By Kieran Whitfield
After their explosive set at Come Together festival, The Snuts could not resist experiencing another Newcastle crowd with their sold out show at The Boiler Shop on the 23rd of October. This event was not just any other gig, but one with a purpose; all ticket proceeds went towards the Music Venue Trust, supporting grass roots venues across the nation, a perfect event at an unbeatable venue.
With a queue wrapping round the corner way before doors opened, the mood was set for a class night; which was complimented by fellow Glasgow band – The Rooks- opening with a class set. With the gig aiming for an intimate feeling, the stage was lit with warm lamps straight out of an 80s home. The Rooks turned their tunes both old, and even unreleased into acoustic masterpieces. This went down great with the crowd, some of whom were draped in the bands merch and singing songs word for word, with (of course) a massive smile on their faces. With their debut EP ‘Noise and Confusion’ releasing on the 14th of November, The Rooks never fail to disappoint in Newcastle; they were at The Boiler Shop only a week previous supporting Vistas, with the band even calling Newcastle their ‘home outside of Glasgow’.
As The Rooks departed the stage with a roar of cheers and excited clapping, the crowd turned their eyes onto the venue. This event was sponsored by Jack Daniels and that was made very apparent, with free photo booths and even a Jack Daniels bar which featured a wheel to spin for those who couldn’t decide what to order. Who knew an American whiskey crossed so well with Glasgow indie music and Geordie fans?
With booze in hand and merch on, the crowd were ready for The Snuts to make their entrance on the stage. Almost 1000 people stood in anticipation. The Snuts took their seats and opened with the fan-favourite: Always. Like a chior, the crowd sung their hearts out as front man, Jack Cochrane sang with perfection, strumming his acoustic guitar.
The set went down extremely well with the crowd; the highlight for me was when they played Glasgow, a tune from their album W.L which propelled them to number 1 when it was released, making The Snuts the first Scottish band in 14 years to achieve number 1 on the charts. This song particularly excited the crowd with the band even being out-sung, which is always a beautiful sight to see.
The night continued with consistent excitement and singing, even after The Snuts exited the stage, people left with a smile. Cheers and woops were heard all down the street, and it was a night to be remembered; some might say good enough to have a vinyl made just for the event… which is funny because the gig was actually recorded and the set will be made into a vinyl, for many, making a vibrant memory into a unique piece of physical media.
Overall, the gig was great, from the support to the headline, even the aesthetic of the event was on point. I’m sure The Snuts will miss Newcastle between now and their show with The Wombats on December 5th, but in terms of this show, everything fit together gracefully. What can’t be forgotten, however, is the reason for the gig; the support of grassroots venues is imperative and without grassroots venues, we would not have the artists we have today. With all proceeds going to supporting those venues, it was a meaningful night for an even more meaningful cause.
