Live Review :: The Horrors :: QMU, Glasgow - Oct 19 2017

Live 

The Horrors

QMU, Glasgow

October 19 2017

Words: Richard Cobb

The Horrors swept into Glasgow for night two of their UK & Ireland tour after the first night in Belfast was cancelled due to Ophelia running riot earlier in the week. Twelve years into their career and fresh from enjoying their third successive top 10 album with the just released 'V', the band are still very much at their peak, creatively and as a live band.

600 were packed in to see the band's first Glasgow show since they supported Alt-J at the mammoth 13,000 capacity Hydro back in December 2015. They’ve come a long way from the band I first saw 10 years ago back at the Academy in Glasgow on the NME tour, when their fan base consisted mainly of back combed hair and eye liner clad teenagers who would let out banshee like screams during ‘Sheena Is A Parasite’ or ‘Death At The Chapel.’

One early live show I witnessed at T in the Park, I remember frontman Faris Badwan walking onstage in a cloak carrying a Pineapple on a rope draped over his shoulder, before proceeding to spend the latter part of the gig trying to take out the disco ball with his microphone. As fun and unpredictable as those days were, and without wanting to mirror the usual press cliché about the band, they really have evolved and for a solid eight years now, it’s been all about the music and the way it makes you feel, leaving behind the shock value.

Back to the gig, barely visible through the red lights and smoke, the band took to the stage, with Faris suitably kitted out in tartan trousers and launched into ‘V’ opener ‘Hologram’. Quite a slow burner, but it gets going towards the end and it forms a suitable prequel to recent single ‘Machine.’ Compared to the last album where things felt a bit more mellow, there’s a few songs on the new album that really stand out with a raw urgency, particularly ‘Machine.’ There’s a real cohesion between the band members on that song, with every element forming an integral part of the track.

‘Who Can Say’ is still one of the band’s finest achievements and it’s warming to see that it still makes the cut for their set. The emotion and sincerity in Faris’ voice when he utters “and then I kissed her, with a kiss that could only mean goodbye” still fractures my heart a bit each time I hear it. Setlist-wise, the Horrors have always favoured a less is more approach, opting for a 12 song set, which works well for them, but it can often be a bit of a shin kick when you’re wanting to hear more across their impressive and extensive back catalogue. A notable omission was “I See You” which was somewhat unexpected. Only one track, ‘In and Out Of Sight’ from 2014’s 'Luminous' got a run out which was a shame, but the spotlight was very much on their new album, and when a band have five albums, four of which they still play songs from live, I suppose it was inevitable that some were going to slip through the cracks.

‘Sea Within A Sea’ was midway through the set, which still feels strange, as it’s such a stand out song, so to not have it near the end feels a bit like being rewarded with your desert before you’ve had your main course, great at the time but you’re massively regretful afterwards. The looping synth from Tom Cowan on the track coupled with Rhys Webb’s bass line create a spellbinding effect which really captures what The Horrors are about as a live band.

During main set closer ‘Still Life’ the stage strobing lights work wonders for the atmosphere, and once again the capacity crowd are transported to another place. Only when the band walk off stage are people awoken from their hypnotic like trance. The band return for an encore of new tracks ‘Ghost’ and ‘Something To Remember Me By.” Both songs are amazing live and whilst I questioned ‘Sea Within A Sea’ not being nearer the end, it’s clear to see why these songs were picked for the thrilling encore.

Though unfortunate sound issues plagued the last track as the synth levels were booming, it didn’t detract from the performance, with Badwan almost channelling a young Nick Cave as the crowd were transfixed on his every move whilst the engine room worked hard behind him. The reaction it drew from the crowd was eye opening too as the atmosphere was similar to that of a dance tent at a festival as it was just wall to wall euphoria, thankfully with fewer warm pints to the back of the neck.