“The Amazing Snakeheads are over. Never, ever to return.”
A short, emotional Facebook post confirmed The Amazing Snakeheads’ shock split last year, just hours before they were due to play a massive homecoming gig at Glasgow's O2 ABC, on Sauchiehall Street. Their demise was a completely unexpected blow, saddening people all over the UK.
We thought this would be the last we’d hear from Dale Barclay. Thank god we were wrong.
“there might well be a point to this after all”
For Barclay, the end of The Amazing Snakeheads was much like divorcing the person you love and having to move on: “That was the only fuckin’ band I ever wanted to be in. I never really thought I could meet people and want to be in a band again”.
After months of dead silence, Dale resurfaced, playing guitar for Glasgow’s sultry sweetheart Laura St. Jude and doing a few gigs with Fat White Family - who he describes as “fuckin’ wonderful” with “incredible music”.
A Facebook and Twitter page for Dale Barclay eventually cropped up and soon enough some shows under his own name were announced. He thought there would be no other way to make music: “After my last band ended I thought 'nah well fuck this…I’m just going to have to make music under my own name, it’s going to have to be that now’".
Dale Barclay, by Aidan O'Mara @ Walk>Talk Productions
Things quickly changed, however, after the introduction of his mysterious new band And Yet It Moves. The scheduled shows were advertised as Dale Barclay presents And Yet It Moves and hype quickly began to rise amongst loyal fans. Nobody knew who these people were or what kind of sound they had.
“Friends making music together… and it feels good.
Dale met new bandmates Jonas, Michael and Jasper in Norway and Berlin. They instantly clicked. After rehearsing briefly together in Glasgow along with Laura St. Jude, it was evident that things were going to work between the newly formed And Yet It Moves: “once we started playing together we just knew.”
And Yet It Moves debuted their glossy new material in their recent intimate UK tour. Their brain-frying new tunes showed no mercy as they encapsulated their already loyal audiences across the UK – it was unique and it was bloody good. Their songs have the intensity of The Amazing Snakeheads but are lined with a little something extra.
“It’s either real or it’s not. You’re either feeling it or you’re not.”
It appears not even Dale knows his new band’s influences, simply stating that “we’re into music that makes you feel something”. He believes that when making music, it doesn’t have to make you feel happy: “It’s got to be doing something for you but it doesn’t necessarily mean it makes you feel good.”
This mantra makes for a fresh, organic sound that taps into the darker side of, not only the listener’s, but also the performers' mind. A place which is often untouched by things like music.
Barclay has always stayed true to himself and what he wants to achieve when making music. He appreciates the people that come along to shows; the people who enjoy and relate to the music he plays: “It’s a strange thing, but an amazing thing that people really dig the music and get something out of it because ultimately that’s what it’s all about.”
Despite having absolutely no traces of recordings, their shows were very well received. Their gig at Broadcast in Dale’s hometown of Glasgow was a triumph - the energy even before the sold out show was indescribable. Every single person that squeezed into that dark basement venue was buzzing with excitement; intrigued by this mysterious band.
They played a show that every audience member is guaranteed to never forget. It was something special.
When asked about why the show - despite the fact that not a single soul there had heard their music before - was so well received, Dale simply replied, ’“Who fuckin’ knows.”
There are no concrete plans on the agenda for the European-Glaswegian band, except for extensive touring. Barclay believes that the band still has a lot to learn. The only way they are guaranteed to find their sound and become a stronger unit, is to “get on the fuckin’ road and stay there.”
Photo by Paul Barclay, taken from the And Yet It Moves Facebook page.
“We’ve got to try and enjoy it while we can, we’re all here for such a small amount of time.”
Find And Yet It Moves at the following links:
Faceboook - https://www.facebook.com/And-Yet-It-Moves-855219647905224/
Twitter - https://twitter.com/DelboyBarclay
Find Dale Barclay at the following link:
Twitter - https://twitter.com/DelboyBarclay
If you want to throw back to some stuff from The Amazing Snakeheads, head over to:
Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/theamazingsnakeheads/?fref=ts
Spotify - https://open.spotify.com/artist/56j0HoH9KmM1I9GjR3skUi
Photo credit to Walk>Talk Productions. Have a look at their stuff on the following sites: Facebook - https://www.facebook.com/walktalkproductions/?fref=ts
Website - http://walktalkproductions.com/
Instagram - https://www.instagram.com/walktalkproductions/