Not yet morons... wait for it!

So it's off up to Glasgow to see the impressive Amaranthe, their set the previous year was easily one of the best gigs of 2014. This time round they would be playing the O2 Academy on Sauchiehall Street.

I really love the West End of Glasgow, lots of great eating (and drinking) places so met my son Rory, who's up there on a Archaeology degree and we headed off to his flat and find somewhere for some eats. A few drinks later we knew it was time to head to the venue, "We'll just take the overground, it's quick" announces Rory, so we head to the station and jump on the train thats coming in to the station, "Only 4 stops" he announces, so I settle back for the short journey and we begin chatting about Warcraft, another shared obsession. I think obsession is the right word for something we've been playing for over 10 years! Anyway after a little while Rory says "have we missed the station" "No" I reply, "we've not stopped for ages now" "We best get off at the next station and find out where we are" So we get up and wander over to the doors at which point the conductor approaches us " Ya canna get off lads, this train is goin' to Dumbarton, it's the express". Rory looks mortified, "I didn't know there was an express" "Aye there's one a day lads, and you're on it, if ya lucky ya can get tha' 6.15pm train back ta Glasgae" So we arrive in Dumbarton at the allotted time, dash across the platform as the train back to Glasgow comes in and settle down for the journey back, I'm thinking so how much will this cost in fares now, along comes the conductor and we produce our tickets. "Get on the express by mistake lads, dinna worry it happens all the time, ya tickets are good". Now there's an attitude completely lacking here in good old England - why oh why did you not vote for independance!!

Any hows we arrrived in time to catch the last couple of songs from opening support band Santa Cruz, they looked very young and clearly had learnt all the 80's hair metal poses but still had some way to go before they're the finished band. Next up were Engel who had a real Spinal Tap moment as their intro music played, ended and only two band members had arrived on stage, there followed a minutes awkward silence before the rest of the band arrived. They started loud and fast but even though they ran through 8 or 9 songs it was obvious they only knew one way to play and it all became a bit dull.

After a short break on came Amaranthe opening up with Digital World from their new album. Live Amaranthe certainly don't lack energy or presence and they launch straight into their set with little preamble. The guitar, bass and drums provide a meaty backdrop, the samples add that pumping beat and the three singers take turns at the front. Henrick Englund prowls the stage menacingly adding his growls to the sound while Jake E has a strong melodic voice carrying a more melodic vibe.

The most impressive singer of the three is the captivating Elize Ryd who is not only good to look at but has a really impressive, strong vocal talent. This is a strange set up indeed but all the band members are obviously enjoying themselves, especially once they see from second song 'Hunger' onwards that their audience is fully up for a party and totally behind every note.

This is one of those nights where the  audience has decided that this band is for them and they sing, scream, bounce up and down and headbang to everything thrown at them. The band respond in kind and can't really take the big smiles off their faces all night. After a set filled with tracks from all three albums, encores are inevitable and include lead track from their new album 'Drop Dead Cynical'. If you want to hear what Amaranthe's sound is all about this is the track to check out. It's an irresistible slice of bonkers metal meets europop with a great riff matched to thumping big beats. All too quickly it was over, for the obligatory early finish to let the clubbers in, but if thats the price I have to pay to see some good live music, then so be it.

Just a quick footnote, on the second day in Glasgow there was to be an eclipse so Rory, myself and his two flatmates all trooped off to a highpoint behind Glasgow University to witness the event. When we arrived a sizeable crowd had gathered, but as luck would have it the skies were partially cloudy and there was no clear view. The eclipse itself was still some 30 minutes away and everyone was looking to the heavens hoping for that break and as the moment of the eclipse approached, you could feel it getting colder and see it darkening, there was the break in the clouds and the disc of the moon had pretty much covered the sun, a cheer went up and everyone applauded and there were smiles and hugs as the clouds hid it all from sight again. So happy that we'd witnessed the event, we headed back in to Glasgow for a late breakfast and a few drinks before I caught the train back to Newcastle, all in all a great couple of days.