Stephen Wilson Jr - Barrowland Ballroom 26/06/2025

Seeing Stephen Wilson Jr live cannot be recommended enough.

Stephen Wilson Jr, the country and rock guitarist who has been steadily building a following across the Atlantic, delivered a performance at Scotland iconic Barrowland Ballroom as part of his Son Of Dad tour, and he delivered with perfection.

Only months after playing at the 300 capacity King Tuts Wah Wah Hut in October last year, he was set to return to Scotland and play to an even bigger crowd in a bigger venue; initially scheduled to perform at the smaller SWG3, the venue was upgraded due to incredible demand, the 1900 capacity Barrowlands was packed to the rafters and everyone was psyched for the show.

After a support set from the highly tipped Swedish singer Scarlett Loran, the lights went dark, the thunderous roar came as well as chants of his name; "Stevie Stevie Stevie" yelled the crowd, as he and his band entered and kicked off the set.

The stage set up was also unique and unusual, with a 14 inch CRT television showing a boxing match (similar to the artwork of his latest single "Dig A Hole") as well as other props on show like motorcycle helmets and angel wings, it blended well into the music as well as the moody, dark atmosphere.

The set was a mix of fan favourites from his critically successful album Son of Dad released in 2023. The crowd were treated to the likes of the catchy "Devil", the ferocious energy of "Billy", one of Stephens more personal tracks "Fathers Son", as well as new editions to his catalogue such as "Preacher's Kid". The set also contained a couple of covers like Ben E Kings song "Stand By Me" as well as a haunting version of Nirvanas "Something In The Way", paying tribute to his grunge influences.

"Stevie, Stevie Stevie" go the crowd once more, Wilson seemed to drink it all in and genuinely appreciate the warm reception he received from the Glasgow audience, sharing stories about his life and his song writing to the Barrowlands faithful between songs. He continued to perform a few more pieces from his debut album before an encore followed, the chanting of his name followed once more and he returned to conclude the gig with "I'm A Song", which had the crowd singing once more and "Gary", ending what was an incredibly inspiring and successful occasion at the iconic Glasgow venue.

The house lights came up and it was clear from the get go that everyone at Barrowlands had witnessed something special. Stephens live performance is a testimony to the power of authentic artistry and the singer is only going to move on up from this. Not bad for someone who didn't even have a musical background to begin with, holding a degree in microbiology and working as a scientist prior to his career in music.

"Thank you, thank you, thank you, thank you... my heart, forever Scotland we love you" he said on Instagram post gig, the atmosphere on the night was electric and it is no wonder artists enjoy playing in the country, especially at the Barrowland Ballroom.

If you missed out on the show or came to find out what the fuzz is all about, seeing Stephen Wilson Jr live cannot be recommended enough.

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