There are gigs, and then there are Barrowland gigs. And then — rarer still — there are two-night Barrowland gigs.
Next weekend, Beluga Lagoon — the musical project of Scottish wildlife cameraman Andrew O'Donnell — headlines the Barrowland Ballroom on both Friday 10th and Saturday 11th April, a back-to-back run that places him in very select company at Glasgow's most storied venue.
It's a remarkable moment for a musician who, by his own admission, never planned on performing live at all.
"I genuinely never planned on doing gigs — it just came about from people wanting it," O'Donnell has said. "I don't see myself as a frontman, more of a writer that should be heard rather than seen."
Heard he certainly has been. Beluga Lagoon's music — atmospheric, deeply Scottish, inspired by O'Donnell's day job filming wildlife in some of the country's most remote landscapes — has amassed over 20 million streams on Spotify. His latest album, The Tomb's O' The Faeries, released earlier this year, has received widespread praise.
From Glen to Gallowgate
The Barrowland Ballroom on Gallowgate is no ordinary venue. Built in the 1930s above the Barras market, it's famous for its sprung dancefloor — originally designed for dancing, now legendary for bouncing under the feet of rock crowds — and its iconic neon sign that glows above the East End like a beacon for live music lovers.
Playing it once is an achievement. Selling it out is a badge of honour. Doing two consecutive headline nights? That's a statement.
O'Donnell first sold out the Barrowland in May 2024 — tickets went in just three minutes. Since then, he's played headline shows at Kelvingrove Bandstand and Floors Castle in Kelso, and delivered a standout performance at Hoolie in the Hydro that actor Martin Compston described as "utterly joyful" on Instagram.
Scotland's Outdoors in Audio Form
What makes Beluga Lagoon distinctive is the direct line between O'Donnell's work behind the camera and his music. Raised in Lennoxtown and now based in rural Stirlingshire, he spends his days filming Scotland's native wildlife — and his nights turning those experiences into song.
"I spend most days getting rained on," he has joked. "For the past ten years, my work has seen me spend a lot of my time in nature. The flavour and the sound are inspired by Scotland's outdoors and my adventures."
His live shows go well beyond a band on a stage. Previous performances have featured choirs and cinematic, theatrical elements — O'Donnell describes them as coming from "a storyteller background," with each show designed to be an experience rather than simply a concert.
"It's bigger than just the music," he has said. "It's a lifestyle and a journey more than it is a gig."
What You Need to Know
Beluga Lagoon plays the Barrowland Ballroom on Friday 10th and Saturday 11th April. Doors open at 7pm both nights. Given his track record of selling out the Barrowland in three minutes flat, tickets may already be thin on the ground — check belugalagoon.com or the venue box office for availability.
For a man who describes himself as "more of a writer that should be heard rather than seen," Andrew O'Donnell has found an awful lot of people who'd very much like to see him too.
