Venue: SWG3, Glasgow

Date: 1st May 2022

As you walk towards the SWG3 Warehouse, the prolific commissioned abstract street art on the high walls to your right is balanced by the numerous ancient railway arches that still support the towering, rumbling trainline that curves into the distance above you. 

In the half-light, if the Jacobite Steam Train had thundered past it would not have felt out of place and you would have a trippy Harry Potter meets Alice in Wonderland vibe going on.  It’s a fantastic approach into an amazing venue that has seen massive redevelopment from a heavy industrial space to one of the busiest artistic hubs in Glasgow.

The interior is huge and dark and a wash of blue light and a thundering drum and bass crescendo stir up the Glasgow crowd and the roar already tells you that this is going to be one hell of a gig. Glasgow has always been a favourite for touring musicians and the 2 year Covid gig hiatus has magnified the hunger of the gig-goers and man, does it show.

Rebecca and Megan Lovell explode on to the stage and they are grinning from ear to ear at the reception, picking up the adrenalin from the audience and going straight into “She’s a Self Made Man”.  The sound mix is perfect and they are obviously having a great time.

A great mix of old and new songs and some classic covers provide a great melting pot of material from “Bleach Blonde Bottle Blues” through “John The Revelator” and onto the AC/DC track dedicated to the  female members of the audience… “Wanted Woman”. 

The integrity and honesty of the band shines through.  Rebecca fills the whole stage, spinning and sprinting, completely infused with irresistible joy which flows through the crowd and everyone is feeling good.

A break in the set and Rebecca relates the experiences of mental health in her family history relating to the impact it had on their Grandfather, and their Father which then impacted those around them.  As a fierce advocate for mental health and empowering women, Rebecca then voices her support for all of those in the audience affected in some way before moving on to a stunning rendition of the self-penned “Mad as a Hatter”, which Rebecca wrote many years ago in an attempt to process her feelings. 

One of the most uplifting tracks was the song “Blue Ridge Mountains” which saw Glasgow in fine voice providing numerous “Oh My My”’s throughout the track (I didn’t see anyone that wasn’t singing!).  The whole crowd were grooving.

We were privileged to witness the first live rendition of the title track from the new album, “Blood Harmony”, due for release in November 2022, which explores the unique biological musical mix of sibling vocal harmony.

Also evident between the two sisters is the love and mutual respect that exists between them and this is manifested in a closeness that isn’t normally seen between artists on stage, which is captivating. Both Rebecca and Megan consistently refer to themselves and the audience as being “together” and there is definitely a perception that “the fourth wall” has been dissolved and that we, the audience, are part of the experience. Rebecca speaks to audience members directly and responds to the encouragement being offered from the crowd.

Musically, the band were outstanding and the space between the notes was refreshing.  There was a huge amount of energy being transferred to and from the stage and the solos were beautifully crafted and executed.

Drummer Kevin McGowan with Tarka Layman on Bass, Keys and Backing Vocals, provided the ultimate rock railway line for the ladies’ locomotion to hurtle along and, as I heard someone say, “I can’t believe there were only 4 people on stage!”  This is the sign of a hard working group of musicians dedicated to delivering the funky freight train to the soul station. (Apologies, got a bit caught up in the moment there) 

An exhilarating mix of space and chaos, light and shade,  joy and power all simultaneously hitting you right in the face!  

If you Google “What is the smoothest thing in the world?” it will return “a quantum stabilized atom mirror”. 

This is actually incorrect, and needs updated. 

The correct answer is “The smoothest thing in the world  is the vocal harmony between Rebecca and Megan Lovell”

A new word was invented on stage tonight by Megan …”Shooketh”, and in this context the roof of SWG3 was well and truly “shooketh”.  

While on the subject of voice, Rebecca’s vocals power through and over the audience like a visible melodic shock wave and then miraculously and effortlessly soar an octave on songs like “Sunset Summertime” delivering a sweet falsetto that is jaw-dropping. 

From their heads down to the tips of their Doc Marten Platform Boots this is a class act.  Even if The Hogwarts Express did not blast along the trainline from Partick to Glasgow Central Station this evening there was still wizardry to behold and as Dumbledore said in The Philosophers Stone…

 “Ah, music. A magic beyond all we do here!"

Thanks to Kat Bawden from DediKATed pr for the access to the gig and the super-professional staff and security at SWG3!

Review and photography supplied by Kirk Lothian, Glasgow Blues Players. All rights reserved.

For image use please contact glasgowbluesplayers@gmail.com