English post-hardcore outfit Basement made their return to Glasgow’s SWG3 in September as part of their UK/EU tour, boasting a stacked lineup with acts such as: Midrift, Dynamite and Anxious.
The show marked Basement’s first performance in Glasgow since 2018, leading to the show selling out within days of the announcement as fans flocked to catch a glimpse of the beloved Ipswich lads.
California trio Midrift would open the show, a group of young lads who try their hand at shoegaze and post-hardcore/grunge to great effect. The boys looked as if they’d been playing in rooms this big for years, almost veteran-like. Perhaps this is due to the fact that they have supported other huge bands in the scene before, including Tigers Jaw and Split Chain.
Singer Gus Merkam showcased his impressive vocal abilities on songs such as unrequited and new heavy hitter, Safe and Sound, with brothers Kai and Manoa Neukermans steadying the ship behind him. The crowd seemed to really love their sound as they ripped through a set of original material, a booming drum solo and an excerpt of Title Fight’s classic emo track Safe In Your Skin.
A total dynamic shift would follow however, as the UK’s own Dynamite burst onto the stage. The London hardcore outfit came, saw and conquered as they sent the crowd into a frenzy when they opened with their track War Inside, a 1 minute 20 non-stop belter. Their set had shades of punk and hardcore, at times sounding like if Soft Play and Turnstile were merge into one behemoth of a sound.
The group used their platform on stage to call for a ceasefire in Gaza, and a free Palestine. Their short but sweet 20-minute set that set the room alight will be a support slot to remember for years to come.
Up next were emo darlings Anxious, who had one simple rule for the crowd. “When we move, you move.” Exclaimed singer Grady Allen, before opening with fan favourite track, Call From You, from their debut album, 2022’s Little Green House. Anxious took their slot and grabbed it with both hands, showcasing their talent with some incredible harmonies between the bassist, the lead guitarist and the singer on tracks like In April and Your One Way Street.
The set, which also included tracks from their latest album, Bambi, each member relishing the opportunity to be there. It was incredible to see a band so in love with their own music, it really felt that they cherished every single second whilst belting out some great tracks. Allen even got so into his dancing at one point he threw his microphone out of his hand mid-dance in during their last song, Growing Up Song.
As the room filled to capacity, and the lights dimmed for the final time, the room erupted with cheers, as after 7 years, Basement finally took to a Glasgow stage once again. Flying out of the traps into fan-favourite track, 2019’s, Are You The One? The most visited album throughout the set, was the group’s showpiece LP, 2012’s, Colourmeinkindness, with tracks like Bad Apple, Pine and Whole all unveiled to the adoring patrons in the crowd.
The venue had put up signs throughout the venue that requested for no crowdsurfing, they were swiftly ignored when Basement were on. Bodies flew across the venue for tracks like Earl Grey and Crickets Throw Their Voice.
Before the band previewed two new songs, singer Andrew Fisher took a moment to give his thanks to the crowd, saying: “This one goes out to whoever’s seen us before, these songs go out to anyone who’s seeing us for the first time, when you’ve been a band as long as we have, it means so much to us that people are still coming to see us for the first time, seeing people crowdsurf to songs that haven’t even been released yet means the world to us.” Fisher also thanked the fans for upgrading their show from a smaller SWG3 room.
As the night was ending, there was a tension building, as the band’s biggest song had not been played yet. The track had recently just blown up due to TikTok, with the singer claiming that his friend sent him memes with the song on the app almost daily. With a quick dedication to his mate, he invited the crowd to go crazy one last time as they began a stunning rendition of their hit track Covet. A beautiful end to a stellar show.
