Belle and Sebastian delight with ‘If You’re Feeling Sinister’ Start to Finish in Kelvingrove Park

When it comes to a Scottish summer, you have two certainties. 

The first is that the men’s national football team will, no doubt, let you down. 

The second is that any event held outdoors will be threatened by the weather. 

The latter was the case when Belle and Sebastian sauntered up to the Kelvingrove Bandstand to perform If You’re Feeling Sinister in all its glory as one of the best albums this country has produced.

Thunderstorms were expected to be an unwanted addition to the bill, with Stuart Murdoch warning fans on social media to bring their cagoules.

Which maybe explained why nerves seemed to get to everyone. For Murdoch and the gang, maybe it was the thought of delivering the material in front of passionate fans and their family. Especially when some of the album’s tracks were written a mere frisbee’s throw from the amphitheatre.

And the crowd could have been worried that Belle and Sebastian were going to inflict their Scotland World Cup song on them.

Thankfully, ‘It Only Takes One Lion’ didn’t make the squad. What did, though, was a reminder of the craft and guile of the group.

When Sinister came out thirty years ago it was in the middle of Britpop. This wasn’t the lad culture unruliness of Oasis and Blur, this was as Murdoch himself said ‘Kelvingrove Park Life’. A gentle ode to the awkwardness of being an outsider, to acceptance and love. 

As the night went on, everyone grew in confidence. Guitarist Stevie Jackson was a jittering spectacle of jaunty angles, the coolest uncool kid on the block. Murdoch donned a horse’s head for ‘Judy and the Dream of Horses’, then made his way into the crowd to serenade us all. While the audience found their singing voices and dancing shoes.

Special mention goes to ‘The Fox in the Snow’, with even the surrounding trees seeming to shush everyone, to make sure it was completely appreciated. 

After an expert run-through of their finest album, the group returned to the stage for a collection of fan favourites. 

The stage was filled with friends and loved ones for the regular mass dance-along during the epic ‘The Boy with the Arab Strap’. At that point the rain, the politest you could ever want, finally made a special guest appearance. 

Even that couldn’t dampen the spirits of all those present.

Review date: 27th June 2026

Photo credit: Tracy Cameron