Louis Berry

The latest gig on our A to Z Musical Tour was ……

In this post we review Louis Berry and two, as yet un-named, support acts who kept us entertained before curfew at Stereo last night.

Saturday nights in Glasgow. The streets and pubs are heaving with the usual mix of weekend revellers.

Yet, beneath the streets, in basements geared up for live entertainment, are numerous venues offering an eclectic mix of musical acts who view the city as one of the best places to perform when touring.

We had the Apollo. We have the Barrowland and King Tuts Wah Hut amongst many, many more. Last night we could be found downstairs in Stereo on Renfield Lane to see and hear Louis Berry.

I first came across Louis a few years ago as part of the Tenement Trail Music Festival and had him marked down as one to watch. But then COVID hit the world and live music became one of the major ‘commercial’ casualties of those dark times.

So, hear we are, back in the tight confines of Stereo to listen to his most recent material, along with songs from the past that we all still remembered well while we bobbed and weaved to his mix of rockabilly, country and indie pop.

Three different strands of the musical map, covered by the same cheeky Liverpudlian smile, the same dynamism from himself and his band, the same response from an adoring set of fans.

Add to that his own song for Scotland, ‘Caledonia’. By his own admission, it’s difficult to write and sing a song about a different country, especially to an audience of that country. Did it pass the test? Well, we all knew the verses and choruses, so he can leave again a happy and content young man.

There are times when Louis looks and even acts like Gerry Cinnamon. He looks and acts ‘Gallus’. His songs might have a more country and western feel with tales of cowboys and the like, however, you can’t help but enjoy the spectacle that’s facing you on stage when he’s performing. That’s why we buy tickets to go to gigs, to be entertained, and Louis and the support acts below certainly did that.

He’s still one to watch and I hope others will be watching too as he meanders across the country.

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Support Acts

Support acts can come in different flavours.

The ones who blow the main headline act away, poor choice by the tour management team. Others who are so different to the act everyone has came to see that there is incessant background chat, so you don’t get to hear them. And then there are the good choices. Acts who are complementary to the entertainment to come.

Last night we had two such bands and, unfortunately despite many searches online I can’t find their names and they weren’t bouncing them off the audience to let us know!

Either way both were good choice.

The first four-piece band, looked the part, played the part and kept us entertained with a number of self-penned indie tracks that auger well for their future. Top marks to the lead guitarist who effortlessly plundered a few key moments in a short but fine set. They have definitely been filed away in the ones to watch category.

The second band were more polished, their harmonies more in sync, their playing just a bit tighter. The lead singer and part-time guitarist has the voice to carry the indie songs they seem to aspire to and was ably backed up by four other members of the band who, like those before them, kept the tunes sharp. They possibly have a more difficult route to success than the first band as they’re in a bigger pool of bands playing similar music.

Either way, both bands, if I ever find out who they are, will be definitely be on the gig lookout list in the months to come.