Wet Leg – Glasgow O2 Academy – Intense, bright and buzzy night where Rhian shines

Wet Leg are tearing through venues and festivals at a startling rate. Not so long ago, we’re talking 2021 here, they played Glasgow’s relatively tiny 120 capacity McChuills. Now they’re in the midst of what must be a punishing worldwide tour and have just doused Glasgow’s 2,500 cap O2 Academy in their muscly indie-post-punk gloop. They’ll be back to do the same here the night after.

Since I last saw the band, back in June at Porto’s Primavera Sound, they’ve honed their intensity, toughened their sound up, and appear to be having more fun with it all. It suits them, in a way. The new album, Moisturizer, is a more consistent affair than their eponymous debut but, to me, lacks some of the cheek, personality, and wit of its predecessor. Still, with the expectations sky high after their initial runaway popularity, it’s a strong, if at times slightly hollow record.

On the night, I was hard pushed to catch over 50% of the verse lyrics with the sound being on the muddy side (far stage right, 20 bodies deep – a fairly dependable spot). Truly, it mattered little, though, Rhian dominating the attention of every soul in the building with a dynamic and physical performance. She’s devouring the role these days, with her only peer in-category, the brilliant Amy Taylor of Amyl and the Sniffers. 

The set starts with ‘catch these fists’, probably my favourite track from the new album and quickly barrages through the strobes and smoke with ‘Wet Dream’ and ‘Oh No’. Shock and awe. Seventeen tracks, I think, with roughly a half and half split between the two albums we’re getting the best of both with only some of the filler. Side note: I always feel that ‘Chaise Longue’ loses some of its cheek and groove when it’s played live, and tonight was no different. To me, it could go down a couple of levels of intensity, or seek a good deal more light and shade, slow down a notch, embrace the groove, and would be all the better for it. It’s played more pogo than hipsway.

As the lights go up on ‘mangetout’, my pal looks around, shakes their head and says ‘nah, I don’t believe them’. It’s a criticism that’s dogged them since the start and it seems like it’s here to stay, for the moment at least. Whether you believe them or not, and whether for a band that’s now this big that’s important, they have the tunes and momentum to breeze past all that. It helps that they put on one hell of a show.

Tickets: Wet Leg play Edinburgh’s Hogmanay, Concert in the Gardens, on 31st December 2025 along with Hamish Hawk + Lucia & the Best Boys