The Commoners were back in Scotland for the second night of the Death Wish Blues Tour, supporting Samantha Fish and Jesse Dayton. An amazing night of rock and roll laid ahead at the Barrowland Ballroom in Glasgow.
Photos by Kevin Kerr
From the first note, the crowd was fired up and ready to party with The Commoners in true Glaswegian fashion.
Photos by Barry Douglas
The reviews came in days after the show… here are some cool words from Devil’s Gate Music. Check out the full review here.
Serving as special guests on the 10-date blitzkrieg that started in the North and snakes its way South until it hits London on October 30th are The Commoners, who are making good on their promise to come back real soon after winning over so many on their April co-headling tour with Troy Redfern. The Toronto-based roots-rockers are built for the road and given the huge distances that they must have to navigate back home in The Great White North, this jaunt around England and Scotland is child’s play. And with Planet Rock Radio adding the scorchio new single ‘Devil Teasin’ Me’ to their much sought after A-List radio playlist (the holy grail for a new band) there is no time like the present for The Commoners to scratch a few more cities off the been-there-done-it map.
It only takes until the second song, ‘Shake You Off’, before the Black Crowes comparisons hit, and when they hit, they hit big time. Having dispensed with his guitar, vocalist Chris Medhurst is free to release his inner Chris Robinson (and in doing so release his inner Rod Stewart, his inner Mick Jagger) including a stunning scream towards the end of the song, and spark memories of one of THE great gigs that this famous/infamous venue has ever seen: The Black Crowes on their ‘Southern Harmony and Musical Companion’ UK Tour in 1992. Strangely, tonight’s show lands pretty much at the same time as ’99 Pounds’, the first single to be released from the forthcoming boxset celebrating the seminal second album from the ‘Crowes. With Ben Spiller (bass) and Adam Cannon (drums) helping out on backing vocals, it is a riotous celebration of life.
Arching his back with his right arm raised in a move often known as Page-esque, guitarist Ross Hayes Citrullo is a joy to watch and a fantastic player with some gorgeous touches – including when he unleashes some devilish slide guitar on his red SG during an airing for the title track of the forthcoming new album ‘Restless’. A slower, ballad-like blues moment that has a beautiful solo from Citrullo where he changes between guitar pick and finger picking style. Set highlight is ‘Fill My Cup’, a perfect tip of the hat to The Band that has the lush keyboard sound from Miles Evans-Branagh just about stealing the show from Medhurst’s passionate vocals. The original version comes with some gorgeous female backing vocals and is simply stunning, until the band can tour with a larger production, this will do. A band that makes you kick yourself for missing them last time around – a mistake never to be repeated.
Photo by Stewart Fullerton
Here’s another great review by Jace Media Music, who attended our Glasgow debut at King Tuts back in April. Darren McIntyre went in depth, giving his thoughts on each song from the set. Check out their full review here.
Tonight the boys bring their rock n roll juggernaut to the heart of Glasgow to the world-famous Barrowland Ballroom, the place is filling up nicely for a band that is virtually unknown in these parts but that doesn’t matter as tonight it is all about these 5 guys from Toronto as they make their way to the stage to huge cheers.
Adam gets things off the ground as the slick gritty riffs fill the air and off we go with a foot-stomping edgy groove as the boys open the show with style. The basslines are dropping sweet full grooves on us as the boys really up their game and let us have it before Chris hits us with a real gravelly vocal tone that really fits this fantastic venue. The boys are smiling from ear to ear as the crowd really gives back in spades as we feel the funk element really fill the room and let these boys show us what they are made of, we get a slick snare drum beat that walks freely through the arrangement as Ross cuts loose and brings us slick clean licks that just let these boys express themselves as they really bring it tonight in Glasgow. We are getting these boys in all their glory as they deliver a polished groove that just lets us know that these boys have arrived, as we holler and cheer loudly the boys really thank us for the warm welcome and just can’t believe they are here in Scotland tonight.
Photo by Barry Douglas
Two more shout-outs to Scottish Music Network, and CGCM Rock Radio who also mentioned The Commoners in their reviews of the show. Check them out below:
CONCERT REVIEW : SAMANTHA FISH & JESSE DAYTON – BARROWLAND GLASGOW 20TH OCTOBER 2023
SAMANTHA FISH AND JESSE DAYTON – Glasgow Barrowlands (Concert Review)
Photos by John Brown
By the time The Commoners set was over, all 900 Scots in attendance we’re grooving feverishly with the band, already looking forward to the next time they’d be back.
Well we feel the exact same way. Till next time Glasgow… we’ll see you again soon.
Photos by Dave Jamieson