THE SNUTS’ performance at Stirling Castle on March 26th was more than just a live stream, it was a work of art demonstrating everything the band stand for – marvellous guitar riffs, timeless vocals and Scotland.
As the timer counted down and The Snuts teased their entrance on the live chat, I felt a familiar sense of anticipation and reminisced on the feeling I haven’t felt since March 2020. The screen opened up with a compilation of clips of the band performing to crowds, evidently also feeling a mutual sense of nostalgia, before fading into a melodic, cello-based instrumental.
Lead singer Jack Cochrane took centre stage, looking like a modern-day John Lennon, before being joined by the band and opening with “All Your Friends”. The build-up to the band’s entrance was effortless and accurately mimicked the sensation you experience as the crowd goes wild and the artist walks onstage from the side. The band started as they meant to go on, performing outstandingly and making you forget you were in a national lockdown.
With a mix of new songs, old tracks and short samples of people speaking alongside the videography, production and lights, it felt more like a deliberate short film rather a live stream.
The setlist was perfectly selected to showcase the band’s many talents: they’re able to create and perform upbeat, heartwarming tracks like “Somebody Loves You”, whilst being able to master singalong alternative tunes like “Juan Belmonte”.
Being from Glasgow myself, I could be biased in saying “Glasgow” was a pinnacle in the performance. Although other artists like Catfish and the Bottlemen and David Guetta have songs with the same title, The Snuts are able to perform it patriotically with such passion, an authentic sound and meaning that cannot possibly be mimicked.
Moments before the four-piece played “Somebody Loves You”, they paid to their collaboration with the Scottish Refugee Council with audio clips of people who have been supported by that charity telling their stories. This, paired with the touching track, meant for a solemn moment of reflection on why the charity itself needs to exist.
The Scottish quartet’s performance transported you from your couch on a rainy Friday night to the front row at Glasgow’s Barrowlands, that is not an art every band can master – especially on a live stream. A five-star show.
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