INTIMACY, CHARM AND RAW TALENT: GLASGOW’S SHAY O’DOWD IS ONE TO WATCH AFTER SOLD OUT HOMETOWN SHOW

LIVE REVIEW | SHAY O’DOWD | ST LUKES, GLASGOW | 23rd December 2025 by Emma Carrington

St Lukes in Glasgow is a charming, yet underrated venue in the city’s music scene, and the same can be said about its headliner on December 23^rd – Shay O’Dowd – playing a sold out show in city he calls home.

This was O’Dowd’s second sellout gig, the first being the historic, infamous venue of King Tuts earlier on in 2025. After winning the Scottish Music Awards Breakthrough Artist of the Year, this gig was highly coveted. Packing 600 people into the church, with Christmas charm and an overwhelming holiday spirit truly created a beautiful and atmospheric night full of genuine love for music.

One of the first things I noticed at the show was just how tight knit the crowd were – exchanging hugs and kisses as though they were all old friends who knew each other intimately. That intimacy extended to Shay, his band and the support acts – Pat Hamilton and Abbie Gordon – too. Exchanging inside jokes and support back and forth, the energy that bounced between everybody really made the night into something special.

Shay’s live performance is a testament to his natural charisma and vocal abililty. His voice is the highlight of his music – velvety, comforting, with an indie-pop tone reminiscent of The Kooks. Even though he is in the early stages of his career, O’Dowd’s delivery is clear and crisp, making his raw talent obvious to any listener.

He performed some fan favourite songs such as ‘Normal People’ and ‘Back in a Heartbeat‘, as well as songs from his new EP Saying It Now, which was released earlier on in December. A personal favourite song of the show was when he performed was ‘The Kid I Am’, earlier stating online as an ode to his younger self and childhood, reminding the audience to keep in touch with our inner child. The themes of this were powerful and it was touching to hear performed live. The music video to this song features home video footage from his own childhood, and although that couldn’t be conveyed on stage tonight, Shay was able to wrap up a perfect little performance that was bursting with both nostalgia and hope for the future.

Shay O’Dowd is definitely destined for a successful career ahead of him. Besides his unmatched talent, his dedication to growing good relationships with his fans is a quality that proves to be a rarity on the indie-pop scene of late. A talent worth keeping your eye on, I hope to see his career blossom out with Scotland and the UK in the up and coming years. 

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Emma Carrington

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