Snow Patrol, Glasgow review: 'the acceptable face of drive time radio'

To celebrate their 30th anniversary, gargantuan unit-shifters Snow Patrol have decided to perform a series of short, intimate warm-up gigs ahead of their stadium tour next February. Eight songs in 40 minutes. All very cosy.

This one was a homecoming show of sorts, as the Northern Irish band were based in Glasgow for almost the entire first decade of their career. Naturally, they received a near rapturous reception during a semi-acoustic set featuring their biggest monster hits – Run and Chasing Cars – plus a few songs from their brand new album The Forest is the Path.

Now reduced to a trio following the departure last year of bassist Paul Wilson and drummer Jonny Quinn, Snow Patrol in 2024 are Jonny McDaid (keyboards), Nathan Connolly (guitar) and – of course – Gary Lightbody (guitar/vocals).

Gangly, genial and self-effacing, Lightbody is an unlikely stadium rock star, but that’s partly why Snow Patrol became so huge. He’s a neurotic heart-on-sleeve everyman with an undeniable knack for writing bittersweet universal anthems.

The sheer joy on his face as the crowd sang along with every song they knew was lovely. This wasn’t some cynical old pro going through the motions, he clearly still enjoys making music for the masses.

Sure, the new material sounds just like the old material, but that’s fine. Snow Patrol are good at what they do, and I admire Lightbody’s ability to smuggle patently sincere – and sometimes quite raw - introspection into his sure-fire commercial rock ballad formula.

Key lyric from new song The Beginning: “There is only you and me in this life, and I don’t want to f*** it up now.” I mean, you can’t imagine Ed Sheeran warbling that, can you? Snow Patrol are the acceptable face of drive time radio.