FLORENCE + THE MACHINE // THE SSE HYDRO, GLASGOW
The dog days might not be over, but a Florence + the Machine gig is a welcome escape
FLORENCE + THE MACHINE PERFORMING AT GLASGOW’S SSE HYDRO - 17.11.2018
PICTURE BY: CALUM BUCHAN PHOTOGRAPHY
★★★★★
“I promise you, a revolution in consciousness starts with the individual, so you are all so important,” Florence Welch preached, before asking the crowd of Scottish devotees to hold hands with one another: “Tonight, wherever you are from, this is all our hometown.”
At her recent Glasgow gig, Florence (and her machine) earnestly invited her doting fans to come together; to hold on to one another; and most significantly, not to give up hope in a world where watching the news can drain it.
Of course there is room to be sceptical here; to poke holes in the red-haired revivalist’s performance and the messages in her music. But where’s the fun in that? Leaving the show through a bleary-eyed crowd of fans, it seemed this was as much a religious experience for the fans as it was a gig.
Twirling and prancing across a glimmering stage that seemed to melt away underneath the bare-footed protagonist, Florence Welch gave Glasgow hope. Opening with ‘June’ from her newest album ‘High as Hope’, static and sermon-like she sang about how we must “hold on to each other” and use love as “an act of defiance”.
As Florence glided and whirled through her set and the silhouettes of her ‘machine’ faded in and out of its walls, Glasgow’s Hydro arena was transformed into a fairytale of chaos, romance and compassion.
Before launching into ‘Patricia’ – an ode to Patti Smith from her newest album – as the audience drank to the spirit of Florence’s Glaswegian Granny Sybil, she explained:
“There is a bit in the middle that’s about toxic masculinity. There’s not much of that at a Florence and the Machine show. If you’re here you probably really believe and support women so thank you. Dance with us. Rage with us.”
To be able to achieve a sense of intimacy with a crowd so vast, in a venue so big, is something pretty special. Of course you need to throw yourself in. You need to abandon any scepticism, completely immerse yourself in the music of the machine and believe in the words being sung by the ethereal Florence. If you allow yourself this you’ll experience something, for want of a better word – magical.
As Welch bounded through the length of the Hydro’s sea of fans, hands were held, and tears were shed (probably by her security team as much as anyone else) – but her voice continued to soar. When the final pieces of confetti began to fall and the last verse of ‘Shake It Out’ was sung with a Pride flag waving in her hands, there was a certain sense of satisfaction amongst the audience that comes with experiencing a performer like Florence.
Leaving the gig there was a tangible sense of joy and hope amongst a beautifully diverse crowd. But whether or not you believe in Florence’s otherworldly charm and optimism doesn’t really matter. She’s a tangible old-school rock star, with a catalogue of songs and stage presence that sets her apart from her contemporaries. No-one does it like Florence Welch.
SETLIST: | FLORENCE + THE MACHINE : SSE HYDRO, GLASGOW - 17.11.2018
June
Hunger
Between Two Lungs
Only If For a Night
Queen of Peace
South London Forever
Patricia
Dog Days Are Over
100 Years
Ship to Wreck
The End of Love
Cosmic Love
Delilah
What Kind of Man
ENCORE:
Big God
Shake It Out