Even among Glasgow’s countless live venues, Bloc+ is an intriguing one. Its Soviet shtick, the fact that all live shows are free, and its size and layout; all combine to make for one-of-a-kind evenings, where the band are squeezed as tightly together as the crowd and there’s a constant level of background chatter from people who have turned up to start (or continue) their evening sessions in somewhere a bit different from the local ‘Spoons. Said background noise should spell death for any bands who place emphasis on atmosphere over volume yet somehow the hubbub and human static work in the performances’ favour tonight.
Glasgow post-rock outfit in:tides should definitely be feeling the effects of the room’s acoustics given the emphasis that they place on minimalism and detail, every note pitch-perfect and spaced out with the right amount of breathing room to deliver maximum drama and tension. While that could be clinical in the wrong hands, in:tides have been in this game long enough that their approach is equal parts art and science, exacting and immaculately structured while never losing the sense that four beating hearts are what are driving the thing in the first place. The delicate bits are gorgeous, dreamy and contemplative in equal measure, but it’s the spikes in energy where all sounds are hurtling with great force and velocity right to the crowd’s core that the band shine; thankfully, there are no shortage of these moments in their all-too-short set, and the crowd happily lap it up.
in:tides. Photo: Lukasz Olech (@vlucekv)
Tonight marks the third appearance of Million Moons in the Glasgow and while guitarist/keyboardist Ed Thompson describes the city as having become a second home to the band, it also feels increasingly like Glasgow has accepted the lads as part of its own. The previously cosy room is now packed; anticipation is high and as they slide into ‘Last Days Together’ the feeling is like easing into a warm bath. The beauty of their compositions is undeniable, Thompson and Freddie Locock-Harrison’s melodies subtly intertwining and swelling with each successive loop before crashing headlong into each other, as Solomon Radley’s drumming switches up delicate flutters and a wildly expressive approach that is almost jazzy in its range and technicality.
Million Moons. Photo: Lukasz Olech (@vlucekv)
Taking much of their set from this year’s You Be Good, I Love You it’s an understandably emotional journey, crisp as a winter morning but filled with bluster and might when all four lock in. Jay Miller is incredible to watch, a man with the aura of a Doomriders roadie and the carefully measured approach to bass of whatever the opposite of that might be; still, when the band hit yet another soaring high, he is a ball of energy and groove wound up and let loose. As always, they close with fan favourite ‘Aurora’ but with a dash of audience participation thrown in as two floor toms are hauled out into the centre of the crowd and drumsticks are randomly distributed for everyone to pound along with Radley’s sharp martial beats.
Despite the immediacy of its approach, ‘Aurora’ is the perfect comedown for the evening, a demonstration not only of Million Moons’ ability to craft songs that are rich and immediately captivating, but also of their tight cohesion as a unit. Every member plays their part but there’s a hivemind sense of unity that, when the crowd are pulled into it as they are now, is just jaw-dropping. They’re one of the most forward-thinking and genuinely innovative bands at work in the UK, and getting to see them hammer out a performance like this for the princely sum of sod all feels like Christmas come early.
Million Moons Drum Hub. Photo: Lukasz Olech (@vlucekv)
