Finally, the day had dawned- my first gig of 2024! And I was flying solo for this one!
Having travelled by train into Glasgow, I made my way down Union St towards the venue. Not only was this the first outing of the year but it was the first trip to this particular venue for me. Where was I headed? Classic Grand.
When I arrived about 6:20pm there were already a handful of folk forming a queue. About twenty minutes later three of my “AB Family” joined the queue slightly further down the line. We exchanged a few words when they arrived, and I agreed to snag a spot for us for the evening as I was nearer the head of the line. Happy days.
Oh…and who were we queuing to see? Wales’s finest trio, Florence Black.
The stairs up to the main room in Classic Grand should come with a health warning! Damn there’s a lot of them! Having caught my breath, I snagged a rail spot for us slightly left of centre and waited for my AB Family to catch up.
There were three bands on the bill for the evening.
First out were Glasgow band, Eld Varg. These guys delivered a solid opening set of “Viking” metal. To my mind it was more “storyteller” metal (think Iron Maiden’s lengthy epic songs) but it was really engaging. A late addition to the bill, they proved a popular choice and swiftly had the growing crowd onside. Having commented that he needs to write shorter songs, front man Ollie announced that Wolfpack would be their fifth and final song for the night. I suspect it won’t be long before Eld Varg have a growing wolfpack following. Great start to the evening. Check them out online.
James and the Cold Gun were the second support act but their more punk, Ramones- sue style wasn’t for me. Thumper Principle duly applied for the first time in 2024.
And moving swiftly on…
Shortly before 9:00pm, the lights dimmed, the LED lit backdrop flashed and pulsed then Florence Black took to the stage, opening their set with the title track from their new album, Bed of Nails. Awesome choice of opening song.
Bed of Nails – Florence Black @ Classic Grand Glasgow 01/02/24 (youtube.com)
These boys from Merthyr Tydfil set the bar high right from the get go.
This was the third time I’d seen Florence Black, and they just keep getting better and better…and louder and louder.
The sell out Glasgow show was the first show of their current UK tour and they pulled out all the stops. With the tour kicking off on the eve of the launch of their new album, Florence Black appeared to have taken a bit of a gamble with the set. Only two tracks from bed of Nails failed to make it onto the 18-song set. However the audience were happily lapping up the new music, enthusiastically embracing the new tunes.
One stand-out early in the set was Solid 9, a thunderous powerful offering.
Solid 9 – Florence Black @ Classic Grand Glasgow 01/02/24 (youtube.com)
These three guys are about as tight a unit as you can hope to see on stage, and everyone pulls their weight. Drummer Perry Davies adds his pipes to support front man Tristan Thomas’ vocals with bassist Jordan Evans also tackling his fair share of backing vocals. Not an ounce of talent is wasted.
Mid-set there was a short interlude, showcasing the fancy, almost psychedelic lighting before the boys were back out to deliver a storming rendition of Black Cat.
Black Cat – Florence Black @ Classic Grand Glasgow 01/02/24 (youtube.com)
This was followed by what is rapidly becoming my favourite track from Bed of Nails, The Forest. There was an air of Fleetwood Mac to the acoustic intro to this song. Tristan’s vocals on this one in particular were oh so sweet. Loved it.
There was one cover song on the setlist – Budgie’s Breadfan. Can’t say I’m a fan of that song but the capacity crowd loved it.
Zulu, one of my favourites, had the honour of rounding out the main body of the set. This was the song that introduced me to this band.
Zulu – Florence Black @ Classic Grand Glasgow 01/02/24 (youtube.com)
With the curfew looming, there was time for just one song in their encore and there could only be one choice. The honour of bringing the night to a close fell to the awesomely beautiful Sun and Moon. Love this song.
Sun & Moon – Florence Black @ Classic Grand Glasgow 01/02/24 (youtube.com)
If I had one small wish to have improved on this great night of music, it would have been “less smoke.” I’m hoping it was first night over exuberance that led to the billowing, choking clouds throughout the set. Despite the smoggy cloud inversion lingering over the room, five hundred fifty fans left with smiles on their faces, and most will already be counting the days until these guys return to town.
All in all, a great way to start 2024’s gig season.
the525toglasgow 