Glasvegas
02 Academy, Newcastle
02/05/11

A soulful performance by Ren Harvieu offered the crowd a touch of class for the start of the evening. Backed by her five-strong band, some even armed with saxophones; Harvieu stunned the crowd with her powerful, passionate voice. Like a more upbeat Candie Payne, you can imagine putting on her record in the evening accompanied with a bottle of red. An a cappella rendition of Roy Orbison’s ‘Cryin’ was a certain highlight. If they’re still looking for someone to make the soundtrack to the next Bond film…

A million miles away from James Bond, Scottish rockers Glasvegas emerged from the shadows to offer the Geordie crowd a reminder of a more recent bygone era, clearly a result of tanglible influence from bands such as Joy Division. Enigmatic frontman James Allan settled into the set nicely, dressed in retro Nike trainers, white jeans and a vest made from one of the band’s tour t-shirts. Allan was soon on his knees at the front like a young Bono, rolling around on the stage and laying down, prostrate, whilst his band played aggressively behind him, igniting an equally explosive reaction from a fervent crowd.
 
The dim blue lighting set the mood for the yearning, heartfelt sound that oozes from Glasvegas’ every pore, building a towering construction, from vocals into heavy guitar solos and drum work that renders the band as animated as the crowd who clearly hang on their every word. The new album, ‘Euphoric Heartbreak’, is a surefire success with new single ‘Euphoria, Take My Hand’ a favorite amongst their hits ‘Geraldine’ and ‘Daddy’s Gone’, the latter of which capped a resoundingly raucous set. Glasvegas have gone next level, they sound like a band that should be playing arenas and, with the festival season fast approaching, it looks like it’s going to be a successful summer for them.
 
Tom Williams