Words & photos by Tee Tolmar
Lawrence — helmed by siblings Gracie and Clyde — made their long-awaited Scottish debut at Glasgow’s SWG3, touring their 2024 album Family Business for a second time. The show cleverly extended the album’s corporate motifs into an immersive live experience as the stage was transformed into a nostalgic office setting, complete with retro furnishings. The pre-concert soundtrack was occasionally interrupted by authentic-sounding customer service announcements familiar to anyone who’s ever been stuck on hold, weaving the theme throughout from the moment the audience arrived to the very last chorus.
Despite the concert reflecting the theme of their most recent album, Gracie and Clyde described this concert as “making up for lost time,” as Scottish audiences did not get a chance to attend their prior tours, and they made sure to include songs from across their discography. The pre-show VIP event offered an innovative twist on audience participation, allowing those in attendance to choose a song from each album to “save from the trash” through a cleverly themed “company suggestions box.”
The whole audience were then presented with the options, and a cheering contest served as the decider for Lawrence’s next song. This approach to choosing the setlist immediately established the evening’s collaborative spirit between band and audience, who landed on Freckles as their pick.
“There’s seven guys and one girl in this band, and everyone here chose the girliest song,” Gracie laughed before thanking the audience for being so appreciative of a female perspective in funk music. She was quick to involve the room in a singalong, instructing everyone to sing (or at least shout) “you know you’re beautiful” at the count of three. After a few practice rounds, the band burst into song and Gracie’s incredible vocals rose above the voices of the raucous crowd.
Whilst many of Lawrence’s songs are very high energy, what makes this album and its tour so special is the striking juxtaposition of upbeat numbers and self-described “existential crisis-y” songs. A particular highlight of the concert was one of the latter: Funeral. The otherwise vividly flashing lights were dimmed for the performance, two spotlights shining on Clyde and Gracie as he played the piano while she sang. It was a stunningly heartfelt performance, and the previously singing crowd fell so silent a pin drop could be heard.
The group’s concluding performance of Whatcha Want was interrupted by a staged phone call, which Gracie answered saying: “I’m sorry, the family business will have to call you back, we have one last chorus to do here at our first show ever in Scotland.” Start to finish, the musical experience was elevated by such playful creative direction.
If Lawrence’s Scottish debut is anything to go by, this family business is about to become a global enterprise.
You can join the Family Business as they continue across Europe and the United States by getting your tickets here!
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