Another roaring Barras Saturday.
The Barras may be losing its stand alone spot as Glasgow most famous concert venue with the Academy and the ABC becoming serious contenders for the major touring acts but this year has seen a bit of resurgence in the amount of bigger acts playing there. Already this year this writer has witnessed Klaxons, Arcade Fire, LCD Soundsystem and the Arctic Monkeys in the venue, and its been fair to say that every one of they nights was pretty special in its own way. However when its bands that you already love, its easy to get swept up in the atmosphere but the true test of the venue comes in how it operates for a band that you may not be massively fond of or familiar with.
The Waterboys certainly come into this category. It goes without saying that 'The Whole of The Moon' is known by most but after that, lets just say some research was needed for the gig.
What must be said though was the crowd were going as crazy for the boys as much as the crowds had done for the Arctics or the Arcades. Glasgow on a Saturday night always has a mystical charm to it (if you swap mystical for drunken) but perhaps there is something in the talk of The Barras being a special place that brings out the best in bands and the audience. Even with a little knowledge and knowing deep down that the songs weren't affecting me that greatly, it was still easy to get caught up in the mood and emotion of the night. Not to say that there was anything wrong with the songs but you know something, theres a reason this writer hasn't gotten into The Waterboys and its not because they made most of their music before their time (as a list of bands who made it long before the Waterboys would grace a list of favourites), their songs just don't appeal that greatly.
On a personal level, the gig would score lowly but on a review level, it had to be said a lot of the right buttons were pushed. The interplay and activity between the band members was great, there was clearly a bit of choreography between the guitarists (if not, then they really are in sync) and it felt like a well played show that the band seemed to enjoy. There was so much going on that at times, it was bewildering with flutes and fiddles augmenting the more traditional instruments, even including a keyboard / fiddle face off, which added some excitement to the night.
And at over two hours, it was a hefty show and value for money for the diehard fans was never in doubt, although the casual listener may have found the number of solos a bit much to bear. With personal opinions, its hard to please everyone and as the review is trying to get across, the vast majority of the crowd seemed enthralled, so there must have been a lot right about the show.
With 'Blue Suede Shoes' popping up in the encore and adding a bit more familiarity to the night, it was a set that never disappointed yet failed to really grab this listener by the throat, theres no disgrace in that as it would have been a monumental task but sometimes you just wish to have your preconceptions challenged a bit. A splendid night for those who were looking for a splendid night.