Alex Skolnick Trio – Glasgow Audio (3rd March 2017)

For a great many years I have been an avid fan of Testament. To this day, they remain my favourite thrash band and will most likely be for a long time. This was the main reason I was attracted to this concert and I was suitably excited to witness Alex’s skill outside of the thrash metal that he’s so well known for.

The show was without a support and therefore there was a rather long wait until the band actually came on. When the band was finally on stage and the music began, a very obvious mood was immediately set within the venue: cosy. The jazz style guitar accompanied with catchy drums and grooving bass left everyone feeling rather chilled out, including myself. I was initially unsure whether I would like it as primarily I listen to stuff that goes at 3 trillion miles an hour. However, I found myself enjoying each and every minute of it.

Interestingly, the music was in the vein of Steve Vai which, coupled with Alex’s guitar skills, kept both myself and the crowd enthused. Not only were his formidable skills out in the open, his genuine and simple personality was equally present. Alex was very comfortable answering questions from the crowd and telling a few anecdotes between songs, including his attempt to imitate the Scottish accent to name his just finished cover “Revelation (Mother Earth)”. This made the mood of the concert all the more comfortable and unlike feeling like a usual live show, this felt like a personal party between the band and the audience.

The similarities between this concert and when I saw Wednesday 13 were very apparent. Even though the crowd was smaller, the cheers and encouragements throughout the set were worth a sold out venue. The band on stage was smiling and transmitted their joy in each of their instruments and to each other to top off an already great atmosphere. When it was time for the set to end, the show was not over, Alex kept the close interaction with the band and happily met the crowd afterwards in what remained a very comfortable and enjoyable night. Overall this was the third time in a row I’ve been to a slightly different kind of show at Audio and so far it’s only given me surprising, varied and very enjoyable nights.

Whether you are aware of Alex’s work with Testament or not, this is a great experience to be a part of and definitely a live show worth seeing!

Alex Skolnick Trio: facebook

All pictures by Bukavac Photography

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