Recently, Already Heard made the long trip north to Glasgow to see local boys Prides play a sell-out, standing room only show in an intimate space in the Barrowlands. However, this was no ordinary Prides show, as the pair stripped back their usually elecro driven emotionally charged pop-rock for a special unplugged-style charity fundraiser hosted by the Royal Bank of Scotland.
The Scottish scene has been churning out incredible bands in droves in recent years, and Prides are the latest act on the superstar trajectory previously blazed by Biffy Clyro and Frightened Rabbit. As a result, there was a palpable sense this was a rare and special chance to witness the duo in such intimate environs. That said, largely due to the rearranged nature of the songs, the crowd packed into the room did take a little time to get to grips with this alternative take on the band’s sound. Consequently the soulful and tender rendition of current single ‘Are You Ready’ initially gets a response that’s a tad nonplussed.
Thankfully the stripped back and slowed down ‘I Should Know You Better’ works a treat in its new format, and is rightly rewarded with a big communal singalong that gets proceedings back on track. Stuart draping himself over the piano to serenade Callum with a spot of Aerosmith provides a surreal intro to a rendition of ’Little Danger’ that showcases a combined towering vocal performance with immaculate harmonies.
Later new track ’Change’ shows the pair at their poignant best and bodes well for their forthcoming sophomore album, before ’The Kite String and The Anchor Rope’ oozes an effortless and sincere romance and holds the entire room in its spell, an entranced audience whispering the lyrics back at the stage.
That just leaves it to the one-two knockout punch of ’Out Of The Blue’ and ’Messiah’, the two strongest tracks in the band’s arsenal, and a combination that ends the evening on a triumphant high.
In this setting Prides stepped commendably out of their comfort zone and delivered a memorable set that revealed just how heart-wrenching their song-writing can be.
4.5/5
Words by Dane Wright (@MrDaneWright). Photo by Gary Baker Photography.
