DESPITE the fact Holy Esque have played their hometown of Glasgow countless times, there was a marked sense of anticipation which surrounded this headline show.
Held in the unique surroundings of Saint Luke’s, the venue’s stately appearance was a perfect fitting for the kind of trajectory which the band have been on throughout the course of the year.
Squashing any claims that they’d plateaued too early with the tremendous Submission EP earlier this year, the inventive four piece have finally found their footing in the industry and have begun to be entangled with more mainstream audiences thanks to the vehement support of figures such as Annie Mac on Radio 1.
The band’s mammoth and ambitious set showed they are on the cusp of delivering something seminal with their forthcoming debut album At Hope’s Ravine.
Bounding onto the stage with the air of a band that are entirely comfortable in their own skin and feels justified in their successes, they wasted little time in engulfing the venue with their passionate and deeply emotive post punk.
As the stage became all at once inundated with dense and imposing lighting, Holy Esque basked in all that they’d created, a sound and aesthetic entirely of their own devising and one which they have every right to be proud of.
An airing of early track ‘Rose’ caused the energy to travel from the stage and straight into the heart of the crowd, indicative of the fact that it remains an enduring favourite among their audience. Filled with pulse-racing percussion and one of their most immediate and formidable guitar parts, it was upon its release that Holy Esque became a hot prospect in the eyes of many and it seems every bit as vital as it did upon first listen.
Just as the band were getting into the swing of things, the set was suddenly placed in jeopardy by an unfortunate technical mishap that rendered them in a state of confusion for the better part of ten minutes.
While a lesser group could’ve been thrown off their stride, Holy Esque seemed all the more hellbent on making this gig every bit as poignant and special as it deserved to be.
The ominous yet enthralling ‘Strange’ set them back on the right course, with its hypnotically appealing riff acting as an incredible foundation for frontman Pat Hynes’ unfettered and wonderfully feral vocal delivery.
As the industrial influenced synth line of recent single ‘Hexx’ made its presence felt, it became abundantly clear to all in attendance just how great their forthcoming full length album could be.
The much-loved ‘Thrones’ elicited a great response from the crowd, infusing their idiosyncratic style with stadium sensibilities to great effect and with an end product which borders on the anthemic in scale.
The brash and ferocious ‘Silences’ soon followed, inciting an absolute ruckus from within the crowd, indicating both the fervency with which Glasgow’s music fans adore them and the galvanising power of the track itself.
Given that the band were moulded and birthed by the city’s music scene, it should come as no surprise that the band used this gig as something of an acid test to gauge the reaction to previously unheard material. It was in the performance of new track’s from their forthcoming full length that the gig transcended the ranks of a mere enjoyable set and became a chance for band and fans alike to marvel at how far they’ve come and how glaringly bright the future looks to be.
Rendered in their own distinctive style yet heeding influences that ranged from the beautiful bleakness of shoegaze to iconic bands such as Bauhaus, The Birthday Party and The Jesus and Mary Chain, providing an insight as to what can be expected from their debut LP will only serve to exacerbate the intense levels of expectation and excitement which surround its release.
Playing one more intimate Glasgow show in such an ornate and grand venue was a beautiful gesture from the band as it seems like we could be sharing them with the rest of the world’s music-loving population by the end of February.
