Live Review

Three Blind Wolves – O2 ABC, Glasgow

• 15th Sep 2011

Three Scottish bands gave their take on Glasgow’s No Mean City festival of Americana last night in the ABC’s smaller hall, with headliners Three Blind Wolves in particular going down a storm.

The Dirty Beggars got things moving with a lively set that combined country and bluegrass influences. Bite The Bullet, the title track from the band’s forthcoming album went down well, a typically mournful country track. And their fast paced version of Swing Low Sweet Chariot was a lot of fun; an interesting interpretation that owed more to Appalachia than Twickenham.

Glasgow folk rockers Washington Irvine performed a fine set, mixing acoustic with electric and indie with folk to create a sound that included a flute to good effect. The lively SiSi was fast and exciting while there were distinctly Celtic influences on many of the bass heavy tracks. One ferocious instrumental number verged well into rock territory with some fine guitar work.

Three Blind Wolves have a solid rock sound and the country influence is clear to hear now and then in the melodies. The opening In Here Somewhere started slowly before building into a good rock song with a chant along chorus. Front man Ross Clark was keen to get the crowd involved from the off, and many were happy to oblige.

Honey Fire was an early standout, its pace rising and falling as big dramatic chords crashed from the two guitars but with slower passages in between. This was followed with Black Bowl Park, a big rocker with a Celtic feel to the melody. Clark’s fingerpicking guitar style was to the fore here.

Several other tracks from the Sound Of The Storm album were played, including the impressive Hotel, featuring a fine bass line, and Emily Rose, which again started slowly before bursting into life. The set was closed with Sex Is For Losers, which developed into a long instrumental jam before the band left the stage in a final feedback frenzy.

Clark and co were soon back out for an encore, but surprised everyone by climbing into the audience and singing Put You In The Ground from the middle of the floor. The audience joined in and it was a fine way to end the night.

Three Blind Wolves are clearly a fine live band, There was plenty of energy and commitment in their performance from start to finish and their fans lapped up every minute of it.