YOU might associate summer music festivals with sunshine, cocktails and "sound of the summer" type pop tunes.
Walking up to Arab Strap's headline show at Queen's Park Arena, Glasgow, on Friday night can't be further from that image.
In pouring July rain, the punters brave enough to venture to this outdoor gig stomp around the festival grounds in walking boots and Munro-ready waterproof coats, trying desperately to stop the rain from watering down their plastic-cupped pints.
Even frontman Aidan Moffat seems surprised that there's a sizeable crowd standing in front of him on what may well be the bleakest day of summer 2025.
"I live nearby," he tells us. "And I wouldn't have come out tonight."
But, and I ask this with all sincerity: Is there any better way of enjoying an Arab Strap show?
The frankly miserable surroundings are the perfect atmospheric accompaniment to Glasgow's most miserable band.
Opening with Allatonceness, a banger track from their most recent album "I'm Totally Fine with It Don't Give a Fuck Anymore", the deep, rich sounds are exactly what I need.
The band sounds incredible, with the keys and synths particularly audible and hitting hard. At previous Strap shows, the prioritisation of guitars in the mix has covered up those more melodic notes. Tonight, it's brilliant. Dare I say it – maybe even preferable to the recorded versions.
The band roll through plenty tracks from the most recent release, but get the crowd hyped up with the older cuts. Moffat also sounds most passionate on those. New Birds, from Philophobia of 1998, stands out. The crowd is silent as Moffat recites those devastating, poetic lines about reconnecting with a former lover years later.
It is a moving moment when Moffat dedicates the anthemic Shy Retirer to Keith McIver of Optimo, who announced last week that he has been diagnosed with an untreatable brain tumour. The frontman reveals that lyrics in the song about the "c***ed circus" are all about going out partying at Optimo shows, and the audience claps approvingly for the iconic DJ.
Returning for an encore, there is a huge cheer for the ever-popular Girls of Summer. That brilliant post-punk section seems to go on forever in the best way possible. Those repetitive synth notes. Fantastic.
Bringing things to an end, Moffat says: "Something's in the air tonight ... are there any questions?" The crowd roars for an oldie and shout out their requests, before Moffat and co treat us to a few final tunes as all the light of the evening fades away.
It is a great show, and the turnout in this legitimately horrible weather is a testament to Arab Strap's icon status in the Glasgow music scene. See them yourself, whenever you can.
There are more shows in the Glasgow Big Nights Out series coming up, including Yard Act and Geordie Greep. Find out more here
