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The last time that Grammy-award-winning Jake Kiszka played Glasgow, he was performing just across the M8 motorway at the huge OVO Hydro Arena with Greta Van Fleet. Tonight, it’s the more intimate surroundings of one of the smaller rooms at the sprawling SWG3 multi-room venue, for the second-to-last show on a lengthy tour from Kiszka’s new collaborative project Mirador.
Formed by GVF co-founder Kiszka and Chris Turpin of British duo Ida Mae, Mirador recently released their self-titled debut album – which had Guitarist Magazine asking, “Have Jake Kiszka of Greta Van Fleet and Chris Turpin just made the guitar album of the decade?” – to great acclaim. Fuelled by the newfound chemistry from two guitarists of quite some stature, and having realised that they struck gold and Mirador was more than just a studio project, here they are winding down a whistle-stop 10-date tour of the EU & UK. And boy, have they brought one hell of a cheering section with them.
Expecting a gaggle of grizzled gig veterans arguing about b-sides, etc, it’s a pleasant surprise to see (and hear, mostly, hear) scores of younger fans on the barrier. With the band seemingly setting their gear up themselves (it’s kind of hard to tell as the venue is darker than the pits of hell), each sighting of Jake Kiszka is met by screams of recognition. Bassist Nick Pini also has his fair share of admirers, and like Kiszka, his every move throughout the night garners screams of approval.
Sadly, Chris Turpin has been suffering on this tour, and after struggling on a few earlier shows, the band were forced to cancel the Paris gig due a few nights before tonight’s gig. This has obviously meant rethinking the set, with Kiszka contributing more to co-vocals, and the introduction of a 15-minute bass and drum solo, performed by Pini and Mikey Sorbello, respectively. Understandably, the band wants to protect Turpin’s voice, and this also means that songs get fleshed out with extended dueling guitars between him and Kiszka.
It’s a guitar-heavy set, with Kiszka especially in fine form, and once the opening grooves of set opener ‘Heels of The Hunt’ settle down, he and Turpin go toe-to-toe with some fiery guitar interplay. Kiszka is a surprisingly strong vocalist, and he seems at ease taking over the spotlight from his centre-stage position, breaking out a harmonica for a few sharp blasts, while Turpin bends some notes on the far side. Turpin is way, way over on the far side, and in this darkness, there is a genuine fear that he might walk into a wall, or worse, fall off the stage. One of the shortest tracks aired this evening, it is a belting opener.
‘Raider’ quickly follows on with its doom-filled drum intro, and the four-minute studio version turns into a ten-minute-plus version, complete with a ballsy turn of pace a few minutes in that leads into a guitar slide killer solo from Turpin. Nice trading of guitar solos from Turpin and Kiszka. Kind of like that famous scene in the ‘Crossroads’ movie, with the main difference being that in the movie, at least you could see the players. Tonight, it’s just two shadowy figures, although it is impossible to miss Kiszka pulling off multiple trademark Gibson-wielding-lead-guitarist arched back poses. Puzzling why it is so dark. Atmospheric? Moody? Who knows.
‘Feels Like Gold’ is one of the highlights from the album, and it doesn’t disappoint live. Although it is dangerous to have the three outfield players standing in a semi-circle playing toward the drummer, with their backs to the crowd. Some heavy hits are landing from Mikey Sorbello, who, a short while later, is playing his drums bare-handed. Sans sticks. Always a great visual, it’s still a buzz watching someone who hits things for a living, getting primal. ‘Roving Blade’ is another big moment. With Kiszka taking a lot of the lead vocals. ‘Ten Thousand More to Ride’ is special, as is the cut and thrust of the gonzo named ‘Blood and Custard’ which has Kiszka howling like his brother, GVF vocalist Josh Kiszka, and ends with Turpin dropping to his knees and playing his guitar on the floor as if it were a lap-steel.
With Turpin seemingly running at maybe 60 or 70%, it’s a difficult night for Mirador, but they just about pull it off. Having another decent vocalist on hand is a major plus, but even without the lengthy bass and drum solo/jam (which is completely understandable), it still feels self-indulgent at times. Sure, there is only one album’s worth of material to draw upon, but by trimming some of the excess, there is a killer set there, as the album is pretty special.
Connect with Mirador, HERE.
Review – Dave
PHOTO CREDITS: DEAN CHALKLEY
