Love with Johnny Echols, Glasgow review - 'The affection in the room was palpable'

One of the best American bands of the psychedelic ‘60s, Love released three classic albums duringtheir brief imperial phase: Love, Da Capo, and their brooding baroque-rock masterpiece Forever Changes, one of the greatest records ever made.

Love’s mercurial leader Arthur Lee died in 2006, but during the last few years of his life he enjoyed a renaissance via well-received tours backed by members of Los Angeles band Baby Lemonade.

Occasionally they were joined on stage by Love’s original lead guitarist Johnny Echols, who is now the last surviving member.

And here he was, looking quite frail but with his fluid guitar chops still intact. Baby Lemonade’s Rusty Squeezebox handled most of the lead vocals, but Echols was no mere sideman.

He was treated with due deference throughout this occasionally thrilling show – the affection in the room was palpable.

Performing material from Forever Changes without its orchestral accompaniment is always going to be tricky, and it did take a while to adjust to these naked garage band versions.

But whenever Echols’ guitar emulated those familiar soaring brass lines on the likes of Maybe the People Will Be the Times or Between Clark and Hilldale and Alone Again Or, the effect was rather glorious.

Naturally, the set was largely composed of songs Echols played on originally – Lee sacked the seminal line-up in 1968, before carrying on with various other Love iterations.

The only exceptions were a ferocious cover of Feathered Fish, a song Lee penned in 1966 for garage rockers the Sons of Adam, and Always See Your Face from 1969’s Four Sail.Echols swapped his guitar for maracas on the latter.

A bitterly symbolic gesture? No, it was more of a sly joke. Echols, clearly, is a cult legend basking in his autumnal element.