Thomas Duxbury & New Mother Nature ⭐⭐⭐⭐

After making the trip through from Edinburgh with the Qulture Magazine photographer, we arrived at Nice N Sleazy just as Velvet were getting underway. Armed with a can of Beavertown's alcohol-free beer (see, I can be good, and please send me free beer Beavertown) and ready for a night of live music, it quickly became apparent that this wasn't going to be a typical Thursday night in Glasgow.

First up were Velvet whom I had never heard of, and immediately won over the room with a combination of sharp songs, strong musicianship and a healthy sense of humour. Much of their material was inspired by football, particularly the Scottish game…..which led to plenty of entertaining banter between songs. They never took themselves too seriously - but there was no questioning their ability as performers. The crowd responded warmly throughout, and they provided the perfect start to the evening.

Representing my city, from Edinburgh, Eyes of Home followed with a polished and energetic set that showcased why they've been building a strong reputation on the local circuit. Their sound was packed with melody and confidence, and they saved a special moment for the end by debuting their brand-new single, “Oppositeness", as the final song of their set. New material can be a gamble live, but it landed well and left the audience wanting more. On first listen, it sounded like another str`ong addition to their catalogue and provided a memorable way to round off an impressive performance – having reviewed these guys before, they were defo good as the first time I heard them!

Then came wee Thomas Duxbury and his band, New Mother Nature, opening the first night of their Hell Yeah Brothers Tour, named after his previous band. While Canadian by birth, he has spent enough time in Scotland to graduate from Aberdeen University, and he looked completely at home in Glasgow.Before the show had even started, Thomas handed me his guitar case and asked if I could keep an eye on it.

Having reviewed hundreds of gigs over the years, that's not something that happens every day. With his gear safely parked beside me, he grabbed a wireless guitar and disappeared into the crowd to make his entrance.…..

What happened next was gloriously bonkers, and unexpected! Having entrusted me with his guitar case moments earlier, Thomas made his way through the crowd already playing. Before he had even reached the stage, he had the audience's attention. It was an introduction that perfectly summed up everything that followed. Musically, in my humble opinion, the band sounded like they should have been playing behind chicken wire in some, smoke-filled American dive bar somewhere deep in the States. Their blend of blues, garage rock and old-school rock n roll felt completely authentic. There was nothing over-produced about it - It was raw, loud and packed with personality…. Lots of it!

Thomas was fucking impossible to take your eyes off! Wearing a large white (I think it was white, maybe cream) fedora hat that seemed determined to trap every ounce of heat in the room, he spent most of the set absolutely dripping with sweat. Rather than slowing him down, however, it appeared to fuel him. One minute he was firing out a blistering guitar solo, the next he was launching dramatic kicks into the air and bouncing about the stage like a madman…. before disappearing into the crowd once again.The comparison that kept coming into my head all night was Charlie from It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia. Not because he looked particularly like him…well maybe a bit, but because he possessed that same wonderfully wildcard chaotic energy. Slightly unpredictable, completely committed and impossible not to enjoy….. that’s all I could fucking see from that point on (thanks brain).

What impressed me most was that all the antics were backed up by genuine talent. The guitar solos were great throughout, delivered with flair but never disappearing into self-indulgence. Behind him, New Mother Nature provided the perfect platform, holding everything together while the frontman seemed determined to perform in every part of the bar except the space he was supposed to be in! The crowd wasn't huge (it was a school night), but there were enough people packed into the bar to create a proper atmosphere. More importantly, there were enough fans who knew the words, with singalongs breaking out throughout the set and giving the performance an even greater sense of connection…meanwhile, i was creeping about at the back of the room taking it all in.

As things progressed, the line between performer and audience effectively disappeared altogether. He spent large parts of the evening playing amongst the crowd and, in one of the night's standout moments, ended up standing on tables in the bar while still ripping through his guitar parts. It was chaotic, entertaining and felt completely natural.Several crowd-walks, countless riffs, more than a few flying kicks and a healthy amount of sweat later, the set came to an end. As we were getting ready to head home, I picked up the guitar case and returned it to its rightful owner. Looking after the headliner's gear wasn't something I'd expected when I left Edinburgh earlier that evening, but it somehow felt entirely in keeping with the wonderfully unpredictable nature of the show.

By the end of the evening, nobody seemed particularly concerned about crowd numbers. Those who had made the effort to be there had witnessed something memorable. Not because of elaborate production, expensive staging or carefully choreographed moments, but because a talented musician and his band threw absolutely everything they had into the performance, and he was fucking nuts as well. From the wireless-guitar entrance, to the crowd-walking, table-climbing and sweat-soaked fedora, Thomas delivered the sort of show that reminds you why live music can still be exciting. It was messy in all the right ways, packed with character and impossible to forget!