Into Live Music Review: The Raveonettes

Concert: The Raveonettes 
Venue: Glasgow, Classic Grand
Dates: 09 December 2025

As an avid gig goer, there are perhaps a handful of artists who I’ve loved over the years but have never seen live. I ticked Iggy Pop off that list earlier this year and can now do the same with The Raveonettes who played to a packed Glasgow audience at the Classic Grand. A venue that has, shall we say, a less than salubrious past as it was once a cinema hosting softcore porn films in the Seventies for the fleabag dirty mac brigade!  

The Danish rock duo – Sune Rose Wagner and Sharin Foo – share vocal duties as well as fierce guitar/bass lines with aplomb and were ably accompanied by a tub-thumping drummer on the night. Following the opener, Blackest, Foo thanked the crowd for coming out, noting that Storm Bram was fair blowing a hoolie outside. Fortunately, the soundproofing in the venue was top notch, there was no leaking roof and the fans could all concentrate on, and enjoy, the music.  

Have to say though, it took a little while to get going. Early on, Wagner in particular, cut a figure that often meandered to the back of the stage and when at the front, looked a little bit reserved, perhaps indifferent, nervous even. Of course, with nothing to benchmark against, I didn’t know if this was standard fare for the band. There was no chat about the recent football match where Scotland defeated Denmark so maybe Wagner was a little bit down on that. However, the squalid white noise guitar-rock of That Great Love Song, underpinned by a genuinely beautiful co-vocal, changed the mood in the blink of an eye. No Hampden roar but definitely a Classic Grand holler. Wagner’s lead washed over the crowd, with Foo adding lavish harmony, the metronomic drums like a punch to the heart. We were off and running.  

The rockabilly twang of Love In A Trashcan, the dreamy 60s Killer and the underground European dancestraza vibe of You Say You Lie showcase a band who are not scared to wear their influences on their sleeves, think Spector, Shirelles, Link Wray et al.

Much has been said about the recent My Bloody Valentine gig at the Hydro, Kevin Shields amps and the sheer noise the band induced, ear defenders offered to all. Well, MVB are another band I’ve never seen but when it comes to loud, Ride at Calton Studios (Oct90) are my benchmark. Their noise was off the scale, my ears ringing for days after. To the here (hear, even) and now, I imagine The Raveonettes said “hold my beer”. During Aly, Walk With Me my eardrums had more than a wobble, the sound reverberating, pushing the boundaries of what is an acceptable soundscape, and pushing it some more – YYEESS!!  

A wee question though. The sound was clearly augmented and amplified, but how? The percussion supplemented with a drum machine, bass added when both Wagner and Foo were on guitar. The occasional keyboard slipped in. And the volume for a three-piece was off the scale. Now, I am no musician, just someone who loves music, so what do I know? Interestingly, a promoter pal had posed a similar question on social media after the gig. Talk of backing tapes, pedals, IEMs, (no) monitors, and emulators to drive the sound. Might as well be double Dutch to me. The why also includes the fact that BREXIT made it harder for touring bands to come to the U.K. (and vice versa) and make it economically viable, if at all. Conclusion: Don’t overthink it, just enjoy the beauty and sound of a band and please get out and support your local live scene. 

In 2024 a covers album, The Raveonettes Sing… was released featuring ten songs by artists who have inspired the duo. The druggy sleaze of Venus In Furs was served up on a medicinal plate. Imbibe dear listener, imbibe. Foo’s vocal so matter-of-fact against the backdrop of Wagner’s sparkling guitar was a true highlight – taste the whip, indeed. Wagner at this point was cutting shapes with his guitar(s), smiling like a Cheshire cat and doing the do, meanwhile Foo was effortlessly adding panache and coolness to an audience who were on board, riding the Skanda wave of garage rock wondrousness.  

The four song encore was intense, flaming hot and fucking loud, concluding with a lovely tribute to the sad passing of Gary “Mani” Mounfield of The Stone Roses with their version of I Wanna Be Adored. The gig reminded me of a famous quote – “Fate whispers to the warrior ‘You cannot withstand the storm’. The warrior whispers back, ‘I am the storm'”. The Raveonettes were the warriors tonight, in the middle of a musical tsunami of sound, expertly conducting a cacophonic assault on the senses, they were the storm. A fantastic show, but when do my ears stop ringing???

Review by John Welsh
@welshjb

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