Cruz Beckham and the Breakers, Glasgow review: 'charismatic'

Cruz Beckham and the Breakers, King Tut’s, Glasgow ★★★

By making music under his own name, Cruz Beckham is making his famous parentage clear. Last year he and his Breakers played some low-key London supports under different names, but this national tour – Tuesday night’s nearly-full Glasgow debut was only their fifth ever date as “themselves” – is clearly a serious attempt to kickstart a career.

Cruz Beckham | Charles Gray

It could have been a car crash of nepobaby ambition over talent, yet 21-year-old Beckham is a handsome, charismatic lad who looks, sounds and plays like a genuine indie pop star. Just as importantly, his Breakers – guitarist Telmo Seixas, bassist Dan Ewins and drummer Dario Scotti – are like a gang of mates, not weathered sessioners being told what to play. The crowd’s reaction was warm, even excited in places, and Beckham, smart in salmon-pink shirt, tie and with a light moustache, looked delighted.

Clearly he’s been raised on Oasis, the Stone Roses and especially the Beatles. In his song John Lennon he literally sings “I wanna be John Lennon”, then later he delivered a passable version of the Beatles' Revolution. Also covered was Bruce Springsteen’s I’m On Fire, which demands a mature vocal, and he just about pulled it off.

READ MORE: Lily Allen, Glasgow review: 'doesn't mince her lyrics'

Mainly, however, Beckham’s voice is reminiscent of Lee Mavers of The La’s, and his music is straight-down-the-line Britpop, from bouncy party anthems Waste Your Pain, Optics and Lick the Toad (a psych-rock name, but a ska rhythm), to the more contemplative Better Times and Jackie.

The solo and genuinely affecting Loneliest Boy was the song of the night; Tie Don’t Fit creditably contained the self-aware declaration “I promise I'm not an arsehole”; and Beckham’s clearly so proud of recent single For Your Love (co-written and produced by Justin Raisen and Lewis Pesacov, whose credits include Sonic Youth’s Kim Gordon and Charli XCX) that he played it twice.

There’s still a way to go. Right now the Breakers feel like a band geared up to fill three-figure-capacity venues and make it as far as festival second stages. Credit to Beckham, though: he appears to want to go further by working hard and getting it right, rather than leaning on his surname.

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