Before Shame hits the stage, the room twitches with excited, boyish chants of “big, beautiful, naked women fall out the sky” – a seemingly instant classic from the band’s latest release Cutthroat. With support from Limerick five-piece Theatre, their gorgeous, ethereal folk-rock sound only momentarily calms the boisterous energy in the room. Frontman Charlie Steen staggers onto stage in a black leather vest worn open over a priest’s collar, finished with slim black sunglasses, and for the next hour he leads a chaotic sermon in Glasgow’s Garage. 

Opening with Axis of Evil, the crowd instantly begins a mosh pit that rages for the entire set. I doubt the venue has ever seen so many crowdsurfers, as not a single song passes without someone being launched into the air and carried overhead by friends. By the night’s end, some attendees are seasoned professionals, having been eased back to ground by security more times than I can count. Steen greets many of them mid-air with a handshake, drawing guttural cheers as they exit the pit. 

While their performance is rowdy and gleefully unserious, with Steen’s ironic monologuing and self-proclaimed bad dancing, Shame keep their progressive convictions evident with Palestine and Trans flags framing the stage they charge across. Bassist Josh Finerty is particularly energetic, sprinting laps and bouncing repeatedly, while the rest of the band hold the fort with a tight, polished musical set. 

The band balanced seasoned favourites like Concrete, Adderall, and One Rizla with belters from the new album. Lampiao is a clear standout, offering a particularly distinctive sound and catchy rhythm. I would have loved to hear Human, for a Minute, but admittedly there are other songs from that album that fit better with the overall vibe of the set. Nevertheless, Shame expertly balance the old with the new, and when Cutthroat’s titular anthem finally rings, Steen joins the crowdsurfers and glides towards the rumbustious night’s end.

Article: Anni Cameron