While Mr. Big had not played Barrowlands Ballroom since May 1992, for New York’s Living Colour, this was a longer gap as you had to go back to 27 May 1991 for the last time they played this stage. But tonight, they were back in their spiritual home of the correct spelling of their name.
Living Colour
Barrowland Ballroom, Glasgow – 25 July 2024
Words: Ian Sutherland
Photography: Gary Cooper
I am old enough to have been at the Living Colour May 1991 show, and I have to admit that I was not impressed at the time, despite the quality of their songs.
I was keen to see what they were like as grizzled veterans, and they certainly entered the stage with a cool swagger. They were blazing a trail, combining rock, funk and even hip hop back in the day and now they seem to have settled into that legacy and are totally comfortable in their skin.
Singer Corey Glover is one of the most relaxed frontmen you will see, but he manages to engage the crowd nevertheless and still has a clear, strong voice.
Guitarist Vernon Reid still switches between choppy, funky rhythms and wild soloing while the groove of the band is taken care of by always busy drummer Will Calhoun and the essential bass lines of Doug Wimbish.
The hip-hop crossover vibes of White Lines/Apache/The Message let Wimbish strut his stuff, and their cover of MC5’s Kick Out The Jams takes the song to new places.
But it’s those gems from their classic debut that get the most cheers.
Middle Man, Glamour Boys and a closing flourish of Cult Of Personality are what the crowd wants to hear and are very well received.
I have to admit that, personally, they are still not an engaging live act for me. But I was definitely in the minority tonight, and the Mr. Big crowd was primed and ready for what was to follow.
