Gig review: Lou Barlow

Published on Tuesday 2 February 2010 18:09

LOU BARLOW *** STEREO, GLASGOW

"The last time I was here I got so drunk I almost shat myself." And with that, any lingering air of reverence which may have surrounded the set evaporated. Despite his status in the history of underground rock, Barlow played this one like a pub gig.

Somehow, his self-deprecating slapdashery only added to the enjoyment, bearing in mind that this is one of the men who came to embody slacker culture almost two decades ago. Brushing his long fringe out of his eyes, Barlow stopped the set four times during Too Much Freedom, complaining that he couldn't see his guitar pedals in the low light. The fans, particularly those devotees right up the front, came to anticipate and cheer for each new breakdown.

Yet when the set came together it was quite lovely in places, for example the naked need of The One I Call or Faith Defies the Night's rousing sentiment. While Barlow and his guitarist and drummer took a while to build up momentum, the sludgy grind of main set closer Losercore scaled the noisy heights of his early days once more, while an encore reprise of Too Much Freedom finally went off without a hitch.

"I had my first shower in five days today," he had pointed out, "and as I was doing it, I worried I was washing off my lucky filth."

For one night only, the curse of grunge was broken.