She Burns Red, Big Iron, Royal Bloom - Audio, Glasgow 9th September 2023

This was a gig in the planning for some time. SBR have just completed their first full album, which hits the shelves on September 15th. Whilst the experiences of Covid and lockdown have certainly influenced the music on the album, I think without those dreadful times we’d have been at an album launch gig for this band a couple of years ago.

So, what was it I was looking forward to? First, just seeing these guys get their reward for the hard work they have been putting in. They are moving up festival bills and in so doing attracting an audience and keeping them loyal. I spoke with a friend who saw them at Call of the Wild and was struck by how many people knew their music already and were into the band from the get-go. I’m also looking forward to a full She Burns Red show. Every time I have seen them they have either been playing at a festival or as an opener for someone else. This inevitably means sets are short and the focus is not wholly on them. Tonight will be an opportunity to rectify both.

So what of tonight? Audio is always a bit of a surprise for me, no matter how often I find myself there. Opening directly from the street this big square room holds around 200 people and tonight it's packed. The heat of the day has not been diminished and that big square room is already a big square sweat box. I arrived too late for the first band but I caught most of Big Iron who did a great job in warming up the crowd.

As 9 o’clock approached the SBR guys were setting up, I’m betting they were looking forward to being big enough to have someone else do that for them. As I chatted to some of the crowd it was very clear this was a not just a ‘friends and family’ occasion, the place was rammed with rock fans who just wanted to hear the band they had been listening to for a while. A great start.

The lights came down and the sound of the bagpipes lilted across the room. Yup, you read that right, a piper opened the show. This was a good bit of fun that underpinned She Burns Red’s Scottishness and got us off to a Highland start.

The rock kicks off with “Touch”, the opening cut on the album. There was no hesitancy, no messing, no nerves; just banging licks from the off. “Rise and Fall” was next. This is a cracking song which is no doubt set to be a long-term live staple of this bands concert set. After blasting through “Gone” the band took a quick breather, but it was quick, then back for another group of four songs, including the current single, “Crosshairs”. This was my highlight of the night. This was a top live offering which the band absolutely nailed.

It's worth taking a second to consider the musicianship on display this evening. Naz Scanferato spent the evening prowling back and forth across the stage armed with his guitar and a smile and he never stopped smiling all night. His guitar work was really accomplished, and he added solos that supported the music as a whole without being self-indulgent. Andy Moore contributes a great voice and a thumping guitar to the band. He always seems to be quietly self-assured in his role giving a sound foundation to everything SBR does.

James McCulloch adds colour to the band with his red-striped face and kilt. He also adds a very solid bass guitar. Listening to the live performance, the quality of his playing really comes through. I really enjoyed listening to Scott Hanlon drum tonight. Since joining the band, he has provided an unfaltering beat both on the album and in a live setting, he absolutely rocked it from the kit.

So, back to the music. Three more bangers “Killing Time”’ “My Curse” and “Stronger” brought the set to an end. Clearly the crowd wanted more and “Run”, “Crack the Sky”, and the title track of the album “Out of Darkness” made for a fantastic encore set. The band were finished, or so they thought. The crowd wanted more and were not afraid to make that known to the band. Back they came for an unplanned encore and gave us 2018’s “Interstellar” as their final song.

Time to take a wee breath. What a great evening it was. What we saw was a band who have developed their stage craft; running several songs off the back of one another builds momentum in the set and keeps the energy alive in the room, and, man, was there energy tonight. They have built up a repertoire that allows them to come out with an unplanned song within the set and deliver it like it had been rehearsed to death. Was it all perfect? No, but why would it be? These are four young and talented musicians at the start of their journey. They will learn and develop along the road. I think, if they keep doing what they are doing, that road will be a long one and one which will take them to some fantastic places. I have listened to the album and now I have seen it and heard it live. Both versions were outstanding.

The album is out on Monday - why not go buy a physical copy rather than a free download? Bands like SBR are pouring heart and soul into making music, and buying it allows them to give us more.

As the band came back on to start packing up they may have thought again about the day when they might have somebody doing that job for them. On tonight’s evidence, that’s going to happen and happen pretty soon. If you get the chance to see them, take it. Like Naz, it’ll make you smile.