QMU, Glasgow
4th Dec, 2023
At the Glasgow QMU, the university student union, there is always a vibe of youthful community. On this winters Monday eve we were there for a ‘Shygirl’ gig the venue was bustling for this performance of music that was brimming with style, love and unison with the crowd. It kicked off about 8 pm with a DJ set by Angelita whose face we never saw as she performed under the dark lights of reds and blues.
A steady build up of energy came with her compositions of synthetically presented thumping base and beat with sampled and original lyrics often on repeat. The short evening was ready to receive Blane Muise AKA Shygirl. She released her debut album ‘Nymph’ last year and consequently we were there to see her Glasgow gig of the tour of her new music.
She has accomplished much since inception in 2016 releasing singles and founding her record company. Her musical style arches from a stem of self belief that gives her performance an edge of being incredibly relaxed and capable to entertain. The crowd were obvious fans, who made a lot of noise to welcome her on stage, when she came on she already had everyone in her vivacious hands.
It was music, lyrics, melody and vocal of princely proportions, she has moulded a way to be onstage with total natural unravelling, very much being one with her crowd whom she played with a joyous stick. As her lyrical licks went by and her body moved and ran, she would flick her hair in friendly ways. Her songs stuck out, she writes what she wants and there was a great sense that she was speaking for everyone, rich and winning yet composed and of a certainty.
The music also unravelled the whole room as the strobe lights flickered on and off whether on her or into the crowd. It was of smoothness like jazz with a beat that functioned in its directions, vamping up the room with great waves of inclusiveness, riling with sweetness. Bigging up the vocals and aiming lyrics from her personality in agreement with life, taking and making what she liked and what she knew the crowd would want.
It was very impressive to see this act and be absorbed in a crowd of jovial vibes, youthful celebration and completely free of aggression. The night was short but very sweet; denoting something everyone had a hold on, and sharing something everyone could see. I was impressed by what I felt was honesty coming from a most capable performer; there was something in it to be noticed as things were taken care of.
Daniel Donnelly
Mumble Music 