Country fans are still on a high in Scotland after a jam-packed weekend at the C2C Festival, and just as we’re about to take off our cowboy boots, Canada’s Country Rocker, Cory Marks announced a last-minute gig at Glasgow’s Cathouse – and tickets were snapped up FAST.
There’s something incredibly wholesome about Cory Marks, he is just so grateful to be on a stage and singing and I love that attribute in an artist. Edinburgh outfit Big Iron kicked off the night – their hard rock sound fused perfectly with the crowd amping everyone up for Cory. I was particularly impressed with their stage presence and how they got the crowd going from the get-go. Their track River Runs Dry was instantly added to my playlist – 100% get these lads checked out if you enjoy heavier rock – I am impressed!
The venue filled up fast before Cory came on and I must admit, he has the kindest fans I’ve ever met. Before the show had even started I had 2 people ask if I was ok as I was on my own. Scotland truly does have the best fanbases and I will never stop repeating that.
With his band taking to the stage, the crowd was chanting ‘Cory F*kn Marks* from the start, proving that the Glaswegian crowd can make a chant out about absolutely anything, and everything, and by the time he came to the stage Cory was lapping it up.
It’s only been 4 months since his latest album, Sorry For Nothing, was released and has received widespread praise – not just for the strong lineup of tracks – but the rockier direction the album has taken Cory’s sound on, whilst still dabbling in the homegrown country roots with the likes of Late Night of Drinking Again, and let me tell you – if you think its good to listen to – you’re in for an absolute treat if you listen live.
The beauty of a track catalogue like Corys is that you have a mix of several singles and studio albums to choose from, and Marks made sure that he filled the show with as many tracks as possible across all 3 records.
Chanting back every word with pints in their hands, the audience lapped up Devil’s Grin, Whiskey for Sale, Keep Doing What I Do, Sorry for Nothing, and my personal favourite – Blame it on the Double.
Seeing the way Cory worked the crowd and how the audience filled the room by singing every lyric back, it’s hard to believe that this is Cory’s first time in Scotland. “You guys are in the comments saying Scotland so we had to get a show put in and I cannot thank you enough this is crazy”.
Cory’s talent doesn’t stop with singing and guitar – the man is an incredibly talented drummer – taking part in the show to show off his insane skills – is there anything this man cannot do? The energy Cory and his band bring to the stage is like something I haven’t seen before – it is worth mentioning this man has done 13 shows over the last 16 days across multiple countries – beyond impressive and we loved it.
The show took an acoustic turn with Cory changing the tone for the next few songs. “It’s not all about whiskey and partying, mental health is a huge thing we need to focus on and that’s where this next song comes from.” and proceeds to deliver the most pitch-perfect and engaging version of Tough to Be Strong which is from his latest record, and it was perfect. Just when you think the show is coming to an end, Marks would deliver another handful of songs – talk about fitting in your library into a short amount of time!
And would it be a Cory Mark’s show without a Bryan Adams cover – which we ATE! I love when artists do covers showcasing where their inspiration has come from and where they can put a spin on a well-known song.
Bare in mind this was Cory’s first time visiting Scotland – and he has sold out the Cathouse on a show which was only announced a few weeks ago. A phenomenal night and we 100% want you back as soon as possible Cory. WHAT A NIGHT.
Review by Lauren Page
Photographs by John Brown Photography
