SHOEGAZE, STICK INSECTS AND SONIC CHAOS- INSIDE GLASGOW’S NEW SCENE

Photos by Olivia McCallum

There’s a new scene emerging in Glasgow, it’s big, it’s 90s, and it’s very (very) noisy.

A trip to Bloc in Glasgow was my gateway into this flourishing scene; an influx of shoegaze and post-punk inspired bands are taking Glasgow’s stages, and I stuck around at Bloc to watch and learn.

Studio Monks

Kicking things off was the female-fronted power three-piece Studio Monks opening with a cover of the Mogwai track ‘Yes, I Am a Long Way from Home‘, setting the tone of the evening with heavy distortion and the silky vocals of Millie Ferguson. I saw a real versatility in the vocals, they moved with the music and added a real sense of emotion to their tracks, especially in their cover of Mitsubishi Suicide’s ‘Song for Ciara H‘.

The band trooped through some technical difficulties like champions, and I heavily commend their professionalism. The set that they delivered was tight and showed a real musical prowess; they lit up the buzzing venue and gave us a brilliant appetiser for the following two bands with their set of covers and original music, which I urge you all to stay tuned for.

Sherbet Starshine

Up next was the grungy ambient sound of Sherbet Starshine, who took to the stage with a screech that clapped all the eyes in the room onto them. Avant-garde and feedback-laden, this noise rock four-piece ignited the crowd in Bloc and gave us all some beautiful, albeit heavy, soundscapes. I stood right amongst the bustling crowd, who were all giving it the inevitable headbang with enthusiastic force- it was a sight to behold. They are yet another versatile band, with some songs being raw and chaotic, and others ambient and hypnotic- altogether, I was very impressed at the flexibility of these chameleonic (and extremely talented) musicians.

The band recently supported American experimental shoegaze band They Are Gutting a Body of Water. When asked about this gig, Sherbet Starshine guitarist Blair Ross quipped, “They really crossed the body of water” before all band members stressed their gratitude for being able to support one of their main influences and even described TAGABOW as their “heroes”. This textural collective is truly one to keep an eye on, and a must listen for fans of all things shoegaze, art rock and ambient music. They were a delight to chat with, and I encourage you to keep tabs on their musical ventures.

Attack of The Stick Insects

Awaiting their headline set, I spoke to headliners Attack of the Stick Insects (AOTSI) and I was immediately engaged in an insightful conversation about the nature of this music scene in Glasgow. The gig was arranged by AOTSI bassist Rocco O’Kane, who expressed his love for the Glasgow music scene and emphasised the sense of community between all these local acts with similar influences.

I had noticed this sense of community in the previous two sets- both bands radiated gratitude and showed real interest and support for all their musical peers. It’s refreshing to see a scene where bands are climbing the ladder together and rejecting that dog-eat-dog culture that can often steal the show (pardon the pun like…) from the spirit of mutual support and encouragement.

With grassroots music venues facing a sad decline in today’s society, all the musicians I had the pleasure of meeting that night showed genuine gratitude for all the hosts that give them space for their art, “The venues are also just as important as the bands; they take us in well, and they’re happy to have us play our super fried and weird avant-garde music”, said Rocco. 

Attack of the Stick Insects is a collection of determined, whimsical, and very talented musicians established after a high school teacher urged the boys to form a band. I queried guitarist/vocalist Lewis Berry about the band’s quirky song names, and was met with an interesting and insightful answer about the song ‘Moth Desert‘ that I feel I need to share; “’Moth Desert’ doesn’t make sense to everyone, just because we’re the stick insects we thought about who would be our antagonist in the insect world, the song is essentially about a crowd of moths coming to get us”.

It was interesting to me that the band have their own fantasy worlds that they write about, and they all agreed that it’s fun to write their music using fantastical elements. Drummer Cory Sneddon described the band’s genre as “a big blend of things”, which I was intrigued to hear…

Opening their set with a ‘YO‘, Attack of the Stick Insects crashed into their opening track and caught everyone’s attention. The set they played proved their point about being a big blend of things, as I was taken aback by how many genres they had managed to incorporate into their tracks. Aspects of jazz, minutemen-esque funk, shoegaze, and post-punk were just some I picked up on during their playing, and I was very impressed. The songs explored their alternative realities, and they are skilled at creating immersive atmospheres- their tracks are like soundtracks to other worlds, and the vibe just works. With excellent use of pedals and effects, a drummer who kept up flawlessly and energetically in even the most frantic of songs, and a charismatic stage presence, these talented performers certainly have a bright future in live music that I am eager to watch unfold.

What’s up next for AOTSI? They have an album fully recorded and mastered, set to release later this year, and plenty of gigs lined up from August. This is just the beginning for them, so stay tuned…

I had such a nice evening at Bloc watching all these budding bands perform, and I felt truly welcomed into their community. There was so much love and respect in the room that night, and it was uplifting as much as it was refreshing. If this gig at Bloc was anything to go by, the city’s underground is thriving- noisy, yes, but with purpose, creativity, and a genuine spirit of collaboration.