Barrowland Ballroom, 2.02.2020
Although Storm Ciara was sweeping through Glasgow’s streets, the queue outside the Barrowland Ballroom was several hundred meters long and comprised of scantily clad young teenagers. This was, admittedly, not what I was expecting. After all, I had gotten to know Sigala’s tunes in clubs and bars where they ask for ID before letting you in. Although the gig was not exactly to my taste – mainly because the young age of everybody around me made me feel distinctly out of place – the music itself was what you would expect from a renowned DJ and producer. Considering the crowd, Sigala’s performance was spot on.
The crowd of young teens was bursting with energy (and at least some a touch of illegal alcohol) and responded enthusiastically to the first DJ of the night, Joel Corry. With essentially no light show, he was still able to play the crowd, who were jumping to the beat, shouting along to lyrics of classic dance tunes, and went wild at ‘the drop’.
This was the perfect prelude to Sigala, whose lightshow was extensive. His raised DJ platform was reflective and thereby multiplied the effect of the colourful lights and images being cast on stage. On top of that was the fact that he had live singers and dancers to fill up the otherwise relatively empty stage. Together, the lights and the performers managed to bring energy to the gig, which was multiplied by the lively crowd of teens. Sigala himself was also an enthusiastic performer who clearly enjoyed the music he was playing.
That said, the gig experience itself felt more like a social experiment to me. The music was decent, and exactly what you would expect from listening to Sigala on Spotify. Yet the crowd around me was truly fascinating, as I realised just how far removed the experiences of teenagers of today are from my own. Considering I am only 23, this came as a bit of a shock.
[Kirsty Campbell – she/her – @KirstyCampbell3]
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