It’s an unsettling experience walking to the Garage while the sun is still out, even as Sauchiehall Street does its best to convince you that the witching hour has long passed. Luckily, up the steps in the attic bar, the environment is exactly what you want for a Friday night gig – particularly when the band playing is lively enough to match the Garage’s expectations. Something Teenage Dads definitely are. 

After an engaging opening set from intriguing indie rock artist Maxwell Varey, the atmosphere is set for an evening of chaotic and exhilarating music. Teenage Dads deliver this and then some. With a boundless energy that matches the youth of their name, the band deliver a high-octane performance that never lets up for a minute. 

Teenage Dads have a strong discography of pulse-raising tunes that easily cover their relatively short set. Upbeat pop numbers including a vibrant cover of  ‘Video Killed the Radio Star’ leave people swaying and singing along in earnest, but it’s the more powerful numbers like ‘Teddy’ – whose chorus sounds eerily familiar to a popular Scottish chant – and ‘Come on Cowboy, Fire Your Gun’ (feat. real-life finger guns) that really get the audience going. By the time the band makes it to their encore, in a no-holds-barred performance of popular hit ‘Hey Diego’, even the stickiest parts of the Garage floor are forced to release as there doesn’t seem to be a single person who isn’t jumping along. 

The real power of Teenage Dads’ performance is an undeniable ability to work the room. The band has the powerful charm combination of Australian accents and laid-back enthusiasm that is impossible to resist. Working the intimate venue to their decided advantage, the band delivers witty interactions, instructional dance moves, and non-stop calls to sing along that ensure even those who were dragged along, with no clue who the band even is, won’t make it through the night with their voice intact.  As the rapport between the band and the crowd continues to grow, there’s not a single moment where the audience doesn’t feel like they’re an active member of the performance.  Sure the call and response can veer a little panto sometimes, but we all love a panto don’t we? Oh yes, we do. 

There’s no doubt that Teenage Dads are a band with enough talent and drive to become the next big hit. At the moment their skills and style make them feel reminiscent of popular bands like The Strokes or Cage the Elephant. Yet, with their unavoidable charm and sheer force-of-will, it won’t be long before they have a memorable style of their own and, perhaps in the future, upcoming bands will be described as reminiscent of Teenage Dads.