The Barras lob drinks, tops and all during The Snuts’ special album launch show
It’s hard to name a more iconic Scottish duo than The Snuts and the Barras.
Photo: Gary Williamson
What do you get when you combine The Snuts with the legendary Scottish music venue the Barrowland Ballroom? Rod Stewart, apparently. On Tuesday (27th), Scotland’s indie heroes took to the nation’s favourite stage with style, swagger and a surprise that was as hilarious as it was bizarre.
Following lovely sets from Kerr Mercer and Theo Bleak, as well as an off-key singalong to Baccara’s Yes Sir, I Can Boogie, the chattering crowd were tightly wound and ready to explode minutes before The Snuts strolled on stage a little after 9:15PM. Vocalist Jack Cochrane wearing his trademark sunnies and swaggering alongside Callum Wilson (bass), Joe McGillveray (guitar) and Jordan Mackay (drums), the band were confident on home turf, and there’s no reason why they shouldn’t be.
Visually, they’d brought their stunning album artwork to life. A jaunty rainbow arched across the back of the stage in the cover’s scrapbook style as hunners of old-school box computers provided plenty of slick visuals amongst dazzling lights. Not to mention the fact that the band were pretty much note-perfect for the entire show.
Opening their set with recently released festival-ready anthems Novastar and Millionaires, the West Lothian four-piece instantly got the party started; drinks spilling on heads as pent-up energy spilled out of some of The Snuts most dedicated fans. A breezy, carefree atmosphere washed over each bopping individual as the band performed their new album Millennials in full (if not in order).
Yet, with the audience having had less than a week to learn all these new tunes, they were understandably tame for many of these tracks; even though still fizzing with anticipation, and more than ready to knock it up a notch for euphoric singles Gloria and Dreams – both of which earned roaring responses and likely led to a few sore throats the next day.
But you could still tell the crowd were itching for the oldies, and clearly so could the band. “We’ve got some new stuff, all the fuckin’ stuff coming your way so don’t worry about a thing,” Jack casually told the audience early on.
Before giving the people exactly what they wanted, the band gave them a treat they didn’t know they needed in an admirable commitment to an ongoing bit. Armed with a yellow jacket and his blonde, spikey hair, a British rock and pop icon walked out with intention. “Is that Rod Stewart?” a few people shouted. Yes, it was.
You can’t help but laugh at this absurd twist of events. Rod Stewart casually performed his 1971 hit Maggie May after several Snuts-posted memes about their ongoing chart battle with Rod and boogie-woogie pianist Jools Holland (having both released albums on the same day last week). But as you’d expect, Glasgow took it in their stride and embraced the joke for what it was before The Snuts returned to the stage and the party really got started.
Rifling through a mix of their previous two albums – W.L. and Burn The Empire – as well as their earlier EPs, it was clear the crowd were on their best behaviour until this moment. Countless people got on shoulders for the band’s early track What’s Going On?; each person belting lyrics to the sky, arms high. For mosh pits to then be carved out of the wooden floor, and drinks and t-shirts to be flung carelessly to the ceiling for rip-roaring tracks The Rodeo and All Your Friends.
But it was for the final song that Glasgow unleashed every last ounce of energy, the floodgates finally fully open. And, of course, it was for The Snuts’ first release Glasgow. Hands in the air, feet thumping, it felt like every single person was singing every word to that song (not to mention the riffs), belting about their city from the top of their lungs – making it a truly outstanding closer that proved The Snuts are in the best shape of their career.
With such high-energy performances and euphoric anthems, this is a band who inspire fun, freedom and frenzy with their music and thrive off a rowdy crowd, so the Barras really could not have been a more perfect venue for The Snuts’ latest album launch show.