The Old Hairdressers – 5 November
The Old Hairdressers, nestling in a quiet lane, yards from Glasgow Central Station. A venue which has been visited on a few occasions now during our #AtoZMusicalTour and which offers a very intimate setting for bands to highlight their music.
You need to get there early though if you want to actually see the band, or be over six foot six tall, as the stage is only an inch or two off the floor. Not that I need any further excuses to get there early! More often than not, the experience of listening to the support band(s) has provided a signpost to bands to watch out for in the future.
Dallas Love Field
With little ceremony or introduction, the band meandered through the crowd to take up their instruments and, for thirty minutes or so, played a set of songs that were very well received throughout the set.
A blend of shoegaze and dream pop, their songs have matured since the last time I saw them at the Hug & Pint last year supporting Deb Googe of My Bloody Valentine fame.
The guitar playing is again to the forefront of the set with the rhythm section delivering the steady beat that keeps things together. The vocals could be a bit higher in the mix yet sits well with the dreampop style they are written for.
Last time I finished their review with ‘A good start to the evening and a band I’ll be looking out for in the future.’ I can confirm that seeing them again has been worth the wait. Until the next time.
Daiistar
With a couple of albums to listen to ahead of the gig, it was pretty obvious from these, the most recent a 2025 live session, what was in store when the band took to the stage.
Daiistar are a band who very successfully blend the best out of some of the bands we’ve become familiar with over the years. Alex Capistran, vocalist and lead guitarist has the looks and swagger of Liam Gallagher allied to the vocals of Tim Burgess and his guitar playing is pretty good too.
Drummer Nick Cornetti is just a bundle of energy and, when you’re standing a few feet away from him, there’s total respect for the way that he and other drummers keep it all together, arms and feet working in constant and absolute tandem throughout.
Misti Hamrick on bass reminds us of Simone Marie Butler from Primal Scream, cool and calm, meandering backwards and forwards, playing the notes with an air of detachment, yet so critical to the sound of the band.
And Derek Strahan on keyboards and backing vocals. All it needed was a Hammond Organ to complete the imagination that we were watching a UK supergroup.
However, Daiistar are not a covers band by any stretch of the imagination. Their songs are relatively short, catchy and create a groove that veers towards psychedelic rock patterns while maintaining a definite indie guitar feel.
The Old Hairdressers is a small venue which was packed out for the occasion. In an interview the band were asked what their ambitions were and they replied that headlining Glastonbury or the half time at the Super Bowl would be their dream. Lofty ambitions? Tongue in cheek? Certainly, with what was on show in Glasgow on Guy Fawkes night they let off a few fireworks that suggested they have the potential to continue on an upward trajectory.
I’d certainly recommend watching them play live as they appear to have that little bit extra from others of the same style.
