Glasgow-based five-piece Shambolics put on an epic performance with their retro-laced blast of luminous indie as they kick off their UK headline tour in true Glasgow style at the city’s Garage.
Formed in Kirkcaldy back in 2015 by vocalists/guitarists Lewis McDonald and Darren Forbes, the band, who were signed to Creation legend Alan McGee’s label Creation23 for several years, have recently moved on to Manchester’s Scruff Of The Neck records, resulting in shimmering debut EP U Serious Boi?! The band worked with Glasgow-based producer Chris Marshall on the newly-released EP which sees them fuse upbeat anthems with nostalgic grooves and effortless hooks under the heady vocals of McDonald and Forbes.
Tonight’s support comes from East Kilbride’s New Town, who are first up, their mellow jangle of indie-pop building momentum before the soulful rock of Glasgow five-piece The Rooks energises the crowd.
Brimming with banter, Shambolics kick off their set with Sharp As A Razor, a propulsive slice of swagger-infused indie, its anthemic chorus let loose amongst the crowd, ensuring they’re hooked in from the outset. With songs written with a live audience in mind, a live cut of this number from Glasgow’s SWG3 is included on the new EP so any curious newbies can find out what these darned Shams are really all about even if they can’t make it along to a gig. Exploding seamlessly into If You Want It, another addictive chorus unites the crowd in song as Forbes asks who’s the maddest fan in the Garage, releasing a camera into the crowd to capture raw reactions as the night unfolds, no doubt picking up some sweat and tears and beers along the way. Hmm, that should be an interesting watch and hopefully the crowd-cam doesn’t dip below face level as it goes about its murky journey of discovery under the crowd’s backing tracks of “the Shams are on fire” and regulatory “here we, here we, here we f**king go”.
Although 2020’s Sandra Speed references winter, tonight it exhilarates like a cool summer breeze as McDonald and Forbes’ radiant harmonies swarm above Ben Sharp’s buoyant bassline, Jake Bain’s drums crashing through the hazy interlude before they spiral into the psychedelic rush of U Serious Boi’s What’s Going On In Your Head, Scotty Paws’ swirling synth a nod to ’60s psych-rock. But it’s the vocal interplay between McDonald and Forbes that sets Shambolics apart from many other bands in their field, lush textures unfurling as McDonald’s endearing Fife intones intertwine with Forbes’. The pair remain the band’s main songwriters, telling us earlier that they write new tracks on acoustics together or individually “before taking them to the band who brighten them up” so it seems natural for them to share the vocals. And with unwavering levels of confidence, Forbes also lands the task of main mouthpiece for the night, working up the crowd with ease.
The set’s short but the band wastes no time between numbers, diving into the new EP with glimmering layers of Smiths-eque guitar on Never Gonna Change, a poke at people who are all talk and no action, along with the breezy synth of ‘80s pop Take It Or Leave It. They also embrace the past with flourishing favourite Dreams, Schemes & Young Teams, and with Forbes earlier telling ReSound that he loves a bit of trance, they throw in the hypnotic groove of Alice Deejay’s Better Off Alone. But Shambolics-future is also present, with snappy new number Never Be Mine showcased, its harmonies colliding beautifully while the ever-energetic Bain drums away like his life depends on it…and it probably feels like it does tonight.
As the set draws to a close, the rowdy atmosphere continues to build with a crowd-led rendition of debut single Chasing A Disaster while Love Collides’ gutsy hook and smouldering baseline reinforces their fantastic fret-work. Concluding the evening with emotive singalong When She Goes Home, Forbes invites everyone over to the merch stand afterwards to “talk some shite” with them. Ah, they’ll be there all night!
This Shambolic bunch have built up a loyal following over the last few years and will have gathered a fine few more fans after this boisterous but melodious evening. As they head down to England next month to continue the tour, their Glasgow fans live in hope of a Barrowlands gig. In the meantime, Shambolics can relive the night from the other side of the stage…if they dare…
We caught up with Lewis and Darren before the gig, check out our interview here >>
U Serious Boi?! is out now on Scruff Of The Neck records: https://shambolicsmusic.co.uk/collections/store
Words: Shirley Mack @musingsbymarie
Pictures: Calum Mackintosh@ayecandyphotography