I had only recently seen The Jesus and Mary Chain at Edinburgh’s Usher Hall and thoroughly enjoyed it. The only problem was that I had only managed to get hold of a single ticket, meaning Emma had been forced to sit that one out.
That alone was reason enough to go and see them again.
The fact that the venue was the Barrowland made the decision even easier.
As far as I’m concerned, there are very few places in the world that can compete with the Barrowland when it comes to live music. Great bands somehow become even better in that room, and if given the choice between almost any venue and the Barrowland, I’ll take the Barrowland every time.
There was another reason this particular concert felt important.
Emma and I had originally been due to see The Jesus and Mary Chain there at the beginning of the Covid era. Like so many events, the show was postponed and eventually rescheduled. By the time the new date arrived, entry requirements had been introduced that I wasn’t prepared to go along with, so I reluctantly sold the tickets and accepted that we’d missed our chance.
Thankfully, another opportunity eventually arrived.
This time there would be no missing out.
Before the Reid brothers took to the stage, we were treated to a set from London’s CIEL. Support bands often struggle to make a strong impression when opening for legendary acts, but CIEL managed it with ease.
Their dreamy, atmospheric sound felt like a perfect fit for the evening and immediately won over much of the audience. There was a confidence and maturity to their performance that suggested they had a bright future ahead of them. Having recently released their debut album, they already sounded like a band ready to move onto bigger stages.
It was exactly the sort of support slot that makes you investigate an artist further once you get home.
Then it was time for The Jesus and Mary Chain.
I’ve been listening to their music for decades, and one thing that never changes is the remarkable contrast at the heart of their songs. Few bands have managed to combine beautiful melodies with such a glorious racket. Beneath the layers of feedback, distortion and attitude lie some genuinely wonderful pop songs, which is why their music has endured for so long.
Seeing them at the Barrowland felt entirely appropriate.
The venue’s raw atmosphere suits The Jesus and Mary Chain perfectly. Their music was never designed for polite surroundings. It belongs in dark rooms filled with people who like their guitars loud and their melodies unforgettable.
Having already enjoyed the Usher Hall performance, I wondered whether seeing the band again so soon might lessen the impact.
It didn’t.
If anything, the Barrowland setting elevated the experience. The crowd seemed more animated, the atmosphere more intense and the connection between band and audience more immediate. Emma finally got to experience the show she had missed previously, and I got to enjoy one of my favourite bands in my favourite venue.
Everybody won.
Looking back, this concert felt like the completion of a story that had started several years earlier. We had missed the original Barrowland date, watched the plans unravel and eventually found ourselves back where we should have been all along.
The videos and photographs below include support act CIEL, who were excellent, and another memorable performance from one of Scotland’s most influential bands. Sometimes it’s worth waiting a few years to see a concert happen properly.
The Photos
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