Brighton-based band Welly took to the basement of McChuills pub in Glasgow’s Merchant City on Sunday, February 9. They were supported by Vincent’s Last Summer and Polly Money.
Lead singer Elliot, aka Welly’s cheeky banter with the audience, alongside the band’s high-energy dance-punk music, meant that no concertgoer left the venue without a smile on their face and a bit of sweat on their forehead.
Welly’s aesthetic romanticises a Great British childhood with a throwback to their former years: the band were dressed in primary school-chic, wearing sandshoes, headbands, baggy white shirts and high socks.
But any inclination that this would be a school disco (gearing up to hear Cha Cha Slide) was busted from the first chord strummed by Jacob, the band’s lead guitarist. His jagged guitar grooves gave some of the songs a London post-punk feel, with lead singer Elliott’s ‘talky’ style of singing recalled bands like Squid or Fat White Family.
A running motif in Welly’s music is the humour and, oftentimes, claustrophobia that comes with living in a small British town. Lead singer Elliott, who is originally from Southhampton, satirises the Great British high-street on Shopping (“We go on shopping!” chanted the crowd).
Soak up the Culture was another highlight as the band take the piss out of Brits away on their holidays to Benidorm, Alicante and the likes.
Welly also had some very funny back-and-forth with an equally cheeky Glasgow audience. One particularly memorable moment was when lead singer Elliott asked the audience if any of them had taken a gap year, to which a crowd member shouted out: “Me! To City of Glasgow College!”. Safe to say they’ve ‘soaked up’ enough Scottish culture.
The band also taught the crowd to gallop and had one fan wear a horse mask as they performed newest single The Roundabout Racehorse.
They finished the night off with the title track from upcoming album Big in the Suburbs, which quickly became moshpit carnage as Elliott and bandmates ended the night on a high note by tossing themselves into the crowd. We wouldn’t expect anything less from a band as enthusiastic as Welly.
Featured Image Credit: Rose McEnroe / The Golden Bough
Student journalist with a passion for music.
