6 May 2026, Barrowland Ballroom
Rarely, if ever, have I attended a gig at the Barrowland Ballroom in Glasgow and left disappointed. And this night was to be no different. In promoting their latest album release, the band warmed up for this homecoming gig with a tour around the UK and parts of Europe. So, they were honed to musical perfection from the moment they walked onto the stage until the final hurrahs.
The band themselves are a moveable feast with James Graham and Andy MacFarlane, the only two original members of the band. However, they weren’t skimping on the touring members who added so much dynamism to the rhythm section with Cat Myers (Mogwai) on drums and Simone Butler (Primal Scream) on bass. Top band with a top show to enact for the adoring audience.
It would be fair to say that James Graham puts everything he has into every show. You somehow get the feeling that the first song of the set may be his last, and yet time and time again, he digs deep into his energy banks and starts it all over again with the next song. In addition, he lets the audience know how much he appreciates the adoration. How much it means to him as a person. There were heartfelt moments when you felt he was going to come into the audience and shake and hug everyone there.
The release of the latest album It’s The Long Goodbye has met with critical acclaim, and it was therefore fitting that the band played almost all of the tracks from it, a decision that possibly went down better with the audience than other bands who may have pulled a similar set list together.
Given the vitality of the tracks, and the sure-fire knowledge that James and the band would bring even more out of every song in the live setting, neither he nor the band let the audience down on that score.
There were fan favourite moments scattered throughout the seventeen-song set list and, while there was no encore as such, there was a general consensus as we shuffled back out into the Glasgow air, that the band had pulled off a massively successful show.
Support
Theo Bleak
Also known as Katie Lynch, Theo and here band ran through a number of songs that were in keeping with the expectations of those who had arrived early to see them play, including a few enthusiastic fans of her own.
While a first-time watcher and listener of her music I could see how the description below resonates with the songs she records and plays.
Theo Bleak is the musical project of Katie Lynch, a Dundee-based alternative artist known for her atmospheric and introspective sound. Her work draws inspiration from diverse sources, including alternative rock, emo, and visual storytelling, creating a sound that is both nostalgic and refreshingly unique.
It wouldn’t be much of an exaggeration to say se was delighted at the opportunity to play on stage at the Barrowland Ballroom, and while the set itself was relatively short, there was enough in it to suggest that she may be an act to keep an eye on in the future
Dreary
Not one but two supporting acts this time the London based Dreary.
From the opening chords they had me hooked with a musical style that had shoegaze and dreampop lashed all over it. There’s more than the hint of the Cocteau Twins in the vocals of Dottie Cockram that is difficult to overlook and be hypnotised with. That might not be overly surprising given they released their album on indie label Bella Union, which happens to be owned by Simon Raymonde of said Cocteau Twins.
A great choice of support act, quality without taking too much shine away from the headline act, though definitely a band I’d like to see again with a better grasp of their music before entering the venue.
