Southern bangers in Mash
Parker Barrow (with Georgia Nevada) – Audio, Glasgow, 21st July 2026
Parker Barrow (with Georgia Nevada) – Audio, Glasgow, 21st July 2026
Parker Barrow, the Nashville based, southern-hued rock 'n' roll band fronted by the powerfully voiced and highly energetic Megan Kane and driven at the back by Kane’s big-beat drumming husband Dylan Turner, have made significant strides in a relatively short time.
2023’s debut album Jukebox Gypsies made for a solid, southern stamped start, but newly released sophomore offering Hold The Mash showcases a musical force to be reckoned with.
They also made quite the impact as special guests to The Damn Truth on the latter’s winter 2025 tour of the UK; but it’s as headliners, where they get to open up and extend many of their songs with jam-like passages and interwoven solo moments, you get a true sense of what Parker Barrow are all about.
It's also pleasing to report that on a Tuesday night, during Glasgow Fair Fortnight (when many a local music fan was holidaying far from home), the Audio venue was rammed to the walls for the fourth of seven UK shows (including two Festival appearances) supporting the release of Hold The Mash.
2023’s debut album Jukebox Gypsies made for a solid, southern stamped start, but newly released sophomore offering Hold The Mash showcases a musical force to be reckoned with.
They also made quite the impact as special guests to The Damn Truth on the latter’s winter 2025 tour of the UK; but it’s as headliners, where they get to open up and extend many of their songs with jam-like passages and interwoven solo moments, you get a true sense of what Parker Barrow are all about.
It's also pleasing to report that on a Tuesday night, during Glasgow Fair Fortnight (when many a local music fan was holidaying far from home), the Audio venue was rammed to the walls for the fourth of seven UK shows (including two Festival appearances) supporting the release of Hold The Mash.
Prior to Parker Barrow taking to the stage, crossover country/Americana/rock-blues artist Georgia Nevada performed a 30-minute set, accompanied by Edd Robinson on electric guitar and stomp-drum rhythm.
The stripped back approach worked well as a showcase for her recently released debut album BackFire, with songs such as the countrified rock of 'My Town, Too' and the edgier 'Cookie Cutter' (both carrying lyrical tales of payback) standing strong as highlights.
While BackFire songs provided the core of the set, the delicacy and poignancy of newer song 'Dear Dad' (Georgia Nevada’s father sadly passed a month ago) didn’t go unnoticed by what was a large crowd (that most of the audience were already in the venue and paying supportive attention to Georgia Nevada’s set was not lost on the singer).
Closing out on the guaranteed singalong of 4 Non Blondes alt-rock hit 'What’s Up?,' where Georgia Nevada’s voice carried in both volume and lyrical resonance, also made a not insignificant impact.
The stripped back approach worked well as a showcase for her recently released debut album BackFire, with songs such as the countrified rock of 'My Town, Too' and the edgier 'Cookie Cutter' (both carrying lyrical tales of payback) standing strong as highlights.
While BackFire songs provided the core of the set, the delicacy and poignancy of newer song 'Dear Dad' (Georgia Nevada’s father sadly passed a month ago) didn’t go unnoticed by what was a large crowd (that most of the audience were already in the venue and paying supportive attention to Georgia Nevada’s set was not lost on the singer).
Closing out on the guaranteed singalong of 4 Non Blondes alt-rock hit 'What’s Up?,' where Georgia Nevada’s voice carried in both volume and lyrical resonance, also made a not insignificant impact.
Parker Barrow walked on stage all smiles to a reception that confirmed the Glasgow crowd were onside before the first chord was struck (many would also have been in attendance at the aforementioned Glasgow show last November with The Damn Truth).
The band kicked off with the attention grabbing 'Nothin’ Left To Save' from the new album, which, following its short and subtle intro, kicked in to an unsubtle riff ‘n’ rumble that utterly defined Parker Barrow’s rock and roll spirit.
From the get-go the band were firing on all six cylinders, with guitarists Alex Bender and Will Tipton particularly prominent, albeit Eric Safka’s organ keys and Megan Kane’s vocals were a tad low in the out-front mix (sorted, I’m pleased to report, by the second song).
That said, and to underline Kane’s vocal power, her voice on the opener still managed to cut through the wall-of-sound and Messrs Bender & Tipton’s six-string sonics.
The band kicked off with the attention grabbing 'Nothin’ Left To Save' from the new album, which, following its short and subtle intro, kicked in to an unsubtle riff ‘n’ rumble that utterly defined Parker Barrow’s rock and roll spirit.
From the get-go the band were firing on all six cylinders, with guitarists Alex Bender and Will Tipton particularly prominent, albeit Eric Safka’s organ keys and Megan Kane’s vocals were a tad low in the out-front mix (sorted, I’m pleased to report, by the second song).
That said, and to underline Kane’s vocal power, her voice on the opener still managed to cut through the wall-of-sound and Messrs Bender & Tipton’s six-string sonics.
Following number 'Blinded' musically strutted as forcefully as Megan Kane brought the southern gal sass.
The brooding, heavy southern soul of 'Novocaine,' with Megan Kane in full Janis J holler on the self-pitying chorus ("my whistle won’t blow, my rooster won’t crow, I’ve been locked by your chains") completed the initial trio of Hold The Mash numbers before a brace of Jukebox Gypsies songs took centre stage.
'Good Times Gone Away' eschewed the chain-gang vocal styled intro of the studio version for an impacting acapella intro from Megan Kane (a true pin-drop moment); the band then launched into the heavy groover, locked down by Dylan Turner and bassist Kyle Priber.
The slow and moody 'Throwin’ Stones' is a very different beast live. Extended well beyond its album length, the song’s slow-burn arrangement and darker atmosphere were the perfect foils for the lengthy instrumental section, featuring some tasty slide work from Will Tipton. A highlight among many.
Pseudo funky southern rock and roller 'The Healer,' bolstered by some groovin’ organ solo work from Eric Safka, was another winner, as were the back-to-back acoustic-led brace of ballad 'Olivia Lane' and the folksier 'Ruby’s Reckoning.'
The former, a vocally soaring Southern Americana love song, was preceded by Megan Kane’s genuinely emotional thanks to the audience (and the band’s fans in general) for literally buying in to their music and coming out to support them.
(No matter how good you are nothing is musically guaranteed these days, as Parker Barrow understand, and appreciate).
It's also worth noting that Megan Kane was seated for the acoustic set, and therefore the only time she was relatively still – a whirling, spinning, southern dervish of energy, if the famous Duracell Bunny had been up on stage with her he’d have chucked it half-way through in defeat, batteries fully depleted.
Next up was a not-always-played treat for the Glasgow audience via the band’s cover of Led Zeppelin’s 'No Quarter.'
One of a handful of numbers that flit in and out of the current set-list, the fuller sound of a six-piece and Megan Kane’s vibrato holler at full tilt made for an excellent reworking of a song few others would dare touch (and, again, pin-drop moments during the quieter, keyboard or vocal only passages).
Raunchy Jukebox Gypsies number 'Count Your Dollars' featured further extended solo moments for all the instrumentalists (including a power-down drum solo from Dylan Turner and a short drums & guitars 'bolero' section) before 'Make It,' a big-beat rock and rugged roller, concluded the main set with as much on-stage energy as had opened proceedings 105 minutes earlier.
The brooding, heavy southern soul of 'Novocaine,' with Megan Kane in full Janis J holler on the self-pitying chorus ("my whistle won’t blow, my rooster won’t crow, I’ve been locked by your chains") completed the initial trio of Hold The Mash numbers before a brace of Jukebox Gypsies songs took centre stage.
'Good Times Gone Away' eschewed the chain-gang vocal styled intro of the studio version for an impacting acapella intro from Megan Kane (a true pin-drop moment); the band then launched into the heavy groover, locked down by Dylan Turner and bassist Kyle Priber.
The slow and moody 'Throwin’ Stones' is a very different beast live. Extended well beyond its album length, the song’s slow-burn arrangement and darker atmosphere were the perfect foils for the lengthy instrumental section, featuring some tasty slide work from Will Tipton. A highlight among many.
Pseudo funky southern rock and roller 'The Healer,' bolstered by some groovin’ organ solo work from Eric Safka, was another winner, as were the back-to-back acoustic-led brace of ballad 'Olivia Lane' and the folksier 'Ruby’s Reckoning.'
The former, a vocally soaring Southern Americana love song, was preceded by Megan Kane’s genuinely emotional thanks to the audience (and the band’s fans in general) for literally buying in to their music and coming out to support them.
(No matter how good you are nothing is musically guaranteed these days, as Parker Barrow understand, and appreciate).
It's also worth noting that Megan Kane was seated for the acoustic set, and therefore the only time she was relatively still – a whirling, spinning, southern dervish of energy, if the famous Duracell Bunny had been up on stage with her he’d have chucked it half-way through in defeat, batteries fully depleted.
Next up was a not-always-played treat for the Glasgow audience via the band’s cover of Led Zeppelin’s 'No Quarter.'
One of a handful of numbers that flit in and out of the current set-list, the fuller sound of a six-piece and Megan Kane’s vibrato holler at full tilt made for an excellent reworking of a song few others would dare touch (and, again, pin-drop moments during the quieter, keyboard or vocal only passages).
Raunchy Jukebox Gypsies number 'Count Your Dollars' featured further extended solo moments for all the instrumentalists (including a power-down drum solo from Dylan Turner and a short drums & guitars 'bolero' section) before 'Make It,' a big-beat rock and rugged roller, concluded the main set with as much on-stage energy as had opened proceedings 105 minutes earlier.
Encoring with their excellent, faithful to the original cover of The Black Crowes 'My Morning Song,' Parker Barrow made a statement of all-Southern smiles intent in Glasgow (Alex Bender didn't stop smiling across the entire show), as would unquestionably be the case at the other gigs on this seven dates visit.
Indeed such was their performance impact, musical joie de vivre and quality of the new album (chock full of Southern bangers in Mash) that, when they return to the UK in November, it’s not impossible – earlier comments about nothing being musically guaranteed notwithstanding – they will have to look at slightly larger capacity venues than those booked. They certainly deserve the larger exposure.
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ
Photo credits (all images): Scott Anderson/ Zeezee Digital Imaging
Read FabricationsHQ's review of Hold The Mash here.
Parker Barrow will return to the UK for eight shows in November & December.
Indeed such was their performance impact, musical joie de vivre and quality of the new album (chock full of Southern bangers in Mash) that, when they return to the UK in November, it’s not impossible – earlier comments about nothing being musically guaranteed notwithstanding – they will have to look at slightly larger capacity venues than those booked. They certainly deserve the larger exposure.
Ross Muir
FabricationsHQ
Photo credits (all images): Scott Anderson/ Zeezee Digital Imaging
Read FabricationsHQ's review of Hold The Mash here.
Parker Barrow will return to the UK for eight shows in November & December.
