the concept is Norman's melodies, which have that je ne sais quoi, that touch that makes them eternal, irresistible, and that cut before the coda in which time seems to be suspended and is eternal... and the coda itself, one of the most beautiful in the history of rock, I dare say, only surpassed by Hey Jude. Again, the audience sang in ecstasy, Ray's enormous solo, and the end. Ovation and chants asking for what Norman had already announced before starting the song: they're leaving, but they're coming back.
Raymond's reminder
As far as I'm concerned, they should keep going, because there are many more songs I'd like to hear. The chosen ones for the encores were Back in the Day, Falling into the Sun and Mellow Doubt - a gift for the people, since I haven't seen them play it as an encore on another setlist, although I could be wrong.
And we got to the farewell. Norman genuinely thanked them for having come down to Argentina and told us that they had wanted to do it for a long time, but it hadn't happened. Today it did, and I hope they come back soon, because we need them. Everything Flows is the classic final song of every show for a while now. A priority, you know it, but you have to experience it, you have to live it! I was in Flow mode after the demolishing ending, a few inches off the ground.
Several friends and former students approached me and repeated the same words: "Thanks to you, I'm here today." The evangelism bore fruit, and although we're not a gigantic crowd, yesterday more than 1000 of us, Argentine Fannies, had our moment of glory, our celebration of love for the band. And we gave them the warmth we have on this side of the world and, from what I felt, it was more than enough for our heroes on stage.
I waited a long time, and yesterday it happened. Teenage Fanclub in Buenos Aires: beautiful, emotional, long-awaited, unique.
Setlist
Tired of Being Alone / About You / Endless Arcade / The Cabbage / Alcoholiday / I Don't Want Control of You / Everything Is Falling Apart /120 Mins / It's All in My Mind / Metal Baby / It's a Bad World / What You Do to Me / Your Love Is the Place / I'm in Love / Middle of My Mind / Neil Jung / The World'll Be OK / The Concept
Encores
Back in the Day / Falling into the Sun / Mellow Doubt / Everything Flows
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