Scottish rock legends GUN have confirmed they WILL play Aberdeen this weekend despite recent cancellations due to illness.
The band had to cancel shows this week in Bath (Monday), Sunderland (Tuesday) and Galashiels (Wednesday) because guitarist Jools Gizzi and bassist Andy Carr were unwell.
However GUN are ready to rock again and the Aberdeen show at The Lemon Tree on Sunday will go ahead as planned.
GUN front-man Dante Gizzi is relishing performing to the ‘dynamite’ fans in Aberdeen.
Dante admits the connection with fans is so strong he was in tears when the band finally retuned to stage after the Covid lockdown.
Being deprived of that live connection was tough for the singer.
And he expects a ‘brilliant’ reception in Aberdeen for the final show of a British tour to promote recent album The Calton Songs.
Dante said: “We can’t wait to play Aberdeen because the fans there are dynamite.
“They are always brilliant for us.
“I love playing there and we had such a great time the last time we were at The Lemon Tree.
“You know there is that old saying ‘you don’t miss something until it has gone’.
“Well, that was the case with not being able to play live during lockdown.
“When we played the Stonedead festival last year it was our first show back.
“I was in tears on stage.
“During the lockdown there was that worrying aspect of thinking is this ever going to end?
“Thankfully we are on the other side now…touch wood.
“To be playing in front of fans again is incredible.”
Hey Gunners and Gunettes, the GUN machine's now well-oiled and ready to rock again! The band are on the mend and our shows at The Barrowlands and The Lemon Tree this weekend WILL be going ahead
Get ready for the show with our setlist playlisthttps://t.co/2GyUhLyxX5#barrowlands pic.twitter.com/AZcJXcy5Ni
— GUN (@gunofficialuk) December 8, 2022
‘A celebration of our career up to now’
Dante admits the band struggled to write new material during the lockdown as they feared they would be unable to tour to promote it.
However GUN remained productive and worked on acoustic reinterpretations of the songs that made their career.
The result is The Calton Songs which takes its name from the area of Glasgow where the band grew up, and where they still write their music.
Dante said: “That whole period was very tough for us to deal with.
“That’s how The Calton Songs album came about because Jools and and I didn’t feel in a creative mind set to work on new material.
“In the back of my head during the pandemic I was thinking is new material ever going to see the light of day?
“If you work on new songs but you can’t showcase it in front of people it is just going to disappear into thin air because it doesn’t get a proper push?
“So we sat down and thought let’s have a wee look at all the old songs.
“It felt like we couldn’t write anything, or of course tour.
“Out of that darkness came a desire to completely rework these songs that we know the fans love, and bring a different, stripped down vibe.”
Evergreen GUN looking to the future
Formed in 1987, GUN have racked up a string of hit albums and singles.
They also supported The Rolling Stones on their their Steel Wheels and Urban Jungle tours in the early nineties.
GUN have also shared a stage with Bon Jovi and Iron Maiden.
Whilst The Calton Songs is a celebration and reinvention of the past it also looks to the future.
The classic tracks are bolstered by new, fully electric song, Backstreet Brothers.
Dante said: “With The Calton Songs we had fun exploring and putting a different identity to songs.
“That helped us get through the pandemic.
“It’s ironic that those feelings of negativity led to something so positive, a celebration of our career up to now.”
Initial work on a potential new studio album has now started for the Scottish rock legends.
Dante said: “Jools and I did some acoustic dates recently and they went down really well.
“During those shows we chatted with the fans and told them stories about how all the songs were written.
“The fans really enjoyed hearing that about the songs. It was great fun.”
Gun will play The Lemon Tree on Sunday December 11. Tickets can be purchased here.
Conversation