A review of the Berlin-based Australian band Parcels’ gig at Glasgow’s SWG3.
The long-awaited Parcels concert in Glasgow finally occurred on September 28, and it was an absolute hit. The Australian band of five performed in Scotland for the first time, and as they themselves admitted, will certainly be back for more.
As soon as we stepped foot into SWG3, the anticipation was palpable. Any inkling of sound from backstage was enough to get the whole crowd chanting the band’s name. It was quite fitting that the first song they played was Lightenup, almost as if they were prompting the audience to start getting loose as the show commenced. They quickly followed up with one of their most famous tracks, Gamesofluck, and then Tieduprightnow shortly after which had every member of the audience singing along. The set list included their biggest hits, such as Overnight, as well as tracks from their new album such as Free and Somethinggreater.
The band matched the atmosphere of the venue by deviating slightly from their indie tune, including long techno and electronic melodies in between tracks, which created an edgy, underground party atmosphere. They relied heavily on lighting throughout the show, using a kaleidoscope of colours to create a different mood for each and every song.
Parcels are adored by their fans, and rightly so. Throughout the show they interacted with their audience, laughing when the crowd would beat them to singing their own songs, and even managing to incorporate one of Glasgow’s quirks into their set. As per typical Glasweigian fashion, the crowd was chanting the famous chant of “here we, here we, here we fucking go!”, and lead guitarist Patrick Hetherington picked up on it and came up with a melody on the spot, turning the chant into a song. Needless to say, no Glaswegian in the audience will ever forget that moment.
Parcels performed for nearly two hours, which was an absolute treat for us. Most bands consider a one-and-a-half-hour performance more than enough, but these boys gave it their all and read the room perfectly. When the energy started to ebb away, they would hit us with another banger like Famous or IknowhowIfeel, resulting in an exhilarating concert.
With such a fantastic evening, Glasgow will undoubtedly hold Parcels to their promise of coming back for an encore.
