Barry Can’t Swim Brings ‘Earth’s Only Paradise’ to Depot Mayfield in Manchester
Image credit: Barry Can't Swim at WHP via @sophiajcarey on Instagram.
Scottish electronic music producer and DJ, Barry Can’t Swim, sold out Depot Mayfield in Manchester with his own label, Earth’s Only Paradise. This night was clearly set up to leave behind a legacy of its own.
With the venue now transformed into an electric festival, my night started with DJ ELADO’s disco-pop sensation in the Depot’s main room, which carried on to Bollibubbles’ set in the Concourse, enjoying some funky house mixes and people’s dances. I strolled around the Archive for Mount Kimbie’s energetic set before heading back to Depot for BUBBLE LOVE, an electronic side project performed by Ross From Friends. BUBBLE LOVE felt like a fleet of time as we indulged in a smooth blend of tracks from the 2024 album under the same name and hits from Ross From Friends’ 2021 album Tread. Iconic love hearts eyes goggles on the LED screen, pulsing red lights and loud chants filled the hall as the crowd braced for Barry’s entrance.
People slowly filled up the Depot area, and it was not long before the pit was completely packed for Barry. I inched forward, looking up to the big arches of the warehouse that loomed over me, bodies against each other as we held our breaths in anticipation. The lights flickered, and a silhouetted figure came on stage. The crowd erupted in cheers for the intro to ‘About To Begin’ fresh from Barry’s latest album Loner, released on 11 July this year, the perfect track to set off the set.
Barry took time to share his gratitude with us.”This is actually gonna be the last time we’re playing as a band for quite a while, so it’s going to be the last show I do for a long time…so thank you for coming, thank you for sharing this special moment with us”. And with that, he welcomed the guest singers for the night, Låpsley for ‘Woman’, along with somedeadbeat for ‘Deadbeat Gospel’, both delivering powerful live vocals and charismatic stage presences.
With ‘Blackpool Boulevard’, we reached the second half of the set where Barry brought us more tracks from Loner (2025), including ‘Kimpton’ and ‘Still Riding’, which are firm fan favourites. Recognising the song from the intro is when the crowd fully danced to the EMD-infused bop. As the sampled voice of Kali Uchis resonated through the venue, you can’t help but immerse yourself in the synths blasting through the speakers and the heavy bass throbbing in your chest. Barry matched the crowd’s energy, vibing on stage against the neon green background, creating this imagery that is to stay in my mind for a long time.
Driving momentum till the very last song, ‘Sunsleeper’ from the 2023 album under the same name, the song definitely gave finale feels. Barry hyped up the crowd for a final push, urging the crowd to get up on people’s shoulders. Furthermore, a wholesome moment was when Barry noticed and pointed at his fan dressed in the costume of the mascot of “Loner” behind me, while the surrounding crowd laughed and cheered on their behalf.
With that, the night meant to wrap up a two and a half years of touring has come to an end. While 2025 has been a massive year for Barry and his team, this lineup, personally curated by Barry for The Warehouse Project, has shown us his capabilities as an artist, his ambitions with Earth’s Only Paradise, and his appreciation for his devoted fans.
Words by Janis Law