At the same time the Chicks arrived to play Glasgow, the city was also celebrating iconic artist Banksy opening his first solo exhibition in over a decade at the Gallery of Modern Art. In one of the exhibits he writes about how he only began painting graffiti after suffering a horrific break-up, humorously concluding: ‘It felt like I had finally found a practical application for art: revenge.’
From their iconic feminist murder anthem ‘Goodbye Earl’, to the defiant ‘Not Ready to Make Nice’ right through to the recent post-divorce protest album Gaslighter the Chicks’ best songs offer a similarly potent mix of rage-fuelled personal revenge and political anger.
The image of the gas mask which adorned the Hydro stage backdrop was another echo of one of Bansky’s pieces, and a reminder of the ever present emergency that is life on earth. Nearly three years have passed since the height of the pandemic when the band released Gaslighter, and so much has changed in the world – not least the name they go by. Losing ‘Dixie’ was done to separate them from the racist legacy of that term, but it also helps further sever their ties with the country music industry who unsuccessfully tried to destroy the band after they spoke out against President Bush and the Iraq war all those years ago. The pre show soundtrack was decidedly rock and roll featuring The Runaways, the Pretenders, Stevie Nicks, Tina Turner and Joan Jett’s ‘Bad Reputation’ suggesting the evening’s tone was going to be one of celebrating the art of not giving a damn about what people think.
Opening the show was Maren Morris, who, like the Chicks, has had her fair share of negative attention after speaking her mind about issues like gun violence and transgender rights. As a performer she commanded the arena crowd with ease, her vocals and personality were a powerful combination especially on songs from her debut album like ‘I Could Use a Love Song’, ‘80s Mercedes’, ‘Rich’ and the sublime ‘My Church’. In reviewing her last album I pointed out the key dilemma she faces an artist – how to bring her outspoken political voice into her music. To be a truly great artist, one who can sell arenas this size, you need a streak of originality and fearlessness. In the Chicks she has the right heroines for inspiration and a guide to finding the things worth singing about. I’m hopeful and intrigued as to where she goes next, since on this evidence she has the musical talent necessary to make a real impact.
The Chicks took to the stage with the riotous ‘Gaslighter’, fully unleashing the explosive potential of the song and bringing everyone to their feet. Despite the pandemic delay in touring the album, the title track has lost none of its hair-raising power. The rest of the setlist leaned heavily on this album, with the other divorce themed songs like ‘Tights on my Boat’, ‘Sleep at Night’, ‘My Best Friend’s Weddings’ and ‘Everybody Loves You’ going right for the jugular of the band’s ex-husbands – much to the crowd’s enthusiastic response.
What’s also clear from this set is that the band remain unafraid as ever about speaking out politically. ‘March March’ stood out as a powerful personal protest anthem, with the names of those lost to gun violence flashing up on the screen alongside pictures of those protests which united the world against racism and injustice (watch their Glastonbury set for further proof of the power of this moment).
And the evening’s choice of older songs further underscored the defiant mood. The classic country moments like ‘Sin Wagon’ and ‘Ready to Run’ were ramped up to cowpunk speed and that spirit was also reflected in Natalie Maines’ half shaven haircut and the trio’s choice of army boots. The crowd’s rapturous response to songs like ‘Wide Open Spaces’ and ‘Tin Solider’ suggested that maybe some only came for the sweeter country anthems but they will have left with no doubt about this band’s more political intent.
When the trio did take the tempo down for the acoustic segment of the evening the intensity didn’t drop either. Their sweet cover of ‘Rainbowland’ by Miley Cyrus and Dolly Parton may seem innocuous but it was a considered choice during Pride month – this song was recently banned from a elementary school choir because the Principal thought it promoted LGBT rights. Similarly the choice of the Patty Griffin song ‘Don’t Let me Die in Florida’ was surely a hilarious dig at Trump and DeSantis (both of whom were ridiculed on the the big screen, along with digs at Putin during the evening).
The goosebump raising version of classic ‘Not Ready to Make Nice’ was a reminder of the hell they’ve been through just to get here. By the final cathartic singalong of ‘Goodbye Earl’ the crowd were suitably delirious.
The musicianship on stage from Natalie Maines, Martie Maguire and Emily Strayer was off the scale all night, aided nicely by a brilliant band which included Natalie’s son on guitar. At the end of the show the trio stepped forward to bow to every corner of the arena. You can only hope they don’t wait another fourteen plus years to record their next album. We need their voices now more than ever.
To step into the spotlight as an artist and a woman is fraught with personal and professional dangers. The other point which occurred to me the next day at the Banksy exhibition was how much easier and freeing anonymity must be. The Chicks have never had that luxury and faced the public onslaught years before anyone even knew what social media was. To see them still standing, still singing, still out to make a difference in an ever fractious world is a potent reminder to us all to be braver and never take the easy road.
Live Photos by Kendall Wilson Photography, with kind permission
Highway Queens 
What a terrific review! And a rare opportunity to see such an established artist as Maren Morris in a support slot.
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Thank you for reading and commenting! And yes it was so great to see Maren shine, even in a short set!
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