I sat in La Foresta Cafe in Seoul, South Korea, in November last year [2023]. I drank a scalding americano and read the English newspaper. In the entertainment section, there was news of a UK band called Squid coming to town. The article described their “unpredictable sound,” and I was intrigued. I looked them up on Apple Music, then immediately ordered a ticket for their show, which only cost ₩77,000 won or $57 dollars.

The concert was at the Musinsa Garage in Seoul’s nightlife district, Hongdae. Concert-goers in their dark puffer jackets were neatly lined up in lines sorted by ticket number. Another foreigner asked me where I got my ticket, and I explained to him how to get it. But overall, there weren’t many foreigners; it was a mostly Korean audience. It got me really curious about how Koreans jam out at concerts.

The Musina Garage was an interesting venue. The entrance was a tight stairwell with a ticket desk at the center of the stairwell. At the bottom was an entrance to a large garage. There was no seating, so everyone gathered up near the stage on the concrete floors.

Then the concert. Lead singer and drummer Ollie Judge greeted the crowd in Korean. They opened with the song “Swing (In a Dream)” from their album O Monolith. This song really showed how passionate Squid is about their sound. They have a bombastic synth sound with a variety of instruments. In some of their songs, bassist Laurie Nankivell even plays trumpet.

The song “Narrator” from their album Bright Green Field was a highlight in particular. It’s an ecstatic song with a funky synth in the background. Other songs I liked in the set are “The Blades,” “Paddling,” and “Pamphlets” (Listen down below).

The Korean fans really loved Squid and their sound. They packed the venue and cheered loudly for the band. At the end of the set, they even chanted for an encore.

It was cool to witness how much Koreans love British rock music. There is so much interest in the West around K-Pop; however, an equal exchange of Western culture flows into Korea. To my surprise, multiple Korean rock bands know Oasis songs like “Champagne Supernova,” “Wonderwall,” as well as “Don’t Look Back in Anger” by Heart.

Overall, it was a cool experience finding a band one week and then going to see them the next week. Squid sounded great in person, and I recommend people see them. They are currently on a North American tour. I will feature more of their songs on my radio show, Glue Land on KZUU 90.7 FM (thursdays 8-10pm), with me, DJ Quench Glue.