Say what you want about Glasvegas, but they’re a band who refuse to show fear of doing anything overblown. In fact, they go about a light year in the other direction, as was abundantly proven as the band launched their forthcoming album – deep breath – EUPHORIC /// HEARTBREAK \\ at London’s Heaven last night. The stage was covered in clear strings of white lights, there was a lot of smoke, and spotlights shone throughout. It’ll be no surprise to learn that James Allan – he of the goldfish friends – was dressed in a flowing white trailerpark vest (and yes such a thing does exist) bottomed off with white jeans, and topped with sunglasses.
The moves are pretty special too, with Allan turning to face the side of the stage standing stock still and staring the wall. Then there was a funny little squat thing, making an arch with the long microphone, which he curiously holds as if it were a good-sized cock, which might explain those song titles. Then there are hands behind the head bits in ‘Geraldine’. Even in the slow parts, he’s holding on, leaning back and swaying. If you can milk a track that basically goes "flowers and football tops woah baby" then he does.
And the music? It’s an echo in the bunny warren, cavernous and pompous and vast, and the band have clearly been well educated by flood; and atop it all, Allan’s gurgling, mangled vocal that’s perhaps the most intriguing thing about Glasvegas. All of this could be taken as criticism, but let us assure you it is not. If we’re going to have bands who encourage bellowing along and the waving of lager, then we’d far rather they had the panache and bravura of Glasvegas than the mockney clatter of Brother or Blur, or the unpleasant blokiness of The Enemy or Oasis.
Glasvegas at Heaven setlist
‘The World Is Yours’
‘It’s My Own Cheating Heart That Makes Me Cry’
‘Shine Like Stars’
‘Polmont On My Mind’
‘Be My Baby’
‘Euphoria, Take My Hand’
‘Geraldine’
‘Go Square Go’
‘Ice Cream Van’
Encore:
‘Flowers & Football Tops’
‘S.A.D. Light’
‘Daddy’s Gone’
