The SWG3 complex is expanding. Tucked away in a former industrial site behind the Yorkhill Hospital campus the complex has now taken over an old yard that is perfect for outside concerts. Charitably it backs onto student flats which allows them to watch acts like Belle and Sebastian or LCD Soundsystem for free. I've only been to inside shows to see Shellac, Godflesh and Loop so an outdoor show was a new experience for me today.
We arrived to find that most of the street outside the venue had been closed off for the show and a herd of Portaloos had been planted outside the yard. There is also a larger indoor venue on the site that can host bigger shows that the small upstairs room. A couple of food vans and a beer tent helped turn the outdoor area into a festival site.
We tried some food from the burger van. The burger was better than the hotdog. The first support band sounded a bit Morrissey-Like and the second group were more in the CHVRCHES pattern. It was a pleasant May evening which is unusual in Glasgow.
B&S opened with Dog on Wheels and dribbled a few classics throughout the set. We were beautiful, She's Losing It, The Wrong Girl, Get me away from here I'm dying. All West End Glasgow anthems. There were newer songs that I am less familiar with that were pleasant. As always, Boy with the Arab Strap was an anthem and the stage filled with dancing fans. My partner had only ever seen B&S in a small venue before and she enjoyed the stadium show.
Belle and Sebastian accept all shapes and sizes. They aim to entertain. They want us to learn their new songs and they are happy to bring out the classics. They don't have the live power of their local contemporaries like Mogwai but that's not really the point. That's not what they want to do.
It's nice to see a Glasgow band on a sunny day in Glasgow. Ned free.
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