Take electronic industrial music and breed it with some of the most horrific true crimes and the result is SKYND… comprising of Skynd on vocals and Father on synths / guitar / production this magnificently bonkers act brought their headline show to Glasgow and there was a huge air of anticipation outside the venue in the East End of Glasgow.
A massive queue had formed long before the 7pm doors opening time and, despite the freezing conditions, the mood was high and the excitement palpable… it was almost SKYND time!
Slightly later than advertised the band took to the stage to one of the loudest roars that this amazing little venue had heard in its short(ish) existence. Skynd never fails to amaze with her outfits and tonight was no exception; Shocking lime green hair covered with a leather* headdress, black leather* choker, some more black and some more leather*, completed by some mighty impressive black boots… the make up was, as always, Halloween meets psycho killer!
Father kinda skulked onto the stage and into the shadows with his synth and guitar. There was a third band member on drums somewhere in the murky shadows at the rear of the stage.
A huge banner hung at the rear of the stage stated simply “SKYND” and the stage was lit by simple one colour flood lights. Something eerie was definitely unfolding and the fans loved it!
It is, in some ways, bizarre that so many people can find such joy in songs about some of the most brutal crimes in modern human history but they are not delivered in a fashion that glorifies or condones the actions; it’s more of a commentary on the darkness of human kind.
The tone for the night was set and the harbingers of industrial electro were about to burn down the house… metaphorically speaking obviously.
The production by Father was insanely good, the sound was up there with the best and the vocals were to die for… pun intended.
Skynd owned the stage with such authority whilst Father rocked his wee heart out back there in the shadows. The drummer probably did drumming things but was so far in the shadows it was hard to tell and given the lyrical content it was either a brilliant piece of production thinking or the best coincidence ever to have a shadow lurker onstage.
This was definitely one of the best gigs of 2023 and Skynd has to be recognised as one of the top performers in the genre; it was a truly outstanding night. This short tour of the UK must surely be a pre-cursor to a bigger tour in the not too distant future.
The majority fans were a happy bunch as they left the venue whilst some others stayed on a bit longer to have a chat with Skynd and, obviously, some selfies.
Review & Photographs by John Brown
