Live Review

Duncan Drever – The Free Hetherington, Glasgow

• 1st Jul 2011

The Free Hetherington is a place where people come together against the cuts imposed on by the University of Glasgow’s senior management group and the current government’s plan of austerity. This occupation has now been going for 151 days, thought to be the United Kingdom’s longest political occupation.

Tonight it was turned over to the richness of life in the form of a small, intimate gig by guitarist Duncan Drever. Playing a set of carefully dappled tunes befitting the slowly fading light filtered through the trees which surround the building.

Warm applause from the loving audience ripples around the second-floor room (which also doubles up as a sleeping space) and it is not long before Duncan starts directly interacting with the people directly. “This one is called ‘The Four Whores of Baltimore’” to which there is obvious amusement. The set continues like a swallow floating on the air, coming to an end which befits the buildings. A duet is struck up and the collective action is on The Kinks’ famous track of gratefulness, ‘Days’. After two amusing false starts the song is wonderfully sung. Everyone enjoys this and the light is now non-existent, but suits the mood as the manufactured lights would have created a false mood of harshness.