Glasgow, 3 May
Saturday evening spent in and around Sauchiehall Street for this key festival, especially for up-and-coming bands, has been a highlight over the past few years with an opportunity to try and identify who may breakthrough into the mainstream consciousness of music fans.
Reading other reviews about the 2025 event, it would appear that some of the spirit of the event may have diminished for a number of reasons including available venues, technical issues and dare we say it, a bit of apathy across the intended audience profile?
While I had anticipated moving around the venues, like several others we spoke to our introduction to the event at The Renfield Centre was less than memorable, a mix of sparse crowd and obvious technical difficulties delaying the start of the acts we’d set aside to see.
Ultimately, a decision to stay in The Garage and move around the three stages there, offered up the experience I’d hoped for.
This Feeling Stage
Housed in The Attic, the bands were able to play up close and personal to the audience who had made the journey to the top of the venue. The trick is probably to get to the room ahead of the bands appearing so that you get the chance to see them play, otherwise you are likely to get stuck behind a pillar or wall, especially when the bands have brought with them members of their own fanbase.
Musically, a few acts hit all the right notes from the punk driven rock of Fog Bandits through to the guitar driven indie rock of Resister, a band I’d seen before and who I had hoped may have been seen and heard in one of the bigger venues on the night. With the more dynamic crowd, Fog Bandits probably had the better of the night, their set littered with toe tapping, head bopping tracks.
G2 Stage
Having seen and reviewed The Clause from their previous weekend’s outing at Ayr Pavilion, Liverpool band Bandit were the focus of my attention for their mid evening slot on the G2 stage and they proved to be one of the highlights of the day with their brand of indie rock verging into shoegaze and psychedelic rock territory along the way.
There was a typical Liverpudlian swagger and confidence by all the band members throughout the songs played and, on this showing, alone, definitely an act that is now on the ‘To see again’ list.
Rockway Beach Stage
To those familiar with The Garage, this is the main stage and as such housed the three ‘top’ acts of the event.
First up was Daytime TV with a mix of indie rock and power pop. Energetic from start to finish, the band, led by guitarist and vocalist Will Irvine, made sure this part of the day kicked off at a high tempo. There was an infectiousness about their music that had the room bouncing along to the rifts coming out of the speakers and their half hour slot ended with heartfelt appreciation by the audience.
Vundabar, like Bandit above, were one of the highlights of the day. Hailing from America, their brand of indie rock was definitely the flavour of the day for many in the room, and while an unknown quantity for myself before their set, they obviously had a familiar following in front of them as each song was met with instant applause and cheering.
With a handful of albums already in their back catalogue they have a lot of music to choose from, and the experience gained in the recording studios and playing live would hopefully give some of the younger bands appearing at the festival hope for their own futures.
There’s nothing complicated about Big Special. Vocalist Joe Hicklin and drummer Callum Moloney with a backing track to help things along. It may not be complicated, but it is compelling in many ways. The festival headliners didn’t disappoint with a setlist taken from their debut album PostIndustrial Hometown Blues.
Much of the lyrical content during the set is in the spoken/shouty style that has become familiar these past few years. However, when Joe Hicklin moves into ‘singing’ territory, there is an added poignancy to what is being sung.
Standing at the back of the room there was no denying the close affiliation that Hicklin and Moloney have built up with their audience over the years. The heads are bopping in tandem and tracks like Shithouse and This Here Ain’t Water are likely to be sung fervently at the summer festival the band will be appearing at this year.
They may be an acquired taste, but they are definitely a band on the rise.
In conclusion, while there may be doubts about the long-term viability of the Stag & Dagger, there is no doubt that events of this nature are critical to the future of music, especially for bands starting out on their career.
For my own perspective, I knew what I was letting myself in for when I bought a ticket. I heard some great music from a number of bands I’ll look forward to seeing again.
The Stag & Dagger ticked the boxes for me and that’s what matters most.
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