Music Existence Because of Music, We Exist
The Garage seems to be now, a popular venue for some of Glasgow’s best Pop Punk shows and tonight was no exception with Homebound, Too Close To Touch, Set It Off and With Confidence. Homebound kicked things off in style with an amazing energy, not many people there seem to know the band but that didn’t stop people getting excited and having fun throughout their set. The music itself is very reminiscent of perhaps Boston Manor and Roam so it seems as if they may be the bands that they’re taking her inspiration from but they did definitely put their own twist on things and it just sounded so good and they’re a pop punk band that I would consider listening to a lot more, and the fact that the hail from the UK was even better it just shows that the fantastic Pop Punk scene in the UK it’s just getting more and more talented by the day. Too Close To Touch were absolutely fantastic, with a mixed techno heavy bass intro it was a little different the techo element of the music seemed to carry on throughout the whole set and it just added a little bit of flavour into what was probably going to be an extremely Pop Punk show. I thought it was absolutely mind blowingly cool. I also think with the direction that Set It Off have been going within their new music that Too Close To Touch seemed like an obvious choice for support.
The last time I caught a with Confidence show was at Slamdunk South last year 2016 and before that they did a support slot on the headline run with As It Is. With Confidence weather you see them live or you listening to their music on Spotify on YouTube or wherever you choose to listen, they always seem to be a band that put you in a really upbeat and excited mood. Which means watching them lives just seems to leave you with such a great feeling, a feeling that doesn’t go away for hours after and makes you want to relive the show all over again. A lot of the songs from the set came from With Cons new album Better Weather, now Better Weather, when it came out was an album that I had on repeat for days on end and learned every word because the album was so amazing musically, lyrically and it just made you want to have fun.
Kicking things off with the song Voldemort was a great choice, it’s definitely one of my favourites off the album and it was evident from the outset that the Royal lot of fans there on that cool headline tour for With Confidence but it didn’t stop there throughout the whole show the crowd kept up the energy and they kept moving and having fun and just being so excited to have such an amazing band in front of them. Now a lot of bands when they come to Scotland to do the quick little haha let’s play for a little bit of 500 Miles but after a tweet that With Confidence received on Twitter asking them how many retweets it would take to play the full of 500 Miles by The Proclaimers With Confidence said 500 and of course Twitter delivered.
The launched into possibly what was one of the best covers of the best Pop Punk versions I have ever heard of 500 Miles. The whole crowd just went crazy even if they weren’t there for With Confidence everyone there knew the words to that song and it was so beautiful to hear so many Scottish people singing along with 4 Australians on stage to what is considered one of Scotland’s national anthems. Well, 500 Miles was an absolute blast With Con decided to play one of my most favorite songs not just from the album not just from all the older stuff but I believe this one is probably one of the best songs I’ve ever heard live. While they were on the As It Is headline run it was the first time that I had heard Godzilla live and know every time that I hear that song live now it just makes me fall in love with her a little more every time. I get a similar feeling to the song We’ll Be Ok from the new album, I don’t have as much of a connection to that one as I do Godzilla but every time I hear it just gives me this really lovely warm feeling in my chest and I think the song sends off really strong message through its lyrics.
The band came on in style and the finished in style is well with London Lights and Keeper and quite honestly I didn’t want them to finish. I wanted them to play their whole discography! But I had to keep in mind the wonder boys in Set It Off were still to come.
seeing Set It Off for the first time back in 2015 with the peak of the of Duality album was an absolute treat and tonight didn’t seem to be any different at all, they brought the same energy, the same excitement that they have every show as seen them at before. I remember being younger and having a really big of obsession with Set It Off and just how amazing the music was and how much it made me want to get up and dance. When I watch them come on stage I felt like 16 year old me would have been so excited and she was just passing her projections on to now 20 year old me who couldn’t help but sing along to every word. Within the first two songs I could already feel the sweat pouring off me and to me that is definitely a sign of a good gig I mean not that it wasn’t 26 degrees outside but still, being inside sweaty, in the middle of the crowd belting out Why Worry was probably one of the highlights of the night even though it had just begun.
I’m not sure if it’s just me but I always tend to feel that when a new album comes out there seems to be one song on an album that you keep going back to. For some strange reason, because it wasn’t even one of the ones that Set It Off released as a single, that song is The Haunting. There’s just something incredible about how dramatic the music and how passionate the words are and for lead man Cody Carson that song seems like a ringer to get him right in the crowd and write up in people’s faces and just singing with them.
Of course thought that wasn’t the only song that they choose to get a little bit rowdy and a little bit involved with the audience. Throughout the whole set, they just 110% energy especially Cody who is just like and excited dog, he just runs around and jumps into the crowd and it absolutely amazing to witness.
I would love to match his level of energy if was ever on stage myself because it’s truly inspiring to any musician watching or any aspiring musician who wants to connect with their fans the way Set It Off do. Spending a Thursday night seeing some amazing bands is always a plus but when they tell you playing in Scotland is special, it always makes you smile because they know that they don’t come here very often and when they do come here everyone’s doubles are efforts to have even more fun and to make it even more exciting to be at that show. Finishing strong on Swan Song and Hypnotized the crowds energy levels were amazing. They didn’t miss a beat and not a single pair of feet were on the floor. It was glorious.
