Callum Beattie @ Inverness Leisure Centre 07/12/2024

Rating: ★★★★★

Inverness Leisure Centre Rating: ★★★★★

Where I stayed: My house

SETLIST:

Salamander Street
Let Me Fall
War On The Streets
Bonfires
Daddy’s Eyes
Dancing Queen (ABBA cover)
Dead Man Walking
Pins And Needles
Don’t Walk Alone
Man Behind The Sun
25 Seconds
We Built This City (Starship cover)
Something In My Eye
Easter Road
Vandals
The Power Of Love (Frankie Goes To Hollywood cover)
Heart Stops Beating
Let Your Lantern Go (I’m unsure of the song title)

Paul and I saw Callum Beattie around this time last year, at the same venue. I started listening to his music when his 2023 tour date was announced since his name rang a bell. It was easy to get into his music as all of the melodies are punchy and memorable. He has become one of my favourite vocalists, as his voice is very powerful and I adore the rasp in it. Some of his hits include ‘Let Me Fall’, ‘Vandals’, ‘Heart Stops Beating’, ’25 Seconds’ and ‘Salamander Street’. His debut album, ‘People Like Us’, was released in 2020, introducing CB’s song-writing skills. ‘Vandals’ came out in 2023 and is possibly my favourite of the two, even though CB had set the standards so high. It is obvious a lot of heart and soul has been poured into each record. He has been promising a new album for a while so I was looking forward to hearing more songs from it. I am keen to attend a CB gig every Christmas if he continues to make these tours a habit. Paul didn’t accompany me this time as tickets sold out before he could decide whether or not he wanted to go. All afternoon, I tried to forget about how tough work has been lately and get into the mood for an energetic gig. It had been two months since I saw McFly in London and, being out of practice, I forgot to take my concert earplugs with me. I was kicking myself, as they always improve the sound quality and I wasn’t expecting much from a sports hall. Paul dropped me off at Inverness Leisure Centre soon after the doors opened at 7pm. I wasn’t fussed about getting close to the stage as I’m tall and I knew VIP fans would already be inside. I stood near the middle, a few rows back. Thankfully, CB doesn’t tend to encourage mosh pits. Sometimes Inverness crowds can be annoying but it wasn’t bad this time. Because hardly any events happen this far north, people get over-excited when they finally do and go wild.

Wee James was the only opening act and came on stage at 7:30pm. His full name is James Macgillivray and he is a budding musician from Ross-Shire. I didn’t know much before hearing him live and had no idea he is only fifteen years old. He looked so comfortable on stage, I could tell he has been performing in front of people for a long time. It must be what he was born to do. I found out he signed a contract with CB in 2022, when he was only thirteen years old, which is extremely impressive. I had never heard him perform before but his stage name was familiar to me since I have been reading about local artists for the past couple of years. It is hard to believe he has accomplished so much musically, while still in school. I can see why CB and his management team were drawn to him. Performing appears to come so naturally to him and he is instantly likeable. He delighted the crowd with pub classics such as ‘The Gambler’, ‘Bad Moon Rising’, ‘Stick Season’ and ‘Champagne Supernova’. Songs almost everybody knows, which was a smart move as it got the place jumping. Though none of them do very much for me, I understood why he chose such popular songs and I admired how effortless his performance seemed to be. I don’t know how often he plays in front of crowds of this size but he handled it well and received constant encouragement, with various people affectionately chanting his name as if they knew him. He made his way into the lively crowd afterwards to mingle with fans and take selfies. The people around me were shocked and excited to see him up close, which further proves he is on his way to stardom. A lovely photo of him posing in front of the 2000 music lovers in attendance was uploaded to his social media the next day. You can tell by the huge smile plastered on his face exactly how much the night meant to him.

CB surprised us at 8:30pm by opening with his biggest hits, ‘Salamander Street’ and ‘Let Me Fall’. I expected them to be nearer the end of the night but they were effective opening songs, immediately capturing everybody’s attention. He addressed the crowd a few times, reminiscing about his musical journey. He talked about revisiting his first album and falling in love with the songs he wrote in his bedroom all over again, leading into the nostalgic ‘Bonfires’. I grew to appreciate it more after such an intimate performance. ‘Dancing Queen’ was an unexpected cover, though he said he has been practicing it for years. The disco ball which appeared on the screen was incredibly realistic and added to the party atmosphere. On my left, Wee James was hauled up on somebody’s shoulders during the iconic number. A major highlight for me was Gus Harrower (keyboard) getting his chance to shine. He owned the stage, belting ‘We Built This City’ at the top of his lungs, with his name in massive lettering in the background. I also know him from performing alongside Keir Gibson, another of my favourite Scottish musicians. It was heart-warming experiencing him taking centre-stage for a moment. Dave Rogers, CB’s manager, tossed t-shirts to us during ‘Vandals’. I never have luck catching any, even when I’m in prime position. The unreleased album is about CB finding love and chasing away his loneliness, with ‘Pins And Needles’ being a great introduction to the theme. ‘Don’t Walk Alone’ has very heavy lyrics and was dedicated to a young boy named Reece who was a big fan of CB’s before he passed away. CB is extremely charitable and has recently collaborated with Mikeysline, a mental health service in Inverness, to record his emotional new single ‘Something In My Eye’. It has been played on the radio a lot and has encouraged many people to keep persevering despite their personal troubles.

CB came across as sincere when he expressed his disappointment for not having millions of streams on Spotify. The concert took place right after Spotify Wrapped was announced and all of the data for the year was revealed. Obviously, he would love his songs to get millions of streams on the platform. However, he has come to realise it is better to not lose sight of more important things, like inspiring people who truly value his songs and resonate with the lyrics. The mood turned a little sombre during the latter half of the night with dark topics being brought up, such as mental health and suicide. CB always manages to make his speeches as uplifting as possible, explaining how music connects us all together and why he works so hard. He then claimed ‘The Power Of Love’ by Frankie Goes To Hollywood is the best Christmas song ever written, before performing a glorious cover of it. Though I have never considered it to be a Christmas song, as the lyrics don’t suggest it was intended to be, it has apparently become a festive favourite over the years. The night came to a beautiful close when real lanterns floated to the ceiling as the last song ended. This was especially impactful after CB’s earlier story about envisioning putting all of his problems into lanterns at Christmas and letting them go. There wasn’t quite as much fan participation this year, as he didn’t jump into the crowd or bring anybody up on stage. It is clear a huge amount of effort was put into the production, structure and stage design. The sound was good, despite my doubts, and I am glad I went. Everybody else in the venue had an amazing time too, from what I could see. I avoid travelling in winter at all costs, so I was delighted to have this local gig brighten up my December.

GALLERY