ON what’s sure to be another bustling Friday night in the cultural hotbed that is Glasgow’s West End, one of its premiere venues is set to be transformed into a haven for those who love to hear music at its most poignant, soothing and stripped back.
Encompassing that which is derived from the delta blues and the soulful crooners of bygone eras to affecting acoustic folk that tells tales of woe and triumph with a similarly adept eloquence, get to know the acts that will be performing at Mark McGowan’s hotly anticipated headline show at Oran Mor.
Mark McGowan
A singer/songwriter that never fails to leave jaws ajar with the candidness and unique sense of intimacy that he can bring to even the most daunting of rooms, Glasgow’s very own Mark McGowan has proven himself to be a phenomenal talent time and time again. Predominantly led by little more than his versatile and momentous voice, his debut EP Fugazi was a fantastic introduction to his staggering ability to craft both melancholic and uplifting material with illuminating candour. Resonant and deeply soulful in a timeless way that could place him at either the heyday of the Newport Folk Festival or at Stax’s homebase in Memphis, Tennessee, his recent single ‘Hot Coals’ has shown that there’s plenty more on the way and his biggest headline show to date will be a transfiixing demonstration of what he can do.
The Nickajack Men
Little more than a month removed from setting the scene for Louis Berry and The Temperance Movment at very own Tenement Trail, Friday’s show will provide a rare opportunity to see the propulsive alt-rock of The Nickajack Men in a more reined in yet no less gripping format. Hailing from Falkirk, the band have been on a steady incline over the course of the past couple of years on account of a rich, Americana-based sound that recalls artists such as Dawes, White Denim and My Morning Jacket to name but a few. Sure to allow the songs to morph and breathe in front of the eyes of those who’ve grown accustomed to a full live set, Friday will see them recalibrate for their surroundings and likely accrue some new converts along the way.
Michael And The Moonshine
After turning heads with a myriad of awe-inspiring and deeply harmonious tracks at The Spaghetti Factory earlier this year, the man less commonly known as Michael McGovern is almost predestined to have a similarly resounding showing at Oran Mor this Friday. In many ways a contemporary of McGowan when viewed from a sonic standpoint, Michael is the epitome of an artist that doesn’t release or perform music as any sort of marketing ploy or contrived ladder-climbing tactic but purely because it pours out of him. Steeped in the tradition of folk rock music but with one foot steadfastly planted in the realm of contemporary pop sensibility, tracks such as the luxurious ‘Staring Out Your Window’ and ‘When I Get My Hands On You’ are sure to instil strong feelings into those in attendance.
Remaining tickets for the show are available here.
