Act: Swimming Tapes + Yakima
Venue: SWG3 Poetry Club
Date: 16 November 2018

When the opportunity came up to experience the Swimming Tapes live, it really was an easy sell for me. After a number of EPs, the Band are on the road promoting some of their new tracks and perfecting some of their well played tunes too.

The venue for the night was the Poetry Club at SWG3, a wee gem in the Glasgow music scene. Nested amongst the arches between Anderson & Patrick near the banks of the river Clyde is an arts, entertainment & music centre with a lot to offer. A short walk down the cobbled-stoned streets to the red brick arches where a cavern type venue awaits.

A good mix in the crowd sees a modern Beat generation settling in for Glasgow 4-piece group, Yakima, to give a short set with their new single Point of This a stand out for those there early enough to enjoy.

Now for the main act, a bit of fine tuning on stage from Swimming Tapes before they go straight into one of their earliest tracks Souvenirs. The thought of the cool November air is blown away to the band’s warm melodic harmonies of spring & summer. Blending new tracks in amongst their 2017 EP releases makes for a seamless night of music from the group with roots in Bangor & footprints in Glasgow. The closeness of the 5-piece band is obvious as they deliver a crisp performance live on stage that has the audience swooning & dancing throughout.

A few Cameos from a handful of new tracks made way for the final four songs of the night. The picturesque Tides was followed up by a trip back to Belfast for the places they used to go in Queens Parade. You could try to pin Swimming Tapes musical style as a classic West Coast sound, but that would detract from the Indie guitar riffs and the other clear musical influences as the band lead you on a journey tapping into different sounds and beats from one decade to next.

New single Easy Strand was flawlessly performed to the delight of all at the intimate venue. The set finished with Alison, the perfect harmonies of guitar & vocals ensured everyone left with a warm buzz as they made their way into the Glasgow nightlife.

The new songs on the night suggest there is plenty more to come from Swimming Tapes which should mean 2019 might be a busy year for them.

Martin Donaldson

Links: Yakima Twitter || Swimming Tapes Twitter

Easy Strand