Mr Big (supported by Living Colour) - Glasgow Barrowlands Thursday 25th July 2024

For a while, Scottish rock fans were concerned that Mr Big wouldn’t be bringing their ‘The Big Finish’ farewell tour to our shores, as the initial run of show announcements were all south of the border. However, calm was restored when a show was announced at the iconic Barrowlands in Glasgow’s east end, with Living Colour as support. Two great singers, two amazing guitarists, two phenomenal bassists… it was sure to be a BIG night!

It's the second time in 8 months that the legendary New Yorkers Living Colour have played a support slot in Glasgow, the last time being in November of last year with Extreme. So, it was great to see them back again, this time providing a set that lasted a full hour. As the lights dimmed, the instantly recognisable vocalist Corey Glover, guitarist Vernon Reid, bassist Doug Wimbish and drummer Will Calhoun took to the stage, kicking off with two of their bigger, crowd pleaser songs, ‘Leave It Alone’ from 1993’s Stain album and ‘Middle Man’ from 1988’s Vivid. ‘Bi’, with its magnificently funky vibe and playful lyrics (“Everybody wants you when you’re bi, looking at the girls and eyeing all the guys”) moved into the harder edged yet still just as funky ‘Ignorance is Bliss’. Bassist extraordinaire Doug Wimbish really got to stretch out on the entertaining ‘Funny Vibe’ whilst the initial slower pace of Open Letter to a Landlord from 1995’s Pride album showcased Glover’s impressive vocals before the song burst to life and really allowed Reid, Wimbish and Calhoun to find their groove. However, during the quieter part of the song, the number of rude people simply talking and not taking notice of what was happening on the stage was really apparent. It’s something that’s becoming more and more of an issue at concerts… but I digress! A rocking and faithful cover of MC5’s ‘Kick Out the Jams’ really had the crowd moving whilst the summer vibe of ‘Glamour Boys’ reminded us Scots of the fact that we really haven’t had much of a summer at all in 2024! The hard rocking ‘Type’ led to the unmistakeable intro to fan favourite ‘Cult of Personality’, a hard rock staple that remains as popular with fans now as it was back in the band’s heyday, with Glover shaking his impressive hair all over the place! As opening acts go, Living Colour will be hard to beat and there’s a lot of appetite to see them back in Glasgow with their own headline tour sooner rather than later. Simply, this was a bona-fide headline act full of incredibly talented musicians, playing a brilliant support set.

I was initially told that ticket sales hadn’t been particularly impressive for the show but by the time Mr Big took the stage, it was quite apparent that I had been misinformed, as the famous Glasgow ballroom appeared well-filled. Mr Big t-shirts, some looking as if they were potentially originals from the last time the band played the venue in 1992, were spotted throughout the crowd and there was a definite feeling of anticipation; a last chance to see one of the great rock bands of the last 35 years before they hang up their big top hat! The fact that it was happening in a venue with a famously electrifying atmosphere that the band has played 32 years ago, made it even more special. The continuing love and affection for Mr Big from their fanbase was clear as the original members, the ever-young looking vocalist Eric Martin, virtuosa guitarist Paul Gilbert and uber-talented bassist Billy Sheehan took to the stage with the band’s newest addition, experienced Brazilian drummer Edu Cominato. They wasted little time, starting with the fast tempo of ‘Addicted to that Rush’ from their 1989 debut, backed by the Glasgow choir enthusiastically singing the “whoa, oh” parts with great gusto and fists in the air. The wonderfully atmospheric mid-tempo rocker/almost-ballad ‘Take Cover’, a personal favourite, was next up. It’s not an obvious choice but it very much defines Mr Big for me: great vocal harmonies, a memorable chorus and great interplay between bass and guitar. Perfect! The ballsy, riffing ‘Price You Gotta Pay’, with Sheehan playing harmonica whilst Martin stretched across to momentarily take on bass duties brought the show’s opening to an end… and what a start it was!

‘Lean Into It’, arguably Mr Big’s career high from 1991, remains a fan favourite to this day, with much of their setlist often mined from this musical gem. So, 32 years ago after touring the world on the back of the album’s release (including an aforementioned show at this very venue in Glasgow), it’s fitting that they’re saying farewell to their loyal fans with a full run through of the album, playing each track in order. Starting off with the magnificently titled ‘Daddy, Brother, Lover, Little Boy’ (affectionately known as ‘the Electric Drill Song’), the on-stage gimmick of Sheehan and Gilbert playing their instruments with a real drill for part of the song, left fans delighted! The bluesy ‘Alive and Kicking’ led to Gilbert’s guitar wizardry for the intro to the ultra-catchy fan favourite ‘Green-Tinted Sixties Mind’, before another personal favourite ‘CDFF – Lucky This Time’ (which I only recently discovered is actually a Jeff Paris cover!), a perfect blend of a harder rocking chorus and a big ballad-like chorus. All good so far… and the fans were loving it.

‘Voodoo Kiss’ and ‘Never Say Never’, which has a particular chord structure in the chorus that for some reason gives me goosebumps, took the band to the album’s other big ballad ‘Just Take My Heart’, with Martin’s vocals handling the higher notes well and Gilbert’s restrained guitar solo (for him!) causing a few air guitar moments under the Barrowland’s disco balls. The menacing sounding rocker ‘My Kinda Woman’, the Delta-blues inspired ‘A Little Too Loose’ and ‘Road to Ruin’ brought the setlist to the big ballad; the one that would have the crowd singing along at the top of their voices. Yup… ‘To Be With You’, the acoustic-led song that really endeared Mr Big to a generation of rock fans in the early 90s and still gets a regular airing on commercial radio. It was almost a karaoke moment, as the Glasgow choir merged seamlessly with Martin’s vocals. A special moment with a special song. Venues such as the Barrowlands are made for this!

Mr Big’s cover of ‘Wild World’ has always been one of the better rock covers and it was another sing-along moment that led perfectly to Paul Gilbert’s solo spot. Gilbert looks more like an IT expert than a rockstar… but believe me, he’s a rockstar and more! He is potentially one of the most technically gifted, virtuoso guitarists around and his solo was a joy to watch, with his take on the Rocky theme tune being particularly excellent. “Ooowww, ooowww” howled Sheehan as the band started the frantic ‘Colorado Bulldog’ before Sheehan took centre stage for his bass solo. If truth be told, I generally find solos quite boring and self-indulgent… but Sheehan’s was top quality, clearly displaying his musical prowess. A few covers, including one where the band switched places with Martin on bass, Gilbert on drums, Cominato on guitars and Sheehan on vocals culminated in a barnstorming finale of the Who’s ‘Baba O’Riley’. That was it! The big finish was… well… finished!

Mr Big left the stage to rapturous applause, potentially never to be seen together on a Glasgow stage again. That’s the problem with being the age that many classic rock fans are. We’re starting to see our heroes’ careers coming to an end, grabbing any opportunity we can to see them for what could be the final time. It’s bittersweet, as they leave us with great memories of bygone times… but we really don’t want to accept it’s all over, as it's a stark reminder of our own advancing years. But the end of something good is an inevitable part of life and for Mr Big, perhaps now is the right time. The music will always be their legacy.

If indeed this is the big finish, what a finish it was!