Biography
The Amazing Snakeheads emerged from Glasgow as a three-piece outfit whose raw garage rock carried heavy blues accents and evoked the shadowy atmosphere of classic film noir. Singer-guitarist Dale Barclay, bassist William Coombe, and drummer Jordon Hutchison made up the lineup. Barclay and Coombe had been friends since childhood, while Barclay met Hutchison, a New Zealand native, through their shared apartment building. The three bonded over frequent concert-going and record discussions, yet none intended to form a band until 2010, when an impromptu decision led them to book rehearsal time and experiment together. Although Hutchison already possessed band experience from New Zealand, Barclay and Coombe entered the process without prior group history, yielding a sound that felt both new and ferocious. The trio soon adopted the name Amazing Snakeheads, and their explosive style drew frequent parallels to the Birthday Party and the Gun Club. By 2013 their intense live shows had established a formidable presence throughout the U.K. club circuit, prompting Domino Records to offer them a single. Their debut 7-inch, “Testifying Time,” delivered under 85 seconds of unfiltered defiance and sparked widespread critical notice. That response secured a full album contract, resulting in the spring 2014 release of Amphetamine Ballads. Dale Barclay received a brain cancer diagnosis in December 2017 and passed away the following September.
Albums
Singles
