Crawlers play Glasgow’s Saint Luke’s as part of their debut UK tour.
The last thing my uber driver said upon arrival at Saint Luke’s was how he’d never seen such a queue outside. While the success of CRAWLERS is recent, most notably with their song Come Over (Again) and their opening of My Chemical Romance’s UK tour, there is no missing the incredibly dedicated fans at the heart of it.
Upon taking the stage, they launched into songs from their new mixtape Loud Without Noise, released just a few days prior on 4 November, with an energy that drew in even the few chaperoning parents scattered around. As the band’s energy on stage combined with the energy of the crowd, I found myself completely captivated. The setlist was well balanced, alternating between loud and fast songs, like Feminist Radical Hypocritical Delusional, which had the whole room jumping and shouting, and slower personal songs such as Hang Me Like Jesus.
The lead singer, Holly Minto, didn’t shy away from interacting with the crowd, laughing and cracking jokes. Despite the light-hearted jokes, there were also very sincere moments. From songs about toxic exes to heavier topics like depression, the band didn’t shy away from talking about the meaning behind their music. For me, the night peaked at the encore. After even more chanting the band returned to the stage. Kicking it off with I Can’t Drive, a song about freeing yourself from toxic relationships, the energy grew as the band began what is perhaps their most popular song, Come Over (Again).
While it may seem cliché to say that the song that blew up on TikTok was the highlight of the show, the emotion in the room as it played can back me up. It may toy toxicity, but the bridge has become an anthem for transgender and queer fans. Watching the singer encourage everyone in the room to scream the verse while holding up a pride flag really cemented the fact that CRAWLERS deeply care about their fans.
As if the main set wasn’t enough, Minto and guitarist Amy Woodall came out onto the steps of St. Luke for a brief acoustic set for any fans that stuck around. While they played two songs that had just been played during the show, the ambience was much softer and more personal. Fans had gathered in small clusters and were cracking jokes and smiling, and both Woodall and Minto joined in as well as thanking everyone for coming.
I didn’t have any idea what I would encounter when I first got in that uber to Saint Luke’s, but what I did find was a band full of love for their fans – determined to create a safe space for them – and fans that were determined to send all of that right back.
