They Are Gutting A Body Of Water: Gorilla, Manchester

They Are Gutting A Body Of Water | TobiTheFreak
Gorilla, Manchester
11th Feb 2026

Purveyors of the Philadelphia DIY spirit, TAGABOW are the loudest and most innovative shoegaze band of the modern resurgence. Kai Marshall watches on. 

Much is said about the way music brings people together. I’d go as far as to say it’s a cliché to emphasise the umbrella of inclusivity you enter as a frequent gig-goer. Indulge me for a moment, though. It’s important sometimes to take stock of your surroundings. I was once told that when you’re in a new city, you should look up above the chain stores and admire the architecture. I had a similar thought looking around at the crowd at Gorilla; the unique setting of the gig, with it taking place on the venue floor as well as the diversity of music fans brought together by this fuzzy rock band, is to be admired and applauded. 

The unique shoegaze round-table set up denoted by glow-in-the-dark tape is enough to persuade a neutral that they’re about to see something special. A gig set up in this way is probably the closest you’d get in 2026 to that DIY punk vibe I like to associate with bands like Fugazi. You’re never quite sure where to stand at first until you realise that there’s no such thing as a bad spot with the great equalising effect of this set-up. 

Opener TobiTheFreak follows the dimming of the stage lights, draped in face-obscuring headwear. The element of mystique paints an early picture of what’s to come. I imagine if I myself were a performer, used, perhaps, to a standard stage set-up. That must be intimate enough. Now imagine being immersed in that crowd in the literal sense. As a performer, I imagine it to be daunting.  He seemed unfazed as he enveloped the room in sometimes soothing, sometimes unsettling sounds. His music slots into a mood that I would describe as TikTok ambience. Don’t be fooled into thinking this is an insult: the calmness which would transition into darkness and back again was genuinely impressive. There is still something special about the simplicity of seeing someone in a room alone as they play you their music. 

When you hear artists who started in smaller venues talk about the ‘good old days, ’ you will often hear them say how magical it was to play to a small room filled with friends and family. It must be a small part of every aspiring musician’s dream to be able to play to a room surrounded (literally) by people who are into you and what you do. TAGABOW live that dream with every show. The intimacy of their gigs replicates that feeling of having friends and family around you. 

As Douglas Dulgarian, whose solo project this was initially before it became what it is today, and co. emerge I am reminded of the venue’s recommendation for ear protection. As I weigh up the pros and cons of busted eardrums, Douglas announces he’s nursing a mild illness. He could have fooled me. 

Many of TAGABOW’s songs combine the familiar fuzz of Deftones, packed tightly into shorter tracks, alongside a ringing MBV guitar noise. Notably, the tracks aren’t introduced by the band in any way- the crowd cheer loudly for songs that, for them, need no introduction. Fan favourite ‘eightball’ takes its place early in the set. The sound is like so many bands, and yet you haven’t heard a thing like it. It’s loud and harsh, yet also soft. It’s impossible to describe the sound without seemingly contradicting yourself. If you’ve heard it, you get it. 

I sacrificed my ability to hear my loved ones willingly. If you close your eyes, you are taken back to your teenage bedroom and your teenage angst. Yet the sound is urgent, modern and not of the past. Tracks from the newest LP LOTTO, get the loudest acknowledgements from the crowd. Fans of underground music from the US have lauded this album since its release last year. The tracks are easy to recognise as the riffs stick in the mind more than earlier releases. ‘Trainers’ and ‘the chase’ are highlights- midwest emo chatter and vocals over warm guitar sounds. The way the band can build to a noise, achieve a reverberating crescendo and gently raise goosebumps on the back of your neck is evidence of the musical quality on display. 

Putting an end to my trance, Douglas says goodnight. Band and audience, equal in sound,  are now equal in silence.

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Find TobiTheFreak on Instagram | Soundcloud

Find TAGABOW on Instagram | website

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All words by Kai Marshall. Read more from Kai on his authors
archive and find him on Instagram

Photos by Elliot Davies