Concert: Bambara
Venue: Glasgow Stereo
Date:  16 April 2022

Originally scheduled for 6 May 2020, this rescheduled gig finally saw Bambara hit Glasgow for a welcome return on the back of new release, Love on My Mind.  

The venue was mobbed and the atmosphere hot, so much so that condensation was dripping down the walls in what felt like a furnace. Bambara’s touring line up consists of five musicians with lead singer Reid Bateh front and centre, twin brother Blaze on drums, William Brookshire on bass duties, Bryan Keller Jr. on guitar and Sam Zalta on keys/guitar. 

From the off, the band were on primal form, no holds barred as they ripped up the venue, providing an onslaught to the senses. Early on, the crowd slamming had gotten a little out of hand with one young fan in particular getting a can of beer poured over him for his exuberant dancing. The band though played on, tentatively checking out the protagonists who soon kissed and made up, phew! 

The one thing that came across in the live environment was how fresh and full Bambara’s sound was, more so than on record and something not many bands can pull off live. Mythic Love was a case in point, the sound bold, twin guitars absolutely rocking. Bateh held the crowd captive in his spell, the band’s post punk sound somewhat reminiscent of The Birthday Party at their finest.

The only downside to the show was where the vocals sat in the mix. It was slightly low and I felt that it really could have done with more volume to match the musical output from the rest of the band. But that’s a small gripe overall as Bambara gave their all, Reid Bateh a natural front man and the crowd lapped it up. 

Crowd favourite Serafina took things to a new level, the crowd going wild for what is a stone cold killer of a track. With a 10pm curfew, the band finished up before coming back for a two song encore before they were gone. A great gig and one that the Glasgow crowd loved.

Let’s hope they come back soon. 

Keep up to date with Bambara via their website here.

 John Welsh
@welshjb

Links:

@BambaraBand

@stereoglasgow

@prescriptionpr