Maisie Peters, O2 Academy, Glasgow review - conjuring up an enjoyable pop spell

★★★ MAISIE PETERS, O2 ACADEMY, GLASGOW Conjuring an enjoyable pop spell

The songstress might be unlucky in love but has an adoring fanbase.

When Maisie Peters first appeared onstage she loudly asked if the crowd were ready for “the best night of their lives”, and given the youthful nature of the audience the ensuing 80 minutes might have lived up to the hype. There were screams, hysteria and, in one case, an emotional lass getting on her phone to tell her significant other that hearing break-up songs brought home how much they appreciated them.

The Last Dinner Party, SWG3, Glasgow review - affection and adulation for rising stars

The hotly tipped band spread a joyful mood at one of their largest gigs yet.

The first declaration of love for the Last Dinner Party arrived approximately one song into their set. “I love you too,” declared a delighted looking Abigail Morris, the band’s pirouetting frontwoman, in response, and the ensuing hour suggested outpourings of affection are just one of many reasons for Morris to be cheerful these days.

Blu-ray: Gregory's Girl

★★★★★ BLU-RAY: GREGORY'S GIRL Bill Forsyth's peerless romantic comedy returns

Bill Forsyth's peerless romantic comedy returns

Gregory’s Girl stands alongside Kes as one of the few films offering a realistic depiction of state school life. Director Bill Forsyth’s surreal flourishes delight without getting in the way: think of the penguin waddling along the corridors, or the young lad glimpsed smoking a pipe in the boys’ toilets.

KISS, OVO Hydro, Glasgow review - familiar feel to rock legends bombastic farewell

The face-painted group's final UK tour offered plenty of spectacle but not enough great tunes

The farewell for KISS has lasted so long that this Glasgow show, their final ever UK gig, came four years after the End of the Road tour first stopped off in the city. Admittedly that is partly down to the coronavirus scuppering touring plans for a couple of years, but even without that there is a suspicion a group who have monetised themselves so effectively over the years might have found a reason for another trip back here.

Peter Gabriel, OVO Hydro, Glasgow review - beaming with optimism and creativity

★★★★ PETER GABRIEL, OVO HYDRO, GLASGOW Beaming with optimism and creativity

The 73-year-old shunned nostalgia in favour of the future

Even when Peter Gabriel is bleak, he has reasons to be cheerful. Early on in his set he opined that soon enough “none of us will have jobs anymore”, referring to the ongoing rise of artificial intelligence, although this was followed by him stressing the positives that can be found in such new technology. It seemed fitting, because Gabriel himself, now 73, showed on this evening that optimistic possibilities of the future occupy his thoughts as much as ever.

The War On Drugs, OVO Hydro, Glasgow review - impressive musicianship but a lack of excitement

The seven piece's lengthy songs became bogged down too often

War might be good for absolutely nothing, but it does provide bands with some easy names. Before the War on Drugs headline set, Warpaint took to the stage, and despite a muted reaction to the quartet they were on enjoyable form. They’re unlikely to ever be topping the bill in arenas in their own right, but maybe that’s a good thing, and the funky closing double header of “New Song” and “Disco//Very” whipped by with pace and verve.

Chvrches, Barrowland Ballroom, Glasgow review - homecoming provides only intermittent thrills

The second night of the trio's Glasgow shows relied on a bombastic sound

Of all the Scottish bands to be name dropped at a Chvrches gig, the Bay City Rollers would be far down the list. Thankfully singer Lauren Mayberry was only citing the 70s group in reference to her tartan outfit, and not a surprise cover of “Shang-A-Lang”, but the Glasgow trio do share another similarity, in that they’ve proved to have considerable staying power in the pop world.

Le Tigre, Barrowland Ballroom, Glasgow review - letting out their emotions while having a party

★★★★ LE TIGRE, BARROWLAND BALLROOM, GLASGOW Letting out their emotions while having a party

The reformed trio sprinted through a set of songs as relevant as ever

There was a youthful tinge to the jubilant chorus of “here we, here we, here we f****** go” that greeted Le Tigre arriving on stage.

Yard Act, Barrowland Ballroom, Glasgow review - a transcendent victory lap

★★★★★ YARD ACT, BARROWLAND BALLROOM, GLASGOW A thrilling, vital group

The Leeds band confirmed their status as a thrilling, vital group

Before even a note was struck, Yard Act’s singer James Smith was setting the bar high. “Over the past two days everyone we’ve met in Glasgow has been telling us this is the best gig we’ll ever play”, he declared, as soon as the Leeds band arrived onstage. They then proceeded over the following 70 minutes to deliver on that expectation, with an evening that’s among the best the storied old Barrowland has ever seen.

Mimi Webb, O2 Academy, Glasgow review - TikTok queen fails to fire with sparse set

★★ MIMI WEBB, O2 ACADEMY, GLASGOW TikTok queen fails to fire with sparse set

A lack of legitimate pop bangers held the performance back

Blake Rose clearly wasn’t leaving anything to chance. The support act bounded onstage draped in a Saltire, and soon brought up his days growing up in Aberdeen before moving to Australia. That Scottish upbringing helped inspire one of his songs, “Sweet Caledonia”, and going by the lively reaction he received from the youthful Glasgow crowd they were glad to take him as their own.