Live Review

The Hollows – Slouch, Glasgow

• 1st Mar 2011

Glasgow rock band The Hollows played a fine set of solid rock n roll at Slouch on Sunday night as part of a free show. This is now a regular weekend feature at Slouch, which is fast becoming a good place to see local talent.

The Hollows have a classic rock sound based around two guitarists who share lead vocals and a powerful rhythm section comprising bass and drums. There is a sixties feel to the music, but that doesn’t mean it is dated. Rather their original songs offer a contemporary take on the theme.

The small venue placed some limits on The Hollows’ sound – these boys play loud. But this did not stop their quality from shining through. The drums are insistent, the bass powerful and the guitars scream.

The Hollows are regulars on the Glasgow gig scene and were previously known as The Hollow Tin Sorrows. Now managed by Jim Beattie from Primal Scream they are setting their sights wider and are already booked to play the Sound City festival in Liverpool in May. And there is a debut single to come too.

This short set featured favourites from their regular live routine. Don’t Go Dancing (Without Me) saw high pitched vocals over power chords that shook the small stage, while Do What They Do saw a faster vocal style, the words spat out in an aggressive fashion.

See The Sun had an almost psychedelic feel, its atmospheric vocals rising over a fast drum beat. And No Surprise, a new song, contained a fine guitar solo between powerful vocals and ended with a series of emphatic drum rolls.

The closing cover of the rock classic Long Tall Sally was a joyful homage to rock’s past from a band with an eye to the future. It was the perfect way to end the set.

The Hollows have a solid sound that contains both power and finesse. Their songs are new and fresh and their delivery shows considerable talent. They are young and still learning the rock craft but I think there is a great dealt to come from this band.