Amy’s return to Glasgow makes her appearance at the O2 ABC exactly 2 years & 9 days since her last tour rolled into town. it should be no surprise that back in her home town, she sold out 2 nights at the venue.
Supporting her was not the Kristina Train that some had thought would have (based on a tweet from Amy herself) but was in fact Paisley based singer songwriter Michael Cassidy. Performing a number of songs in his half hour set, including Meet You At The Corner, Everybody’s Scared, Fifteen Years and forthcoming single Battleships, Michael commented that on the Sunday he had performed to only 9 people and how this performance was 200 times that and that Amy’s fans obviously had good taste in music. He also made use of the crowd cheering when one female voice continued after everyone else calm down he said ‘thanks mum’ and ‘thanks dad’ when a male voice called out too, getting a few laughs from the crowd.
It didn’t take the stage crew long to clear up and ready the stage for the main event, although when levels were being checked on the mics, there was an air that the crowd would have loved to have had a call and response with the guy checking them. Soon, an introductionary theme of bagpipes begins, the band take their positions on stage and the curtain is removed revealing a backdrop of silhouetted roads signs and telegraph poles, as the band strike up and Amy takes stage with guitar in hand, heading into the first song of the night, 4th Of July.
From this it’s straight into what probably her hardcore fans would call her debut single, Poison Prince, a song that gets the fans clapping and singing a long. Her she pauses, welcoming everyone to the night and commenting how it’s lovely to be home and how she hears of others acts commenting about how good the Scottish crowds are when the play. It’s another track from her debut album in the form of L.A. .
Spark follows and as if in progression, The Game comes next, which shows how much Amy has grown into her voice. It might have sounded good in recording, but holding the word and climbing the scale, she has the crowd enthralled. Back to album 1 and it’s one of the fan favourites Mr Rock & Roll which again starts the sing-along of which Amy’s gig do soon become. Amy reflects after this back to T in the Park, where she believe she first played the next song, commenting about people standing in a marsh, singing along and reminds them that there is probably a crowd participation moment in it. She is of course talking about Slow It Down, the first single from her current album, Life In A Beautiful Light. And the crowd doesn’t fail to deliver and nether does Amy as she seems to hit all the notes.
A slight re-arrangement on stage and Amy announces that she knows there are some hardcore fans out there that see her every time she tours, so they’ve decided to do a little acoustic set in the set. This begins with her doing a version of her track Love Love with it just her and her guitar, making it slightly different from other performances. Then we have a rare sight. Amy without her guitar for a new 2012 tour version of Give It All Up (even though it debuted on BBC Radio 2 In Concert back in July!) Guitar back again for This Pretty Face along with the band before a new cover for the tour.
She begins by saying she wishes they could show the audience what goes on back stage. So far they’ve had Shannon (keyboards) playing the piano in his pants, and having a sing-a-long to another song. But this cover made it’s appearance at her gig in Dublin for Arthur’s Day. It is indeed a cover a Jackie Wilson’s (You Love Keeps Lifting Me) Higher and Higher. Reservations had been made when this cover had come to light online though it has to be said that any video of this song does not do it just as Amy threw herself into it, making it her own whilst respecting the original.
Normal service resumes as she enters into the first single from A Curious Thing in the shape of Don’t Tell Me That It’s Over, a song that gets keeps the crowd going getting clapping along. The Green and The Blue comes next and seems appropriate for her to play it in Glasgow given that it refers to Celtic and RFC 2012 (also known as Rangers). As the next song begins however, it’s obvious that many don’t seem to appreciate the finger picked first verse of No Roots as voices can be heard over Amy and it’s only once the full band start on the chorus, that voices are drowned out and order is restored.
Amy takes a moment to mention her 3rd album and it’s release; about how it reached number one in Scotland but only managed number two in the UK charts because of Gary Barlow and his Commonwealth Band and how Scotland obviously has good taste in music. She reminisces about her next track and about performing the national anthem at Hampden Park with Scotland plays. This of course leads into Pride and another chance for a clap along. The Killer’s inspired Run follows before heading into another firm fan favourite, This Is The Life, Amy working the crowd for them to sing along with her, which really they don’t need as they’re already with her. The final track of her main set comes in the title track of her current album, and tour name, Life In A Beautiful Light and has the perfect outro in it’s long instrumental at the end of the track.
The crowd chants for more and sure enough, Amy returns for her encore. Once more, she sings The Furthest Star minus her guitar, showing she’s not reliant on having it with her all the time. Taking it up a notch and back with her familiar counterpart, it’s into the resounding Barrowland Ballroom before finishing up with a Let’s Start A Band that finishes the night off where it started; on a high.
Looking back at where Amy has been and where she is now, you can see the change in her. There is more confidence in her and in her delivery. She’s grown into her voice and yes, you can hear that on her latest album, but to truly appreciate how far she has come, you have to hear her live. With a perfect balance to banter and songs, for the price of the ticket (£ + booking fee of £) you were rewarded with 20 tracks from across her three albums plus her one cover. The only thing that could have made the night better would have been taking a copy of the night home (fans have been wasted after the last tour).
Photos © Vhari Lannigan
Michael Cassidy
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Amy Macdonald
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