Photo Credit: Martyna Bannister
Dublin indie-rockers Pillow Queens brought the energy to Saint Luke’s in Glasgow for the last night of the UK tour and what a night it was. They released their third album Name Your Sorrow in April, which was reviewed on Bring The Noise and we would get to hear all twelve tracks from that album tonight. As has been the case a few times we have been to this old church for a gig, upstairs was shut off but that actually added to the atmosphere.
Fellow Dubliner Sarah Crean provided the support, taking to the stage at 8pm for a solo set with a mix of indie rock and pop, there were a few problems when Sarah’s guitar stopped working and she asked the crowd if they wanted to continue acapella, the fans responded with a loud yes! At this point the four Pillow Queens band members took to the stage to provide some backing vocals to the delight of the fans and good banter alongside this saving the day, the fans also participated by stamping their feet to the rhythm of the song. Getting back to the music Crean’s track 2AM blew up on TikTok last year and has allowed her to become a full-time musician, the song itself is by far her biggest to date, the acoustics of this amazing building helping to make each song sound special. Freshly released track Compliment Strike was the best of the half hour set, there was also a cover of Dancing In The Dark by Bruce Springsteen allowing the fans to sing the words back to the stage. 7/10
As fellow Irish musician Enya plays from the speakers Pillow Queens take to the stage slightly later than planned to a huge roar from the crowd and immediately play 8th February from their new album, Sarah Corcoran on vocals gets the crowd behind them from the off with some powerful lyrics “I don’t like that, I don’t like that, lets see how long I can do it/Just a kiss here, a bruise there/A poker lip see how I can prove it”. Next up is Suffer, the live version is sounding just as good as it does on the album, the explosiveness of energy from these four ladies is remarkable during this song as the energy is reverberated back to the stage by the fans. Bass player Pamela Connolly comments that the tour van broke down a couple of days ago and she doesn’t even know who’s clothes she is wearing today, rock and roll at its finest here! Blew Up The World is one of the best tracks from the Name Your Sorrow album, giving a nice moment of connection between the band and the fans allowing them to join in with the chorus, the crowd were very lively tonight perhaps helping the band to relax into the set. Hearts & Minds is one of the standout songs of the set, this song has everything: powerful vocals backed up with stunning drums and guitar work and The Bar’s Closed continues the high energy with some poignant lyrics that at times touches you emotionally. Vocalist Sarah Corcoran comments that this is the most beautiful venue the band have played as the set continues with Gone, all four band members blend vocals superbly.
There was a slight sound issue before So Kind but that’s no problem to a band that has lots of stories to fill in the gaps as guitarist Cathy tells us about her brand new Fender guitar. During Friend Of Mine, another one from the latest album, there is a memorable singalong allowing the band to let loose and relax and it was a similar situation when Heavy Pour was played, the excitement in the crowd was now reaching fever pitch. The last track of the main set was Liffey, from the In Waiting album and by far the bands biggest song to date, the crowd singing the words back to the stage was a nice moment appreciated by the band as they left the stage to a great applause. They were soon back for a two song encore though, starting with Like A Lesson as the famous glitter ball spins above the standing area helping to keep the atmosphere lively. The sixteen-track set ended with Notes On Worth thus ending a great night of music on a high. Pillow Queens play to their biggest audience to date on 13th July at Iveagh Gardens in Dublin, the fans attending are in for a great night of music. 9/10
Written by: Alan Brown
