Just posted this to my myspace. Don't know if the picture links are all working, but it's up on my myspace page if you want to go and have a wee look there. Anyway, here it is:
So it is with some kind of retrospect that i am able to finally write my review blog thingy of last weeks Travis gig at the Barrowlands. And it is with some deep thought that (i think!) i can declare it as my new number 1 Travis gig. Seems to be something about the Barrowlands and Travis (i've been to 2 gigs there now in my time in Scotland) that is just magic. And the magic in that room on the 17th May 2007 was just something else.
I arrived at the Barrowlands at 11.30am, already to find 2 more dedicated boardies than myself in attendance. The reason for such early attendance, for me at least, was to get some studying done for the 2 exams i had the day after. I sat and chatted to the early birds for a bit, and then sat down to do some studying. In all honesty, it didn't really work. So by about 2pm i had given up. By that time, more boardies had arrived, including some i had never met before. We had a great time chatting and making up new Tony Boney songs (if you're a Travis fan, you'll understand...) and the time zipped by. In between that and 7pm when the doors were opened, Fran showed up first of all and stopped for a chat and some pictures. Nice to think that he remembered me and we chatted away for a while before he had to rush off to sort out some of the lighting for tonight. We got a good picture before he left anyway...
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After a while, the rest of the band turned up as well. It was lovely, because Dougie saw me right away, waved with a big smile on his face and said "Paul. Hi!" and Andy remembered me, and i even think Neil did this time as well! Progress... Got pictures with the boardie collective and Andy and Dougie, but a photo of Neil and me has yet to surface.
Come 7pm, and it was time to go in. The excitement started to build, as the front of the queue was all dedicated boardie types. I was third in line, but won the race up the many steps into the venue to arrive at the barrier first! I picked my spot that i had at the Xfm gig in Edinburgh, at the barrier right between where Fran and Andy would later be. The support again was Brinkman, who are quite good. Catchy tunes. I really like the drums in their songs, and found myself watching the drummer most of the gig, which is different.
Anyway, at around 9pm the house lights went off and the Travis roadies assembled on the stage armed with searchlights. Our worst fears had been confirmed. Travis were entering from the rear of the venue. We, and when i say "we" i mean the boardies, had been talking and dreading this in case "they never make it". But they were going for it! First of all the 20th Century Fox theme played, and then the Rocky theme started up, as the band pushed their way through the crowd. Everyone behind us boardies at the front didn't have a clue why we were all turned round to look at the back of the hall. It took them ages to realised that the band were behind them, but anyway, they made it safely onto the stage to launch straight into a blistering set.
Straight away, i noticed that the 'light show' was brilliant. To start off Eyes Wide Open, there was a single spotlight on Fran. Then when Neil's drums kicked in, his spot came on, and likewise single spots came on Dougie and Neil when their parts started. Apart from that the stage was in total darkness, until the chorus when huge floodlight-like beams at the back of the stage lit up the entire room. It was tremendous!
The setlist was very similar (if not pretty much exactly the same) as the ABC gig in March. But there was a difference. The band seemed to be putting far much more into the performance than i think i had ever seen. Andy was drenched in sweat by the end of song one, and Fran's trousers became progressively darker with sweat throughout the show, to the point where the only dry patches were where the pockets were. Selfish Jean was again, a highlight of the show, and it was great to see As You Are. For the solo in this, Andy came right to the edge of the stage and sat on his monitors right in front of us.
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Then Fran decided to come right to the edge of the stage to say hello...
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Throughout the show i kept getting little nods and smiles and winks from all the band, including the first ever stage acknowledgement from Neil! He was scanning the crowd as Fran was talking and gave him a wave. He smiled back at me and gave me thumbs up. The set was just tremendous. Every member of that band put absolutely everything into that gig, and they were all knackered. Dougie danced like there was no tomorrow, Fran jolted around the stage seemingly endlessly (how that man then goes and sings is beyond me!), Andy wandered all over the place, and Neil was bashing those drums like his life depended on it (which it does, but that's not my point).
Another highlight was mid-All I Want To Do Is Rock, where Andy gestured to the crowd in front of him to part. I just thought 'Oh God, what's he got planned now???' because Andy's AIWTDIR solos have become more and mroe erratic in recent months. With seemingly effortless ease, he tightroped the barrier and jumped in. Everyone (and it did feel like everyone if you were at the barrier!) surged forward to have a look. Kirstin (Andy's No.1 fan- seriously!) turned round to me with a look of sheer fear/anguish/disgust that everyone was going to crush "her" Andy, and she said to me "On three, push back..." so we did. After that little bit of excitement, we had reasonable room as before.
Towards the end of the night, the set was just mind blowing. Fran conducted a "social experiment in Travis" during the last chorus of WDIAROM to try and get the world record pogo attempt. I stopped jumping at one point, and i'd never felt the Barrowlands floor sag that much (it's famous for being 'bouncy'). Incredible! Then there was an acoustic Flowers In The Window by Fran on his own, followed by Happy and Back In Black, to which Fran and Andy did their best Status Quo impression at the edge of the stage
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By the end of the gig, i was absolutely drenched. We assembled inside the venue for a boardie photo...
and then headed outside, where i met literally loads of boardies who i'd never met before. Ashamedly, i did not recognise some of them (sorry guys!) but they recognised me and came over, so it was fine.
All in all, it was a terrific night. Was the first time i'd ever been to a gig with so much community spirit (all the boardies are terrific people) and the band just seemed to be playing the gig of their lives. It was astounding. I've seen Travis so many times, yet there just seemed to be so much more about them this time. They were on fire!
Was it the best gig ever? Sorry to say it Barrowlands Singles tour gig in October 2004, but you've been knocked off the top spot. Best Travis gig ever? Oh yes! Without a shadow of a doubt
