DEAF HAVANA // O2 ABC, GLASGOW
DEAF HAVANA RETURN TO SCOTLAND TO PLAY GLASGOW'S O2 ABC
DEAF HAVANA - O2 ABC, GLASGOW
PICTURE: CALUM BUCHAN PHOTOGRAPHY
On the 18th of February in the O2 ABC, Deaf Havana made a return to Glasgow. After almost a year away from Scotland they came back and had quite the following. The gig started with a solo artist by the name of Holiday Oscar. His performance consisted of some great comedic songs based on our usual modern day lives. A particularly catchy song in his set included a song about mobile phones. An overall funny performance that set the crowd up for the night of music ahead.
The second support band were a group of young Dundonians who set out to make a big impression. Unfortunately, the impression the crowd received was one of confusion and mild disappointment. The lead singer was social with the crowd which gave the band a good platform to impress, however the band were quite sloppy and unsettled throughout the performance. I don’t mean to sound like an old man but they were also far too loud! It was unpleasant listening and incredibly hard to differentiate between their songs. Although they did not ‘WOW’ the crowd I think they entertained them. This was clear at the smoking area after their performance where the usual excitement and happiness was replaced by silence and uncertainty for the rest of the night.
And then there was one, the headline support act ‘Dead!’ had to put on quite a show to liven up the crowd after a poor performance…and they did. A real, natural energy came from the whole band, giving every song more power behind it. In addition, they entered the stage and played three full songs before even introducing themselves which said a lot about the bands character, confident in themselves, with enough talent to pull it off. With some great songs that the audience evidently enjoyed, there is no doubt that ‘Dead!’ killed it. A performance that without a doubt readied the crowd for the main act.
Upon entry, an almost full O2 ABC went crazy for ‘Deaf Havana’. Starting promptly with Ashes, Ashes and then going straight into the fan favourite ‘Trigger’ which fired the crowd up. With great crowd participation during each song and tremendous applause after every song lead singer ‘James Veck-Gilodi’ began conversing with his audience. Preforming in Glasgow a common subject for British artists and indeed artists from around the globe is the popular drink ‘Buckfast’. Chris began by stating his confusion around the subject as it is made in England yet it is known to be a drink of choice only in Scotland, Chris gained recognition from the crowd upon saying that he enjoys drinking it and is going to buy some soon, a good message for his Scottish audience. The show continued with great songs performed brilliantly, one in particular that personally stood out was ‘22’. An exquisite overall performance led to a very satisfied crowd, with most of the fan favourites being played in a great venue. It is clear that the ‘O2’ on Sauchiehall Street gave Glasgow a great viewing of ‘Deaf Havana’, keeping their supporters over the years. With 440,000 listeners and still growing it is obvious that ‘Deaf Havana’ have a solid sound that deserves a listen.
DEAF HAVANA | UPCOMING TOUR DATES:
20 FEBRUARY 2017 | BRISTOL O2 Academy
21 FEBRUARY 2017 | BIRMINGHAM O2 Institute
23 FEBRUARY 2017 | NORWICH U.E.A
24 FEBRUARY 2017 | LONDON O2 Forum Kentish Town