Photo Credit: Tess Roby
Toronto synth-pop artist Austra brings the dance vibes to Glasgow for the first night of the Chin Up Buttercup Tour to support her sixth album of the same name which was released in November. We have to admit that the music of Austra is brand new for us, she tells us during the show tonight that it has been around ten years since the band last played in Glasgow and we are sure there are a few here tonight that attended that last show.
First up we have another Toronto musician in Tess Roby who provides a decent half-hour warm-up to what was ahead. The style of music is very similar to Austra and the synth-pop gets the crowd moving. Classically-trained Tess has released two album to date; Beacon (2018) and Ideas Of Space (2022) so has a decent back catalogue to choose from, Ideas Of Space and separation anxiety were the pick of the bunch for us in what is her first live show since September 2024. We are getting vibes of Irish sensation Enya at times which is not a bad comparison, this was a very mellow half hour to get everyone in the mood for Austra 8/10
Katie Austra Stelmanis uses her middle name as a stage name, like Tess Roby Katie is classically trained and at times her vocals can be described as almost operatic or ‘otherworldly’. Most of the electronica music may be pre-recorded but all three musicians on the stage give everything to the performance that has the crowd dancing along down the front, it’s so hypnotic that it is almost impossible not to want to move to the music! The first two tracks of the set – Siren Song & Math Equation – are from the Chin Up Buttercup album, if we can suggest a comparison as to the sound of Austra it would definitely be Florence Welch of Florence & The Machine fame, you could lose yourself very easily in this music. We think one fan actually did … there was a young chap right in the middle of the crowd that danced from the first note to the last and we reckon that he actually inspired some of us to do the same, our ‘dad dancing’ shoes were definitely on tonight!
Utopia from the Future Politics album (the first of three from that release) is an early one for the crowd to express themselves followed by another couple from the latest album (Amnesia and Blindsided). Austra plays keyboard on the atmospheric Home that is easily one of the best of the set, the dancing within the crowd is now contagiously moving throughout the room and rightly so, this music is so vibey! Title track Chin Up Buttercup and Think Twice keeps the good vibes moving along nicely while another two from the Future Politics album hit the right note. Beat And The Pulse from the Feel It Break album is a real crowd pleaser, in fact this track even caught the attention of Slipknot legend Shawn Crahan who went on to make a metal inspired version of the song. Fallen Cloud was an early release from the Chin Up Buttercup LP while Lose It is four and a half minutes of pure musical pleasure for the ears and the senses. We had our eyes closed for most of this one taking in every octave and musical note, it almost feels trance-like at times, the crowd reaction to this one is the best of the night as self-expression takes over all around us, a very joyful moment, it always amazes me the power of music.
The encore has another of the new songs Good Riddance before moving back to the Feel It Break record with Spellwork sounding amazing … the set ends in true Austra style with the eerie Hurt Me Now giving the crowd one last chance to let go and that we did. This was definitely something different for a Saturday night gig and we are so glad that we were there to witness it, please don’t wait another ten years to come back to Glasgow Austra! 9/10
Written by: Alan Brown
