THE STRUTS

“The Struts. Probably the most fun you can have with your clothes on”

I’m not often lost for words, but in trying to describe what I experienced tonight I am now. Let’s be clear, I’ve been going to gigs since the early 80’s, have been lucky to see many, many bands live, but could only count on one hand the number of gigs which were as good as tonight’s gig in Glasgow. Yes, it really was that good.

As rock fans, we’ve all been to good or even great gigs which leave their mark on you for different reasons and at different stages in your life. It’s easy to get caught up in considering how great the vocals were, how well the musicians played or how the band played a favourite album track or cover which is rarely played live. But at the risk of being uncool, when was the last time that you recognised a gig for providing sheer entertainment and fun? Yes, FUN.

Tonight The Struts, playing their first headlining Glasgow gig (sold out like most of their current UK tour), provided a masterclass in musical entertainment and stagecraft finally honed as a result of having spent the last few years on the road. To anyone who has followed their career this was not a surprise given the manner in which they wooed and won over audience after audience, stadium after stadium and night after night while supporting The Foo Fighters on their US tour and being named by Dave Grohl as the best band to have supported them. And having seen them on the supporting bill for Guns’n’Roses at Download last year, I knew how well they could work an audience. What I hadn’t expected was how far they have progressed in just 8 months.

While The Struts have gained the recognition which they deserve in the US and other countries, the UK has been slow to catch on, but with their latest album the music press have finally taken notice and a fair degree of hype has built up. Do they match the hype? No, they exceed it. With an arsenal of songs from only two albums that others might kill for The Struts are much more than a retro sound. Yes, they wear their influences unashamedly on their sleeves, but they mix a range of styles and influences from 70’s rock, glam and Brit Pop, add something of their own and somehow manage to come out with a sound which is anthemic, fresh, sexy, fun and unlike any other bands around at the moment. And they rock.

Live, their sound is much rawer than the polished US-leaning production on their albums might suggest. And at 1 hr 15 mins and 11 songs, the set could have been longer, but left the 700-capacity audience breathless – a cross-generational audience, it has to be said, ranging from 14 - 60+ and including a good showing of hardened rock fans who have seen it all. From set opener ‘Primadonna Like Me’ to set closer ‘Could Have Been Me’, we sang our lungs out, we danced, we cheered, we clapped, we bounced, we did call and response and we swayed. And I’ll happily admit that I put my notepad aside and along with everyone else, at Luke’s request, we got down on the floor of The Garage and jumped up into the air pretending we were fireworks. It was just that kind of gig. Cheesy? Without a doubt - the gig could probably been played in Cheddar Gorge. Entertaining? Hell, yes.

In vocalist Luke Spiller, The Struts have one of the most captivating front men in rock (past or present) whose ability to engage and command an audience has to be experienced live. Think Freddie Mercury, Mick Jagger, Noddy Holder, Gaz Coombes and Peter Kay (yes, the comedian) all rolled into one and you might get the picture. And as a band The Struts are ferociously tight for a young, or any age of, band and frequently stopped mid-song on a beat. Adam Slack, on guitar, churned out meaty riff after meaty riff filling the sound in a manner which negated the need for a second guitarist while Jed Elliot (on bass) and Gethin Davies (on drums) laid down the rhythm and groove which drives the band along and makes it so difficult to stand still. Try, but your body won’t let you - your arms and legs will think they are at a T-Rex or Happy Mondays convention.

Despite touring in support of the new album, last year’s ‘Young & Dangerous’, only 3 songs were played from this - ‘Primadonna Like Me’, ‘Body Talks’ and ‘In Love With a Camera’. Instead, the set was very much weighted towards their debut album with no fewer than 6 crowd-pleasers played – ‘Kiss This’, Dirty Sexy Money’, ‘Mary Go Round’, ‘Put Your Money On Me’ and set closers ‘Where Did She Go?” and ‘Could Have Been Me’ – all of which the crowd sang along with word for word, providing Luke with some assistance as he struggled on with a failing voice rather than cancelling the gig. Stand-alone single ‘One Night Only’ was also played along with a great cover of Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Dancing in the Dark’ complete with a Courtney Cox style video moment providing young fan Ella with a moment which she will remember for the rest of her life.

The Struts. Probably the most fun you can have with your clothes on. UK arenas beckon.

GMcA