THE SNUTS // BARROWLANDS, GLASGOW
The Snuts, The Snuts, The Snuts are on fire!!
★★★★★ (5/5)
THE SNUTS PERFORMING AT GLASGOW’S BARROWLANDS - 20.09.2021
PICTURE BY: | STEPHEN WILSON PHOTOGRAPHY
The Snuts took over Glasgow’s legendary Barrowland Ballroom for the first of three sold out nights and boy did they give their army of fans a night to remember. Two support acts, a spectacular entrance then ninety minutes of energy and atmosphere that the venue hasn’t seen in a long time, these gigs will be long remembered by those lucky enough to have got their hands on a brief.
Each night sees two different supports, tonight first up was Rianne Downey followed by Mark Sharp, bother very talented singers, and entertained the every growing crowd very well, a great start to the evening and great exposure for both acts. Scotland really is doing well with the amount of young, fresh talent coming through.
And on to the headline. The Snuts were formed in 2015 and hail from West Lothian in Scotland. Members Jack Cochrane on vocals and guitar, Joe McGilveray on guitars, Callum Wilson on bass and Jordan Mackay on drums all met at school, and released their first EP in mid-2017 with their debut album hitting number one in the UK album charts in early 2021. They were the first Scottish band to get a debut record at number one since Dundee’s The View in 2007.
Opening with a big white curtain cutting across the stage area, you can see the silhouettes of the band as they take to the stage thanks to a bright spotlight behind them, as the curtain drops, the lights come on and two huge cannons fire red confetti into the electric charged air, and the opening lines of Glasgow had 1900 people’s arms (and a few beers) in the air too. The place is absolutely jumping as the song breaks into the chorus, and a Glaswegian karaoke is in full flow, an incredible atmosphere. As you can imagine the set list is mainly the tracks from the debut album, W.L, which contrary to popular belief doesn’t refer to West Lothian!
All Your Friends, Always, Juan Belmonte, each track relating to the bands upbringing, growing up in the cultural landscape of the area, being on the streets, the park, underage drinking and getting into music, and emphasises their maturity with each having a varied and diverse approach to the music. This signifies how much the band have developed their sound in a short period of time. The crowd are well versed with all the lyrics and help Cochrane wherever they can.
It’s very easy to pick out the main influences in the bands style and sound, with nods to The Libertines, Arctic Monkeys and many similarities to The View as well. The set continues, Maybe California, Elephants, Somebody Loves You which was written after Cochrane saw the words graffiti’d on a Glasgow wall and closing with the anthemic No Place I’d Rather Go. After a short break they would return for 4 Baillie Street, Whats Going On and the fantastic Sing For Your Supper, and the gig was done, the last ninety minutes gone in the blink of an eye.
The Snuts have a fantastic debut album in W.L, they are a great live band, creating an atmosphere not seen for a long, long time, and they have a big future ahead of them. You’ve had Oasis and Blur, we’ve seen The Arctic Monkeys and The View have had their day. Step forward The Snuts, they are the new big thing and they are the real deal. It won’t be long before they are selling out stadiums on this form, definitely a band to see live if you possibly can. Don’t believe the hype, see it for yourself!
