March 2017 – South Western rock band Empire departed for yet another headline tour, going up and down the UK doing what they do best. Joining them, their newfound friends in Chapter And Verse, who looked to continue making an impact and build on their recent wave of momentum.

The fourth night of said tour went down at Nice N Sleazy in Glasgow, which was appearing to be a show full of promise given the line-up at hand.

Opening act Paradigm Shift were the only ones we were going into completely blind, and boy did we feel guilty for not having discovered them much earlier.

With the likes of Karma, Sirens and Digital Age, they delivered commanding, sometimes even explosive vocals, a slick flow in the bass department and some breathtaking drum work.

With these combined elements, they captivated us and the bustling crowd in attendance all the way through. An ideal example of how to make a first impression, as well as provide the strongest of starts to a gig.

We were more familiar with Banshee by this point, but the magic of them is that they still give us a fresh, memorable experience every time, and this night was no different.

Even rugged from a day’s travelling, Erin never failed to hold back making the most of our renowned immense voice, in addition to displaying fierce style and tenacity on stage.

The collective group of Gavin, Liam and Gianluca continue to be one of the most tenacious instrumental trios in all of Scotland, with an evidently unbeatable chemistry.

They dished out Eagles, Starts With One and Say My Name, as well as newer material which built up our anticipation for their upcoming EP, all of which produced an immersive sound that deserves to grace bigger arenas.

We had been introduced to London rockers Chapter And Verse recently and became quite the fans, so we were looking forward to them, and quite frankly they blew us away.

Frontman Josh killed it, riding on an influx of pure passion through both his tightly-pitched vocals and feverish movement. The rest of the bandmates held up their end of the bargain very well, creating dynamic rhythms with an overwhelming force.

Focal points included Slave, the engaging Ink and the explosive New Breed. The energy was so palpable, we could physically feel it vibrating from the nearby amps. The set capped off with bassist Johnathan going for a wander and climbing on tables, before returning and falling in a heap.

In short, the gents’ second outing in the city of Glasgow was a sensational one, and we would happily pay to see them up here again.

The headliners Empire kicked off with Patchwork & Bone,highlighted by a fervent chorus, before moving on to the infectious Sparrows.

Sights is where Joe’s marvelous harmonies reached their optimum, whilst he demonstrated loads of charisma and rubbed off on everybody with his charming and funny personality.

The massive Hands & Tongues sent the audience into a frenzy, where afterwards a flash of nipples preceded the insanely catchy Future, Past & Present, involving some crowd participation.

The brand new song featured strong riffs and a cracking bass line. They would then turn the dial back up for All The Rage, before being joined by Josh of Chapter And Verse for a meteoric finale in the form of Black Hearts that left the place out of breath and in a buzz by the time it was over.

An incredible gig that will surely go down as one of the best that 2017 will have to offer, courtesy of four astounding acts who brought their own individual qualities to the table and reminded us just how rich the British music scene truly is on both sides of the border.