The latest gig on our A to Z Musical Tour was ……
The Molotovs and double headline act Laurie Wright
One online definition of ‘energy’ describes it as …. ‘the strength and vitality required for sustained physical or mental activity.’
Last night, at The Classic Grand in Glasgow, two musical acts combined to create an energetic evening of such sustained power and dynamism you left the venue hoping your body was sufficiently earthed for the journey home.
The double headline show was opened by The Molotovs, a London based trio, with siblings Matt and Issey looking their sartorially elegant best, complemented by Will on the drum stool. They definitely have the looks, with Matt reminding us of a young Mr Weller. More comparisons to follow.
They have the confidence and stagecraft too, built from over 200 live gigs supporting The Libertines, Blondie, the Vapours and more.
During the set, they blasted their way through seventeen songs of such explosive intent, it wasn’t a big leap of faith to believe that they will be selling out much bigger venues then The Classic Grand in the imminent future.
The songs, most written by Matt, hark back to the very best elements of Punk/New Wave and, with their boundless energy and musical abilities, they thoroughly deserve comparison with the best The Jam offered.
As the end of their set neared, they sang the very pertinent ‘More, More, More’. Based on this performance alone, there’s no doubt The Molotovs are about to move into the big time when a wider audience will all be looking for more too.
Having been exhausted by the energy displayed by The Molotovs, we then had to recuperate in double quick time to watch Laurie Wright and his band as they bounded onto the stage with the air of guys who knew they were in for a great night and it was up to us, the audience, to go with the flow.
It’s Glasgow. It’s a Saturday night. The result was in their pockets before the opening riff to We’re Only Warming Up blasted through the speakers.
Londoner Laurie Wright is a showman of the first order, reminding us of a young Steve Mariott. Continuing the theme of energy, the band hammered through a big slice of their debut album with I’ve Cracked it and Wendy Mackenzie stand out tracks on the night.
By his own admission, Laurie Wright has had his darker moments, however the recovery path has been fruitful if last night’s set is anything to go by. While he is the face, and name behind the band, he’d be the first to acknowledge the backing of Kieran O’Keeffe on Harmonica, who brought more than a touch of the blues to the songs, Will Atkins on Bass and Rainer Sewell on the drums. Together they provided the electrical currents that had the audience bouncing around the floor as the set drew to its close.
If you like your music tinged with the blues, energetic to the level 11 and delivered by an artist at peace with himself and the world, then the attention being directed towards Laurie Wright by some of the bigger musical labels should be very rewarding.
In summary, the double header at The Classic Grand was a successful showcase of two of the hottest properties in music. That they both shared the small stage at the end of the show as a sign of mutual appreciation is testament to the ‘sustained physical and mental activity’ on show.
About the venue
18 Jamaica St, Glasgow G1 4QD
Capacity at the venue is 250
The building was originally constructed around 1860 as a 5-storey commercial warehouse.It opened as the Grand Central cinema in 1915, seating 750. The venue was closed in 1966, and was unused until it reopened in 1973 under the name Classic Grand, seating 365. The building was used as an amusement arcade before being reopened as the Classic Grand Live Music Venue.
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