BELLE & SEBASTIAN CAPTURE COMMUNITY SPIRIT IN GLASGOW WEEKENDER

Last weekend Glasgow’s SWG3 succumbed to an almighty take over. Taking place over two nights, the West End multi-purpose venue welcomed the Scottish city’s own Belle & Sebastian and their thousands of dedicated fans for a weekend to remember.

Performing two completely different and unique sets across the two nights of entertainment, fans lucky enough to attend both nights were in for a treat. Offering attendees an array of live music choices across the SWG3 platform alongside DJ Sets, Street Food and exclusive merchandise, Belle & Sebastian’s ‘The Glasgow Weekender‘ was a unique celebration of one of Scotland’s most loved musical treasures in the city which they flourished from.

After a successful opening night supported by the likes of The Joy Hotel and Camera Obscura, Saturdays events kicked off much earlier and provided a stellar line up across the afternoon and well into the evening. Arriving late afternoon, SWG3 courtyard was already bustling with joy and anticipating the night ahead.

Exploring the venues offering, we found ourselves caught up with the sounds of Scottish music veterans, The Vaselines. Having first called it a day 35 years ago, the Glasgow duo were given an injection of longevity by one of their biggest fans, Kurt Cobain. Nirvana took the songs of The Vaselines across the world when they went on to cover several Vaseline songs ‘Molly’s Lips‘, ‘Son of a Gun‘ and ‘Jesus Wants Me For A Sunbeam‘ and this evening they shared those tracks alongside others that brought the more seasoned gig-goers back to their youth.

Inside, SWG3 opens up their TV Studio and Poetry Club for some added live music dopamine hits. Edinburgh’s Callum Easter is one of those who we stroll upon at the TV Studio. The singers indie soul energy and charming stage persona is one left to be desired.

Main support on the yard stage tonight is Irish superstar, CMAT. I don’t think she ever disappoints, but this evening the iconic singer is especially on top form. hared her personal admiration for Belle & Sebastian ahead of the show, CMAT is gushing to share the main stage with the band. Immersing herself with the Glasgow crowd at every opportunity, the Country-Pop singer has undoubtedly gained many new fans this evening.

In between all the typically “Scottish Summer” down pours, the sun occasionally rears it’s head. Regardless, crowd spirits aren’t dampened and are anticipating the main event from the band who brought everything together today, Belle & Sebastian. Having played the same stage the night before, the band have promised something different each set.

Having been an active band for the past three decades, Belle & Sebastian have no shortage of gems to delight their veteran fans. Led by Stuart Murdoch, the multi-instrumental band have seen band members come and go over the years, however, their arrangement this evening was mesmerising. What this band have always excelled in is their storytelling; complimented by the bands melodic pop orchestration, the songs are brought to life in a colourful array of imagination.

The set kickstarts by taking the audience back to the bands album debut Tigermilk with opening track ‘The State I Am In‘, it’s evident this early on that fans can expect nothing short of a Greatest Hits set this evening. And they deliver. Performing tracks from across their extensive back catalogue, each song is met with applaud. Voices echoing every word back at the stage in genuine heartfelt joy.

Highlights of the night just kept coming, dedicating ‘Piazza, New York Catcher‘ to supporting artist CMAT after she admitted earlier that she used to play the track on her ukulele as young teenager; a sentiment which I’m sure came full circle for the Irish artist. ‘Seymour Stan‘ from Belle & Sebastian’s 1998 breakout record Boy With The Arab Strap was well received by the hometown crowd, who haven’t heard the track live for many years. More recent tracks such as ‘Reclaim The Night‘ and ‘Come On Home‘ from 2022 A Bit Of Previous go down well, but that’s as ‘new’ as we were getting (notably nothing from latest album ‘Late Developers‘).

The most wholesome moment of the night comes towards the end of the night when fans from the crowd are invited on stage with the band during their best known single ‘Boy With The Arab Strap‘. Returning for a final two tracks ‘I Didn’t See It Coming‘ and fan favourite ‘Lazy Line Painter Jane‘ , the weekends events end on a high.

A band just as humble today as they have ever been, it’s that community spirit that makes Belle & Sebastian so endearing to their many fans. Curating an event of this scale in their native city not only showcasing the band personally, but by giving a platform to other, lesser-known artists. Not only for the new emerging talent (Callum Easter, CMAT, The Joy Hotel) but ensuring opportunities still exist for the bands who they have shared the scene with over the years (The Vaselines, BIS, Camera Obscura) to their intergenerational audiences. Events like this one are crucial for culture & arts in Glasgow and only compliments that sense of community Belle & Sebastian thrive on.

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Anne Kelly

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