Washington Irving have been veterans of the Glasgow scene for quite some time now, but this is their first gig in Scotland’s biggest city for a while.
As we’re told from the stage this is because they have been spending time in New York completing their new album, so we can probably let them off.
“It’s not available yet, which is a shame; these things always take longer than you think,” says singer/guitarist Joe Black.
There’s quite a crowd to welcome them back although they need encouragement from Black to move closer to the front.
From the opening song there is a lot of energy; the band have clearly missed touring and playing live and are delighted to be back.
A lot of the set is from the forthcoming album, but it’s old favourites that the crowd are understandably most in to.
Drawing from Palomides vol 1 and 2, songs such as the title track and ‘Holy Company’ have some sections of the audience finding their dancing feet.
The new songs are greeted well and hint at the direction the band are going, which is more solid progress than radical departure and that’s no bad thing.
Penultimate song ‘Tongues’ is from this new album and is a big tune that ends in brilliant instrumental chaos, before instrumental closer ‘Bealach nan Righ’.
All in all, it’s good to have these guys back as tonight hints at a fantastic album to come and very welcome it will be too.
Words: Eala MacAlister
Rave Child 