Being the last show of the tour, you always expect something big and special to commemorate the end. As this was not only the final show, but the hometown of Yashin I expected to witness something spectacular.
Since I went to two previous shows of this tour (Plymouth and Leeds) I knew generally what was going to happen so if there were any changes for the huge hometown show I would notice.
To start things off we had Glasgow’s own Azriel. Energetic and with a sound that reminds me of While She Sleeps, I have to commend them on the effort they put into their set. Unfortunately, despite a home crowd and an almost sold out 1350 capacity, they struggled to get the crowd going. Even with some contribution from Yashin’s Kevin Miles, the crowd just couldn’t seem to get into Azriel’s performance.
Shadows Chasing Ghosts were up next. After seeing them a few times, not only on this tour, but on a few previous tours it was easy to see that they were missing one of their guitarists which meant that they couldn’t play a few of their key songs. It didn’t stop them from putting on a great, energetic show though. Starting their set with Splinter from their recently released album Lessons they burst to life. However, it surprised me how the crowd almost seemed lifeless were being, even as Shadows played some of their most recognised songs Lose The Attitude, SOS and ended with Home through the contribution of Yashin’s Harry Radford on guest vocals and Andy McShane on guitars for the song (which wasn’t done on any other dates) the crowd really didn’t do much moving and singing, which disappointed me quite a bit because they put a lot of effort into their set, but the crowd made it obvious that they were here for one band.
Perhaps I had just picked the wrong side of the barrier. Come on Scotland, get your arse in gear!
After a bit of production was put into place, a band named We Butter The Bread With Butter took to the stage. Now, I know most of you reading this are probably thinking ‘what kind of a name is that?’ but trust me when I say that you need to see these guys live.
I can’t name any of the songs since I obviously don’t speak German, but I haven’t had that much fun during a set in quite a while.
With a sound that I can only describe as a crossover with Chelsea Grin and Crossfaith, some of their songs you just have to dance to while others are so bloody heavy, they are very diverse and it keeps everyone happy. Add some huge balloons to the mix and the crowd was in their hands by the end of their set, even the security guards seemed to be enjoying the Germans’ set! Then again, security at the 02 ABC in Glasgow are some of the best I’ve met and know how to have fun while doing their job! Good lads!
By the time it got to this show, I have to admit I was looking forward to seeing WBTBWB’s set almost as much as Yashin’s! I got a brief conversation with the frontman and he said that they should be back in the Spring so if a UK tour is confirmed YOU NEED TO GO!
Once the balloons were put away and the crowd calmed a bit, everything was put in its place and the lights dimmed, cueing the very Scottish ‘Here Fucking Go!’ chant.
The very familiar intro that is We Created A Monster echoed around the venue and as the band took their places the crowd began to show its true colours. The mass of people helped sing Runaway Train along with fan favourites Let It Go and Get Loose!. The Scottish six piece, completed with Kevin Miles, Andy McShane, American Harry Radford (all who we saw on stage earlier), Paul Travers, Dave Beaton and new addition Connor MacLeod, were all in top form.
Yashin were welcomed back to Glasgow with a Welcome Home chant and they continued they’re set with The Last One Standing. Things were slowed down a bit as Harry left the stage briefly as Kevin sang , but the American quickly rejoined his co-frontman to burst into Angel’s Son’.
Another mass singalong started as Make It Out Alive and the older fan favourite Friends In High Places sped the audience up. The first single New Year Or New York from the latest album We Created A Monster received a loud clap along to the beat of the intro and the crowd screamed back the chorus to the point I found it hard to hear the actual music. Down, But Homeward Bound from the older album Put Your Hands Where I Can See Them was up next to set everything up for the encore, which would be possibly the best part of the night.
A few days before this show, Yashin had released a cover of Linkin Park’s One Step Closer’ and made it their own, a quality I love about this band as they’ve done that with every cover they’ve played. For the cover they were joined by the other bands to create a huge climax to, not only the night, but to the tour as a whole. Even though they ended their show with the hugely popular Stand Up, due to the fact it was so big and well-received, I felt that they should’ve ended with the cover, but after the shows I go to witness, I’m not really complaining. This was the best gig I’ve seen Yashin play since finding out about them.
Written by Kirsten Harwood
