HEALTH + Carpenter Brut take the Conflict to Glasgow

It’s probably no coincidence that the latest tour by Californian industrial rock band HEALTH took residency in Glasgow at the former galvanising plant now known as SWG3 Galvanizers, one of the city’s most popular mid-sized venues.

Fans were lined up down the street to get into the double-headline show with French EDM/darksynth act Carpenter Brut, but at first glance the majority were there for the Americans. I’ve never seen as many people waiting for the merchandise stall, as a 45-minute-long queue patiently waited to get their hands on the bands’ T-shirts.

HEALTH are well known for their atmospheric and intense performances, and tonight delivered exactly that. You can feel it pulse throughout the venue, and opener “VIBE COP” began the visual and audio onslaught.

Lead singer and guitarist Jake Duzsik was vocally superb throughout, along with John Famiglietti on bass/production, BJ Miller on drums and touring guitarist Justin McKinney. The lighting is low and moody, with strobe flashes throughout, but it’s the perfect complement to their sound and works especially well with “MAJOR CRIMES”, their song from the Cyberpunk 2077 game and subsequent anime series, Cyberpunk: Edgerunners.

Carpenter Brut also gave a visually powerful performance; their ’80s synth mixed with a heavy metal sound proved to complement the former band’s sound. Their set was a non-stop run through a dark-disco dystopia, and their cover of Michael Sembello’s “Maniac” was a well-received finale to the night.