Declan McKenna // O2 ABC Glasgow, 2017 – Beth Lindsay
In the centre of a low-ceilinged, slightly dingy concert hall stands a naïve 16 year old. She’s awkward under the watchful eye of her mother, who is sitting at the bar in an anxious state, questioning her decision to allow her daughter here tonight.
An audience of all ages wait patiently in near silence, some clueless and some fully aware as to what is about to occur. As the lights dim, the music flicks a switch in the young girl and in every person there; no longer are they a group of strangers, but an orchestra about to be conducted by Declan Mckenna and his addictive tunes.
As time fades away, so do the consuming thoughts of everyday life. We are now one, watching as Declan stands like a god, preparing to dive from the stage into the eyes of the euphoric, and recognisably Scottish, beast. As the audience sings his anthems with a mixture of Scottish slangs, the young girl sheds a tear as she realises that nothing else can bring people together like live music.