Black Rebel Motorcycle Club @ O2 Academy Glasgow (gig review): Celebrating ‘Howl’

My own journey following Black Rebel Motorcycle Club began in late January 2002, when they played Glasgow’s QMU, as part of the NME Awards tour. After the gig my friends and I bumped into guitarist and vocalist Peter Hayes, as he stood outside his tour bus swigging on a bottle of JD. We chatted drunken nonsense, about music, and he shared his bourbon with us. As we parted ways, little did we know, well perhaps Peter did, that 6 months later we would see BRMC again, this time in the vast field of Finsbury Park, London as they supported Oasis in front of a 40,000 plus crowd. 

This night in Glasgow 2025, Black Rebel Motorcycle Club are kicking off the UK leg of their European tour in celebration of Howl hitting the 20-year mark. Its fair to say that on release Howl divided opinion with its acoustic laden gospel blues being seen to some as too big a departure from the scuzzy garage rock, of the first two albums. Speaking as an avid BRMC fan, I found Howl a refreshing change in direction and besides anyone suffering withdrawals from the noise, had that restored when the familiar sound returned with ‘Baby 81’ in 2007. 

As Peter Hayes takes to the stage alone for the opener ‘Devil’s Waitin’ he cuts a striking silhouette, backlit amongst the smoke and darkness. Curiously Hayes is hooded and remains so for the full gig – surely the cold December night isn’t a contributing factor. ‘Devil’s Waitin’ is as stripped back and emotional as it comes for a BRMC track and Hayes’ vocals sound as good as ever. Robert Levon Been joins mid-song to provide back-up vocals and he is duly followed by drummer Leah Shapiro as the band burst into the more upbeat ‘Shuffle Your Feet’.

The most recognisable track from ‘Howl’ is ‘Ain’t No Easy Way’, a stomping blues classic driven by Hayes on the slide guitar and harmonica. Although tonight’s set is predominantly made up of ‘Howl’ its not played in order and there are some omissions, most notably ‘Still Suspicion Holds You Tight’. A small quibble in an otherwise flawless set with the second half seeing the band performing “the hits”.

A special mention must be made for ‘Mercy’, a track that was part of the ‘Howl’ sessions but ultimately didn’t make the cut. I can only imagine there is some level of regret that this track has never officially seen the light of day as it’s been a live favourite with the band over the years. 

‘Red Eyes and Tears’ and ‘White Palms’ from their self-titled debut both sound epic and this is when we really see Shapiro showcasing her incredible drumming. The latter in particular with the sonic sounding bass and fuzzy Jesus and Mary Chain-esque riffs is as close to onstage sound perfection as you can get. Tonight is a timely reminder, if you needed one, that BRMC are still one of the best live bands on the planet. 

Black Rebel Motorcycle Club, Glasgow, Thursday, December 11, 2025 Setlist:

Devil’s Waitin’

Shuffle Your Feet

Howl

Ain’t No Easy Way

Promise

Weight of the World

Fault Line

Mercy

Restless Sinner

Sympathetic Noose

Gospel Song

The Line

Red Eyes and Tears

White Palms

Beat The Devil’s Tattoo

Berlin

Conscience Killer

Whatever Happened to My Rock ‘n’ Roll

Spread Your Love

Shadow’s Keeper

Open Invitation