Live Review: Better Joy Captivate Glasgow Crowd

Review and Images By Scott Anderson

Better Joy are a 4 piece band hailing from Manchester that only formed in 2023. They have a contemporary, familiar, classic sound, which reminds me of the heady days of 80’s Indie music. An uncomplicated sound that is a breath of fresh air in today’s music scene.

I have to say, I thought I was going to be the oldest guy in the room surrounded by teens & early twenties, on the 1^st night of their 1^st headline tour, but the appeal of the band had a wide age range of fans, from teens to middle agers.

I was still probably the oldest guy in the room though

Entering the stage to cheers & warm applause, Bri & the boys burst into life with a guitar & drum intro into the opening song – Situations.

An upbeat rhythm guitar leads us through this little ditty about how, sometimes, you have to put the brakes on a relationship that is travelling like a runaway train. A surprisingly toe tapping, head nodding number, considering the theme of the song. Maybe that was Bri’s happiness coming through that the relationship was over.

That led us straight into the 2^nd offering tonight – Couldn’t Run Forever.

A new song taken from their newly released 6 track EP ‘Heading Into Blue’. Another excellent song showcasing their talents, that wouldn’t have been out of place getting played on Radio One back in the day. Strong guitar riffs accompany Bri’s voice all the way through this catchy number.

Better Joy have really got my attention now

Bri welcomes everyone to their 1st headline tour, but admits it feels bonkers that she is saying it. Don’t know why, because I think this is a band that is going places. She says they will be playing a mixture of old, new & future, unheard releases, the 1^st of which is our next song – This Part Of Town.

Another crowd pleaser hearing this new song. Better Joy have found a winning formula & are sticking to it with this future number that is even getting this old dog swaying in time.

Next up we have an old song according to Bri (which has only been out for about a month) Quiet Thing, which is a song about the quieter times in life that should be appreciated & just not taken for granted. Another song that just hits the mark with Bri’s lovely vocals accompanied perfectly by the boys groove behind her. Well-deserved applause for this one.

Next up we have an excellent version of the New Radicals song You Get What You Give. When they play songs like this, it is easy to hear where their musical influences came from.

Next up we have another new, unreleased song in I’m There. Bri gets us going with some mellow vocals accompanied by a guitar riff from Darragh, as the rhythm section then joins in for another foot stomper from the band. Yet another well received song by the crowd.

This time Bri asks for some audience participation, as she wants us to join in with the chorus of their next offering What A Day, which is something we’ve all had at some point. A catchy tune with a chorus that sticks in your head, as I’ve found myself singing it recently when things have gone wrong. Another classic 80’s/90’s Indie beat keeps this song moving along nicely. I really like this one.

The band are really flowing as Bri introduces our next song as she puts her guitar back on for this one, proclaiming it as one of her favourites she’s ever written called Plugged In. In a night of firsts in Glasgow, it is the also thefirst time they’ve played it live. After setting the tone with a guitar riff to open this number, Bri stopped singing two lines in, as, in her own words, she admitted ‘sorry, I fucked that up… Ooh, the pressure’. It really is a night of firsts, but its live music… It happens. I’ve seen some big names do it. Bri laughed, the band laughed & the crowd laughed. The important thing is how you deal with it. While Bri took a few seconds to recompose herself, the crowd gave her some encouragement by offering some whoops & applause in support. Then Bri & the band nailed it 2^nd time round. Job done… You all handled it superbly. It is a song about falling in love & there was certainly a lot of love on show at the end of this number. Bri apologises for her mistake, but by that point it was all forgotten about.

I have to make a special mention about Bri. For an artist that has only been on the scene for a few years, confidence seems to ooze out of every pore on her body as she smiles all the way through this gig, keeps her head up, her eyes wide open & maintains eye contact with the audience. As a photographer, I normally spend most of my time whispering open your eyes, stop turning away from the crowd, smile & stop cuddling the mic when you’re not singing… But not tonight. Bri really is a gig photographers dream.

Next up we have Carnival, a song about the positive people in your life that see the good in everything. Another catchy feel-good number, released in 2024, with a classic Indie sound that was well received by the crowd, going by the amount of whoops & cheers at the end.

Bri then tells us it’s only the 2^nd time they have played in Glasgow, when they appeared as a support act, also in the Garage. She is happy to tell us that the crowd is a lot bigger this time round, which is great news for a 1^st headline tour. She then introduces us to their next number Waiting On Time a single released earlier this year, which is taken from their recently released EP Heading Into Blue.

Another toe tapper showcasing the bands wide range of musical influences & Bria’s writing skills. It is easy to hear why they are tipped by music industry experts as a band to watch out for this year.

We move on to the penultimate song in Steamroller, which Bria introduces as a kind of angry song, as sometimes it’s good to be angry. I’ll remember this quote for the next time I’m dealing with the police. This song starts with a drum beat & a gritty guitar riff more akin to Link Wray than their usual offerings, but isn’t out of place in a song expressing some inner anger.

Sadly we get to the last song of the evening, Dead Plants. After Bri thanks everyone for coming, reminds us about the new EP & says she’ll be over at the merch desk after the show, if anyone wants to say hi.

Yet another toe tapping, head bopping cracker with a classic 80’s / 90’s Indie sound that Better Joy are really making their own. How they manage to make a song about breaking up so enjoyable is quite remarkable. An excellent song to finish a great evening.

Judging by the amount of fans that went to greet the band at the end, they must have really loved this 1^st headline gig. I know I did.