Blast from the past time tonight with a headliner who were massive in the 90s and a support act who were more active then, but who are back with some new music. I was worried about being late, what with a delay after work and struggling to find a parking space. Seems that Glasgow has removed around 100 of them that used to be available within walking distance of The Garage. Thanks for that.
Fortunately once I got into the venue there was a poster up detailing the set times and I was about 40 minutes early! Everyone else had obviously figured this out as there were maybe 100 people in there as I got talking to Gary, our photographer. At 8pm the opening band, Unbelievable Truth, wandered onto the stage for an acoustic-ish set. By this I mean that the guitar was acoustic, but there was definitely electricity going into the bass and keyboard!
I’ve definitely not heard of Unbelievable Truth before, though the band said they were active in the late 90s. A quick but of Google-Fu says they’re from Oxford, and formed in 1993 though didn’t release anything until 1996. Four years and two albums later, they split up. Wikipedia describes their music as “slow, melancholy, country-tinged ballads, wrapped in a soft blanket of acoustic guitars and minor chords”, and I copy/pasted that as I couldn’t put it any better. Given that the band we were here to see headline is known for catchy, up-tempo rock numbers this did seem like an odd combinations, but I’m all about different music.
They played a decent set, the music was lovely, and they were very personable… but I don’t think they were a good fit for a warmup band. I’d have hoped for something with a bit more energy to get the dancing muscles warmed up before Soul Asylum. Don’t get me wrong I found the music enchanting, but sadly too laid back for the mood I was in. The Glasgow crowd, as ever though, ensured that Unbelievable Truth knew their efforts were appreciated with polite applause.
If you like what we do, consider joining us on Patreon for as little as £1 per month!
9pm eventually came around and Soul Asylum strode on to a mixtape of snippets from 90s TV shows. Very apt, and playing on the brightest point in their musical history. The last time I saw them was on the Grave Dancers Union tour back in 1994, and we even have an interview with Grant Young who was drumming for them back then! Coincidentally, Gary saw them the night before at Barrowlands, many years before the two of us met!
They didn’t waste any time launching into the first of 21 songs, “The Only Thing I’m Missing” from their most recent release Slowly But Shirley. With a late (for the Garage) curfew, they weren’t going to waste a minute of it. By now the venue was looking a lot fuller and it was obvious that people had been waiting ages to see the band, either again or for the first time. Those waiting for the “good stuff” didn’t have long to wait with “Somebody To Shove” being the second song of the set and… wow. I honestly can’t recall the last time I heard this track being played, but every single word just flowed back into my brain as if it had been yesterday. I can’t remember how many times I played it’s host album over and over again back in the day, but obviously enough to ensure I knew every note.
That new album featured heavily in the setlist, with Grave Dancers Union a close second. The new material is strong enough that it really took those classic songs for you to tell the difference between new and old based on the audience reaction. In fact one or two of the newer ones had the crowd bouncing (in particular one bald gent, second row, right in the middle – you know who you are!).
I was there for the older stuff, though. Surprisingly “Runaway Train” wasn’t saved for the encore, though it was a late in the show, and “Without A Trace” sounds as fresh now as it did thirty(!) years ago. Dave Pirner managed to stay vertical for the whole show, not a feat he achieved at that Leeds show, and even took a short walk offstage into the photo pit. Not to greet the audience, though, but to give his (I assume) partner a kiss mid-song. A genuinely lovely moment.
There was little banter with the audience, which is a shame, but it did mean more time for music and the fans who attended absolutely got their money’s worth. While not on the scale of the tour back in the 90s, it’s the music that does the talking and I think everyone who attended will agree with me that it was a quality rock and roll show.
Don’t fancy Patreon? Buy us a one-off beverage!
Photos by Gary Cooper
