Former Oasis bassist Andy Bell has played to 250,000 fans with the Britpop legends but is just as happy performing to a few hundred in Aberdeen.
Andy, who plays in pioneering shoegaze legends Ride, will headline The Tunnels as his electronic alter-ego GLOK on Thursday, October 12.
The show offers the rare opportunity to see Andy perform live as GLOK where he merges electronica with psychedelia, dub, Kosmische, shoegaze and art-rock.
Andy was Oasis’ bassist from 1999 to 2009 and wrote a number of songs for the Manchester legends including Turn Up The Sun which the band often played as a show opener.
He said: “The biggest crowd with Oasis was Rock in Rio, which was apparently a quarter of a million.
“I’ve played every sized gig from that down to about three people in one or two of the early Ride shows in Banbury.
“Gigs can all be amazing or complete rubbish.
“It’s not the size that makes for a good or bad gig.
“However if pushed, a room which holds a couple of thousand people with a great sound system and sold out crowd will be a good night more often than not.”
Playing in Aberdeen with Oasis
Andy played a sold-out show in Aberdeen with Oasis in November 2008 at the Exhibition and Conference Centre.
The Granite City gig was part of the tour to promote chart topping album Dig Out Your Soul.
Asked if he can remember the Aberdeen show Andy said: “No. Not a thing.
“But I think that’s a good sign.”
The anonymity of GLOK persona
Andy initially used the name GLOK to keep his identity secret and let the music be judged on its own merits, free from connections to Ride, Oasis, Beady Eye (with Liam Gallagher) and Hurricane #1.
He admits after 18 months of minimal impact he had all but given up on progressing with GLOK – until record label Bytes picked up the tracks.
Any explained: “I was hoping the music might get picked up for use on a TV show or film.
“And that the music would be able to find a home easier without being tied to the mental image of a middle aged indie guitarist.
“That’s why I used another name – it’s the German word for “Bell” but spelt wrong.
“After putting out the tracks that make up the album ‘Dissident’ and getting nothing but crickets for about 18 months, I had given up on this idea.
“I had more or less retired the GLOK name when I was approached by Joe Clay from Bytes, a boutique electronic cassette label.
“He had heard a rumour I’d made this track Pulsing’ and wondered what else there was.”
Oasis – Turn Up The Sun (Etihad 2005) pic.twitter.com/TkORYFJv19
— OasisCentral (@oasiscentral_) October 8, 2023
Electronic epiphany with Beady Eye
Pattern Recognition, Andy’s first album as GLOK, was released in October 2021 and featured collaborations with Sinead O’Brien, Simone Marie (Primal Scream) Shamon Cassette and Chloé ‘C.A.R.’ Raunet.
It received rave reviews and reached No 1 in the official UK Dance Charts.
The spark of inspiration for embracing electronic music came whilst recording Beady Eye’s second album with Liam Gallagher.
Andy explained: “The first catalyst was Dave Sitek’s production of the second Beady Eye album BE,
“He brought so many interesting instruments and effects pedals to the recording session, and used them so inventively.
“That got me thinking about synths, and the idea of using them to make music.
“The second catalyst was taking classes to use Logic X, which I did in my free time in between tours in 2013 and 2014.
“It taught me about sampling and synthesis from the ground up.
“That gave me a good start in this new area that I was getting interested in.”
‘I am often channeling Michel Rother’
As a live entity GLOK emerged in 2022 with a support slot to post-rock pioneers Stereolab before festival appearances at Watching Trees and Convenanza.
Those performances featured visuals by Innerstrings, who will also be joining Andy at the Aberdeen show.
GLOK is a gestalt of many genres and influences but the spirit of Kosmische bands such as Ash Ra Tempel, Can, Amon Duul, Neu and Harmonia flow strong.
Andy said; “I’ve been a Krautrock fan since a friend played me Can and Neu back in Oxford around 1990.
“It all bleeds in.
“When I play guitar over GLOK music, I am often channeling Michael Rother (guitarist with Neu! and Harmonia!)”
New Ride album planned for 2024
Andy was a co-founder of influential post-rock band Ride in Oxford in 1988.
Influenced by My Bloody Valentine, Spacemen 3 and Loop the four-piece would go on to forge their own sound.
Ride released four acclaimed albums before splitting in 1996.
They reformed in 2014 and Andy revealed they plan to release a follow up to 2019’s top ten album This Is Not A Safe Place next year.
He said: “When we (Ride) get back together it always just clicks.
“A new Ride album is on the way in the new year.”
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