Alex G @ SWG3, Glasgow, 17 Mar

It’s St Patrick’s Day, and while much of Glasgow is out celebrating, a lucky crowd is gathering to see Alex G in a sold-out performance at SWG3’s TV Studio. Alex G, or Alex Giannascoli, is just two days into touring the UK for the first time since releasing his vulnerable, poignant and frequently surprising 2022 record God Save the Animals. 

When we arrive, the venue is packed and the support act, Los Angeles rock band Momma, are already commanding the attention of the audience. Giannascoli and his band are a little late arriving on stage, and by the time they do, the crowd is practically fervent. Behind them, the same paintings of tropical birds that adorn the album cover bring the bare interior of SWG3 to life, as vibrant and playful as the music they are about to perform. 

The show opens with the intense, almost sinister S.D.O.S, with Giannascoli sitting at the keys, his mumbled voice distorted. It’s immediately obvious from the energy in the room that Giannascoli’s music sparks a certain kind of devotion in his fans, which has only been amplified with the release of God Save the Animals. The record is packed with so many different atmospheres, moods, instruments and voices that it’s impossible to brush over – it demands obsession.

Giannascoli takes us from awe to jubilation in an instant when he launches into the boisterous, pop-rock anthem Runner. As he strums his guitar and belts out the lyrics ‘I like people who I can open up to’, it feels like he’s talking directly to us. God Save the Animals’ lyrics are often simple statements that take on a gospel-like significance. Musically, it’s so rich, experimental, and at times even bizarre, that Alex G himself is somehow hidden in the world he conjures. Seeing the artist perform these songs live is to understand that they come from deep inside of him – it is simply mesmerising to watch. 

It’s a long show, with 19 songs in the main set alone, but Giannascoli keeps the crowd absorbed throughout, thanks partly to the variety in his music and partly down to how much he gives himself to the audience. During a lull in the middle, the crowd’s chants of ‘Here we fucking go’ are echoed by Giannascoli and his band, building on the mantra as an intro to one of their heavier tracks, Brick.

When Giannascoli reappears on stage for an encore, it’s confirmed just how much fun he is having. The band proceed to play seven more songs, mostly lo-fi deep cuts like Crab and Gnaw, some of them extended and improvised – he certainly doesn’t leave us wanting. This is truly an evening for rewarding Alex G’s most dedicated fans, and for Giannascoli himself to come full circle.