[Written by Isabelle Hunt-Deol]
[Image Credits: Eden Dodd]
Showing up to the 13th Note on a cold Sunday evening with a vague idea of what I was about to watch, a gig, poetry, performance – I had no expectations. I like to leave it this way so I’m always pleasantly surprised. That means I can give my most honest review and reactions. Eden and I were welcomed by two friendly faces who offered us a sticker and we had a little chat about life in Glasgow. I did not know these were the performers who were going to leave me in awe in a few hours time. The Shape of Celery was a wee night of performances from three amazing unknown indie, LGBTQ+ artists who deserve a voice.
The evening began with the funky fresh sounds of iammisleading ( @iammissleading on Instagram) playing her dinky colourful synth, combining an ambient and spacey sound effect. A video was projected onto the white wall in the back which was playing little animations that nicely embellished the lyrics. My favourite song was one about saying no to men, and the paradoxical combination of a gentle voice used to portray a strong message gave the audience a good giggle. She started the performance with her back facing the audience singing with dark undertones, then as the music built up she turned to face us. With each pause she performed a groovy dance, which was unique in style and matched the off-beat notes that reminded me of Metronomy’s style.
Second up, swoopoetry (@swoopoetry) took to the stage and amazed me with her insane vocals and beautiful guitar strumming. Her style and presentation reminded me of Billie Eilish. Her blend of indie folk with a unique quirky style was a mixture of Regina Spektor and Lana Del Ray. Her lyrics, honest, meaningful and sad were sung with a passion and hope that left the audience in a melancholic silence throughout the performance. Instead of focusing on dark, depressing lyrics, she sung about self-care, making me feel wholesome and warm. I’ve been listening to I should go to sleep on repeat since the performance. My favourite song was the kooky and fun song about the sheep she saw in Scotland; incorporating ‘baaaa’ into her elongated vocals was super clever, creative and special.
Last to perform, Lonely Carp (@lonely_carp) sat down and spoke about the honest and painful experiences which had influenced their music. They sung with such an intense passion that I had shivers running down my back throughout the whole performance. One song about their sexual identity was sung with such truth and strong vocals that I forgot I had a pint of Tennents in my hand and almost dropped it. Each song was powerful and meaningful, and on top of that they had the voice of a saint! Towards the end of the night a girl from the back came forwards at the end, volunteering to sing one of her songs because she had felt ‘so inspired by the performances’. Her song, although with a darker undertone than the rest of the night was beautiful and her voice radiated round the room.
I left feeling inspired and impressed, I would have paid so much more to see each of these minority indie artists singing about topics that are never sung in mainstream music. They all deserve a voice in the music industry and everyone should give them a listen! One reason for my love for Glasgow is finding small events like this – non-mainstream, niche nights in relaxing open spaces.
