The Boo Radleys – Mono Cafe Bar – Glasgow

I have been a fan of The Boo Radleys for a very long time and whenever they announce a Scottish date, I generally don’t need much persuading.

The previous year I had taken Emma to see them perform Giant Steps in full, a concert that transported me straight back to the early 1990s when that album was one of the most exciting and adventurous records around. It was a brilliant evening and left me hoping they would continue exploring the rest of their catalogue.

Thankfully, they did.

This time the focus shifted to the two albums that followed Giant Steps: Wake Up! and C’mon Kids. While Wake Up! brought the band mainstream success and some of their biggest hits, C’mon Kids remains one of the most underrated records of the era, in my opinion. Together they represent two very different sides of The Boo Radleys, making for an intriguing evening.

Before the main event, we were treated to support from Keeley and The Martial Arts.

I’d already seen The Martial Arts when they supported The Boo Radleys on the Giant Steps tour and was delighted to find them on the bill again. They have a knack for crafting intelligent, melodic songs that sit comfortably alongside the sort of guitar music that first made me fall in love with independent bands all those years ago.

Keeley were a new discovery for me and proved to be an excellent addition to the evening. Support bands often struggle to capture the attention of an audience eager for the headliner, but they managed it with ease. By the time their set finished, I suspect many people in the crowd were making mental notes to investigate them further once they got home.

Then it was time for The Boo Radleys.

One of the pleasures of seeing a band with such a rich catalogue is watching how different songs resonate with audiences years after their release. Wake Up! brought moments of pure joy and familiarity, while C’mon Kids reminded everyone just how adventurous and ambitious the band could be when they wanted to push beyond expectations.

What has always impressed me about The Boo Radleys is their willingness to evolve. Many bands find a formula and stick to it. The Boo Radleys seemed determined to challenge themselves with every album, sometimes confusing critics and fans in the process but always producing interesting music.

Hearing those songs performed live again only reinforced that view.

Emma enjoyed the show too, although by now she has become accustomed to being dragged along to see bands that meant a lot to me when I was younger. Thankfully, The Boo Radleys continue to justify my enthusiasm rather than exposing it as middle-aged nostalgia.

The performance was packed with energy, melody and the sort of musical inventiveness that has kept me returning to their records for decades. It also served as a reminder that while Giant Steps often receives most of the attention, the albums that followed deserve plenty of love too.

Looking back, it felt like a perfect companion piece to the previous year’s Giant Steps concert. Instead of revisiting one classic album, this show celebrated the next chapter of the band’s story and demonstrated just how strong that chapter really was.

The videos and photographs below capture some of the evening, including excellent support from Keeley and The Martial Arts, and another memorable performance from one of Britain’s most underrated bands.