The 9th gig on our A to Z musical adventure was ……
Slowdive at The Barrowland Ballroom in Glasgow.
A night surrounded by reverb at The Barrowlands.
Last night’s performance was an unforgettable shoegaze experience that will likely still be echoing in the ears and minds of those who were fortunate enough to attend this masterclass that’s been years in the making.
Headlined by Slowdive, with fantastic support from the emerging talent of Whitelands, the night was one of total sonic absorption.
Shoegaze, known for its wall of sound, dense textures, and the interplay between distortion and melody, was exemplified to perfection throughout the night.
Slowdive themselves surpassed all expectations. Their set was a seamless blend of eerie guitar layers, hypnotic bass lines, and drum patterns that ranged from the subtly intricate to the powerfully explosive. The vocals, drenched in reverb, floated over the sound mix, at times almost indistinguishable from the instrumental chaos, yet simultaneously, deeply moving.
The band showcased not only technical expertise but an emotional depth that is the hallmark of great shoegaze music. The members of Slowdive seemed to lose themselves in every aspect of their collective and individual performance, with swaying bodies in a state of trance that was infectious.
The visual element was minimalist in nature, yet perfectly coordinated with the sounds emanating from the stage.
The crowd was, to my surprise at any rate, a mix of both the young and the not so young. There were the expected fans drawn from the late 1980s and mid 1990s when contemporaries, The Pale Saints, Cocteau Twins, My Bloody Valentine and The House of Love, literally held sway. For Slowdive though, it must be an exciting prospect that there were so many young people drawn to their music. A new market, for a younger generation.
The gig became more than just a concert; it was a journey through depths of sound that continued to enthrall. Slowdive, and Whitelands managed to capture the essence of shoegaze, transporting the audience to a universe of blurred, yet melodic sound.
For me, the actual highlight of the night was the quietest of moments during the set. the penultimate song of the evening was Dagger and you could have heard a pin drop in The Barrowlands, no mean feat on a Friday night in Glasgow, as Rachel Goswell sang.
She whispers while I’m sleeping:
“I love you when you smile”
I didn’t really lose you
I just lost it for a while
Finally, we had a reminder of one of the influences the band had many years ago when they covered the Syd Barret song Golden Hair with a striking image of Syd as the backdrop. How it morphed during the song into Syd James is anyone’s guess!!
It was a reminder of the power of live music to leave an indelible memory on all who were present of the shoegaze movement and everything that came with it.
Support Band – Whitelands
Whitelands, are one of those bands we’ll been keeping an eye out for when they are touring again. Very tight, with a great rhythm section, Vanessa seemed at times to be leading, such was the power and dexterity of her bass playing. The songs from the new album are great too. Well worth a listen.
Whitelands had just released their debut album during the day and were in obviously euphoric spirits when they took to the stage and hammered their way through their relatively short set. Band members Etienne, Jagun, Vanessa and Michael can be very proud of the album and their set was warmly and generously applauded throughout.
About the venue
Date Friday 23 February 2024
244 Gallowgate, Glasgow G4 0TT
Capacity is 1,950
The original Barrowland Ballroom opened in 1934 in the mercantile area east of Glasgow’s city centre and was built by “Barras Queen” Maggie McIver.
The Barrowland building includes large street-level halls used for the weekend markets, with a sizeable weatherproof hall above. The front of the building is decorated with a distinctive animated neon sign. The sign is believed to be the biggest of its kind in the UK
The building was largely destroyed by fire in 1958, leading to a complete rebuild. The rebuilt ballroom opened on Christmas Eve 1960.
In more recent years, the Ballroom has become a major concert venue with a capacity of around 1950 people, known for its acoustics and its sprung dance floor.
Simple Minds filmed the video for their 1983 hit single, “Waterfront” at Ballroom. Bowie, Biffy Clyro, Oasis, U2, The Stranglers, The Clash, The Smiths, Big Country, Muse, Foo Fighters, Franz Ferdinand, Texas, Snow Patrol, SLF, The Vatersay Boys and many other acts too have played the Ballroom.
Adjacent to the Ballroom is the Barrowland Park where there is a pathway which features the names of many artists, who have played at the Ballroom over the decades.
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