Volbeat are back after an absence of three years with a series of six UK dates for their Greatest of All Tours tour, and arrived in Glasgow for a mega gig to keep their army of fans happy. The set will showcase tracks from the latest album God of Angels Trust, and many more fans’ favourites.
Those arriving early tonight were treated to the opening act Witch Fever, a four-piece female band hailing from Manchester, who have been treading the boards building a reputation as one of the most exciting new live acts around. Their short 30-minute set consisted largely of material from their second album Fevereaten. They have an onstage presence, a confidence in their music which oozed power, anger and attitude, and those in early enough to catch them couldn’t help but be impressed, even with the sound issues when Amy on vocals lost the feed to her in ear monitor! Im sure we will be hearing a lot more form this band in the future. A great opener for the evening ahead.
Main support on the tour is Bush. One of the top British bands of the 90s, their grungy inspired rock is up there with Nirvana, Pearl Jam, Alice in Chains and the like, they had success in the middle of the decade with their first few albums Sixteen Stone and Razorblade Suitcase before fading from popularity in the early noughties only to reform 8 years later, this time aiming for more success in America.
Opening with a blistering version of Everything Zen, and including an outstanding rendition of Swallowed, their impressive 45-minute features tracks from the more recent release I Beat Loneliness, but these newer songs still hit the mark. A rousing take on The Beatles classic Come Together and closing with front man Gavin Rossdale invading the crowd on Flowers on a Grave, the band showed that over the years they have lost none of the power or energy that propelled them to the front of the British rock scene in the 90s. Hopefully we see them touring again in 2026, this time on their own merit. They didn’t look out of place on the bigger stages of arena type venues like The Hydro, but a smaller, more intimate setup would go down a storm without doubt.
And now for the headliners. Huge silhouettes of Volbeat are printed on a huge curtain and as it falls, the band take to the Glasgow stage. Bursting into The Devils Bleeding Crown, the energy lights the touch paper for the fireworks to follow. Front man Michael Poulsen making the first of many ventures across the extended stage to get up close and personal with the crowd with microphones positioned strategically around the platform, shortly followed by band mates on guitar and bass.
Lola Montez follows on. It’s the first opportunity for the crowd to get involved in a sing along. Johnny Cash was a huge influence on the band and Poulsen in particular and he doesn’t hesitate to mention this as he begins Sad Man’s Tongue with an overture of Ring of Fire, the Johnny Cash classic, with the vast Glasgow crowd on backing vocals once again. Magical!
Tonights setlist covers all bases from the bands career, from the 2005 debut album The Strength / The Sound / The Songs, thru 2010’s Beyond Hell/Above Heaven to the bands most recent record, released in June of this year. The years may be rolling on but the trademark hearty, Rockabilly metal rock fusion remains, a joyous sound that puts a smile on so many faces. It’s an acquired taste to the most ardent of rock music aficionados, but it most definitely works. Demonic Depression, Fallen and Shotgun Blues carry things along nicely before the opening riffs of Heaven Nor Hell raises the bar. This is a proper rock anthem and a highlight of the set for me. The huge crowd packed into the venue are bouncing as one to the thumping rhythm, great to see Poulsen smiling in approval, before he would soon invite up to 50 younger members of the crowd to join them on stage for Still Counting. A nice touch.
Volbeat closed the evening with A Warriors Call / Pool of Booze, Booze, Booza. With one final journey to the edge of the runway, the last head banging session of the show is over, before the band give their thanks and say their goodnights. Volbeat have given us a really enjoyable evening. With the new music performed by first band Witch Fever, to the returning magnificence of Bush, to the classic rock of Volbeat, what an evening was had by all. Nearly 3 hours of music all in, and im sure the audience tonight could tolerate another hour or two if the Danes insisted! Great music, great guitars, great influences by Elvis and johnny Cash and a band who clearly do not to take themselves too seriously. This was just … great!
Review & Photographs by Stephen Wilson Photography
