"the likeable Mcrae charmed the audience with his tales of (possible) illegal activities at a previous Glasgow gig and also his new mug which fondly described him as 'wanky'" |
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Thankfully, it was the former.
It wasn't a greatest hits set by any means otherwise the string laden 'Karaoke Soul' or the dreamlike 'Girl Who Falls Downstairs' would have been included in the evening's music. However, the songs that were chosen were fan's songs music that was known to be technically and melodically brilliant and not just something to hook an audience in to clap along to.
Having the delicate 'For the Restless' near the start of a set-list seemed a somewhat unusual choice but was all the better for it surprising the audience and re-setting their expectations. 'End of the World News (Dose Me Up)' had the audience split into two (at Mr Mcrae's request) to chant separate lines from the song at the same time, reinforcing the darkness of the piece as two hundred people belted out the moody lyrics. Also, to begin an encore with a solo rendition of 'My Vampire Heart' was both unexpected and breathtaking, every audience member frozen by Mcrae's devastating tale of a love gone wrong.
In-between songs, the likeable Mcrae charmed the audience with his tales of (possible) illegal activities at a previous Glasgow gig and also his new mug which fondly described him as 'wanky'. These quips were the perfect antidote to songs of brooding intensity.
As for the band, we were treated to the bare minimum guitar, piano and occasional stringed instruments. There was also the introduction of a beating bass drum to accentuate the more frantic parts of music. By stripping down his work all the unnecessary features had been removed. Even his new material sounded good as a result as there was no more blandness to distract from the basic core of the songs.
Hopefully this gig is a sign that Mcrae has learned from his mistakes. He clearly still knows how to write beautiful, well structured pieces. It's what he adds to them that can make them the wonders from his earlier albums or the background noise of his new one. Maybe next time he'll leave out the excess and leave us with the amazing core.
FUTURE GIGS
- date performer venue price
-
Wed 11 Sep 2024
Tom McRae
Falmouth
The Cornish Bank
[TR11 3EF] £20.00
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Thu 12 Sep 2024
Tom McRae
Exeter
Exeter Phoenix
[EX4 3LS] £23.50
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Sun 15 Sep 2024
Tom McRae
Leeds
Brudenell Social Club
[LS6 1NY] £23.50
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Tue 17 Sep 2024
Tom McRae
York
The Fulford Arms
[YO10 4EX] £23.50
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Wed 18 Sep 2024
Tom McRae
Glasgow
St Luke's
[G40 2JZ] £23.50
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Thu 19 Sep 2024
Tom McRae
Edinburgh
Summerhall
[EH9 1PL] £23.50
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Fri 20 Sep 2024
Tom McRae
Aberdeen
The Lemon Tree
[AB24 5AT] £23.50
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Sat 21 Sep 2024
Tom McRae
Newcastle upon Tyne
The Cluny & The Cluny 2
[NE1 2PQ] £23.50
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Thu 26 Sep 2024
Tom McRae
Brighton
Bau Wow
[Bn1 1Nf] £23.50
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Sun 29 Sep 2024
Tom McRae
Norwich
The Waterfront
[NR1 1QH] £23.50
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Sat 5 Oct 2024
Tom McRae
Hull
Adelphi
[HU5 2RU] £23.50
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Tue 8 Oct 2024
Tom McRae
Oxford
Jericho Tavern
[OX2 6AE] £23.50
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Tue 5 Nov 2024
Tom McRae
Liverpool
THE MUSIC ROOM
[L1 9BP] £23.50
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Wed 6 Nov 2024
Tom McRae
Birmingham
The Glee Club
[B5 4TD] £23.50
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