The Boxer Rebellion

On the eve of Saint Valentine’s Day it’s bitterly cold and more than a little miserable in Glasgow. Down by the Clyde however, a fair few hardy souls file past the sodden railway arches and into SWG3 to see The Boxer Rebellion. Named after the violent Boxer Uprising in China at the turn of the twentieth century, the band were the first to break the Billboard 100 with a download only release on their second album ‘Union’ after their label went bust. Still proudly unsigned and currently promoting their fourth album ‘Promises’, they take to the stage this evening after support from touring partner Christof and Glasgow’s Cherri Fosphate.

Performing under bright blue and red LEDs that light front man Nathan Nicholson and leave the rest of the band, guitarist Todd Howe, Adam Harrison on bass and drummer Piers Hewitt, in virtual darkness, they start solidly but struggle to connect with a muted audience that would perhaps have been more comfortable in a slightly smaller venue. It’s not until third song ‘Take Me Back’ with its huge guitar and thundering drums that things start to fly. ‘Step Out of the Car’ follows but then ‘New York’, on which Nicholson moves from guitar to keyboard, sees the band lose some of its hard won momentum. They are not helped by a mix that crashes round the cold concrete venue taking on a tinny edge at odds with their warmer sound on record.

They do however transcend any difficulties, most notably with old favourite ‘We Have This Place Surrounded’, a soaring ‘Promises’ and a beautifully melancholic ‘No Harm, songs that effortlessly showcase their gift with melody.

They finish with a bruising ‘Watermelon’ before an encore featuring the fantastic ‘Locked in the Basement’. It’s an accomplished and well-received set, the perfect antidote to a dark and stormy winter’s night.

Created with Admarket’s flickrSLiDR.