Elles Bailey - St Lukes, Glasgow 25.03.2026
- 4 hours ago
- 3 min read
There are a few things you need to say about Elles Bailey before talking about how this gig was as it provides context.
Firstly, she really doesn’t care what people think about her or say about her, in a very good way, she’s got attitude in spades but not arrogance. It’s the attitude of someone who has been given the chance to show good they are and isn’t going to let anything get in their way in doing so!
Secondly, she has an amazing voice, her range, her control, her emotion and her pitch are all excellent.
Thirdly, she loves what she does, it comes across in everything she does, she’s a fan of the music and she is having a great time when she’s on stage.
Fourthly, she’s very generous in the way she makes it clear just how good her band and collaborators are, she shares that love with the acts who support her to, she is a real proponent of those on stage before and with her.
Finally, she loves her audience and gets up there every night proving it to them.
So now you have the context how was this gig, well St Lukes was a brilliant venue for this gig (it’s become my favourite venue in Glasgow over the last few years). Putting Elles voice and music in, what used to be a church, is a brilliant idea.
I only caught the last couple of songs of the support act, Caitlin Krisko and the Broadcast so don’t feel able to write a full review but I was impressed with what I saw, Caitlin was on stage with just a guitar player for company but when you have a instrument like her voice you don’t need a lot more. I heard two songs and thought it was excellent. The crowd, nearly all of whom were there for her set as well as the main set, clearly agreed. It was really pleasing to see the lengthy queue when she’d finished buying her vinyl direct from Caitlin herself. It’s always good to see an artist getting supported knowing how tough it is to make a living from music these days.
I found myself a great spot near the mixing desk and got ready for the gig, having seen Elles before in Leeds I had some idea what to expect but I’d forgotten just how good she is. Elles played a lot of songs from her excellent new album, 'Can’t Take My Story Away' but also played a few other songs, especially from 2024’s very successful 'Beyond The Neon Glow' album.
The new brass section added something to the experience and took this to gig to a whole new level from what I’d seen before. To see someone clearly enjoying themselves this much is infectious, it was too hard not to move to the music, join in with the singing and walk away with a smile on my face. The band are a tight unit giving Elles the backing she needs but it is her voice that owned this show. Moving from vulnerability to passion and so many other emotions in between it was a privilege to be there to witness an act who is totally on their game and knows it without being full of themselves. This tour is now over but I’m sure there will be more to come. If you haven’t seen Elles and her band live you are doing yourself a disservice.
Review - Iain McClay
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