Live gigs and music have officially returned to Strath Union, with opening night at The Venue being headlined by Glaswegian bands Bogle and Cloudhouse. With a long history of live music shows, with iconic bands like Fleetwood Mac, Blondie, and Pink Floyd (to namedrop a few), the Union’s musical comeback roused a stirring turnout on Thursday, October 17th.
The former Student Union was on John Street, until the new premises sprung up in 2020. With the delay due to COVID-19, there have been several years of hiatus before Strath Union was unable to host live music nights until recently. Gig nights have since come back as ‘Rewired’, with the intention of bringing back the musical atmosphere at Strathclyde. Eva Curran, the Strath Union President, and her team of Union Representatives arranged Rewired to bring back such a crucial part of Strath Union’s background.
“How does it feel to bring back live gigs successfully?”, I asked.
Eva laughed. “We’ll wait till the gig is over to see if it’s successful. It’s successful in the sense that it’s happening, it’s been really exciting, and something that I’ve wanted to do for a while. Strathclyde has a big music community, and especially, the history from John Street to the new building.”
There’s a strange sense of excitement and tingling before a band appears on stage. Until the doors opened at 7, none of the crowd knew what was truly in store for them.
What started out as a simple university day quickly became punk-rock-esque with the first band of the night, bogle. An alternative four-piece band from Glasgow, bogle is made up of Adam McCafferty (guitar, vocals), Jacob Duffy (bass, vocals), Evie Seenan (acoustic drum kit) and Joseph O’Donnell (guitar, vocals). Their sound was incredibly energetic with their amazing electric guitar riffs and powerful drum sets. The crowd really began to pick up because of them, with many vibing to the music. Fans were able to listen to a full hour of their live music, with bogle playing some of their most anticipated tracks in their set list: Distant Promise, Past Blunder, In the Bleak, Strangers, Always Nowhere, Just like Heaven and finally, Beyond My Reach. It’s not an overstatement to say that bogle impressed older fans and picked up newer fans with their tenacity, it will be exciting to see where they go next.
The name ‘Cloudhouse’ was already on people’s lips as the show started, but the exhilaration was real as the second hour began. Glaswegian band Cloudhouse was formed in 2019, consisting of five members: Connor, Patrick, Jack, Calum, and Morgan. Known for their honest melodies and indie-rock music, Cloudhouse are rising stars, as they certainly made sure it was a well-known fact that night. The band’s vibrant personality could be seen through their music, especially their clear, resonant vocals. They played a whopping 13 songs for their set, including many fan-favourites like ‘Waiting for Summer’, ‘Still Here’, and their latest single, ‘Steal This Life.’ Each member is clearly a professional, with phenomenal mastery in their instruments, whether it be vocals, drums, bass, saxophone, or guitar. You could see people clapping along to the music and fans mouthing the words of each song. Other noteworthy songs of the night were ‘Wild Eyes’, ‘Photographs’, ‘Don’t Wanna Talk’, and ‘Set You Free.’
By the end of the night, the crowd was bustling and chanting for an encore. Cloudhouse obliged and some even got to sing with Connor, the frontman of the band, himself. The show overall, was lively and amusing. Cloudhouse are fantastic performers, and you can truly see the spirit of each member when they’re locked in.
For the first show of the year, Rewired had a great turnout and it will be thrilling to see which bands perform at the Union next.
Final year journalism + politics student at Strathclyde. Culture Editor 24/25
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