Emma and I had only just seen The Waterboys a few days earlier at Glasgow Royal Concert Hall, courtesy of a last-minute ticket giveaway on Facebook.
It had been a great night.
The only problem was that it left us even more excited for the Barrowland show.
As good as the Royal Concert Hall is, there are certain bands that simply belong in the Barrowland, and The Waterboys are definitely one of them. The combination of Mike Scott’s music and the atmosphere of the Barras felt like a perfect match.
Determined to secure our usual position down the front, I managed to escape work a little earlier than normal and we headed through to Glasgow with plenty of time to spare.
Some traditions are worth maintaining.
One thing we had missed at the Royal Concert Hall was the support act, The Deep Blue. We’d only caught a glimpse of them when they appeared during the encore, so it was nice to arrive early enough this time to see their full set.
They proved to be well worth catching.
The band delivered an engaging performance that warmed the audience up nicely and provided an ideal lead-in to the evening ahead. Support slots can be difficult, especially when people are eagerly awaiting a legendary headliner, but The Deep Blue handled the task admirably.
Then it was time for Mike Scott and company.
The Waterboys have been touring in support of their latest album, Life, Death and Dennis Hopper, an ambitious record inspired by the life and mythology surrounding the famous actor. Mike Scott has been boldly claiming that it’s the best work The Waterboys have ever produced.
As you might imagine, not every fan agrees.
When you’ve spent over forty years creating albums such as This Is the Sea, Fisherman’s Blues and Room to Roam, that’s quite a statement to make.
Personally, I think the new album is very good.
More importantly, the songs work exceptionally well in a live setting.
The middle section of the concert was devoted largely to material from Life, Death and Dennis Hopper, accompanied by some excellent video projections that helped bring the themes of the album to life. It added a visual dimension to the performance without becoming distracting, enhancing the atmosphere rather than overwhelming it.
While some audience members were clearly waiting for the classics, the newer material more than held its own.
That’s always a good sign.
The true test of new songs is whether they can stand comfortably alongside beloved favourites, and these songs passed that test. The fact that the audience remained fully engaged throughout the newer material suggested that many others felt the same way.
Of course, The Waterboys weren’t about to leave without delivering plenty of the songs that people had travelled to hear.
The combination of old and new created a set that felt both forward-looking and respectful of the band’s remarkable history. That’s a difficult balance to achieve, but Mike Scott has always been an artist more interested in moving forward than endlessly recreating the past.
The Barrowland atmosphere elevated everything further.
Standing down the front, surrounded by fans who knew every word, it felt like one of those nights where band and audience were perfectly in sync. The Waterboys have always been capable of producing magical live performances, and this was another reminder of why they continue to attract such loyal support.
Looking back, seeing them twice within a few days was actually the ideal way to experience this tour.
The Royal Concert Hall provided the unexpected bonus show, while the Barrowland delivered the full experience we’d originally been looking forward to.
The videos below include The Deep Blue’s support set and footage from another memorable Waterboys performance. Whether your heart belongs to the classic albums or you’re embracing Life, Death and Dennis Hopper, there was plenty here to enjoy.
And as much as we enjoyed the free concert, the Barrowland still wins.
I even managed to get Mike’s set list, which was handed to me by their backing singer for the tour, Barny Fletcher.
The Photos
Cheers!
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