The Chats @ O2 Academy, Glasgow, 7 Dec

In spite of tonight's acoustic shortcomings, The Chats still manage to pull off an enjoyable and energetic performance in an explosive fashion

Live Review by Oscar Lund | 10 Dec 2024
  • The Chats at O2 Academy Glasgow

Punk isn’t dead, it’s holidaying in the Gold Coast. 

Breaking into the mainstream in 2017 with Smoko, a song about every worker’s god-given right to smoke a dart in peace, The Chats have spent the last eight years carving out their niche in punk music. Hailing from Queensland, Australia, The Chats find themselves far from home performing to a packed audience on a windy Glasgow night. The admittedly male-dominated crowd waits anxiously for the band to appear and begin to push and pull one another the moment they do. The band’s lead vocalist and bass player, Eamon Sandwith, is a man of few words, eager to let the music speak for him. 

The Chats effortlessly bounce from older tracks like Nambored and Temperature to newer releases like 6L GTR and The Price of Smokes, taking the audience on a warp speed journey through their discography. Each song brings renewed energy to the crowd who are endlessly opening up pits, crowd surfing, and jumping into each other. One audience member in drainpipe jeans and black boots gets the full Australian experience by spending most of the gig upside down.

Photo of The Chats on stage in Glasgow, with the crowd visible in front of the stage.
The Chats on stage at the O2 Academy, Glasgow. Photo: Laura Muraska-Ross 

Despite the band’s solid setlist and a lively audience, awkward acoustics really let the gig down. The Chats have always favoured a rough DIY aesthetic and the Academy is not a venue that benefits from this style. Both vocalists are often entirely drowned out by their instruments and tracks occasionally collapse into a muddy mess of drums and electric strings, making it difficult to tell songs apart. 

In spite of tonight's acoustic shortcomings, The Chats still manage to pull off a thoroughly enjoyable and energetic performance of their best tracks in an explosive fashion.


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