Published by METRO
Tomorrow (5 April), 7pm, £16.50 (returns only), The Classic Grand, Glasgow. Tel: 0141 847 0820. http://www.classicgrand.com
VIDEO: Glasvegas - Geraldine (Glasvegas, 2008)
You’ve probably stopped to ponder a few ‘what ifs’ on your way to work over the years. What would your life be like now if you’d caught the attention of a football scout after scoring THAT free-kick for your town’s under-12 team? Or if the band you played bass in at university managed to win a recording contract and hit the big time?
Step forward James Allan, who’s achieved both these dreams in his relatively short time on the planet.
That’s right – he was a half-decent winger for Queen’s Park, Dumbarton, and a host of other professional clubs in the Scottish Football League, but he’s also performed to millions of fans worldwide as the frontman of indie rock group Glasvegas.
So was he simply born into the right circles, and given these opportunities by powerful people his parents knew?
No way. Even just a cursory listen to his sharply observed lyrics, delivered with a deeply moving vocal style, confirms that nothing but his own passion has opened the doors in his life.
Together with his cousin Rab Allan (lead guitar), Paul Donoghue (bass) and Jonna Löfgren (drums), Glasvegas’s epic, anthemic sound evokes the raw qualities of Pulp, Suede, and The Smiths.
The four-piece has toured relentlessly since its platinum-selling eponymous debut album first flew off the shelves in 2008, and the band members are clearly buzzing about returning for an intimate gig back in their home city.
‘Almost back in Glesga. Yaldy!’ they recently tweeted.
Surely you don’t want to give yourself another ‘what if’ to contemplate by missing this show tomorrow night. Go on, get down to The Classic Grand. You owe it to yourself.
