The House of Love

With the Primitives

QMU, Sunday 1 December 2024

It’s the late 80s and CDs are the music output of choice. It was a time before Spotify, before YouTube, and well before Tik Tok.

Many of us would have sampled what was new and upcoming from the various compilation CDs that were readily being promoted by record labels like Creation, together with general collections curated via the Shine series and music magazine giveaways in The NME, Uncut, Mojo, Q, etc.

One such CD was Doing It For The Kids which opened a door to much that would come to the fore for me in the years ahead.

---

The song though that stood out for me from the CD was The House of Love’s, Christine and, 36 years on from its release, we had the pleasure of Guy Chadwick and the latest incarnation of the band come to Glasgow on a dark and wet Sunday evening to play what can best be described as almost a Greatest Hits set, though the term ‘Hits’ may be a moot point.

The House of Love would progress from their initial experimental years to produce a number of solid albums that collectively held polished gems of guitar laden indie rock, interspersed with crystal clear vocals with a touch of psychedelica here, a bit of fuzz there.

The ‘Kids’ in attendance on Sunday night had all grown up in the intervening years too but had not lost their enthusiasm for a band many reckoned should have broken into the mainstream in the same way that the Stone Roses or Oasis had kicked on.

Guy Chadwick has brought together band members who produced some of the best live music I’ve heard in 2024.

Keith Osborne’s guitar playing was simply sublime, Harry Osborne on bass and Hugo Degenhardt on drums set the tempo for the entire set, never wavering from the expectations of the packed-out venue.

The sound emanating from the stage harked back to the halcyon days of indie music before the explosion of Britpop and all that entailed. The songs remain sharp after all these years, Chadwick’s voice still maintains the clarity of years gone by. New track Mine continues in the same rich vein of sound, lyricism, and delivery.

There’s a solid professionalism around the band with nothing unfolding in front of them able to dampen their spirits. Guy’s guitar breaks after a couple of songs. No tantrums, no excuses. ‘The guitar I have will just have to do. No spares available tonight.’ And did we even notice?

While Osborne junior and Degenhardt maintained a power-driven beat throughout, the shimmering guitar interplay between the lead of Osborne senior and Chadwick was a joy to behold, hinting at the psychedelic influences that permeate their repertoire.

While the set list leant heavily on the 1988 debut album of the band’s name, there was more than enough from within the rest of the vaults to make this a special night for us ‘Kids’.

An encore of Christine, Destroy the Heart, and Love In a Car ensured that we left with a smile on our faces, with many probably heading home to play another spin of these classics before being tucked back into their bed.

For one night only, The QMU became a House of Love and we all adored it.

Support Act The Primitives

The venue was already filling up when The Primitives took to the stage and entertained us for the next 40 minutes or so.

And, in their allotted time, they managed to push through 14 songs of slick indie pop with Tracy Tracy jumping about the stage like the young thing many in front of her would love to replicate.

Along with Tracy, Paul Court on guitar and Tig Wiliams have been together since they reformed in 2009 with Paul Sampson on bass the relative newcomer.

Their combined experience brings professionalism, the years of practice honing the skills and timing required to entertain the audience and, in that respect, The Primitives passed the test with flying colours, setting everyone up for the headline act to follow.