Bloody hell it was cold tonight. I was late getting to the show as well, as I couldn’t get out of work early enough to catch the doors opening. The trudge from where I park to the Cathouse was far too long and my hands were going numb by the time I arrived, only able to catch the last two songs by openers Eschalon.
This is a shame as, from what I saw, they were great. Featuring two vocalists, not a unique theme tonight, the couple of tracks I saw / heard were hard-hitting yet catchy, and really well performed. Eschalon are definitely a band who like being on stage and they were enjoying the attention of the early arrivers. For those going to any of the remaining shows on the tour, please get there early enough to see them!
The Catty was filling up quite rapidly by the time Devil Sold His Soul took to the stage, and I know that for quite a few people they were the main draw. A band I know of, but don’t know, I would say that they definitely entertained though aren’t quite my type of music. Again with two vocalists, what surprised me was that there wasn’t “one clean, one harsh”. Both covered all styles, though one of the gents’ clean vocals were a level above. The high notes he was hitting were simply incredible. I apologise for not knowing the members’ names, but I can’t find an up to date list of them online anywhere!
As I said, although the music wasn’t for me it was very atmospheric and their performance was solid. More of a soundscape than a collection of songs, it was something I found myself getting lost in and their set actually went by rather quickly.
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Twenty years. This isn’t just how long it is since Still Remains released Of Love And Lunacy, it’s how long it is since I last saw them play live. Their maiden visit to the UK was in the company of 3 Inches of Blood and some bunch of no-hopers called Trivium (what happened to them?), and I caught the trio at Leeds Cockpit back in 2005. But we all know I’m old. The band themselves haven’t been in Glasgow for eight years, so definitely felt they had a point to prove.
Touring on that debut album and playing it in full, the audience knew what to expect in terms of music… and they were amped for it. A strong presence at the barrier allowed for a couple of surfers and a bit of a pit which kept in fair motion throughout the set. Other than the songs, though, the highlight was the band’s performance. I’m quoting a comment from a picture I posted on Facebook last night (thanks, Chris Robb): “You can tell they were really enjoying themselves. In the nicest way it probably doesn’t feel like a job in those situations. Just mates out enjoying themselves and having a crowd giving them it back.” Chris, you nailed it and it was exactly how I felt.
T.J. (sorry, Lambchop – you had to be there) was born to be a frontman and the “just mates” thing couldn’t have described him better. The banter, the attitude, the “I’m just going to climb over the barrier and sing the next one in the middle of the dancefloor while hugging people”… honestly, could he have been enjoying himself more? Looking at the other band members, there were smiles all over the place, and frequent fist bumps with the support acts who were standing just off to the side.
Keyboardist Zach Roth is a character, and makes full use of the stage when he’s not needed actually behind his stationary instrument. For those who’ve seen Tragedy playing live, he’s a bit like Lance (only without being hated). I mean, why stand there when there’s no keyboard being played? Oh, and happy belated birthday to his mum. I hope she liked the video message!
So Of Love And Lunacy was played from “To Live and Die by Fire” to “Blossom, the Witch”. As a bonus, we got three more tracks including the recently-released “The Wound and the Weapon”. This is the lead track from a forthcoming 4-song EP which will be out sometime in the new year. The closing song “Avalanche” had been screamed for from the start of the set by a few people in the audience and ended the show in suitable violent style.
Many smiles, many souvenir pictures, an inflatable eagle and a very happy three bands. I’d say that was worth trekking through the frozen streets of Glasgow for.
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Pics by Beyond Punk Photography
