DYLAN JOHN THOMAS: BARROWLAND BALLROOM, GLASGOW

Dressed perhaps more befittingly for an afternoon at TRNSMT than a dark November night, there is a palpably excitable buzz amongst the legion of queuing fans who, undeterred by the bitter cold, have already begun to sing as they await admittance to the hallowed halls of the Barrowlands Ballroom.

They are a home crowd if ever there was one, and they are here to witness Glasgow’s up and coming golden boy, Dylan John Thomas, on the second night of three consecutively sold out shows at the venue, which all come ahead of the release of his self-titled debut album in January…

Thomas emerges fashionably fifteen minutes late to the elated cheering of a bouncing crowd well warmed up by the Britpop bangers that completed the stomping support set of fellow Glasgow native, Murdo Mitchell. Launching straight into the Tik Tok sensation of a song that is his frantic 2021 single, ‘Jenna,’ Thomas, with his curly brown hair, black polo-necked jumper and acoustic guitar, cuts a quietly assured figure in total control of his chaotic crowd. He follows with an upbeat rendition of ‘When I Get Home,’ another favourite to which the crowd seem to know every world as they sing along.

These hits are intermixed with a number of new tracks from said album, all of which seem to hold their own amongst and hold the attention of the audience. A real highlight of the night comes halfway through the set with Thomas’ cover of ABBA’s Mamma Mia, he manages to transform the disco ditty we all know and love into something uniquely his own through his jangling guitar and heavily accented inflection. And, despite the youth of the demographic he has pulled in, the audience seem to love it. He continues on with more original material, such as tounge-in-cheek ‘If I Didn’t Laugh’, the optimistic ‘Yesterday is Gone.’

Finally, his set comes to a close with an introspective take on the nostalgic ‘What I Need’ and Thomas humbly takes his leave, returning only briefly for an encore of fan favourite, ‘Fever’, before finishing with an anthemic take on ‘Nobody Else’, his beloved debut single. Overall, this is a powerful performance from Thomas, and one that places him firmly within the realm of the rising star, with a talent comfortably rivalling fellow singer-songwriter Gerry Cinnamon, to whom he is so often compared. Dylan John Thomas is undoubtedly one to watch.

Words: Mia Boffey
Pictures: Calum Mackintosh @ayecandyphotography