I climb the famously steep hill to Glasgow’s Art School and arrive at the dark, hazy upstairs venue with about fifteen minutes to spare before Deadletter grace the stage. While the room is less full than expected, with their last Glasgow stop at St Luke’s at the end of 2024 selling out, there are still plenty of familiar faces dotted around the room. The show had been rescheduled, but a loyal crowd had clearly reshuffled their plans to welcome the South London-via-Yorkshire post-punk sextet back to one of their rowdiest cities.

Frontman Zac Lawrence spends most of the night slinking around the packed stage, one hand gripping the mic while the other punctuates the air. Behind him, the band’s signature saxophone cuts through crunchy guitars as the crowd responds in kind. Few words are exchanged between songs, and Lawrence frequently closes the distance between himself and the audience. During old favourite “Binge”, he serenades those at the front with the song’s prolonged ahhhhhs before disappearing into the crowd entirely, weaving across the sticky floor at the back of the room before eventually returning to the stage.

Overall, the show feels more measured than previous visits, though that’s less a criticism than a reflection of where Deadletter finds themselves sonically during this new era. Much of the material from Existence is Bliss (2026) leans into something more sophisticated, atmospheric and diverse. Ultimately, these songs are still settling into their live form and finding their place with audiences, and “It Comes Creeping” and “Purity I” are already proven strong live performances. Given time, this material will likely inspire the same riotous display that has become synonymous with a Deadletter show as, even on a slightly quieter night, there’s very little sense that the bond between band and crowd has weakened.

Article: Anni Cameron