LIVE REVIEW: Arab Strap, Stuart Pearce, Rescue Rooms, Nottingham, 16/08/2025
Photo Credit: Kat Gollock
One of Scotland’s darkest musical secrets, Arab Strap founding members Aidan Moffat and Malcolm Middleton have been serving up late-night tales of sex and drugs with elements of rock ‘n’ roll since for over thirty years. A career spanning since the 90s, the band had a sixteen year hiatus from releasing music between 2005-2021 but since ’21, the band return with a bang, capturing new fans and reuniting with old with two fantastic records in As Days Get Dark and I’m totally fine with it, don’t give a fuck anymore.
The two records from the ‘new era’ of Arab Strap feature typically broody Scottish vocals which have become synonymous with the band, electronic loops, melancholy guitars and elements of electronic music, while also not being afraid to get the acoustic guitar out. In a live setting, the band still draw a strong crowd, with opening support act, Stuart Pearce, a local Nottingham band, drawing in a mix of fans with a mix of those interested in a band named after legendary England defender Stuart Pearce, and fans of their music. Their brand of rock with synthy elements drew in a crowd of locals for a strong opening set with arguably even stronger facial hair on display from the band.
Warmed up and ready to go, Arab Strap pondered onto the stage to a near capacity Rescue Rooms, opening with three tracks from their 2024 record, the aptly named, I’m totally fine with it, don’t give a fuck anymore.
Off from the bat, the band sound solid together, with the crashing drums of Allatonceness and Sociometer Blues echoing throughout the venue, the Glaswegians began the show. With a slightly quieter mic at the beginning, which was soon turned up, the band’s new work was received well by the crowd. With lead singer Moffat’s spoken word style of vocals, Arab Strap are never going to be the type of band to have everyone singing along, seeing this band live is more about watching and listening and really taking in the vocals and lyricism.
It’s clear on record but even clearer in person that Moffat’s deep and rich voice is comparable to a Scottish Morgan Freeman, with that level of warmth, except with slightly cruder content, especially in songs such as Fucking Little Bastards.
Throughout the set, the band were pretty much faultless with the only error coming from a comical cock up by Moffat in the track Dreg Queen, where Moffatt apologised for ‘completely fucking that one up’ with the wrong lyrics to a murmured laughter from the crowd.
Some of the best songs of the night were the dark but dance track Bliss, Compersion Pt.1 and the popular The Turning of Our Bones with that iconic first line of “I don’t give a fuck about the past, our glory days gone by, all I care about right now is that wee mole inside your thigh” sounding even creepier live.
As the set went by in the blink of eye, with Moffat seemingly introducing the majority of songs with, “this one’s about shagging”, it was a fun evening with the band doing a brilliant job at sounding as intriguing live as they do on record.
With a set spanning three decades of music, the new and old blended very well together as a packed-out Rescue Rooms experienced a band that still are crafting their own style of music with a live show that matches the darkness that is etched within their music. 9/10
Written by: Joe Loughran
