Gallus- Absolute Madness

Attending gigs alone has become an all to common occurrence for me recently. Apparently everyone I know has a life… whatever that is, and are ‘too busy’. So as I traversed the rough and tough streets and alleys of Edinburgh, listening to the Vengaboys alongside Rick Astley, the excitement for my upcoming gig grew.

Residing in the indie scene of Glasgow, Gallus are a five-piece including Barry, Craig, Danny, Paul and Eamon. Beloved in the indie scene, their punk, grunge sound is reminiscent of the pixie’s whilst having a hint of madness, literally. The band's inspirations stem from the different styles that the members enjoy, ranging from heavy metal to indie. Making them one of the most unique bands to grace the scene.

The look I went for was ‘homeless man from the nineties’ so the looks I got while waiting at the back of the concert hall alone were excused (I would have been scared too). After some time passed on came one of the bands supporting act, ‘The MoonRunners’. After one song I was already hooked. I loved their indie, vintage vibe and energy. And after hearing, ‘Rinse and Repeat’, I immediately added them to my playlist, and I can’t wait to see them again.

After the supporters, Gallus entered the room and the crowd erupted. Everyone was huddled into a clump at the front of the stage awaiting the band's first song. As the first note was played a mosh pit emerged, along with a 30 year old woman muttering ‘i’m too old for this’. Though to begin the songs we’re new and no one knew the lyrics, everyone managed to chant along, screaming words they didn’t understand. That was until ‘Looking Like a Mess’, my ears are still recovering from the noise. Even though the crowd was small (due to COVID19) the energy was unprecedented. The main reason I love Gallus is their live performances, it’s so fun to watch and be a part of. The way they actually interact with the audience keeps you engaged the entire time. So much so that I forgot to take pictures.

After some crowd surfing from Barry, and some bruises on my part Gallus left the room, but the audience wasn’t content. “One more, one more, one more fucking tune, one more, one more, one more fucking tune”, a simple chant that apparently works, as after a couple of minutes Gallus re-emerged to sing my personal favourite song, ‘Actual Factual’. The song is a wormhole of conspirises, meant to sound like the screams and ramblings of a man getting lost in his own madness and figuring out what exactly in the taps was turning the frogs gay- a classic. Then it ended. The crowd poured out of the hall and toward the bar, and I headed home. Adding some new bands and songs to my playlist along the way.

I actually had the pleasure of interviewing some members of Gallus a couple of months ago. Lovely people, I however was a bumbling mess. As it turns out human interaction alongside exercise and breathing are not my strong suits. The interview went well except the fact that I was barely audible and a small child was crying in the background. I also realised the other week while attending their gig that I forgot to send the finished interview to them and this is my apology. So if any of you are reading this I am well and truly sorry for… me. If you would still like the interview or to hear the ‘radio broadcast’, (if you could call it that) feel free to ask for it. However for my dignity's sake, please don’t. Sincerely, Amy.

P.S. Give some support to Gallus, MoonRunners and SPYYN on spotify and instagram. @spyynband, @moonrunners and @gallusareaband. Spread love, not Covid19.