LOCAL BOY LIGHTS UP THE BARROWLAND WITH EXCEPTIONAL SHOWS
Scotland’s latest soul pop music sensation returns to his hometown for not one but two sold out nights at the famous Barrowland Ballroom, to showcase his talents, and prove to all that Joesef is the real deal!
Support for the Glaswegian on the two Barrowland shows is young Londoner Etta Marcus. The singer songwriter who hails from the south of the capital had a short, half hour set to impress the locals with her music. Opening her spot armed only with an acoustic guitar, the gloomy, melancholy View from a Bridge received warm applause. Accompanied now with the rest of her band, she carried on with tracks such as Hide and Seek, Smile for The Camera, Heart Shaped Bruise and Nosebleed. The singer’s talents are without question and I’m sure we will hear a lot more from Etta in the future.
Onto Joesef now. With his debut album Permanent Damage under his belt, the young singer from Garthamlock in the suburbs of the big city currently can do no wrong. Hot on the heels of Glasgow’s other sensation Lewis Capaldi but with a style of his own, Joesef is building a fanbase and reputation to match. Some major acts in the past have struggled to sell out one night at the famous venue let alone two, but Joesef is the man of the moment and the clamour for tickets for these shows has been remarkable.
The stage is dimly lit, with red spotlights piercing the darkness, as the band members take to the stage. The opening bars of Permanent Damage begin to filter through the speakers. The crowd are enthralled as the music builds and Joesef of course is last to appear on stage. Looking dapper dressed in shirt and tie and looking not unlike 80’s legend Holly Johnson, the singer knew his way around the stage and oozed confidence as he ran through his list of songs. The high quality of the music is impressive, and the rapport between the stage and the crowd was great to see.
I Wonder Why, East End Coast, Just Come Home with Me Tonight, the singer could do no wrong and the roars of approval between songs was undeniable, but one wee swivel of the hips had them in raptures! Some tunes just made you want to dance, and the slower songs emphasised the silky vocals Joesef possesses. Moment, Blue Car, The Sun is Up Forever and the first part of his set closed with the track All Good.
After a short break the band returned for a three-track encore with the highlight, a cover of the Sister Sledge classic Thinking of You before the 2022 single Joe closed the evening. He took his bows and left the stage, no doubt raring to go again in 24 hours’ time.
Joesef is the latest in a line of superb singer songwriters from Scotland, the vocal talents, song writing skills and cheeky Glaswegian humour are the perfect package. Selling out two nights at The Barras is no mean feat and proves the hype is real, and on this showing can only go from strength to strength.
Photographs and Review by Stephen Wilson
