Walking into the Attic bar a couple of minutes late, there’s already a wall of sound as three-piece local raw-punk band Blow Up Dog rip through their first track. Although I don’t catch it all, they’re definitely not messing about, and the small crowd are already held by the music and the personality of bassist and singer Tom Rowan. Wearing a T-shirt that says ‘’ALL TORIES ARE CUNTS’’ he is direct and confident which you really have to be to play a venue like this.
Small though the Attic bar is, it means that the crowd are inches away and at this time of night, with their attention caught they’re all standing in judgement. Unperturbed, Rowan engages in a bit of random chit chat. ‘’We used to be Drop The Baby but now we’re not’’, no explanation is offered. ‘’Are you all looking forward to Crows, they’re fucking amazing’’; ‘’Do you know that crows have the same level of intelligence as a five-year-old human baby?’’ No, no I did not.
I notice Jack Taylor (drums) is wearing a “Fuck Trump” T-shirt and look expectantly to guitarist Ryan Majidi, who clearly didn’t get the “wear an anti-establishment T-shirt” message. However, by then I’m distracted by ‘Portrait Of An Animal’ and these three work really well together. Energetic, unapologetic and raw. Well not too energetic as Rowan then says that they’re going to slow things down a bit as he’s asthmatic. That doesn’t really happen at all. Other highlights include a cover of Wet Leg’s 2019 viral track ‘Chaise Longue’ with its classic lyrics: ‘’Mummy, daddy look at me, I went to school and I got a degree, All my friends call it the big D, I went to school and I got the big D.’’
It’s hard to describe how this track sounds slurred out in a broad Scottish accent, but you’ll want to hear it again. Blow Up Dog also plays tracks such as ‘Dickhead’, ‘Santa’ and newbie ‘DWL’, which from what I can make out is Drinking, Wanking,… Laundry? The set is over too soon and I vow to look the band up.
Then it is time for Crows who, from what I have seen and heard, everybody believes are other-worldly brilliant live. Doubt it, we’ll see.
The band are touring on the back of recently released new album ‘Beware Believers’. The album, released via Crows’ own label Bad Vibrations Records, was long awaited. So I have to admit there’s some anticipation and excitement as they walk on stage. You can sense it from the crowd who, though small in number, clearly includes some hardcore ‘believers’, some very tall skinheads (pogoing must make you taller) and now the members of Blow Up Dog as well.
They walk in, plug in and fire into ‘Closer Still’, first track on the new album and one that was begging to be played live with its distorted rhythmic guitar intro. I’m honestly mesmerised, not least by singer James Cox’s commanding presence and resonant vocals. Keeping the pace up it’s right into ‘Garden of England’. A brave choice in the middle of Glasgow but Cox is up and leaning into the Crowd, manic stare on his face that he directs around the room person to person. Will you look away first? Probably.
I don’t recognize the next track, but most do and it turns out to be head shaker ‘Wednesday’s Child’ taken from the first album ‘Silver Tongues’ (2019). ‘Slowly Separate’ gets the crowd going and amps up the atmosphere some more. Cox’s manic influence has begun to spread and it’s getting a bit wild in there. As they head through the middle of the set at pace, playing ‘The Itch’ from their Cold Comfort. and ‘Whisper’ from the ‘Unwelcome Light’ EP, as well as three more new tracks, at some point Cox complains of feeling tired. It’s a bit of a surprise as he seems anything but. The band oblige with steadily rhythmic ‘Sad Lad’ but there’s little respite as they follow with ‘Room 156’ and ‘Wild Eyed and Loathsome’. I am pleased to find that the latter comes through a million times better live than the album version and I’ll return to listen with a new perspective after this.
It makes me wonder a little about why there aren’t more people at this gig. Crows should be drawing a bigger crowd than this outside of London. The quality of the album and their live presence justifies greater popularity than you see here. However, looking back on the experience, I wouldn’t want to have seen them anywhere else. The band enthral the crowd, get in with them, stare them down and lift them up. They thrive on the small, intimate venue and the opportunity it gives them to connect with people. I guess that’s how you build a fanbase that will stick with you until you get round to releasing another album, rather than disappear off chasing someone new. Create a connection, a memory that won’t go away.
The set ends on two ‘Silver Tongues’ tracks, ‘Hang Me High’ and ‘Chain of Being’ and Crows have everyone under their command. There’s chaos in the room and on the stage. A very young looking girl flanked by two pals does a quirky dance and catches the eye of Cox who bursts into laughter. She smiles and dances some more. No instruments were broken tonight but the atmosphere is at that level. Yet, just as suddenly it all ends, 45 minutes in. The last track still ringing in your ears and the drums are being taken apart, at 9.45pm. Well either Cox really is puggled or The Garage is hoofing them out to open it’s club doors. Whatever the case there’s no encore.
Despite the abrupt ending I come away with a few things clear in my head. One: you cannot see Crows live without getting possessed. Two: Sharpen your elbows and practice not having to blink, Three: You’re going to want to see them again. The album is good, the gigs are better. Make sure you see them live soon, preferably in a tiny little sweatbox.
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