Arriving near the end of Another Blurry Photo‘s opening set, this up-and-coming band who have already stormed Edinburgh’s music scene set course to dominate our flourishing Glaswegian community alike.
Tonight bringing their mix of garage, folk and punk to the Sleazy’s basement, delighting the crowd with fresh tunes from their new EP, Good Friends & Bad Influences.
First Step to Failure takes to the stage, perhaps ungracefully, and cheekily describe themselves as “the best looking band on the bill” as they beckon the crowd closer.
Now, not every gig runs smoothly and each set is prone to a couple of bumps – and tonight is no exception – as the quartet presents a bit of a shambles but in fact this itself is wondrous to behold.
From forgetting their own lyrics and chords to restarting songs and going off in mad tangents – this chaotic presentation proves to truly be part of their charm.
With top banter and lets say intoxicating… confidence, they managed to get the audience on their feet and enjoying their fast paced sound, producing what they themselves describe as creating “below average punk rock since 2007”.
Empty Lungs explode onto the stage, their increasingly enthusiastic and energy-driven madness creates an unstoppable force as they fire out catchy, note-worthy song after song.
This promising, relatively new band has only been around since 2011 but already possess the stage presence and musical ability of international superstars – four frankly talented guys.
A Frenchman, an Englishman, and two Irishmen (sounds like the start of a pretty naff joke, I know) but it seems like the perfect combination in producing this impressive and memorable set tonight.
The original line-up (minus tonight’s guitarist Paul Péchenart) have already self-released a three-track single, six-track EP and three music videos – having only been together as Empty Lungs for around two years, this is a great example of just how fast they are evolving and expanding, setting their sights to becoming a central focal point in this thriving music scene in the UK.
And just when you think that it could not get any better than this performance, our final act The Hostiles – a ska punk quintet – absolutely smash it!
Their infectious and passionate display is a true spectacle, with a penchant for beastly rifts and rhythmic guitar offerings, along with flavoursome vocal performances and a brass backbone of trumpet and trombone.
Flamboyant splendour mixed with gritty, raw punk encapsulates exactly what The Hostiles are all about.
Their animated, high-spirited performance shows no flaws, as they are lively with the audience and run around the room – with frontman Josh Barron even posing for my photographs, drink in hand of course.
Words/photos: Charlotte Anne McVey
