Washington Irving @ Stereo, Glasgow, 29 Apr

Reminding people of their inevitable demise may not be the best way to get a Saturday night crowd going, but it works for Washington Irving – by the end of opening song We Are All Going to Die, the ever-growing crowd in Stereo are energised and singing its title back to the band.

It’s been a long eighteen months since Washington Irving last played live and is hard to tell if the band or the fans are more excited at their long-anticipated return. This is billed as a launch show for new album August 1914; released in March, the album was a big step up for the band. They took their time with it and the hard work more than paid off, with its great widescreen, anthemic quality translating well to the stage.

Scotland is known for its protest songs and it could be argued that Faslane Forever fits the bill. Certainly Stero’s CND wing believe so and shouts of “Fuck Faslane” can be heard after the song. Washington Irving have not forgotten their slightly folky roots and their take on She Moves Through The Fair hushes a packed out Stereo.

The gig is almost bookended by the subject of death, with the penultimate song being A Grave, A Grave. Set opener We Are All Going to Die is a defiantly cheerful singalong; A Grave, A Grave is a brutal, devastating ode to young lives lost due to conflict, delivered perfectly by the band.

The show is a triumphant return to the stage which has been long anticipated by the fans. Frontman Joe Black gives a shout out to Jan, who must be the furthest travelled audience member having flown in from Hamburg for this show, before dedicating final song of the night Young Man to him. Washinton Irving are well and truly back at the top of their game and it’s a fantastic sight to see.