If you needed confirmation that Covid 19 as is as over as it can be and normal service has resumed, then you’re too late; you should’ve been at St Luke’s on Sunday night when Red Rum Club delivered a sweaty, frantic set that banished the pandemic once and for all.
The Liverpudlian sextet were embraced like adopted hometown heroes when they took to the stage and kicked things off with, “Girl Has A Gun”. The gig was part of their current tour which has also taken in shows in London, Manchester and Bristol.
It’s hard to believe that the band are relatively new, having just released their debut offering, “Matador” in 2019, as they seem to have already cemented their status as fast favorites with fans. Now touting album #3, “How To Steal The World”, their set was a mix of ‘the story so far’; “Angeline”, “Nobody Gets Out Alive”, “Eleanor”, “Vivo”, “Beautiful Mind” and “Vanilla”, among others. The band have an infectious mariachi flavour running through their sound, which, when blended with the energy of the band whipped the crowd into nothing short of loco – it was the unofficial celebration of the end of 2 years of cancelled tours and the pause of live music.
Frontman, Fran Doran cut a cool figure, but had no qualms in relishing the mania of his public, relinquishing himself to the absolute chaos unfolding from the front row to the fire doors at the back. “We fucking love you, Glasgow!” He proclaimed in his thick, scouse accent, looking as if he wished he could hug every single person in the sold-out room, “You’ve become our second home”, I believe they were formally welcomed by Paolo Nutini and a bottle of Whiskey (Google it).
Their seemingly reluctant conclusion came in the form of “Would You Rather Be Lonely”, complete with stronghold crowd chant of the chorus, which continued on long after the band had bowed out on a high so dizzy, I almost fell off the bench I had accosted and made my own personal platform.
In the wake of Coronavirus, no-one is taking ANYTHING for granted, least of all touring musicians and the fans who love them; the post pandemic gig is about savouring every single, sweaty second.
Clearly, Red Rum Club got the memo. Come back soon, boys … I’ll bring the Whiskey.
Review by Siobhanne Beattie
