FOLLOWING the release of their hugely acclaimed debut album ‘Escalate’ last month, VLURE made a triumphant return to their hometown last Friday with a euphoric, emotional and cathartic headline show at the Art School.
The five-piece have long spoken about their love for Glasgow; the city that made them. Its influence runs deep in their music: the friendships, the live music, the dancefloors, the passion, the pulsing creativity. It’s been both a muse and a proving ground for their rave-punk anthems – shaping the band they are today, from its dark and dingy basements to its heady club nights. So, following the release of ‘Escalate’, an album that quickly earned heaps of praise across the UK and beyond, their eagerly anticipated headline at Art School not only felt like an emotional homecoming, but a glorious victory lap.
And the sold-out Glasgow crowd were ready to live up to the occasion. Having earned their chance to celebrate, they had promised a night to remember in Glasgow – from the hilarious ‘Kingston Bounce’ intro from local TikTok celebs Ewart Brothers to the euphoric finale.
Inside jokes aside, there was no ingratiating required here. From the moment the five-piece entered the stage, Art School was transformed into a bouncing dancefloor. Opening with the aptly named ‘I Want It Euphoric’, they quickly set the tone before catapulting into the pulsing ‘Something Real’ with an appearance from mosh-pit starter Psweatpants.
Of course, there’s no denying that VLURE’s music is made for the live arena – their combination of huge synth melodies, techno rave instrumentals and anthemic choruses is absolutely monstrous, and it effortlessly fed into the crowd. They’re a band who make you feel – whether you’re lifted by the sonic spectacle, their rousing words of inspiration or their sheer passion on stage. Frontman Hamish Hutcheson and Conor Goldie were on fine form – the frontman was cool and confident, at times roaring with passion and writhing in time with the music around him, while the latter conducted chaos with a gleeful grin. The likes of ‘Heartbeat’ and ‘Show Me How To Live Again’ climaxed and crashed like an industrial rollercoaster of noise, with sprays of lasers and lights adding to the intensity.
With plenty of friends in the crowd, there was a celebratory feel in the air – an appreciation between artist and fan that transcended the usual kind of gig. It led to many moving moments – such as Hamish Hutcheson’s beautifully emotive and cathartic performance on ‘How To Say Goodbye’, a tribute to his late father, and Conor Goldie’s rousing, nostalgia-filled ‘Better Days’, dedicated to the friends and family in the room.
It was left to old-school favourite ‘Cut It’ to see the gig out in truly euphoric fashion – the mosh pit opened for one last time and bedlam ensued. This may have been a mighty victory lap for VLURE – but there’s certainly even better days to come.
