Last week a national radio station broadcast their take on Scotland’s greatest anthems, to celebrate St Andrew’s Day
High up the list, in between the likes of Simple Minds and Wet Wet Wet were Gun, with their 1994 cover of Cameo’s, Word Up.
It is a remarkable record, drenched in melody and muscular guitar.
30 years on the Glasgow rockers show no signs of slowing down, and last night they returned to Aberdeen’s Lemon Tree to perform in front of a packed house who’d braved almost biblical North East wind and rain to catch the band.
Supporting the Stones to rocking the Lemon Tree
Having earned their stripes supporting the likes of Bon Jovi and the Rolling Stones back in the late ’80s, the Glasgow quintet have honed their craft through relentless gigging. And this was clear from the outset as they hit the stage with a wall of sound.
For many bands there’s plenty of rock, but not so much roll, but there’s a real swagger about Gun, frontman Dante Gizzi owning the stage with his warm vocal delivery and easy rapport with the audience.
It’s easy to tour year after year on your back catalogue, but one of the reasons Gun have endured is their drive to create and release new material. Last night’s setlist reflected that with a chunk of songs being aired from their forthcoming Hombres album (out in April).
Lemon Tree audience will be in new music video for Gun
Folk can drift to the loo when unfamiliar material rings out at gigs, but there was no such exodus last night. All Fired Up, Lucky Guy , and the epic Falling were top notch melodic rock tunes that suggest Gun will be barging into the UK album chart again in 2024.
Upcoming single Take Me Back Home was a real singalong too, with the bellowing Aberdeen audience being filmed for the official video.
Guitarist Jools Gizzi – Dante’s brother – was on great form. His soulful soloing and clever riffs underpinned belters like “Better Days” and “She Knows”. On the other side of the stage new guitarist Ru MacFarlane, a Montrose lad, played some tremendous lines – equal parts bluesy and bombastic.
It was also heartwarming to see drummer Paul MacManus back behind the kit after overcoming a cancer diagnosis earlier this year.
Support proved themselves as Godfathers of rock
The night began with a punchy, gnarly 40 minute set from cult veteran rock and rollers, The Godfathers. They impressed; attitude and aggressive tone met sweet vocal harmonies to create a sound that shook the Lemon Tree. The prosaic Birth, School, Work, Death said it all.
The back end of Gun’s set included an acoustic version of the slow burning Taking On The World, the anthemic Steal Your fire and a raucous Shame On You.
On this form, Gun will be on the back on your radio more often than even they might have expected.
Wonderful.
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