Music review: The Delgados, Kelvingrove Bandstand, Glasgow

In spite of the torrential rain, the Delgados’ Kelvingrove Bandstand gig was a minor triumph, writes Paul Whitelaw

The Delgados, Kelvingrove Bandstand, Glasgow ****

On Staurday I learned that it will take more than an incessant torrential downpour to stop hundreds of middle-aged Scottish indie fans from having a good time. So that’s nice to know.

“You’re all heroic,” declared the Delgados’ co-frontperson Alun Woodward, “I would’ve left hours ago.

Emma Pollock PIC: Stephanie Gibson

His musical partner Emma Pollock added: “Every day for the last week we’ve been looking at the weather forecast. We’ve even been arguing about which app is the best.”

The Delgados recently reunited after splitting up in 2005 to concentrate on various solo projects and their Glasgow-based independent record empire Chemikal Underground.

During this weather-defying homecoming show they plucked material from all five of their acclaimed studio albums.

The Delgados deal in baroque alt-pop with an occasional neo-psychedelic sheen, hence why theywere augmented on stage by a string quartet and a flautist.

Among the highlights were that gorgeously melancholic chamber pop classic Pull the Wires from the Wall, a cover of the ominous Peter Green-era Fleetwood Mac freak-out The Green Manalishi (With the Two Prong Crown), which somehow suits them perfectly, and the utterly infectious All You Need is Hate, a shoulda-been hit single which in a parallel universe sold more copies than Robbie Williams’ Angels and Love is All Around by Wet Wet Wet combined. It’s a great pop song, but I suppose that sardonic title doesn’t exactly scream “chart smash”.

Performed during the encore, Under Canvas Under Wraps reminded us that, before settling on their signature sound, they were originally a noisy Pixies adjacent alt-rock band. Fun, but I prefer what they became.

So then, we made it through the rain in the enlivening presence of some unjustly underrated music. All things considered, a minor triumph.

The band later tweeted (or posted on X): “So it’s a huge, huge thank you to everyone that came along to the Kelvingrove Bandstand last night and endured the deluge (even Paul’s dad left before the end). Hope to see you all in drier conditions soon.”