Cruise Balloon hosted an incredible headline show at Mono in Glasgow’s Merchant City on 17th April. Supporting acts came from local bands Pardon and Heavy Skint.
Hailing from Glasgow, the alt-rock quartet have already been making waves across the music scene, having previously supported The Rosellas, Adult Leisure, and The Rills across local venues in Edinburgh and Glasgow. This was my 2nd time catching Cruise Balloon live, having first seen them support Pastel at King Tut’s back in January.
Pardon
First on the roster was indie 5-piece band Pardon. This quintet offered a variety of alternative & indie ballads, reminiscent of The Cranberries and The Cardigans. The set featured a strong bass line, acoustic guitar intervals from lead vocalist Clementine Belber, and catchy instrumentals.
The rising Glasgow/New York quintet released their debut EP ‘How Bizarre’ in July 2024. They have already played several local venues across Glasgow including King Tut’s and the Hug & Pint.
Heavy Skint
Next up was local Glasgow band Heavy Skint, with lead frontman Jacob Hunter. Straight away you could tell this was about to be a class set, with Hunter shaking things up and encouraging crowd engagement. Despite it being only the 4th time they’d played together live as a group; Heavy Skint are definitely one to watch for 2025.
Their latest track ‘Something You Hate’ released on 7th March, explores issues of addiction and alcoholism, and the harmful outcomes it can have on those closest to you. The set also featured several unreleased tracks, bursting with energy and upbeat rhythms that kept the crowd moving. Hunter’s contagious energy is reminiscent to the styles of Wunderhorse and Måneskin.
Cruise Balloon
Headliner Cruise Balloon took over the Mono stage by around 9.35pm, with an exceptional set performed to the Glasgow crowd. The set included their latest release ‘Til The End’ which included vocals from both frontman Joe and guitarist Michael. Tonight was the live debut of this track since its official release on Spotify on 14th April.
Cruise Balloon formed as a group 2 years ago, with band members consisting of Joe Stronach on lead vocals and rhythm guitar, Michael McEvinney on lead guitar & backing vocals, bassist Chic McCall and drummer Matt Donaldson.
Unreleased track ‘Nothing’s Changing’ kicked off the set, where I instantly got vibes from the likes of Arctic Monkeys, The La’s, and Shambolics. 2nd track ‘Close’, another recent single from December 2024, featured songwriting that explored feelings of resistance and difficulty moving on from past lovers: “It feels just like I’m talking to your ghost / It haunts me if I ever get too close”.
Tracks such as ‘Sixty Minutes Late’ and ‘Sin’ saw heavier drums, strong vocals, and guitar-driven instrumentals, fuelling the crowd’s energy for the rest of the set. Loyal fans at the front showed unwavering support throughout. Cruise Balloon then did a stunning rendition of ‘PDA’ by 1997 band Interpol.
It was the last few tracks, however, that really stuck with me from this set. Self-titled track ‘Cruise Balloon’ offered heavier instrumentations with strong drums from Matt, as well as electrifying guitar layers that blended seamlessly together, creating their signature indie-rock anthem.
And if that wasn’t a good enough tune to close the set, just wait until the encore – with crowd favourites ‘Come On’ and ‘Mary Midas’ closing the night. Cruise Balloon are one to keep an eye on in the Glasgow music scene, make sure to check out their socials below for any upcoming gigs & new music.
