Live: We Were Promised Jetpacks @ The Garage

by | Mar 11, 2015

Following a pre-release tour of the UK and Ireland in late 2014 which teased tracks from their forthcoming third studio record Unravelling, Glasgow-based indie-rockers We Were Promised Jetpacks have hit the road once more in 2015 with a string UK and European dates supporting the new album with full steam.

Adam Thompson (Kalpesh Patel)

Adam Thompson (Kalpesh Patel)

 

Following a kick off show at the famous King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut in their adopted home town, the Scottish rockers took their tour on the road around Europe before landing in England, with their second UK show on the tour at Islington’s Garage venue.

Adam Thompson (Kalpesh Patel)

Adam Thompson (Kalpesh Patel)

The original four-piece of frontman Adam Thompson, guitarist Michael Palmer, bass player Sean Smith and drummer Darren Lackie have now welcomed multi-instrumentalist Stuart McGachan into their fold, with his synths and guitars adding more depth to their make-up while retaining their signature sound.

Sean Smith (Kalpesh Patel)

Sean Smith (Kalpesh Patel)

Opening with Unravelling track Safety In Numbers, the Scotsmen launched into an epic, seemingly non-stop set which mesmerised the rather calm and dispersed crowd until around halfway through the set at which point the folks at the barrier in front of the stage were surprised by the sudden energy that overtook the crowd which resulted in a moshing frenzy.

Adam Thompson (Kalpesh Patel)

Adam Thompson (Kalpesh Patel)

Thompson and his motley crew interacted very little with the crowd, moving from one song to the next in rapid succession, the frontman briefly addressing the crowd towards the end of the main set as he introduced A Part Of It from their latest release. Although cast in shadows, it was drummer Darren Lackie who seemed to run the course of the set with boundless energy, thrashing out the stomping beats that march Jetpacks’ songs along while Sean Smith’s strummed bass parts added an extra dimension to tracks.

Adam Thompson (Kalpesh Patel)

Adam Thompson (Kalpesh Patel)

The main set closed with This Is My House, This Is My Home from second record These Four Walls before the band exited the stage for a brief hiatus, encouraging the enamoured crowd to shout for more. A rapturous closer in the form of It’s Thunder And It’s Lightning had Stuart McGachan turn his microphone to the crowd as they yelled along with every word.

Stuart McGachan (Kalpesh Patel)

Stuart McGachan (Kalpesh Patel)

While the night seemed to be over just as soon as it began and this was about a shared passion for music rather than putting on a fantastical stage. The Highbury crowd were left without wanting from this group of young Indie-rockers.

[photoshelter-gallery g_id=”G00005EwFRBylATE” g_name=”We-Were-Promised-Jetpacks” f_show_caption=”t” f_show_slidenum=”t” img_title=”casc” pho_credit=”iptc” f_link=”t” f_enable_embed_btn=”t” f_send_to_friend_btn=”t” f_fullscreen=”t” f_show_watermark=”t” f_htmllinks=”t” f_mtrx=”t” fsvis=”f” width=”600″ height=”450″ f_constrain=”t” bgcolor=”#ffffff” bgtrans=”t” btype=”new” bcolor=”#CCCCCC” crop=”f” twoup=”t” trans=”flip” tbs=”4000″ f_ap=”t” linkdest=”c” f_topbar=”f” f_bbar=”f” f_bbarbig=”” f_smooth=”f” f_up=”f” target=”_self” ]

Photographs & Review by Kalpesh Patel. 10th March 2015

 

 

Alana Springsteen @ The Long Road Festival 2025 (Henry Finnegan / @finneganfoto)

Alana Springsteen: Turning Vulnerability Into Strength

When I caught Alana Springsteen live at the Long Road Festival last summer, the performance felt like something...
Gouge Away (Ian Enger)

Gouge Away Share New Single ‘Figurine’ And Sign To Run For Cover Records

Florida noise rock outfit Gouge Away have announced a new chapter in their career, signing to Run For Cover Records and unveiling the explosive new single Figurine.

Grade 2 (Christopher Bethell)

Grade 2 Confront Mental Health Struggles On New Single ‘Better Today’ Ahead Of Album ‘Talk About It’

Isle of Wight punk trio Grade 2 have released their powerful new single Better Today, offering another preview of their forthcoming album Talk About It, set for release on 3rd April.

Charlotte Sands (Juan Flores)

Charlotte Sands Shares ‘None Of My Business’ Video Following Release Of New Album ‘Satellite’

Alt-pop powerhouse Charlotte Sands has unveiled the official music video for None Of My Business, a standout track from her newly released album Satellite.

Rick McMurray (Ron Mickson)

Ash’s Rick McMurray Launches Solo Project Burned As Witches With Debut Album And New Single ‘Hold Your Nerve’

Rick McMurray, best known as the powerhouse drummer for Northern Irish rock trio Ash, has unveiled his new solo project Burned As Witches alongside the release of its debut single, Hold Your Nerve.

Tarragon (Chung Duc Minh)

Tarragon Shares New Single ‘Tucked In Despair’ Ahead Of Upcoming Album Home At Cofa’s

Coventry-based artist Tarragon has unveiled his latest single, Tucked In Despair, the newest preview of his forthcoming album Home At Cofa’s, set for release on 1st May.

mgk @ The O2 (Kalpesh Patel)

mgk Sells Out The O2 For The First Time With A Chaotic, Genre-Hopping Spectacle

There’s a moment midway through mgk’s two-hour spectacle at London’s O2 Arena where Colson Baker simply stops. “I know we have a strict 11pm curfew tonight but let me soak this in O2, let me soak this in,” he says, surveying the 17,000-strong crowd stretching from the floor to the nosebleeds. “If you’re in the building tonight this is very special, you only get to sell out The O2 for the first time one time and tonight is that night. This is ours, this one is for us.”

The Lemon Twigs (Eva Chambers)

The Lemon Twigs Announce New Album ‘Look For Your Mind!’ And 2026 UK & Ireland Tour

Long Island brothers The Lemon Twigs have announced their sixth studio album, Look For Your Mind!, set for release on 8th May. Alongside the announcement, the duo have shared the album’s lead single, I Just Can’t Get Over Losing You, accompanied by a new video.

Pin It on Pinterest

Share This

Share Thing