Post-hardcore heavyweights Touché Amoré from Los Angeles, California, returned to Glasgow for their seventh time playing in the city, bringing their signature mix of raw emotion, high-energy performance, and singalong anthems to St Luke’s. Known for their deeply personal lyrics and dynamic live shows, the band has built a dedicated following over the years, and judging by the crowd’s energy, Glasgow was more than ready to welcome them back. Supporting them on this run were Trauma Ray and Chalk Hands, both offering contrasting but equally compelling sets, making for a night that had everything from atmospheric melodies to chaotic, cathartic release.
The night kicked off with Chalk Hands, a four piece screamo band who joined the tour from Brighton. Their set started with a loud shout from their lead singer, acting as a cue to the sound desk that they were ready to go. The rest of the band chuckled at it, but it was clearly intentional, and fits the vibe of a screamo band. They’re currently working on new music and gave us a taste of it during their set, which the crowd responded to with cheers, claps, and a few well-timed whistles. Their sound had a good build-up, often starting with a steady drum count-in before dropping into drawn-out guitar solos, then finally hitting full-speed with some tight, fast-paced drumming.
Vocally, the lead singer carried most of it with an emotional, visceral shout style, while the another vocalist added extra screams for that next-level intensity. The guitarist on the far right brought in some intricate playing that added depth to their sound. Throughout the set, you could spot plenty of head-bobbing and even one lone hand in the air, pointing towards the stage – either a die-hard fan who knows the band, or just a guy really feeling it.
They wrapped up with a solid final song, and from the energy in the room, it’s clear they left an impression.
Next up was Trauma Ray, from Fort Worth, Texas – bringing a massive contrast to the first act. Their set was ethereal, slow, and beautiful, the kind of music you could chill out to. That said, their energy on stage didn’t suffer; the guitarist on the far right was pulling all sorts of moves, swinging his guitar around and fully immersing himself in the music.
Their frontman kept his hood up for most of the set and kept his hair covering his face, adding to their mysterious, atmospheric vibe. Long instrumental sections were a key part of their sound, and with where I was standing, the bass drum hit hard—so much so that I could literally see one of their camera crew members shirt moving from the air pressure.
I overheard some guys outside talking about moshing before their set, most likely in anticipation for seeing Touché Amoré but yeah, not really the vibe for this band. However in the setting of St Luke’s, their dreamy, soft melodies fit beautifully. This was their first time in Glasgow, and they’ve been on this tour since January 21st. You could see several slow head’s bopping along throughout the set, and by the time they played their third last song in the setlist, the crowd was fully packed in. The second-to-last song picked up the tempo a bit, and while the front row wasn’t showing much movement, from the second row back, people were more engaged.
For their closing track, they sped things up noticeably, and the crowd responded with more movement. Their female vocalist joined in for backing vocals on a few tracks, but the lead singer kept a consistent tone throughout.
Then it was time for Touché Amoré to take to the main stage, coming from the door behind the stage one by one as the fans cheered in response to seeing the members take their places. Right off the bat the photographers in the pit were prepared for crowd surfers – and by the second song in, the lead singer, Jeremy Bolm, was calling for the crowd to get as close as possible, making sure the energy was right. “We’ve got lots of good people here to catch you,” as he said it then the mad crew staff were put to work and the pit was more than ready.
They had a 22 song strong setlist, which the crowd were forever singing the lyrics back to the band and in-between each song the audience erupted into massive cheers. Despite being deep into the tour, Touché were still giving it everything, bouncing around stage with first-night energy. One of the members from the Trauma Ray could even be seen vibing along at the back of the stage, seeing support bands genuinely into the headliner and being excited to be there reminds us how important it is to show up for the support bands, and give them the chance they deserve.
A highlight moment for me was hearing the crowd fully singing back during the song ‘Rapture’ – “Like a wave, Like the rapture, Something you love is gone” at full volume.
This was their seventh time in Glasgow, and they still find it wild, given how many incredible bands have come from here. The lead singer goes on to say it’s an honour that they can sell out shows here and paid their respects to all those bands from Scotland that they’ve been inspired by.
Their song ‘Force of Habit’ stood out from the rest of the set. Unlike their usual singalong anthems, this one had a slower, more emotive intro, making it clear that the song carried heavy meaning. The vocals were raw and strained, giving a sense of deep struggle, before building the energy back up. It was a moment of vulnerability that hit hard.
The crowd never stopped moving. One of the joys of St Lukes is having the balcony to admire this from above, crowd surfers, pits, bouncing – all of it. The crowd were screaming along with them. It was a constant interaction between the band and the audience, a proper shared experience.
By the end of the set, they were drenched in sweat, proving they played as hard as possible. And just when we thought it was over, they came back for one more song, ‘Limelight’. It started slow and built up beautifully, rounding off an intense and emotional set – and even had the lead singer, Uriel from Trauma Ray’s join them for this moment and bring the end to an unforgettable night.
Touché Amoré brought it all – emotion, energy, and connection with the crowd. Trauma Ray provided a dreamlike contrast that fit the venue perfectly, and Chalk Hands opened with enough raw emotion to set the tone for the night. Each band added something unique, making this a lineup that truly delivered.
Would 100% see all these bands again.
Photos and review by Katy Shewan / Katy’s Studio
