Saint Etienne & The Pastels, Glasgow review: 'immaculate pop'
The only Scottish date on their farewell tour, this gloriously uplifting show was a great way for Saint Etienne to bow out, writes Fiona Shepherd
Saint Etienne & The Pastels, Barrowland, Glasgow ★★★★
This was an evening of emotional firsts and lasts - the first appearance at Barrowland by seminal British electro pop outfit Saint Etienne was also to be their last gig in a city which has always embraced their immaculate pop sound. For this farewell fiesta, they were supported by special guests and longtime Saint Etienne cheerleaders The Pastels, mostly playing songs “from our most recent album…which isn't that recent”.
Sarah Cracknell, Bob Stanley and Pete Wiggs also had recent material to debut, from their sparkling final album International, well represented in an adieu setlist chosen, one sensed, to please the band as much as the fans. The indie northern soul of Glad and Brand New Me, a super-catchy collaboration with their synth pop descendants Confidence Man, attested that there was plenty left in the tank and that Saint Etienne were bowing out on their own terms.
Longtime backing vocalist Debsey Wykes was along for the ride, almost winding herself on melodica during the wistful Mario’s Cafe. Like a Motorway, their Krautrock take on folk standard Silver Dagger, was another moody gem, while the Latin-flavoured drama of Pale Movie is a Madonna song from a parallel universe.
However, the focus was predominantly on celebrating the good times, from the boxfresh Spring via the bittersweet Who Do You Think You Are to the perfect pop of You're In A Bad Way. Their 1990 debut single, a dubby cover of Neil Young’s Only Love Can Break Your Heart, was fitted with a heavier dance treatment, Stormtrooper In Drag was a deep cut cover of a Gary Numan-adjacent electro goth track, while He's On the Phone pushed them into the realms of euphoric Eurodisco.
In the end, they did save the best ’til last. Nothing Can Stop Us Now was a gloriously uplifting way to wave goodbye, while the nostalgic The Last Time - the closing track on their final album - put a full stop on beautiful career.
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