Into Live Music Review: The Bluebells @FRETS
Concert: The Bluebells
Venue: FRETS @ Strathaven Hotel
Dates: 4 October 2025
Joe Strummer once proclaimed “This is a public service announcement, with guitars“. And an announcement was certainly made as The Bluebells ripped into their own Red Guitars. A good album track, but live it is a different animal. A blended three-pronged guitar salvo unfolded before our eyes, Robert Hodgens and Douglas MacIntyre laying down the harmonies and the backbeat but it was the heft of Mick Slaven’s slashing, virtuoso attack that brought the track into the 21st century.
The show was the second of two nights performed by the six-piece band who ran through tracks from their back catalogue and also introduced eight songs from their scheduled 2026 album, This Is The Bluebells. In addition, it also happened to be the sixth anniversary of FRETS CONCERTS, run by Douglas MacIntyre and Katy Lironi who have put on dozens of shows over the past six years. Having attended quite a few, including the very first (Lloyd Cole), each and every one has been an absolute delight. Happy anniversary FRETS!
Before The Bluebells took to the stage, support came from ex-Teenage Fanclub bassist/vocalist Gerard Love who played an enthralling set, delving into his own solo catalogue, a coupe of Fannies tracks and a cool cover of Moondog’s Do Your Own Thing. Other highlights included Discolite and the set-ending Sparky’s Dream. It can often be a tough shift as a support act but not here given the reputation and songs Love can rely upon. In those forty minutes I doubt anyone moved from their seat.
The Bluebells set was split into four sections, the band starting off with a few new tracks before playing some old favourites and then doing the same again. On first listen, the new album promises to be a belter. The rhythms and melodies were bursting out on Up On The Roof and You’re Leaving while later on Sing Like Little Birds and Monochrome Set sound like instant classics.
Back to Joe Strummer and another of his proclamations was “The future is unwritten“. That comment is as true now as was when first uttered and where it feels like we are living in some kind of dystopian world where right wing views are growing and society is an an utter mess because of it. Before playing their own anti-fascist song No Pasaran, singer Ken McCluskey referenced this backdrop and the growing political malaise commenting that Trump and Farage are “cunts“. Spot on Ken. We need more voices like this and more air time given to such songs and artists. No pasaran indeed.
Thereafter the triple AAA whammy of Cath, I’m Falling and Young At Heart had many of the crowd off their seats and dancing down the isles in what can only be described as a beautiful mess(around), where music is the common denominator for community, smiles and a general feel good vibe.
The encore saw Some Sweet Day dedicated to a good friend of the band, Lisa (and many in the audience) who couldn’t make the show, going through a tough time with illness. “Some sweet day, I’m gonna hear you say, everything’ll be OK, OK“. Amen to that.
The Bluebells play Oran Mor on Hogmanay 31st December. For tickets, head to the band website here. This Is The Bluebells will be released in April 2026 via the Last Night From Glasgow record label – see here for details.
Review by John Welsh
@welshjb
Gerry Love phot c/o Frank McFarlane – all others c/o John Welsh
Links: