Ist Ist – Oran Mor – Glasgow

This was one of those gigs that was entirely Emma’s doing.

She discovered Ist Ist on Spotify — which, as far as I can tell, is some sort of modern-day equivalent of spending hours in a record shop hoping to stumble across something good — and after listening to them for a while, she decided they were worth seeing live.

Fortunately, she was absolutely right.

Better still, she treated me to tickets for their show at Oran Mor in Glasgow, which is always a welcome development.

Before the main event, support came from Yaang.

The word “unusual” is probably the best way to describe them, although that applies particularly to their frontman. Not that there’s anything wrong with unusual. In fact, some of the best bands I’ve seen over the years have had singers who appeared to be operating on a slightly different wavelength from the rest of humanity.

He certainly grabbed your attention.

Their set had plenty of energy and character and did a good job of warming up the crowd for what was to come.

One thing that quickly became apparent was that Ist Ist inspire a remarkable level of loyalty among their fans.

While waiting outside before the gig, we got chatting to a guy in the queue who told us he regularly travelled around Europe following the band. That’s the sort of dedication normally associated with football supporters, religious pilgrims and people who collect obscure train numbers.

Clearly Ist Ist are doing something right.

The downside of having such devoted followers is that they tend to arrive very early.

Very, very early.

By the time Emma and I made our way into the venue, the band’s hardcore supporters had already occupied virtually every available inch of prime real estate down the front. They’d earned their positions through superior planning and patience, so fair play to them.

Still, years of gig-going experience have taught us never to surrender too easily.

After a bit of strategic manoeuvring, we managed to squeeze ourselves into a respectable spot at the end of the front row.

Unfortunately, that spot happened to be right beside a speaker.

A very loud speaker.

The sort of speaker that doesn’t merely play music but attempts to physically introduce itself to your internal organs.

Thankfully, Ist Ist were worth the punishment.

Live, they delivered exactly what their growing reputation suggested they would. The songs possessed a driving intensity and atmosphere that translated beautifully to the stage, while the audience sang along with an enthusiasm that confirmed just how dedicated the fanbase has become.

It’s always satisfying when a band lives up to the hype.

The atmosphere throughout the evening was excellent and by the end it was easy to understand why people are willing to follow them across Europe.

As always, there remained the important matter of post-gig souvenir acquisition.

My preferred prize is usually a setlist.

Sadly, on this occasion my plans were thwarted by somebody with quicker reflexes and less patience. Before the band had even properly finished their set, someone had already liberated the setlist from the stage.

A disappointing development.

However, all was not lost.

I still managed to come away with both a drumstick and a plectrum, which is a pretty respectable haul by anyone’s standards.

So while the setlist escaped me, I can’t really complain.

Looking back, Emma deserves full credit for this one. Without her Spotify discovery, I might never have come across Ist Ist at all. Instead, I got to see a fantastic live band, witness the devotion of their travelling fanbase and add a couple more trophies to the collection.

Not a bad night’s work.

The videos below include footage from Yaang and Ist Ist, captured from our hard-earned position beside the speaker stack.

My ears may never fully forgive me, but it was worth it.

Ist Ist have a group of fans that follow them pretty much everywhere. We spoke to a guy in the queue who follows them around Europe. They took up all the spaces down the front as they got their even earlier than us to get their spot. We managed to squeeze in at the end though, right beside the speaker.