Image by Cat Morley
Snow Patrol at the SECC in Glasgow, Scotland, on December 16, 2006
All These Places Feel Like Home
By Cat Morley
Published: December 20th, 2006 | 11:39am
Snow Patrol have been away touring the globe for months. Tonight's show is a return to their "adopted home" of Glasgow, Scotland. The arena is full, every seat is filled, and the floor is packed. You can feel the crowd’s anticipation. Suddenly, the arena turns to black, the stage lights come on, and a Tannoy-like sample plays. We hear a medley of Snow Patrol songs, old and new, that eventually clarifies into the introduction of “Spitting Games.” The band comes out, excitedly jumping in the air and taking their positions. They're glad to be back.
Gary Lightbody, guitar in hand, kick-starts the night with the band's classics: “Spitting Games,” “Wow,” and “Chocolate.” The crowd warms up, cheering and singing along, until the mood turns gentler with melodic, newer songs like “Beginning to Get to Me” and “Headlights on a Dark Road.”
When things seem to calm down, Lightbody introduces a song absent from Snow Patrol’s tours for a long while — their first single “Starfighter Pilot,” with Lightbody explaining that this was one of the first songs that Snow Patrol wrote after moving to Glasgow from Dundee in 1998. Now, almost a decade later, the band serves justice to its rockier beats and fan-boy lyrics.
The set continues with “How to Be Dead,” and then the second surprise of the night happens when Lightbody invites a number of his friends — including Belle & Sebastian — on stage to accompany the band in a rendition of “You Are My Joy” by Lightbody's Scottish supergroup–side project, the Reindeer Section. This is followed up by “Grazed Knees,” and the theme turns to love, with Lightbody prompting the audience to admit their true feelings to those they love and questioning how many couples will get married after the gig. The band plays the hit single “Chasing Cars,” while couples all over the arena embrace and sway in time to the music. Some people lay down in tribute to the song's unique music video, and one man makes what looks like a proposal to his girlfriend.
The mood then relaxes into lullaby; the band plays “Shut Your Eyes” and the hypnotic “An Olive Grove Facing the Sea,” with accompaniment on trumpet. Lisa Hannigan is invited on stage to sing in place of Martha Wainwright for the beautiful duet “Set the Fire to the Third Bar.” The sleepy atmosphere continues with “Somewhere a Clock Is Ticking” and “Make This Go On Forever,” but not for long.
Lightbody throws his guitar back on, and the crowd is woken up with “Ways and Means,” followed by everyone's favorite “Run.” It seems as though the crowd knows every word and Lightbody smiles as they finish off the last chorus of the song. He's happy, and he has every reason to be. Not only was this the song that made Snow Patrol big back in 2004, but their latest album, Eyes Open, has just been announced the album of the year in the UK. The crowd is buzzing, as Snow Patrol finishes with “You're All I Have,” the crowd singing along while Snow Patrol leaves the stage.
This singalong continues after the band leaves, but is accompanied by a thunderous stomping of feet from the stands. It grows louder and louder, turning into cheers when the band returns for their encore. They play “Finish Line” and “Open Your Eyes,” concluding the hour-and-a-half set with “Tiny Little Fractures.” The band makes their final exit, thanking the crowd and promising to return in the coming year. We'll see them again, but not before you do. Keep an eye out, as Snow Patrol will be embarking on a North American tour in March next year.
Issue #35
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