Will Varley @ Stereo, Glasgow, 19 Oct

Irish indie-folk artist, Ailbhe Reddy stands alone on stage with her guitar – a daunting prospect for any supporting act facing a raucous Glasgow crowd. Reddy draws the audience in with her gentle guitar playing and melodious vocals, which soar and sometimes strain to reach their notes. She jokes that her lyrics are about the same thing: love, but why fix something if it's not broken.

Despite rushing through the set and cutting off the final chords of each song, Reddy is captivating to watch and an ideal warm-up for Will Varley. Renowned for his lyrical storytelling, he arrives on stage not addressing the audience; the microphone looms as he plays his introduction. There's a feeling that his set could go either way until he opens his mouth to sing, and even his most stalwart of fans are astonished by the quality of the sound and the sheer power behind his voice.

Varley has recently completed a tour supporting Frank Turner – he reminisces over playing to empty venues, perhaps underestimating himself as he believes that he might still be playing full sets to the soundman had he not shared the same bill as Turner.

Varley’s unique brand of folk, soul and political storytelling is a cross between Bruce Springsteen and Billy Bragg. His lyrics resonate with the audience as they raise their glasses to the performer, singing along to every word. The set goes from strength to strength as he performs songs from his extensive back catalogue, including Seize the Night and Seven Days, ensuring that none of his fans are left disappointed. Varley says that this evening’s performance has been a real highlight on the tour as a nip of whisky makes its way to him from the crowd and he closes his set with an emotive rendition of King for a King.