A few years ago I took my son to see John Grant in Glasgow and it turned out to be one of the best gigs either of us had attended. John has a rare gift for combining humour, heartbreak, honesty and beautiful melodies into songs that somehow manage to be both deeply personal and universally relatable.
By the end of that concert I knew one thing for certain.
The next time he came to Scotland, I would be back.
This time it was Emma’s turn.
I was keen for her to experience the magic for herself, so when the tour was announced there wasn’t much discussion required. Tickets were purchased and another John Grant pilgrimage was arranged.
Before the main event, we were treated to a set from Big Special.
Support bands often have the difficult task of winning over an audience that is still filing into the venue or chatting amongst themselves, but Big Special grabbed the room’s attention almost immediately. There was a real energy about them, the kind that makes you stop whatever you’re doing and focus on the stage.
By the end of their set it was obvious why they were generating such a buzz.
Their performance provided the perfect warm-up for what was to come.
When John Grant eventually appeared, he reminded me exactly why I had been so determined to return. Few artists possess his ability to move effortlessly between devastating emotional honesty and laugh-out-loud humour. One minute he’s delivering a line that punches you squarely in the heart, the next he’s making the audience roar with laughter.
That balance is what makes him such a compelling performer.
His voice remains one of the most distinctive in modern music, capable of conveying vulnerability and strength in equal measure. Combined with a catalogue of exceptional songs, it creates the sort of concert experience that lingers in your mind long after the final encore.
One of the frustrations of the previous John Grant gig had been the venue’s restrictions on filming. As someone who likes documenting concerts for BillyWatson.tv, it felt like a missed opportunity.
Thankfully, that wasn’t an issue this time.
Even more thankfully, I had Emma with me.
Over the years she has become something of an expert concert videographer, largely because I keep taking her to gigs and handing her recording duties whenever the venue permits. It’s a system that has worked remarkably well for both of us. She gets a concert and I get footage.
Everybody wins.
As usual, she rose to the challenge and captured the entire show. While I concentrated on enjoying the performance, Emma quietly earned her ticket by documenting the evening from start to finish.
Good girl.
Looking back, the concert only reinforced my belief that John Grant is one of the finest live performers around. Whether playing intimate venues or larger halls, he has an ability to connect with audiences that very few artists possess.
Emma came away understanding exactly why I had been so eager to bring her along.
The videos below include Big Special’s excellent support set and the full John Grant performance, expertly captured by my unpaid but highly reliable camera operator. Some people collect souvenirs from concerts.
I take Emma and make her film them.
The Photos
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