Gang of Youths headlined Glasgow’s SWG3 amongst their UK tour dates with Sam Fender.
Opening on the night was Lizzie Reid, a lovely singer-songwriter who brought her newest EP to the stage. Discussing the struggle as a gay woman, she had a beautiful encapsulating voice with the crowd enjoying every lyric sung. Despite her beautiful set, it was an unusual choice for support as this didn’t set the tone for the night ahead with Gang Of Youths due to its mellowness.
As soon as Gang Of Youths hit the stage, the energy propelled from mellow to madness, as they opened with new single ‘The Man Himself’.
Showcasing a collection of songs from their music catalogue back to 2017, the crowd were hanging on frontman Dave Le’aupepe every move. Dave is an outstanding frontman and performer who commands the whole audience’s attention from the second he is on stage – which is even more impressive when he is sharing the stage with a group of amazing musicians. His dance breaks before each song started were almost just as impressive as the musician’s skills.
Throughout the night, Dave made sure to let the crowd know how much he loves Glasgow – and even hinted at Scottish independence – as he danced through his songs and stories. Before ‘Tend The Garden’, he mentioned how the song is for his dad, growing up poor and the garden being the thing his dad wanted to give him and his siblings to have something nice.
Ahead of ‘Magnolia’, Dave asked the crowd to look out for each other – and if the band had not looked out for him he wouldn’t be here anymore. There was even a special mention for Frightened Rabbit’s Scott Hutchison as Dave paused for a moment of reflection, sharing with the crowd how Scott was always kind to him and how much he was an amazing person.
It’s continually impressive how Gang of Youths make even their gloomier songs incredibly entertaining and fun. When watching Gang Of Youths live, it’s not just a gig – it’s a show. Their stage presence is mesmerising from the first to the final song – and everyone in the crowd soaked up every second as they showed their appreciation at the all too soon end.
Gang of Youths return to the UK in March 2021, with a Glasgow headliner at The Barrowlands on March 6th 2022. Tickets for the Glasgow show are on sale now – and you won’t want to miss out!