Live Review: Saint Etienne at the Barrowland Ballroom

Saint Etienne, the British synth-pop and indie group, brought their farewell tour, Goodbye, For Now, to the classic setting of the Glasgow Barrowlands.

Walking into the Barrowlands almost feels like a time machine, transporting you straight back to the 80s. The neon signs, iconic red furniture, square-patterned stars across the roof and questionable wallpaper, which probably hasn’t been cleaned since the 80s either, make it such an authentic experience. It was the perfect setting for a band whose music has been part of people’s lives for decades.

After having to change venues because of how quickly the first one sold out, the room was packed with a crowd spanning generations. It was lovely to see such a mix of ages, with an overwhelming amount of parents accompanied by their heavily influenced kids. I went along with my parents. I would often glance at them to see them completely consumed by the music, dancing like it was 1995 again. For them, the gig carried a different kind of meaning: this is a band they have known since the very beginning, and saying goodbye feels bitter sweet. 

Sarah Cracknell’s vocals, even with the years added, still find ways to hypnotise the listener into a dream-like state. Her softer delivery sits so well against the electronic beats, while the synths create a lively, atmospheric layer underneath. Saint Etienne’s sound has always possessed this interesting balance between the human and the electronic; Cracknell’s voice feels intimate while the programmed rhythms and shimmering synths make the songs feel almost detached from time.

Throughout the gig, she added her own funny and slightly awkward commentary, asking “Who let me speak?” when discussing the farewell. This openly saddened the crowd, to which Sarah’s response was simply “No booing”, followed by “crying is allowed.” It almost felt as though she was acknowledging that this might be the end without completely believing it herself. Maybe they will pull an Elton John and just keep coming back.

There was no word from Pete Wiggs or Bob Stanley, but watching them enjoy the music said enough, with classic dad-dancing moves, head bobbing, and little shuffles here and there. They are not trying to recreate being young. They are older, they are enjoying themselves, and that’s part of what made the concert feel genuine.

They opened with ‘Filthy’ and continued with classic songs like ‘Springtime’, even mashing up a few tracks to squeeze in more of their extensive back catalogue, which was a wonderful surprise for the audience. When ‘Only Love Can Break Your Heart’, a true cult classic, came on, the crowd was alive and buzzing. People were genuinely dancing and moving to the beats, which isn’t something that always happens these days for fear of embarrassment, but I am so glad it did. 

At the end, a collage of pictures from their time together appeared alongside their song ‘The Last Time’. Looking over at my parents, still dancing to music they had grown up with, made the whole night feel strangely full circle. Saint Etienne may be saying goodbye, but watching a room of different generations singing, dancing and forgetting about their phones for a few hours made it feel like their music isn’t going anywhere. Maybe this really only is goodbye for now.

‘Saint Etienne performing at Fanclub festival in Sweden, 1998‘ with no attribution is licensed under ‘CC BY-SA 2.0‘