I saw Nile Rodgers and CHIC at Glasgow’s Barrowland – my verdict

An artist rarely starts their set by declaring how much they love Scotland – before even one note has been sung.

But Nile Rodgers had something to say when he stepped onto the stage of the city’s legendary Barrowland Ballroom on Wednesday night and the crowd was lapping up every word.

The 72-year-old New York-born record producer declared: “I just gotta say this s**t before we start playing.

“Every time we come to Scotland, you guys are so loud. You are louder than Concord.”

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Picture by Calum Buchan. He then joked the deafening screams of his Scottish fans left him and his band CHIC unable to hear days the last time they played in Scotland.

He said with a smile: “You guys are amazing and we are thrilled to be here. You guys know how to party.”

And with that, the music legend got the party underway with Le Freak and Everybody Dance.

The Diana Ross hit Upside Down quickly followed showcasing the start of just some of the pop classics Rodgers wrote and produced for other artists.

And while we can recognise how his musicianship has created some of the world’s biggest hits, it’s his band who are simply phenomenal.

Singers Kimberley Davies and Audrey Martells left goosebumps with every note, especially on their rendition of Beyoncé’s Cuff It.

While keyboardist Russell Graham lent his hand to the singing masterclass on David Bowie’s Modern Love.

They more than compliment Rodgers who is quite the artist on the guitar. The rhythm in his sound is unmistakable. It’s cool, effortless, and requires you to get up and dance.

Madonna’s Like Virgin and Material Girl are just a few of many examples of the infectious beats he has created and provide only the start of a CV that has allowed him to keep creating music well into his seventies.

Finishing off in style with David Bowie’s Let’s Dance and CHIC’s Good Times, Rodgers then delved into Le Freak one more time much to the delight of the hyped up crowd who were sent into a final funky frenzy.