MESH
The Legacy Tour
Classic Grand, Glasgow
19th January 2024
Mesh start their LEGACY tour in Glasgow and it’s a city where, for some unknown reason, they struggle to attract a live audience… would tonight be the night when the numbers they deserve finally turn up?
It’s probably best that there is full disclosure before I start… I have been a fan of Mesh since their very first release so the chances of this being a negative review were nil…
That being said… this was a bloody fantastic gig!!
The lads were a bit apprehensive due to the low numbers at their last gig here and early indications in the venue suggested tonight might be the same as last time.
As the first support band – Mechanical Cabaret – took to the stage there were barely enough of a crowd to have a game of 11 aside football.
This was a damned shame as Mechanical Cabaret are always worth the admission fee on their own.
As they boys did their thing it was quickly obvious that the usual high quality of their output wasn’t affected by the size of the audience and, much to the relief of everyone involved, the hall started to fill.
As the enigmatic front man of the band, Roi, prowled and pranced around the stage and engaged the audience in his usual manner. He even managed to “steal” the Harry Potteresque scarf worn by George Grant ( a well known and loved member of the Glasgow music scene with his band Carnival)
Mechanical Cabaret left the stage to much acclaim from those who turned up early.
As expected they hit the spot… they always do.
The turnaround by band members and stage crew was rapid and before you knew it, it was time for the second guest band.
AUGER burst onto the scene around 2017 and their stock has risen sharply lately… and deservedly so. The two piece band claim to create “dark rock with sharp pop sense”.
They have a hint of Editors about them but they are more than that. The energy from them hits the audience right from start and doesn’t subside at any point during the set… a set that needs to be lengthened and brought back to Glasgow as a headline band as soon as possible.
The relatively short set was outstanding and was rewarded with a huge ovation from the crowd… Haste ye back!!
Once again the stage crew had a quick turnaround as the sound techs got everything ready for the main act.
The first thing that became apparent was that the apprehension regarding audience numbers was misplaced and the hall was impressively filled. Can this be a turning point for Mesh in Scotland? Let’s hope so!
It can be a strange nuance of the scene in the UK… Mesh command huge audiences on mainland Europe but for some reason it doesn’t transfer to the UK. This can be applied to a number of bands plying their trade within this musical niche.
Mesh really do deserve more love in their homeland as they are one of the best acts, of any genre, around at the moment.
The lights go down as the smoke machine operator tries to kill the everyone in the audience… it really didn’t have to be as smokey and definitely not for the majority of the set!
The intro music starts and it’s time… Sean on drums, Vaughan on keys and Mr Richard Silverthorn take their respective places as the beanie clad front man, Mark Hockings, surveys tonight’s audience… I think he was pleased and maybe a bit relieved.
The lads absolutely smash their way through as good a setlist as anyone will see and hear at any gig this year. The sound was crystal clear and the visuals were on point.
Mark commented on how cold it is in Scotland… what? Some of us left our coats at home as it was a fine day! All kidding aside, it was a truly awful day and the temperature didn’t get any higher in the venue – it was absolutely baltic!
Highlights in the set were “Leave You Nothing”, “Just Leave us Alone” “Kill Your Darlings” and the extended version “From This Height” which drew a long audience participation.
One of my favourite songs of all time is “Can You Mend Hearts?” and as the first strains of the song hit the crowd it was clear that many more in the audience appreciated it.
It’s always a fantastic feeling when you go to see a band and they play your favourite song from their discography.
Then, inevitably, it was time to finish the set and move onto the next town or city.
It’s always a bitter sweet moment when such a brilliant show ends… hopefully, with the increased audience numbers, Frank at Flag promotions can entice them back at some point. You know it makes sense Frank!!
One can only hope that more shows this year match this one… it really was that good!
Next up are the Godfathers (or is it Grandfathers?) of synth as Depeche Mode take to the stage at the OVO Hydro and all fingers and toes are crossed that they put on as good a show as Mesh…
Review and Photographs by John Brown
