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Volbeat are arguably the most un-arena band out there, currently playing arenas. Affable, genuine, decent people who seem more like the 4 coolest dads on the school run than they do diva rock stars. Zero pretences, they look like they strolled off the street and straight onto the stage. In his bucket hat, bassist Kaspar Boye Larsen would be voted most likely to be found face down in an ant mound outside a grotty apartment in Majorca, if he were British, that is. But, after paying their dues and slogging their guts out for decades, Volbeat are where they are on merit. They also have the uncanny knack of making a cavernous venue like the OVO Hydro seem intimate.
The two supporting acts span youth and experience. Given the unenviable job of warming up an audience whilst most are either in the bar or in the queue outside, Manchester noise merchants Witch Fever grab the opportunity with both hands and run with it. Technical gremlins slow down the momentum a tad, but WF don’t hide away and vocalist Amy Walpole spends most of the short show on the front foot down at the end of the ego ramp.
Credit to the headliners for giving the support acts full use of the stage, as there is nothing more uncomfortable than watching an opening act that the headliners have obviously restricted. Although a band better suited to more intimate venues, with bangers like ‘BURN TO HIT’, ‘DEAD TO ME!’, and the slow-burning beauty of ‘I SEE IT’, Witch Fever coax a decent reception out of the crowd, and pique enough interest to add scores of new fans to their next headline tour.
The experience aspect mentioned above comes via the Grammy-winning, multi-platinum-selling Anglo-American outfit Bush. Led by Gavin Rossdale – or Gavin McGregor Rossdale to be precise – of Scottish ancestry on his late mother’s side, Bush are back in Glasgow for the first time in (according to the internet) what looks like eight years. With such a gap between gigs, the well-received 10-song set weighs mostly towards previous albums, and visits the recent new album, ‘I Beat Loneliness’, on three occasions: for the title track itself, ‘The Land of Milk and Honey’, and a stunning version of ‘I Am Here to Save Your Life’. Apart from those three, it’s all about the back catalogue, and what an enviable back catalogue it is.
Although Rossdale is the only original member still within the ranks, there is enough experience and length of service among the current line-up to retain that band vibe usually missing in these circumstances. Lead guitarist Chris Traynor (of Orange 9mm fame) has been part of Bush in one way or another since 2002 and is the band’s not-so-secret-secret-weapon. His riffs are explosive, and he coaxes some gorgeous tones out of his guitar. Corey Britz joined on bass when the band reconvened in 2010 after eight years away, with powerhouse drummer Nik Hughes joining in 2019, and they are all as heavy as balls at times. A pumped-up cover of ‘Come Together’ would be a great example of that, because at times it is almost like Hughes is swinging his arms like he is striking an anvil with each arm.
The charismatic Rossdale is a joy to watch. Whether it’s him dancing on the spot like a boxer waiting to get into the ring, stripping it back for an emotive solo version of the gazillion-selling ‘Swallowed’, or to continue with the boxing analogy, him and Traynor circling each other on the ramp like boxers feeling each other out – he is obviously having a blast. As are the crowd. Many will recognise monster hits like ‘Everything Zen’ and, of course, ‘Swallowed’, ‘Glycerine’; however, it is missing from the setlist. Perhaps saving that for a headline tour? Watch this space.
You would be hard-pressed to find another band of this stature that plays with the same amount of obvious joy as Volbeat does. From the moment that they first appear after the curtain drops, until they line up ninety minutes later to take their bows, Volbeat don’t stop smiling, especially frontman Michael Poulsen, who comes across as the kind of guy that would be happy enough taking everyone for a pint after the show. Packing a wicked sense of humour, with tongue firmly in cheek (thanks to the numerous appearances of a bleating goat on the large screens, tying in with the new album ‘God of Angels Trust’), Poulsen is a fantastic host for the evening.
It does help, though, that Volbeat have so many moments in their collective cannon that cause the audience to lose their shit on numerous occasions. For instance, once the thick, chugging grooves of opener ‘The Devil’s Bleeding Crown’ fade away – such a potent set opener – it’s straight into a throaty version of ‘Lola Montez’ which gives the thousands in attendance the first real chance to howl at the moon. It’s a surefire sign of how strong the setlist is that an out-and-out banger like ‘Lola Montez’ can be aired so early in the set.
Poulson’s love of Johnny Cash is well documented, and it’s with obvious glee that he leads the crowd in a huge singalong of Cash’s ‘Ring of Fire’ that signals the impending ‘Sad Man’s Tongue’. With a glint in his eye, Pouslon says, “This next song, I’ve got to admit, we stole from Mr. Johnny Cash…” before adding, “there is no way that I’m gonna say like everyone else that we were inspired…FUCK NO, we stole it from Johnny Cash and that sounds way better…” Cue sporadic dancing breaking out everywhere once the song explodes to life in a maelstrom of thrashabilly in full-on shitkicking mode. Later in the set, ballsy versions of ‘Shotgun Blues’ and ‘Die to Live’ continue in a similar vein, and if you ever need to imagine what a metal version of Little Richard might sound like, then strap on the utterly insane live version of ‘Die to Live’ for size. In a set chock-full of standout moments, this one takes some beating.
‘Fallen’ is another standout moment. Written by Poulsen as a tribute to his late father, it is such a powerful moment. But unlike most memorial songs, it is catchy and quite upbeat, packing a killer chorus full of memorable hooks, and one beauty of a guitar solo from Poulson. Sticking with standout moments, how about the sheer insanity of ‘In the Barn of the Goat Giving Birth to Satan’s Spawn in a Dying World of Doom’? According to Poulsen, it’s a “Basic love song…” with an incredibly long title, so long that he instructs the crowd on how to say it, having them recite it in stages. And during the call and response stages, he has them bleating like goats.
Flemming C. Lund is a fantastic addition to the Volbeat ranks. Lacking in lead guitarist syndrome, he keeps it simple and plays with a huge grin on his face. Full of skill, he constantly excels, not just on newer moments like ‘By a Monster’s Hand’ and ‘Demonic Depression’, but also on older material such as ‘Heaven nor Hell’, which, despite the death-metal-esque title, is ultra-catchy.
The homestraight is as strong a closing twenty minutes as you are likely to witness. ‘Seal the Deal’ into the greatest Volbeat choon of all time, ‘For Evigt’, then Poulsen calls on all the youngsters in the crowd to join him onstage for ‘Still Counting’. He changes the lyrics to “Counting all the youngsters in the room/Well I’m definitely not alone, well I’m not alone…” and it’s a heartwarming moment that the youngsters will never forget, especially the tiniest of them all, who gets to play Poulsen’s guitar on the closing moments. With Lund, Kaspar Boye Larsen, and the faultless Jon Larsen on drums, all bringing the song to a traditional end, Poulsen works his way along the line of maybe twenty or thirty youngsters, high-fiving, posing for selfies, giving hugs, a genuine moment from the most unlikely of rock stars around today.
Only one way to end a Volbeat show, and that’s with a gonzo run-through of ‘A Warrior’s Call/ Pool of Booze, Booze, Booza’ that ends with the band at the end of the ramp, soaking up the adulation, and sending the crowd home with a smile on their face. Music is supposed to be fun, and Volbeat are doing their damnedest to remind everyone of that.
Review – Dave
All images – Dave Jamieson
