Gig review: THE QUIREBOYS – The Tolbooth, Stirling, 14 December 2016

A gig in Stirling is a rare occurrence and as it is the closest I get to a home tie this show was a must see. Add in the facts that the night was being put on by ‘Rock For Strathcarron’, with all proceeds going to the local hospice, and it featured one of the most entertaining bands in rock and you had all the ingredients of a great night.

Tickets were quickly purchased and the anticipation was high. The Tolbooth is a great little venue just a couple of minutes from Stirling Castle, the best castle in Scotland I hasten to add, and it was completely sold out.

Opening the show were Swedish rockers The Gloria Story who were playing as a three piece. Singer Filip Rapp was our genial host for the evening and they opened their set with a song called ‘Crusty Pie’ which instantly endeared them to a Scottish audience.

Together with Fredrik on guitar and Bella on backing vocals the threesome played an entertaining set. Filip seemed genuinely thrilled to be in Scotland for the first time saying the thirty hour journey from Sweden was well worth the effort. The set comprised of original material and a couple of choice covers, including ‘Come On And Love Me’ by Kiss which had me singing along.

‘Highway’, the aptly named ‘Roadtrip’, and ’15,000 feet’ were the other highlights of the set and the allotted thirty minutes was rounded off with another cover, The Ramones ‘Blitzkrieg Bop’. Hopefully Filip and co will be back in Stirling soon but next time with the whole band in tow.

How do you define the appeal of The Quireboys? Over the past few years they have become a must see band for my wife and I, unplugged or a full band show it doesn’t matter, we faithfully go along to every tour. So what keeps us going back for more? This was a question that I asked myself during this gig and the answer came to me mid set when I realised I had a huge smile on my face. A Quireboys’ gig is pure entertainment and in these acoustic shows it is stripped back to the pure essence of rock.

Spike leads the way with his rasping, heartfelt vocal, the dynamic duo of Guy Griffin and Paul Guerin excel on guitar and Keith Weir lays down the honky tonk blues on the piano. Every man is an intrinsic part of the puzzle and the musicianship is first class.

The set contained all the crowd pleasers, from the opener ‘There She Goes Again’ via ‘Roses And Rings’ and ‘Misled’ which had the packed hall singing along. There were some songs featured though which don’t usually get an airing and it was good to hear ‘Hello’ and ‘Devil Of A Man’ in the set.

The set was rounded off with two classics in the shape of ‘Sweet Mary Ann’ and the inevitable singalong version of ‘7 O’Clock’. No Quireboys’ show would be complete though without the ultimate break up song, ‘I Don’t Love You Anymore’, and the band returned to the stage for a great rendition with Spike pouring his heart into every word.

The guys left the stage to a huge cheer, a good job done. I was smiling, the band were smiling, hell even Mona Lisa smiled. It’s The Quireboys’ effect and it gets you every time!

Review and photos by Dave Wilson

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Power Plays w/c 9 December 2024

In this sequence we play ‘The Best of 2024′ GRTR! reviewer selections

Featured Albums w/c 9 December 2024

09:00-12:00 The Best of 2024 (Melodic Rock)
12:00-13:00 The Best of 2003-2024 (Melodic Hard Rock)
14:00-16:00 The Best of 2024 (Singer Songwriter)