The Lapelles’ Late Gary Watson: A Tribute

Last weekend, we learned the sad news that The Lapelles frontman Gary Watson had died from injuries sustained following a fall into the River Clyde in Glasgow. In a statement made to the band’s Facebook page, the shocked group paid tribute to singer and guitarist who died on the eve of his 22nd birthday. “We are lost for words and struggling to process such a tragedy. Gary was a creative force, a man who without his vision this band wouldn’t exist. We have lost a friend, a brother, a hero”, they wrote.

The Lapelles, comprised of friends Gary Watson, Leon Green, Jack Anderson, Christopher Ballantyne and Jamie Holmes, formed in East Kilbride, just outside of Glasgow, at the end of 2012. Their hometown was heavily embedded into their music, and early single ‘Seventeen’ was named in reference to a brutal murder that took place in town in 1956. Speaking to The Skinny last month Watson said that “with East Kilbride, from an outsiders’ perspective, it’s a nice, friendly town, but when you dig deeper there’s a lot of doors left unopened”.

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In December 2015 the group release their debut single ‘Snakehips’ and ‘Seventeen’. Their finest moment arrived in May this year, with the gigantic indie-pop single ‘Grab Life By’. At the time, NME described the track as one “which possesses the youthful swagger of Catfish And The Bottlemen, but has more in common with the spirited indie-pop bangers of The Vaccines. Put simply – it’s massive.” That sentiment was echoed by those who encountered the group in their live shows. Glasgow promoter Paul Cardow tells NME that “they possessed a unique intensity, youthful exuberance and song writing ability well beyond their tender years”.

The impressive tunes translated into a raucous live show, and Cardow suggests that the group were primed to be one of the next great Scottish bands. “Their gigs really did have the same excitement and anticipation as Teenage Fanclub at Glasgow Tech, Franz Ferdinand at the old Edinburgh Venue or The Amazing Snakeheads’ residences at Broadcast,” he says.

Over the course of their short career, The Lapelles had already bagged support slots with The View, The Kooks, Blossoms and The Last Shadow Puppets, who they played with in May 2016. Speaking to NME at the time, Gary Watson said that it was a dream for them to support Alex Turner and Miles Kane at their shows in Newcastle and Leicester. “I got ‘Age Of The Understatement’ for my birthday when I was younger so it’s pretty surreal to be playing with them,” he said. “I think the grand scale of the venues is something hard to comprehend since we’re more used to playing basements and smaller venues at the moment.”

Word spread and over the summer they played a well-attended slot at T In The Park Festival and headlined their own sold-out show at Glasgow’s King Tut’s Wah Wah Hut last month, with their first nationwide UK tour for set for October.

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Gary wasn’t just lauded for his musical ability, but for his commitment to the Glasgow music scene, too. “Gary was one of the nicest, most humble and talented people I have ever met,” says the band’s promoter Chris Beltran. “His always optimistic outlook on life was infectious and he brought joy to everyone whom he met. He lived and breathed the music scene. He would always be first in line to see other up and coming acts in Glasgow, a real supporter of grassroots music.”

Since his death, several bands including Franz Ferdinand, The Kooks and Circa Waves have taken to social media to post condolences, all but confirming his rising standing in the Scottish scene and beyond.

“I was once told it takes five years to become an overnight success. I was too naive to believe it when I was younger; it’s only until now I really see what it means,” Gary once said to The Seventh Hex. Three and a half years after forming, Beltran and their loyal fans were witnessing that becoming true. “It wasn’t a case of if this band was going to go onto bigger things, it was when,” says Beltran.

The band have not yet commented on whether the group will continue following the tragic accident. If it does spell the end of the group, we’re left with four singles to remember them by, each an improvement on the last, each alluding to the promise of the next. The Lapelles were already making a name for themselves in Scottish indie, and the void Watson leaves in that scene will be strongly felt.

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