The Horrors come bounding out of the blocks at a packed 02 ABC (situated on that most amaranthine of Glasgow’s streets, Sauchiehall), launching into ‘Mirror’s Image’, as if to demonstrate to those who launched themselves upon the ‘Skying‘ bandwagon that there’s plenty more where that came from in the back catalogue. Drenched in new wave, ‘Mirror’s Image’ is the perfect opener for this time-warp set.
Faris, who barely moves from his microphone stand all night but to wipe his brow with a leather-jacketed arm, as well as to exhort the crowd to “jump around” and “push the people who’re standing still out of the way” about midway through the set (at which point a dozen or so diehards convoke at the front barrier, jiving like Bez minus maracas), commands the stage like an enlivened interlocutrix beanstalk, eyes boring straight ahead, vocals relentlessly baritone.
As an ensemble, as a gang, The Horrors are firing on all cylinders, running through classics like ‘Who Can Say’ and ‘I Can See Through You’ with an involved spirited-ness a largely still – but thoroughly engaged – crowd shyly encourages. The bass in particular sounds mighty, a galloping thrumming that complements Rhys Webb‘s hypnotic keyboard to no end.
The set really takes off when ‘I Can See Through You’s stalkerish chorus shatters a sense of calm in the crowd and eyes close, heads tilt and you almost imagine a mirrorball might suddenly drop through the ceiling. Of course, The Horrors are under no illusions that many in attendance tonight would happily enjoy hearing ‘Skying’ played in album order, but gloomy favourite ‘Scarlet Fields‘ is deployed at just the right moment, commencing as the last notes of ‘I Can See Through You’ ring and reverberate. The repeated refrain of ‘Collapse into dream’ is like some irresistible psychedelic commandment, and the washes of distortion and synth are as well-captured on stage as in the studio.
‘Wild Eyed‘, with its aphotic luminescence (yes, it’s a contradiction; and yes, it’s deliberate; who can listen to The Horrors and not think darkness as well as light?) and dream babble (‘Float away again’), is followed closely by the shimmering ‘Endless Blue‘, whose subdued intro belies a shot-in-the-arm whistlestop demonstration of what makes The Horrors such an enduring live act; they blend and straddle the anything-can-happen essence of what makes live gigs so bloody compelling and the reliable, flawless execution of their studio recordings – thus, the songs you came to listen to are recreated in a near-perfect, yet unceasingly unique fashion.
‘You Said‘ gets a rousing version at the ABC, the band’s presence making the tune even more personal with the ‘You’ve got to give me love’ refrain, whilst the churning ‘Still Life‘ introduces a summer air. ‘The moment that you want is coming if you give it time’ – no denying, this one shakes the walls. ‘Still Life’ brings the set to an end, but it’s not long before the boys have returned to the stage and the joyful, shapeshifting ‘Changing The Rain‘ thunders out of the speakers like some ’60s anthem.
The crowd remain rapt throughout the energetic garage rock of ‘Monica Gems‘, its opening buckshot guitars sounding titanic, and spacy set closer ‘Moving Further Away‘, before the band bid farewell to Glasgow on the rescinding notes of this extended version. Whatever ‘Skying’ is, The Horrors have mastered it.
Bring on album number four and the summer festival circuit.
