Alt-indie pop singer Mackenzy Mackay hit the SWG3 Warehouse in Glasgow on 26th March with support from Ally Salort. The night was filled with wholesome moments with the crowd and raw, emotional lyricism that fuelled the night with authentic storytelling and stripped-back, unfiltered vocals.
Ally Salort
Rising New Jersey vocalist Ally Salort opened the evening at 7.40 pm with a selection of emotionally heartfelt pop ballads for the Glasgow crowd. Opening with her latest release ‘Before And After’, she announced this was her first ever time being on the road, marking this as a very special tour for Salort.
The 3rd track of the setlist was ‘Chameleon’, an unreleased track that compares personality changes to the colour changes of a chameleon – not knowing what you’re going to get until you are faced with the situation upfront. ‘Messy’ featured soft vocals that built up toward a gripping guitar solo at the end, whereas ‘Pretty Face’ featured compellingly real lyrics that illustrate the feeling of realising the person you like is not know they come across to be.
Ally also teased the crowd with two unreleased, recently written tracks that will potentially be part of a new project set to be out later this year, as well as an acoustic cover of ‘Birds Of A Feather’ by Billie Eilish.
Mackenzy Mackay
Mack hit the SWG3 Warehouse stage at 8.40 pm. Only his 3rd time ever playing in Glasgow, it was clear he had already formed his own loyal fanbase with plenty in the crowd singing each lyric and showing their support. The last time played in Glasgow was supporting American pop vocalist Jessie Murph in 2024.
Mackenzy takes the gritty, raw vocals from Dominic Fike, punchy lyrics from Post Malone, whilst also taking inspiration from older artists such as The Everly Brothers and Ella Fitzgerald. His compelling stage presence and quick, catchy lyrics was prominent throughout the set, such as in ‘I Can’t Undo’ that featured fast, rap-like lyrics but with graspingly aesthetic vocals reminiscent of Only The Poets and Alfie Jukes.
This was Mackenzy’s first-time touring with a full band, featuring Eddie Allen on guitar and Louis Semlekan-Faith on drums. The setlist also included his latest single ‘Keeper’ with strong drums and a catchy indie-pop rhythm.
‘Postcards’ was a highlight of the set, with skilled production and songwriting that illustrates the challenge of being away from home, and far from the ones you love. Mackay expressed his fond connection to Scotland, with having lived in a small village near Tain before moving to Yorkshire aged 9. Mackenzy engaged with the crowd, with some fans at the front being from Hungary, Spain, and elsewhere in Scotland.
The night then slipped into a special acoustic part of the set, with two unreleased tracks starting with ‘Want You For Life’. Sitting down in front of the crowd with guitarist Eddie, Mackenzy detailed a wholesome experience he had with a girl, chilling under the A1 bridge in Northumberland, chatting with Elvis Presley on the radio. This was a special track to experience up-close, and a memory beautifully captured within authentic storytelling and vocals.
A further unreleased track details the all-too-familiar experience growing up in the UK, with however low and monotonous the experience, it still shapes you into who you are. Mackenzy encouraged the crowd to sing the catchy chorus: “I’ll be out dancing with the ones I love” followed by powerful electric guitar solos toward the end.
‘The One That You Call’ was an intimate and personal experience for the Glasgow crowd, with Mack encouraging concert attendees to live in the moment without phone distractions and noise, marking this as another special moment that must be experienced live. The set then came to a close with his April 2023 single ‘London’.
Mack’s early 2025 world tour kicked off in the US and Canada in February, before gracing the UK with multiple dates across Leeds, Glasgow, and London, before finishing in Europe in Paris on April 7th.
