It’s been three whole days since the release of The Virginmarys’ latest stupendous opus, The House Beyond the Fires and after shows in Macclesfield and Nottingham, they’re finally back in their beloved Glasgow, ready to headline it for the first time in two years and back in The Attic. There’s already a long queue by the time the doors open but then again, this band has always been treated like natives – their shows here are the stuff of legend.
With a list of great names who could have supported the band again, instead, we have a new tour pairing with Torus for the tour (after Dan James gave a spectacularly atmospheric opening set in Macclesfield). The Milton Keynes trio are clearly grateful for the opportunity and take full advantage of the rapidly-filling venue. They don’t waste a second of their allotted thirty minutes. Grungy riffs are powered by a shed load fuzz and wah while fat bass lines lock in with gargantuan drums to give them the force of a heavyweight fighter. They’re certainly a good fit for the night with energy pouring from the three of them and they’re very certain of their identity as a band. But what further enhances them is that they know how to perform as a unit – not a single person is letting the side down and if anything, they’re all trying to egg each other on to go harder without letting egos get in the way. I’d more than happily get down to one of their own shows, they’re a breath of fresh air for the scene.
An almighty roar accompanies The Virginmarys taking to the stage with “You’re a Killer” kicking off a night which will live long in memory. Using the now long-standing staple to get the crowd loosened up, the room swells with activity alongside plenty of singing and the crowd leads the way on the vocables during the bridge. Before the duo have even finished the first song, you can already feel it – this is going to be a special one. Buoyed by playing their favourite town, the band who always give it their all are going even harder tonight. Indeed, as vocalist/guitarist Ally Dickaty addresses the crowd early on and reiterates throughout the night, he and drummer Danny Dolan have so much love for the city (alongside a shoutout to local lads Anchor Lane), and it’s been repaid in kind countless times over across the last fifteen years.
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Tonight isn’t about hammering through their set as quick as possible, instead allowing the dynamics of their music to take charge. Most corners and eras of their career are touched on but if you’re looking for anything pre-King of Conflict, you’re out of luck. Ally and Danny are firmly focused on the present, managing to perform every song from The House Beyond the Fires. A single listen of the album will tell you that it’s the kind of album which is meant to be played live and they deliver on that intention. The early appearance of “Just a Ride” keeps the momentum going before they bring the filth with muscular “Trippin’ New York City” and the venom-soaked “Lies Lies Lies”. Danny assumes his trademark upright position which can only mean it’s time for “Running for My Life” before the pair use “Into Dust” to drop the pace for a moment whilst building to its explosive finale.
The brotherhood of the duo is on full display tonight, giving each other room and an extra couple of seconds to recompose themselves when needed without even a look. The energy in the room is electric, the dapper-as-ever Ally, and Danny with his hands and arms taped up as always, are quickly soaked to the skin with sweat. Ally bounces on the balls of his feet, holding his Jetstar as if it’s made of paper, more reliant on the dusty end of the guitar neck than most guitarists whilst picking out strings for precision without sacrificing his typical passion-fuelled performance. Danny batters his drums as if it’s his last show, as if he actually hates playing his kit. He makes far more use of his small kit than drummers with bigger setups, serving the song and The House Beyond the Fires contains some of his best work to date. It’s all played authentically and shows the band don’t use any studio tricks – he really is playing that fast and hard. Watching him, you can tell he goes into another space, focusing simply on the performance to sync with Ally and give the people the best night they possibly can.
Danny gets a breather as he sits on the floor whilst Ally runs through “Sleep”. It’s a gritty and heavier rendition than it appears on Sitting Ducks but the emotion is just as raw. It stops everyone in their tracks as the heart-rending song puts everyone through the wringer and it takes a second for it to finish before people are ready to applaud, stunned by Ally’s performance. In that same instance, the intensity of “White Knuckle Riding” follows, Ally sombrely leading the way before Danny’s drums kick the doors down. Loaded with pain and anguish which is laced with equal parts desperation and acceptance, it lifts us out of the shared hurt of “Sleep” as Ally pours every ounce of his heart and soul into the emotionally-charged solo.
Both the swagger of “Northwest Coast” and the march of “My Nettle” allows for the bouncing to give way to dancing with their similar yet vastly different left-right rhythms. And once we’re past the stalwart “Look Out For My Brother”, somehow the pair dial up the intensity even more. “Dance to the City” spits bile at the past and present music industry, matching the ferocity of “Lies Lies Lies”. And then we go into “Urban Seagull”. The layers from the album are largely stripped back but it still has that escalation that The Virginmarys do so well, its nuclear-level crescendo exploding and flattening the room as they recreate its fade-out.
Power and aggression are balanced with vulnerability and fragility, and it’s all underlined with passion for seventy-five minutes which physically and emotionally put you through the wringer, so many people identifying with the lyrics and the sheer sonic force of their music. Their wide-encompassing appeal is shown in the audience but what is shared is the love and admiration for the band and the music. It’s been a long road for the band, there’s been ups and downs but they’ve forged on regardless, always remaining true and many people here tonight have never left as musical trends have come and gone.
By the time “Bang Bang Bang” closes the night, it’s safe to say the foundations of not just the venue but the entirety of Sauchiehall Street have been shaken. Ally and Danny move to the front of the stage, applauding the raucous audience, an unspoken final thanks for the support, love and energy they’ve had tonight before the pair of them embrace. There are Virginmarys gigs and then there are Virginmarys Glasgow gigs and even by those impossibly lofty standards, they continue to shatter every expectation. Tommy would be proud.
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Header image by Debbie Ellis
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