Live Review

Envy of the State – Classic Grand, Glasgow

• 6th Jun 2010

Many smaller venues now seem to put bands on before club nights, meaning an early curfew. Add in the fact that this was an all ages show with four bands to fit in and the result was that the first band was on stage at the ridiculously early time of 7pm.

Local grunge band Hello Hello opened the night with a set that was all harsh chords and screaming vocals, but at least had the virtue of being mercifully short.

Envy of the State were up next. They exploded onto the stage, projecting an infectious excitement that soon had the rapidly growing crowd whipped into a frenzy. From the opening Silver Screen, with its excellent guitar solo, to the power chords of closer Devil In My Eyes, this was a quality rock performance.

In a set lasting just under half an hour the band somehow managed to cram in eight tracks from the soon to be released debut album, Soundtrack For Your Life. And, in that short time, they showed this is a band that should go far if there is any justice left in the music world.

Envy of the State are ably led by Scott Adams, a charismatic frontman in the classic rock style. He delivered his soaring and evocative vocals while utilising every inch of the stage to entertain, leaping with agility but never missing a note. He even threw in the odd Daltrey move with the mic cable.

Guitarist Darrell Smith provides the infectious hooks and meaty chords, together with some fine work on the upper reaches of the fret board. And the powerful, relentless beat supplied by drummer Ben Millington and Steve Tipton on bass drives the music forward at a frantic pace.

The current single, Take Over The Radio, was excellently performed; its anthemic chorus built onto some fine guitar riffs. And the next release, Rags To Riches (Riches To Rehab), was delivered to perfection with all of the considerable vocal power at Adams’ disposal.

These guys quite simply know how to rock hard. They have energy, power and vitality in droves. They deserve to be playing in bigger venues, and I expect to see them headlining soon.

Envy of the State’s combination of musical talent and fine stagecraft entertained the crowd in impressive style. They finished their short set to tremendous applause and left behind an audience that contained many new fans.

This was an excellent performance and I look forward to seeing a much longer display of their musical prowess in the near future.

Next up were Fei Comodo, whose hard rock sound features thick, heavy guitars and complex vocal harmonies. The lead singer showed a real disregard for his own safety, climbing onto every surface that he could. Their fans simply loved the set.

And finally, headliners InMe hit the stage. The Essex boys played a fine, high intensity set that had considerable energy and a dark quality that gave something of a grand rock feel. Judging from the t-shirts worn by the majority of the crowd, this was the band that most had come to see and they were not disappointed.

A fine night of music then – but Envy of the State stole the show for me.