LIVE REVIEW: Press Club @ Stereo, Glasgow
As throngs of people descend the strange fire escape to Stereo in Glasgow it’s almost time for a loud night of loud music. Australian punk rockers PRESS CLUB made the long journey to Glasgow as part of their European tour in support of the excellent third studio album endless movement. This is PRESS CLUBis Glasgow’s first gig since 2019 and the city holds a special place in the bassist’s heart Rufio MacRae. MacRae discussed how his parents met in Glasgow, so it’s a bit of a homecoming.
On this tour PRESS CLUB don’t have touring support, so the role of warming up the Glasgow faithful falls to a few local bands. The first is THE YEARS OF FEAR, an indie pop band from Edinburgh. Singer Juliet Kelly explained to those present that they were delayed and had to rush on stage. This was not reflected in their performance at all as they opened with fantastic vocals and catchy hooks. It was a nice slow integration into the chaos that is a PRESS CLUB show and quite enjoyable throughout.
Rating: 7/10
Next are Glasgow indie rockers with fantastic names PIZZA CRUNCHY. It was more street punk-leaning with heavier riffs and an overall edge we hadn’t seen from the previous band. By this point the room had filled up pretty well and the drinks were flowing, so there was a bit more energy in the room. With minimal crowd interaction throughout the set, it was all about PIZZA CRUNCHY which brought the noise from start to finish. As is normally the case with local support, almost everyone present was here just to PRESS CLUB but PIZZA CRUNCHY put on a great performance and definitely prepared the crowd for the madness that was to follow.
Rating: 7/10
For anyone who hasn’t had the pleasure of honoring the back alley venue that is Stereo in Glasgow, it’s an underground venue, dark and very warm and absolutely perfect for a good old-fashioned punk rock show. After a quick change, it’s time for PRESS CLUB to go on stage. The Australian band receive a very warm welcome from their Scottish fans as they open with the fiery success Eugene. front woman Nathalie FosterThe contagious energy of is clear from the start as she barely stays still for a second. A huge part of FosterThe performance of is a crowd interaction, as it strongly involves the people in the front rows. The power of the band’s studio recordings is only exaggerated with their live performance. Foster exclaims that Glasgow is one of his favorite places in the world as they ask the crowd who brought the Buckfast. The band jumps straight into another of the hits from their new record loose street which moves the crowd. Everyone was clearly there to have a good time and that was clear from the start of the band’s set.
Foster guides the audience into the past with Separate houses and shipwreck as she pushes her way through the crowd, which further elevates the energy in the room. Rambunctious fans are treated to more songs from the new album, including less these days and Untitled Fauna. PRESS CLUB clearly have a lot of fans in attendance tonight as almost all the songs are sung Foster with as much energy as she gives. endless movement gets a big reaction as there is no respite from the band’s fantastic stage presence. As we begin to reach the commercial end of the whole PRESS CLUB erupts in the hard-hitting and emotional blow Canceled. The evening ends with the group’s revolutionary anthem Suburb which was a fan favorite as there is great chanting from Glasgow fans. Foster get on the speakers where she can almost touch the roof to perform the latest song. When the final note is played there is a huge ovation from the crowd and you can see the emotion on the faces of the band.
PRESS CLUB put on an amazing live show filled with so much energy and courage. The talent of each individual member is evident in the quality of their sound, even in these small venues. As the room emptied, there was a very long queue at the sales stand where Foster had already made his way to meet Glasgow fans. A nice touch to end a brilliant punk rock evening.
Rating: 9/10
Check out our photo gallery of the night’s action in Kyle Watt’s Stereo here:
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