LIVE REVIEW: Starbenders @ The Cathouse, Glasgow
On a cold night in Glasgow, The Cathouse plays host to an eclectic but well-balanced mix of emo-grunge, synthwave and glam-rock as the Atlanta quartet STARBENDERS arrive promoting their new album Take Back The Night. Bringing some local talent along with them for the ride, a small crowd of delighted Glaswegians happily come in from the wind for what promises to be a great night.
First up on tonight’s bill is Scottish alternative-rock band HUMAN RENEGADE, who attract a fair audience for their early placement on tonight’s itinerary. They seem genuinely grateful to be here and remind the audience of this, launching through a short set of emo-tinged grunge and pop-rock that sets up the night well. Their style sits apart from the rest of the bands playing tonight, but their angsty energy keeps the audience well engaged. The recent track The Falling Rising stands out from the bunch, with singer Alistair Scott channelling vocals not dissimilar to early-MUSE. Their inclusion of upcoming tracks inspires a “lighters-in-the-air” moment in the crowd, and there is a feeling that their following in the Glasgow-scene will only have grown after tonight.
Rating: 7/10
The surprise of the night is the Glasgow band ARTAX, who thoroughly entertain tonight’s attendees with a blend of pop-rock and synthwave that soars well beyond the small room. The band themselves are full of a contagious energy that leaves the crowd at varying times either stunned or delighted as they fire through a set filled with massive genre-bending tracks. The guitarist Callum Warrender multi-tasks between his instrument and the synth, delving into heavier, progressive metal breakdowns before switching into lofty synth melodies (and throwing in the odd pirouette for good measure). Vocalist Katie Wills does an excellent job at shifting seamlessly from highs to lows, moving smoothly through mellower moments and punctuating the heavier, metal-leaning sections with some occasional screams. By the final track Rise, it’s difficult to remember that ARTAX are playing a supporting role. Wills leads the audience into clapping along before the sweeping guitar and heavy bass sections close out a great set by ARTAX.
Rating: 8/10
“People from the town I’m from don’t play shows in Glasgow,” remarks STARBENDERS singer and guitarist Kimi Shelter as they fire into closing track If You Need It, an emotive glam-rock anthem from this year’s Take Back The Night. Having only played Glasgow for the first time earlier this year supporting PALAYE ROYALE, STARBENDERS bring their larger-than-life anthems to the Cathouse on this intimate club tour.
Their set kicks off with Blood Moon, the relentless punk-rock track that sees Shelter’s vocals border on black-metal as she shrieks through the opening verse. Some slight mixing issues with the vocals don’t detract from the proceedings for long as they keep the momentum going with Holy Mother from Love Potions, Shelter clasping her hands in prayer during the closing refrains before diving into Bitches Be Witches. The set peaks when the new material shifts into focus.
We’re Not Okay is a gloom-rock anthem for the modern generation, with drummer Emily Moon leading the stomps into the chorus. Shelter’s melancholic vocals are flawless throughout the night, but when the stellar Seven White Horses begins, it becomes clear that it’s only a matter of time before STARBENDERS get the attention they deserve. The spectacle of seeing a band that seem destined for much larger venues in an intimate setting is not lost on the crowd who, although timid at times, seem completely enthralled by the spell that Kimi Shelter and company cast over the evening.
Rating: 9/10
Check out our photo gallery of the night’s action in Glasgow from Duncan McCall here:
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