Zanzibar, Liverpool
27th November 2021

A windy cold night in Liverpool, thanks to Storm Arwen, saw Matlock aficionados warm themselves in a recently reopened Zanzibar Club on Seel Street. Fittingly, they prove to be a warm and enthusiastic crowd. There’s some old timers from the days of Eric’s in here who voice their approval when Glen name checks the iconic club; there’s little doubt they had witnessed the Rich Kids at Eric's back in the day. Glen is a master of the one man acoustic performance format so he gives everyone present, himself included, a selection of what they want to hear. There’s a few musical cornerstones that can’t be ignored, so a couple of crowd pleasing Pistols and Rich Kids songs are given their customary acoustic workout. The impact of the likes of Burning Sounds and Pretty Vacant never wanes. However, Glen never relies purely on nostalgia, and the trip through his solo catalogue is met with as much applause as the biggies, starting with the opening pair Won’t Put the Breaks on Me and Keep on Pushing, both from his most recent album Good To Go. With just 2 songs played, Glen informs us there will be audience participation aplenty throughout the evening; hand clapping and singing to the beat. New song Magic Carpet Ride leads the way and it's apparent some people are better than others at this! It works though; this audience doesn't need much encouragement to join in, and frequently does so spontaneously. Mind you, Glen has no problems getting a crowd on side, it’s second nature. A few covers are thrown in, Scott Walker’s Montague Terrace, Bowie’s John I’m Only Dancing and Springsteen’s Hungry Heart, all very different in feel and structure, allowing Glen to show us his versatility. I suppose we should class Stepping Stone as the cover it actually is, Glen even gives a brief history lesson of the song. Nevertheless, everyone here views it as a bona fide Pistols song and responds accordingly. Glen displays his range further with the self-penned Hook in You and new compositions, Consequences Coming and Head on a Stick. All or Nothing, what else, closes the evening off in the usual rousing fashion. Highlights? For me it will always be On Something, I can’t pinpoint why, it’s such a fabulous and emotive tune. Oh, and also Ghosts of Princes in Towers. Again it’s hard to say why, but tonight - as the country, hopefully, begins to move beyond the pandemic - it sounds enchanting and other worldly. Marvellous. Review & pictures by Phil Singleton