Review by Darren McIntyre Photos By Scott Anderson
Christopher Aubrey Shiflett is a musician from Santa Barbara, California who is best known as the lead guitarist of the rock band Foo Fighters who has been a member since 1999. Chris’s background before The Foo’s was primarily Punk related and was a member of bands such as No Use For A Name, Me First, and Gimme Gimmes, Chris is primarily a lead guitarist and backing vocalist but has fronted bands like Jackson United, Viva Death and Chris Shiflett & The Dead Peasants.
Chris was inducted into the Rock n’ Roll Hall Of Fame in 2021 with the rest of Foo Fighters with whom he still performs today, Chris has given us 5 solo albums, 2 with No Use For A Name, 11 with Me First & Gimme Gimmes, 2 with Jackson United & 9 with FooFighters. Chris drops his fantastic new EP Starry Nights & Campfire Lights and to coincide with this release he is on tour throughout the UK & Ireland and tonight stops off in Glasgow @ QMU so please join me as I take in this punk-rocking guitarist as he brings us his incredible solo material, the place is buzzing with excitement as the light dim and Chris takes to the stage with his boys Ross on Bass & Robert on drums. Chris straps on his guitar checks with the boys and off we go with the opening track –
Dead & Gone – A real country feel oozes from the boys as this toe-tapping country rocker rises from the stage as the guys bring a little sizzle as their first opening track tonight. The cool meaty bassline is wrapping itself around this fantastic track as Chris steps forward and shreds big time and sends the crowd wild as we feel the cool tone flowing through the venue tonight. The rhythm section is bringing us solid snare drum beats as the cymbal snaps allow the groove to flow into the QMU tonight, the place is buzzing for a real night of rock n roll with tinges of country with some punk influences thrown in for good measure, we applauded loudly before the boys flow into
Liar’s Word – Chris prompts the crowd with some encouragement with his hands raised high and tells us we need to bellow out Liar’s Word and we holler back. Robert brings the track to life with a solid snare drum beat as the slick, crisp guitar licks ooze from the stage tonight as a funky dark, melodic bassline drops in and really lets this track breathe. Chris shouts out put em up Scotland as he leads the charge with a cool rasping vocal charge the boys come in with a real solid pounding groove as we tap our feet to this killer track that leads us onto –
Sticks & Stones – A cool punchier heavy sound rumbles from the stage as Chris & the boys get back to their roots with a real funky groove that lets the rhythm section come in and deliver a real solid kick. Chris’s vocals give us a cool gravelly rasp that the whole track lets the boys cut loose a little as the dark, heavy bassline brings mellow tones that combine with a slick, clean guitar lick that has the backing of the rhythm section as it gives us cymbal snaps that work so well in this cool little groover track that really lets the boys get back to basics and really let the Glasgow crowd know that they are here to show us a good time and they do it well, next up is –
Carrie Midnight – This is a cool country track that lets the guitar take the lead as the chords pour from the stage and really lets us stamp those feet and let the country vibe wash over us tonight. Snare drum punches are coming through as the bass kicks allow the groove to flow effortlessly through the venue tonight as this hoe-down classic builds as Chris lets his melodic soulful country vocals lead this track along the road to Glasgow tonight. The boys are really enjoying themselves as they look relaxed and are having fun bringing the good time rock n roll tones to us tonight, this is a really cool arrangement as this shows a different side to this punk-loving, rock-roll axeman as he steps back a little and lets his countryside ooze towards us tonight, up next is the classic
Room 102 – Another country blues track comes at us with sweet clean basslines that are wrapping themselves around this classic country ditty. Chris’s vocals are bringing a cool vibe to tonight’s show as the boys drop into Bluestone and work the crowd as they get us to clap along to this killer track that has all the elements of you taking your lady to the square dance, leading her round the floor and just letting her know that you are here with her right now. The whole arrangement just lets you stand back a little and let this charismatic musician deliver a sweet clean track that is just on the money, Chris chats with us and tells us that it is good to be back in Glasgow as it is one of his favourite places in the world to play, the place just erupts with applause as he tells us more stories to follow, next is
Goodnight Little Rock – Chris chats about his first time in Glasgow when they played King Tut’s when they bumped into Lemmy from Motorhead and remembers the good old days of Scotland. Chris tells us he wrote this track about Scotland before he launches into this foot-stomping rocker track that has a real edgy rasping groove with a deep bassline that allows this track the room it needs to grow, the rhythm section is hit us with a cool snare drum punches that wrap themselves around this well laid out track as the good people of Glasgow dance around and feel the groove taking over the QMU tonight as the boys hit the ground running with a killer beat that lets Chris cut loose with sweet clean guitar licks that let this bad boy tell it’s own story, we move onto
Black Top White Lines – A nice dirty gritty guitar lick opens this track up as the killer drum fills let this punchy rocking track come to life as the bass kicks fill the room and let this track kick in the doors and let us go. The bassline is handing us a real dark, mellow funk groove that brings this track to us with a real foot stomping feel as the cool vocals roll through the venue tonight and kick some serious ass tonight as the boys take this track to another place with real intense licks that are flowing effortlessly through this killer arrangement for sure, we get some more chat as Chris stops for a breather and tells us it is so good to be back in Scotland and that he will be here later in the year with his other band lol, we roll into
Damage Control – The track kicks off with a really slick cool guitar lick that has a solid snare drum beat that lets this track do its thing as the boys are coming into their own with an almost reggae-feeling kick that is just awesome. The vocals are sweet with cool tones that work so well in this fantastic arrangement as we get a nice little solo mid-track that has meaty bassline tones attached to it and that makes it just something cool, the nice thing about Chris’s tracks is that they are short but are packed with sweet, clean lyrics and punchy full-on grooves that are just so infectious, up next is
Blow Out The Candles – A nice return to a country groove is in order as the boys bring a sweet toe-tapping track that is just a cool breath of fresh air let me tell you. The vocals are direct, bringing a real country vibe to the track and letting the bassline drop a meaty funk tone all over this sweet groove-laden track, the rhythm section is hitting us with bass kicks that bring in a fast-paced punchy snare drum beat that lets this awesome track take us to another place as we get into the zone with this fantastic musician as he takes us through his impressive back catalogue, we roll into the fantastic
Weigh You Down – A gritty guitar riff pours from the stage as the boys take it up a gear with this punchy rock n roll groover that has a real infectious beat. The vocals have a gravelly feel as this peachy piece just builds and builds with ease as the boys drive their cowboy truck towards us tonight, the bass is handing us dark, melodic grooves that work so well with the slick rasping guitar licks that are coming at us tonight. The rhythm section is commanding the room from the back of the hall as Robert keeps the track on course with his funky cool beats that are just doing their thing, Chris is chatting about the humungous package he received from Diane & her husband as they brought sausage rolls, pies and lots of other goodies, we are hurtling into the final stages of this fantastic show as Chris brings us
Long, Long Year – Chris gets ready and chats with us and asks where we go from that as he introduces the boys Ross on Bass & Robert on the drums. Robert kicks things off with a funky foot-tapping groove that is joined by crisp guitar riffs that wander freely through the track as Chris lets his gravelly vocals take this track down the road. The tempo has a country feel that brings in the boys with deep full-on basslines that wrap themselves around this killer track as we watch on with sheer joy, the boys are enjoying themselves as they stroll through this epic setlist that has given us everything for sure. The place is full for sure as we sway from side to side and take in this colossal musician as he gets us all pumped up they get us singing along to the chorus as the place sings back and gets into the groove with the boys,
Welcome To Your First Heartache – Coming at us is a real punchy groove as Chris brings his soulful vocals to the proceedings as this foot-stomping country-filled ditty gets up and running. The rhythm section is commanding the room as it hits us with cool snare drum punches the cymbal snaps bring the beat as this well-balanced rocker ballad breaks free and lets us inside the mind of this awesome musician as he lets the lyrics tell their own story, we are feeling every note that is pouring from the stage tonight as the crowd watches and sings along to this impressive powering trio, we roll into
Memories – This is a real feel-good track that has a cool country feel to it as the funky bassline drops in with sweet cool grooves that wrap themselves around this awesome little arrangement. The soulful vocals are flowing effortlessly through the track as the boys move around the stage and just let us feel the tempo oozing from this country-infused rocker track that is a real feel-good piece of music, the guitar licks are sweet with depth as the boys move up a gear and deliver a thought-provoking piece that has us swaying from side to side as the place just warms to this impressive trio as they suck us in and let us feel the beat pouring from the track as we let these boys take us on the journey with them, simply awesome as we move onto
Overboard – The rhythm section comes in with cool snare drum punches as the bass kicks bring the depth as the cymbal snaps let this track open and soar. The vocals are just fantastic as they control the movement of this sweet ballad that has a cool rocker-style riff oozing from it the place is just whipped up into a frenzy as Chris lets his guitar bring the heat as he sizzles with a cool short but punchy solo that lets this track breathe, the track is a real well-written piece that packs a real punch in its short time, we stroll into I’m Still Drunk – We return to Chris’s punk groove as we get a punchy snare drum beat that is joined by a dark gritty guitar lick that has real attitude and swagger as the place feels the groove. The rhythm section brings the heat as it pushes through with a real toe-tapping funk groove as the bassline drops epic beats all through the track we get a welcome return to his punk-infused days as this track comes armed with sweet clean guitar licks that bring a sort of lap steel tone to the arrangement. The boys are enjoying themselves as they have delivered a well-balanced rock n roll masterclass tonight that was just awesome, we roll into
Cowboy Song – Thin Lizzy Cover – Chris strums on his guitar as he lets his gravelly soulful vocals bring this track to life as we holler and scream along before, bang and off we go with a slick cool guitar riff that is joined by a deep pounding bass kick that lets the boys bring this classic cover to life for sure. The bass is dropping epic tones that are flowing freely through the venue tonight as we sing along to this classic track that has been given a makeover by Chris and the boys, we are being treated to an array of genres, tracks and tempo’s tonight and I can tell you that it has been a real enjoyable night of music that will be talked about for a long time to come, we reach the last track of this power-packed set and it comes in the form of –
West Coast Song – Chris tells us that this is the last song of the night and he thanks us for coming out to support him and the boys as he tells us that he hasn’t been here since 2019 and says he will be back as soon as he can. We finish on a real funky rock n roll classic as the cool rhythm section comes at us with snare drum taps as the bass kicks let this track breathe, there is a real funky country feeling to this track as we get treated to a slick well-rounded arrangement as the place comes to life as we stamp our feet and feel the country vibe pouring through the venue tonight, This has been a real cool evening as it brought us so many genres, tempo’s and well-rounded vocals that were on the money, till next time Chris.
Chris Shiflett –
Chris – Vocals / Guitar
Ross – Bass
Robert – Drums
Setlist –
Dead & Gone
Liar’s Word
Sticks & Stones
Carrie Midnight
Room 102
Goodnight Little Rock
Black Top White Lines
Damage Control
Blow Out The Candles
Weigh You Down
Long, Long Year
Welcome To Your First Heartache
Memories
Overboard
I’m Still Drunk
Cowboy Song
West Coast Town
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