Passenger.
Whenever I mention Passenger, you have to mention the classic ‘Let Her Go’ but to many, he's the guy writing music for the regular guy. With his passion stemming from his real life, you connect with his music no matter where you are in life.
Now, if you somehow missed Passenger live at the Barrowlands...you’re lucky I have all the details in one single post.
With expectations high already, the excitement grew as it was announced that Passenger was being supported by the talented Gabriella Alpin. A mesmerising vocalist & songwriter. So of course, we go to the downstairs bar, wait in the obnoxiously long queue for 2 pints, meet some strangers (because we can do that now, masks on of course) then scramble our way up the iconic Barrowland stairs.
One thing which was glorious in attending the first Barras gig since 2019 was being part of the sea of people all prepared to sing their hearts out to one guy on stage with his guitar.
Next up was being further introduced to the voice of Gabriella Alpin who stunned us all. Performing her own music with silk-like vocals and Iggy Pop confidence, it truly was a treat to the eardrums.
When Passenger took to the stage, there wasn't one soul who wasn't screaming in pure joy. Now, if you are a long time Passenger fan, you will be aware of my favourite song, if you aren't..I will educate you. ‘I Hate’ a song performed at every Passenger gig Ive ever attended/watched on Youtube, is a glorious song about all the things wrong with the world..and there is quite a bit. When that chorus chant began, my heart almost exploded, almost. I can only describe this as my favourite moment of 2021.
Of course he performed the classics such as ‘Let Her Go’ & ‘Lifes for the Living’ amongst others. However, the element which makes a Passenger gig a Passenger gig is obviously Mike aka Passengers banter with the crowd. You no longer feel like some random person in a crowd, you feel like a pal sat in the living room with friends and someone found a guitar.
After the encore involving ‘Holes’ and the duet of Passenger & Gabriella Alpin, we headed to the bar next door for one or two ‘drink for the road’. I then ran outside to meet the lovely Passenger and get some info on his favourite place to play (Barrowlands, obviously) and his favourite song to perform:
‘Feather on the Clyde is my favourite song to play, especially in front of a Glasgow crowd’
If you haven't attended a Passenger gig, this is your sign!